Review: Dune HD/DT Media TV from Direct Telecom

dune-hd-dt-media-tv

What is the Dune HD/DT Media TV?

The Dune HD from Direct Telecom is a media centre configured to be used with the DT Media TV service, which allows subscribers to watch British television over the internet. The box is pre-configured so that all you need to do is connect it to your TV and either connect it via a cable to your router, which needs no configuration, or configure it for wifi, which takes a little configuration.

If you have Direct Telecom’s ADSL service then DT Media TV comes as part of the package and all you need is the Dune HD box, but anyone with ADSL from another provider must pay €15/month for the service. While not extortionate it is a cost that you need to bear in mind and perhaps consider switching providers.

Who is the Dune HD/DT Media TV for?

If you’re a British expat living in Spain you’re probably aware that earlier in the year the satellite used to beam British TV into Europe was changed, cutting off most people’s reception overnight. This product and service is ideal for anyone who lives in Spain or spends a significant amount of time here and wants to be able to return to the old days of being able to watch the BBC etc.

What I like about it

I contacted Direct Telecom back in May asking to review the service, which they happily agreed to and you can watch a video of me unboxing the Dune HD here and my first impressions of the service here.

All in all I’ve been very impressed. Prior to receiving it I’d come up with a couple of solutions to watch British TV using the FilmOn service, which is something may people are familiar, and although it worked was a bit clunky and sometimes rather unreliable.

In fact, I like it so much I bought a second Dune HD box for my dad for his birthday. This is a product I am completely happy to endorse.

Huge positives for the Dune HD/DT Media TV service:

  • I didn’t need to configure it at all, which meant I could start watching TV immediately. Just plug in and go!
  • Channels change immediately, making it very similar to the satellite service it replaced (there is always a 5+ second delay on the other solutions I’ve tested).
  • The interface is simple and easy to understand, which means you don’t need to be computer literate.
  • The picture is much better than that provided by the free FilmOn service.
  • There are a good choice of channels, including all the major ones you’d expect (BBC, ITV, Channel 4…).
  • It works, and it works very well.
  • Direct Telecom offers customer support in English, which is great of your Spanish is a little… well, you know.

Initially I had thought the service was using FilmOn or similar to provide the video streams, but when I asked was told the end to end service is provided by them.

I’ve tested it at home on a 10MB Movistar ADSL connection, and although I’ve not yet tested it on a Direct Telecom ADSL connection yet (I do plan on doing so with my dad’s box), the fact that it is provided over their network end to end should result in higher quality. As soon as you go off network there is no guarantee of bandwidth and some ISP’s may actively throttle video streaming, or suffer congestion at peak times.

Could do better

While I’m hugely positive about the Dune HD and the DT Media TV service, there are a small number of negatives.

  • Picture quality. While the picture quality is better than the free FilmOn service, it is still not as good as non-HD satellite, suffering from strobe when the screen pans rapidly and noticeable on those scrolling news tickets on Sky News et al. This may be because I’m running it on Movistar, it could be because the frame rate is lower than broadcast TV or it could be because the picture is not interlaced – I don’t know. However, it is still good enough to watch most programmes and if you think back to the days of video cassettes, the picture is still far superior to VHS. How did that ever take off!
  • The channel icons have vanished from my box. They are still marked by an empty box and text, so there is no problem with functionality, but the BBC 1 logo (and all others) no longer appears.
  • Programme guide. While a limited programme guide appears showing now and next, there is no complete programme guide like you get on a Sky box, which I’d like to have in a perfect world.

A couple of other niggles relating to when I ordered the Dune HD box for my dad:

1. Ordering the Dune HD is not straightforward

  • It took me a while to work out how to buy the Dune HD. I had problems finding how to actually order the Dune HD rather than “pre-ordering it”, which appears to be simply registering my interest in it. No, I want to buy it! There is no buy link on the product page but eventually I found that you click “Online Shop” on the top menu you’ll find it. Ever better, click here.
  • On the payment page there is no “Buy Now”button. It’s not clear what you need to do to actually make the purchase.

2. Pricing transparency

  • Headline pricing doesn’t include IVA. When I bought the Dune HD it was marked at €149.99. However,  IVA was added when I went to pay, plus €14.95 for delivery. While the site does actually state IVA is not included (I went back and checked), it is not obvious. However, it is bad practice in consumer sales for the simple reason that a buyer has psychologically committed to the lower price and is more likely to abandon the shopping cart when the IVA is added – I almost did but was running out of time to get my dad a present.
  • Pricing is not consistent. There is a follow on from the above; if I try and order another Dune HD box it does NOT add the IVA. I can get as far as the PayPal checkout and pay the lower price without IVA for some reason. This needs to be fixed.

I have experience in ecommerce and online sales conversion and these issues are almost certainly costing Direct Telecom money.

Conclusion

All in all I like the Dune HD and DT Media TV a lot. I know that Direct Telecom’s support desk is extremely good, having dealt with them in the past for my parents, and having worked for Internet Service Providers in the past this is one thing that is difficult to get right.

The box works well, despite the icons disappearing for some reason, and although the picture is slightly jerky compared with a satellite broadcast (at least over Movistar’s 10MB ADSL), it is good enough for most purposes, including watching a couple of World Cup matches (that FilmOn were unable to carry).

Direct Telecom’s services are aimed squarely at the English speaking community in Spain, you and if you already have ADSL with another supplier I’d consider switching to Direct Telecom for phone, ADSL and TV.

If you don’t have ADSL yet and want British TV, then click here to go straight to Direct Telecom and order the entire package

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2 Comments

  • Deryck High says:

    When was this review written? According to their website, you don’t need the box – just a smart tv connected to the internet.
    I want to know how easy it is just to have it for a month while I’m,in Greece. Cancelling my FilmOn subscription was a nightmare.

    • David says:

      The review dates back to 2014 and the setup may have changed. I’m not sure it will work in Greece though.

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