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This digital terrestrial receiver, measuring 160 x 140 x 35mm and capable of bringing the Freeview channels into your living room, comes boxed in a package that contains all the bits and pieces you are likely to need. For a start you get the DEC110-T unit but more of this piece of equipment later. There is a remote control powered by two AAA batteries and a 12v power supply for the actual unit.

Inside the box you will find a lead for connecting the receiver, via a serial port, to the SCART socket on the television. Presumably Hauppauge has its reason for using a serial port rather than SCAART socket on the receiver but at least by supplying the appropriate lead the customer is not inconvenienced or saddled with additional cost. You also get a coaxial cable in case your television does not have a SCART socket; a lead for connecting audio to a Hi-Fi system; a stand in case you want the receiver in an upright position; plus set-up instructions and a brief User Manual.

See also: Freeview

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The receiver unit bears a remarkable similarity in design to some other Hauppauge products such as its MediaMVP box. The design is hardly going to set the pulses racing but it is functional and should not look out of place as part of an entertainment centre set up. A power light indicator and infrared receiver decorate the front of the unit while the rear houses the various connection sockets.

Once all the connections have been made, an automatic set-up routine will kick in and lead you through various installation options. You can set the screen format to either 4:3 or 16:9. The nest stage involves a First Time Installation. You could, if you wish, opt for an automatic or manual search to discover all the various television and radio channels that are currently available.

At the conclusion of the search, you will be able to select a channel either by cycling through those available using the remote control or call up the Channel List option. Displayed on screen, the Channel List presents a scrollable list of the channels. These can be previewed in a small window before making a choice. In some cases channels will be listed that you will be unable to view, such as UKTV Gold, however it is a fairly easy operation to remove these from your Channel List. You can also rename channels, lock those considered unsuitable for younger family members and create a favourites list. This latter option will need to be switched on from the Configuration Menu as it is turned off by default.

To help with programme planning, the DEC1100-T provides an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) feature. As with the Channel List you can watch a selected channel in a small window while browsing through the available programme information which can include a brief synopsis along with timing details. Unfortunately the EPG feature does limit you to just the current and next programme for each channel. I could find no way to increase the range of information available.

The DEC1100-T does have a Timer option. This allows the user to set up the device to start and stop at specific times and dates. Up to five different programmes spread over the range of channels can be scheduled. Text content from various sources and radio stations can also be accessed with this digital receiver.

Generally I was impressed with the picture quality obtained with this device even with a standard indoor aerial. However there were a couple of occasions when the picture size shrunk a little. This would only affect one channel. Switching the television and receiver off cured the problem.

Priced in the region of £55, the DEC1100-T is well worth considering. It is easy to set up and comes with all the leads you should need.

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_dec1100-t.html