Top Up TV Anytime Review

Overall Rating

Series Link.
Value for money.
Good Support.
No need for a dish, cable or broadband connection... just uses your existing aerial.
Twin tuner DTR.
Extra choice on top of Freeview channels

A few bugs in the software.
Some missing and blank Video on Demand (VOD).
Hard Disk is now too small at 160GB due to the amount of overnight content now available, but can be upgrade yourself (voids warranty)

Having been a subscriber to Top Up TV since July 2004, I was pleased with the original service, and was slightly disappointed to hear that Five wanted some of the broadcast space back and that Top Up TV had to evolve into an Overnight VOD service. Also I was a bit disappointed to learn that my current PVR would not be suited to the service, and that a new PVR (DTR) would be required. However, since receiving my DTR in December 2006, I've been pleasantly surprised by both the technology and the service.

When the DTR was first released just before Christmas in 2006, there were a few problems with it, which has since been ironed out. There are still a few problems with the software of the DTR, but reassurances from the Top Up TV staff that frequent both the Digital Spy and Kafka's World forums lead me to believe that these will be sorted out in due course. The representatives there are very helpful, and give great advice. I have every faith in Top Up TV to make this a great reliable service.

I have a 14 day enhanced EPG which is unique to the Top Up TV Anytime. Although in some cases this isn't as easy to use as other PVRs. I can now record 2 programmes at once and watch a pre-recorded one, or watch one programme while another is being recorded. I can use subtitles. I have access to series link recording, which quite a few other PVRs can't, even with Freeview Playback capabilities, as not all Freeview channels provide series link data at this time.

I have had a few problems with missing overnight downloads though, and also a few blank recordings. But as I have said, I am confident these will be fixed in future updates... hopefully there will be one in the not too distant future.

I have rarely had to call customer services, but when I have, they have been courteous, and helpful. The Top Up TV service in my opinion has great potential. It's an innovative way to utilise overnight broadcast space which otherwise wouldn't be used, to great effect. It's not designed to compete with the likes of Sky or Virgin Media. There just isn't the capacity to broadcast that many channels on Digital Terrestrial. Certainly better than having to be connected to broadband to rely on watching TV, like you are with BT Vision. You don't have to trawl through loads of channels to find something interesting to watch, you just press the Top Up TV button, and select something that has downloaded for you overnight... it's as simple as that.

Top Up TV Anytime is a viable alternative in the digital TV age. Especially as it only costs £9.99 a month. For an extra £5 a month, you can subscribe to PictureBox which downloads a movie a day. That's just 16p a movie... a lot cheaper than DVD rentals. Also you can use the Top Up TV+ DTR to view Setanta Sports, which offers amongst others, English Premier League football... much cheaper than Sky Sports, although once again, due to limited capacity on Digital Terrestrial, there isn't as much choice.

Remember though, Top Up TV Anytime is still a new service, and there are bound to be teething problems with such an innovative way to deliver extra programming from the likes of Discovery Channel, MTV, Paramount, Living TV, Hallmark, Nickeleoden, Disney Channel, Eurosport, and others.
Where else can you see programming from those channels without having a dish, cable or broadband connection?

Be patient, and have faith. Things can only get better.

Members' Comments onironeagleuk's Review

• richpb7 on 4th Sep 2007

  This guy is obviously very keen on TopUP TV, and has gone around criticising everyone else who doesn't think the same. He's also the only one to have a so called "EXPERT" review and the explanation of why on this site is unclear. I would consider their actions at the least suspicious, and it certainly casts doubt on how much I trust this website.

• danielm on 4th Sep 2007

  Reviews are given expert status at the moderator's discretion. If someone has made an effort to be extra helpful, for example. Some days there may be two expert reviews, other days there may be 15.
  
  Also, sometimes different people may pick up the comments for moderation at different times. Staff always do their best to pick up on fake reviews or companies reviewing their own product. Often times, moderators spend a LOT of time finding a link between suspect reviews etc.
  
  Rest assured that reviewcentre.com is as impartial as humanly possible, but if you have any issues, use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any page and it will be looked in to.

• ironeagleuk on 4th Sep 2007

  I have no connection with Top Up TV apart from being a subscriber.
  
  I have commented on other reviews as I do feel that they have been unfair in some respect as per my comments left.
  
  I have mentioned in my review that there are faults with the service and hardware, but these are only minor niggles in my opinion, and are to be expected with a new service. For a comparison, if you want one, Sky+ has been around for about 4 years, and there are still problems with it. Top Up TV Anytime only launched 9 months ago.
  
  As a person on a limited budget, and unable to have cable or satellite, I do think that Top Up TV Anytime is a viable alternative in this day and age of Digital TV.

• Insomniac on 16th Apr 2008

  It's worth mentioning that the Top Up TV+ PVR carries full-screen advertising, which displays when you switch the box on, and banner advertisements throughout the menu system, which change at 2-3 second intervals. Rather intrusive and very annoying.

• ironeagleuk on 25th Apr 2008

  The full screen adverts appear at the very most twice a week. They appear when you take the DTR out of standby. The banner ads aren't at all intrusive, and appear in the top right corner of the screen, and do not obstruct anything. Both types of adverts provide useful information about up and coming progs on the Top Up TV Anytime, Setanta & Picturebox. Not only do they provide information about the service, they have also been used for useful information, like when the clocks changed to British Summer Time.