Bush BFSAT01HD review

If you want Freesat without splashing the cash, £120 says this is the set-top box to get Tested at £120.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

If you're after cheap Freesat, you can't knock the price of the Bush

Pros

  • +

    Does everything the Grundig and Goodmans do, but for less cash

Cons

  • -

    Less than impressive menus and slightly soft images

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Although pretty much the same as the Grundig GUFSAT01HD and Goodmans GFSAT200HD models, this Bush has one extra differentiating feature over its brothers – it's £30 cheaper (oh, and its remote has silver buttons instead of grey).

It must be that Alba – the parent company to all three brands – feels the Bush name holds slightly less value than that of Grundig and Goodmans, as in terms of spec and performance, they're identical.

This Freesat box offers an extremely clean and stable picture from any broadcast, and HD channels are really lovely. However, there is a degree of softness to SD pictures, and some missing weight to audio performance.

The Bush shares the same somewhat ugly and underwhelming menu system and EPG as its stable-mates, and setup was similarly hit and miss.

Freesat HD has more to offer
Considering this is the same as the Grundig and Goodmans but for less money, you may wonder why it doesn't score higher than its siblings?

The truth is that although saving £30 is great, we don't think the Bush box is quite giving us the full Freesat potential.

The overall slight softness to standard-definition broadcasts and lack of sonic weight are things we expect to be improved upon with future models, both from this manufacturer and others. So although we'd certainly take the Bush over the Grundig and Goodmans models, we don't think it's worth five stars.

If you fancy getting yourself the cheapest Freesat HD box on the market, you'd best head down to Argos, as at the time of writing, that's the exclusive retailer of this Bush model.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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