Best free to air decoders in Kenya: Digital TV now sits on a pedestal superior to the now wiped out analog TV. The advantages range from high-definition pictures to the awesome goodness of picking out what you want to see – assuming you aren’t using free to air decoders. The quality pictures come free of charge.
Subscribing to a digital set-top box of your choice will provide this experience and much more. Free to air channels, as I would like to think, are like our veteran KBC, NTV, KTN, and so forth. They will do the job just fine if everything you want is some news, several ill-placed old movies, and some stunning local talent.
1. Phelister Free To Air Digital Decoder Kenya
Design
This 0.92 kg PVC built free to air decoder is sleek in appearance especially the black arrow model. While the design still conforms to the segments of traditional cubical design. It is complementary to your television set. The manufacturer opted to have air vents atop the decoder to alleviate drought and to overheat associated with electronic gadgets.
Multiple buttons on the front face help in case you misplace your remote control. An additional USB slot that you can use to either charge you’re other gadgets or play files is available.
External Connections
Unfortunately, HDMI connections are not possible with this decoder due to lack of slots. Instead, regular colour coded RCA cable establish a connection between your decoder and television. Full HD 1080P c quality images for your TV sets transmitted from this decoder
PVR (Personal Video Recorder)
For those who have a hectic lifestyle, PVR function helps you watch your favorite programs or missed games by recording and saving them for later.
Remote Control
The decoder has a classic rectangular shape remote control complete with contrasting light colored buttons. It is worthy of note that it is relatively light in weight and should come in handy.
Additional Connections
The RF Loop output is found at the back of the decoder next to the RCA slots. If you have an extra TV set, you can use it to establish a secondary decoder connection and enjoy the channels
Verdict
This decoder lives up to its billing of being free to air and simple design. This gadget has a price range of 1500 to 2400 depending on the retail outlet of purchase. It is a fair bargain by all standards and within range of other free to air decoders in Kenya.
2. Sonar Digital Decoder/Free To Air
Design
This 0.2 Kg free to air top box departs from other designs given its mild steel outer casing. It has a distinction of having fewer buttons except for the power and channels buttons, reserving the rest of the functions to the remote control.
External Connections
Just like other brands in the segment, it has RCA connections to your television. In addition to this, there is a USB slot for playing other external material on your TV. An HDMI slot is also available at the back side allowing for high-quality sound and picture quality.
Remote Control
The remote control is relatively ergonomic and light. The design, however, is nothing noteworthy especially when it comes to design. The manufacturers opted for a more conservative model.
Additional Connections
Rf loop both in and output allows for multiple TV users to connect to the single decoder for perfect user experience.
Verdict
The decoder pricing is well in line with its peers in the free to air segment coming at a modest 1500 to 1800. Having high picture quality than other models, both RC connectivity, HDMI, and USB connectivity makes this the perfect entertainment source for the family.
3. SAYONA Free to air Digital Set-top box
Design
Sayona 5 x 10 x 8 inches 0.8 Kg PVC cover conforms to industry standards. It is one of the best free to air decoders in Kenya today. This makes it a standard decoder that is neither stunning nor decor friendly. It will get the job done nonetheless.
External Connections
The decoder has both HDMI and RCA slots for both high-quality picture and sounds for your latest Tv models.
Remote Control
The remote control design doesn’t have anything unique but simple. It is, however, ergonomic and uses two dry cells.
Additional Connections
It is easy to connect the set-top box with other television sets when you use the Rf output slot to link to another television.
Verdict
Sayona has delivered a pocket-friendly decoder. Not exactly anything unique since the overall design and technology employed is the same as other market leaders.
4. BAMBA TV Decoder
Radio Africa the Company behind the famous Kiss 100 is responsible for the BAMBA decoder. With Bamba TV we are talking high-definition movies, high-definition pictures, high-definition everything. It is one of the best free to air decoders in Kenya you will see around.
The amusing fact about BAMBA TV is that it puts to shame all the famous GOTv and even DSTV channels when it comes to clarity. With BAMBA TV you get your radio channels and TV channels as clear as can be depending on your aerial’s direction. Simply put you can’t go wrong with BAMBA TV.
5. HotPoint FTA Decoder
For those individuals who would literally die for a Kenyan mix i.e. a collection of Kenyan channels. The decoder has a PVR feature that lets you record your favorite programs to a USB drive or a hard disk. With this decoder, you will have all the local channels 3 stones, channel 5 from Tanzania you name it. A total collection of 28 channels, gospel channels as well and no dish needed. That sounds like an awesome deal for the lovers of local talent.
6. Technosat TS 1500HD
Technosat has a reputation of creating great receivers. As much as this decoder is good innovation wise, the design is to die for. It’s more of a rugged design that has been made very easy to handle, I mean the ease of use of Technosat decoders is second to none.
From its name, you can tell that it’s an HD decoder. To top it up these are some of its best features: It’s a full HD MPEG 4 decoder, Blind scan ability it supports USB 2.0 PVR. These are the most critical features to me anyway.
7. Samsutech DVB-T2
Known as the housewife’s paradise you can get over 30 TV stations and various radio stations and this list is growing so you better watch out for this one.
This free to air decoder has a USB port through which you can play your videos, photographs and your favorite music which is sorted in portable gadgets, for example, Flash disks, Micro SD cards, cell telephones, external hard disks and so forth Through the same USB port you can record and save your most loved TV program, or music on a Flash disk and play it later through the PVR function.
I think it is safe to say that we all agree this is the best feature so far. It also has a parental control lock where you can rate or set certain TV programs as suitable or unsuitable for kids using a password lock.
8. Thy Word QC-XPLUS Series V DVB-T2/S2 Combo Receiver Set Top Box
First of all let’s talk about the physical features, the Thyword decoder/set-top box is silver in color and has a button at the front just like most free to air decoders. With this switch, you can switch off the decoder completely and not have it on standby mode. The genuine technical name of the Thyword decoder from what we can surmise is QC-X plus series V.
The Thyword decoder is a completely MPEG4 DVBT2/DVBS2 decoder. This means it can get Digital Video Broadcasting Channels through Terrestrial and in addition Satellite means by using an ordinary TV radio wire/ethereal and using a satellite dish(es). This is where the origins of “Combo” hail from.
Instead of owning a decoder and TV, you can opt for a digital TV that receives digital signals using an ordinary aerial. These only receive 40+ local channels, the same to most of these decoders mentioned here.
Click here to check out some of the android decoders available in the country.
