Best set-top boxes: The six best ways to watch free digital TV

While watching TV shows online through streaming devices has become increasingly popular, there are times when you just can’t beat the convenience and control of recording your favourite programmes to watch later. That series of Call the Midwife or His Dark Materials you’ve been wanting to watch could end up being dropped from BBC iPlayer and will expire from All 4, ITV Hub and others too.

But, with the best set-top boxes you can not only access a wide range of free-to-air digital channels, but also record them to watch later (and those recordings won’t disappear like they sometimes do on streaming services).

It’s great for those times you want to watch Strictly but the kids want to watch something else that airs at the same time. With one of these boxes, you can record it to watch later.

In this guide, our friends at the Good Housekeeping Instituteexplain the options out there when it comes to expanding your TV selection, and we’ve rounded up the best boxes that record your TV, and one budget option that gives you all the free-to-air channels but doesn't record your shows.

What is a set-top box?

While most modern TVs can receive one or both of the UK's free-to-air digital TV services (Freeview and Freesat), the ability to pause and rewind live TV is only available if you have a set-top box.

The box connects to your TV with an HDMI cable and receives hundreds of channels through either a digital aerial or a satellite dish. These boxes also often come with storage space so you can record programmes you’ve missed to watch later.

If that wasn't enough, some set-top boxes also connect to the internet and let you watch catch-up services such as iPlayer and apps such as Netflix, YouTube or Amazon Prime Video through your TV, even if it's not a smart model. Set-top boxes are also necessary if you want to carry on using older TVs that can’t receive digital TV services.

A range of brands manufacture set-top boxes, including Panasonic, Bush and Manhattan, but Humax models are consistently top performers in our tests, which is why you’ll find several Humax boxes featured in this roundup.

What to consider when buying a set-top box

There are three main types of set-top boxes to choose from. YouView and Freeview options use a digital aerial to receive broadcasts while Freesat requires a satellite dish.

Freeview

Freeview offers around 70 standard definition (SD) channels, 15 high definition (HD) channels and more than 30 radio channels, depending upon where in the UK you are. If you already have an aerial in place, this is the most wallet-friendly option.

There are two versions of Freeview set-top boxes. Freeview Play boxes have catch-up services such as iPlayer and ITV Player integrated into the programme guide, so you can quickly play a previously-broadcast show even if you haven't recorded it (if the box is connected to the internet) as well as other streaming apps. Freeview+ set-top boxes are generally more affordable but don’t offer the ability to scroll backwards in the guide and lack some catch-up services.

YouView

Launched in 2012, YouView was the first to launch a set-top box with catch-up TV services integrated into the programme guide. At launch, it was leaps and bounds ahead of Freeview and Freesat boxes that didn't have the fully-loaded programme guide, but now they’re comparable.

YouView boxes do still have one benefit that Freeview ones lack: the inclusion of the NOW TV app. This means you can watch Sky's on-demand online TV service (if you subscribe to it) without the need for an extra device.

Freesat

Freesat is a free-to-air digital TV service that offers the same digital channels as Freeview along with a handful of extra HD, music and niche channels. It uses a satellite dish to receive broadcasts rather than an aerial, making it ideal for homes that struggle to get a strong signal from a digital aerial.

It's also a cheaper option if you already have a satellite dish connected to your home – ideal if you used to be a satellite TV service customer, for example. The majority of Freesat set-top boxes on the market let you scroll backwards and forwards through the programme guide and quickly access shows on catch-up TV services.

Which is the best TV box?

Best YouView box: Humax DTR-T2000
Best Freesat box: Humax HDR-1100S
Best budget Freesat box: Humax HB-1100S
Best Freeview box: Humax FVP-5000T
Best Freeview box for 4K: Manhattan T3-R
Best budget Freeview box: Manhattan T2-R

Other features to consider

HD or SD: The majority of set-top boxes on the market today can receive HD channels, but not all. Some only give you access to the SD versions of channels.

Hard drive: If you want to record TV shows to watch at a later date, then you'll need a set-top with a hard drive in it. Options are usually 500GB or 1TB of storage space but some set-top boxes are available with 2TB. As a guide, you can record up to 300 hours of SD shows or 125 hours of HD shows on a 500GB hard drive.

Online TV services: Some set-top boxes allow you to watch online TV services without the need for an extra device, provided you have an internet connection. The services vary between boxes, so while some may only have the UK’s major catch-up services, others may include subscription-based apps such as NOW TV and Netflix.

Internet connection: Most set-top boxes have an ethernet port so you can run a cable between your router and the box, giving it an internet connection to access online TV services. However, if your router isn't next to where you plan to place the set-top box, you may have to trail cables across the house. Some set-top boxes also come with wi-fi so you can place them away from the router. Think about where your router is in relation to your TV before you buy.

How we test set-top boxes

The Good Housekeeping Institute has assessed the performance, ease of use, and design of a number of set-top boxes. We try out all the features that come with the boxes such as pausing and rewinding live TV. We experiment with recording programmes to see how successfully they are recorded and find out how many you can record and watch at the same time.

Navigating the interface is important so we look for what is most user-friendly and how easy it is to use. We find out whether it's simple to access catch-up services, as well as which ones are available.

With our readers in mind, we also look at functions such as parental controls and smartphone apps, checking the features available and how easy they are to use.