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277 reviews
Jun, 2025
alaTest has collected and analyzed 277 reviews of Technika Smartbox 8320HD. The average rating for this product is 3.6/5, compared to an average rating of 3.7/5 for other Digital Video Recorders (DVR) for all reviews. Reviewers really like the size and image quality. The price and usability also get good feedback, but many are negative about the finish and design.
usability, price, image quality, size
reliability, design, finish
We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Video Recorders (DVR) the Technika Smartbox 8320HD is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 86/100 = Very good quality.
Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)
alaTest has collected and analyzed 2 user reviews of Technika Smartbox 8320HD from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Digital Video Recorders (DVR) on Amazon.co.uk. People are impressed by the price, whereas opinions about the usability and reliability are mixed.
price
50% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.
Expert review by : What Hi-Fi? (whathifi.com)
Astonishing features at a rather astonishing price, but the Technika Smartbox 8320HD needs refining
Exceptional suite of features (including on-demand content) at a great price ; very decent pictures and sound
Still not bug-free ; a bit flimsy in the flesh
Who’d have thought Technika would be at the cutting-edge of set-top boxes? With greater refinement, this could be a winner
Expert review by : Chris Hall (pocket-lint.com)
Languishing on the shelves of Tesco is the Technika SmartBox 8320HD, a clever TV set-top box that promises to serve up a veritable platter of delights. Embracing the current trend for offering connected features, the 8320HD not only offers you...
Freeview+HD, network file support seems wide, connectivity options, price
Platform stability, build quality, persistent Wi-Fi issues, USB problems
In some areas the Technika SmartBox 8320HD is a little rough around the edges. It won’t win any prizes for design and the user interface isn’t the best around - the previewed update is something that would make the experience just that little bit...
Expert review by : petew (gadgetspeak.com)
It's a while since I've looked at a hard-disk video recorder so I was eager to see what innovationsthe SmartBox 8320HD could bring to our family entertainment.
Visually we have a square box measuring 20cm x 20cm with a height of 4.5cm. Apart from a USB connector to the front all other connectors for the device are to the rear and include a power, Ethernet RJ45, aerial in and out, HDMI, S-Video, left/right...
Expert review by : Cliff Joseph (avreview.co.uk)
As well as the competitive price, the SmartBox has a couple of other features that help it stand out from the crowd. It's got online access to the BBC iPlayer, and is also the only Freeview box that also provides an optional subscription to the Sky...
Plus points An affordable FreeviewHD recorder with both iPlayer and optional Sky Player
Tedious online registration process, rather cheap build quality, the Sky Player costs extra
Consumer review (reevoo.com)
User interface much improved on previous Technika Hard Disk Recorders, Small Device, USB extension to hard disk, potential extension to Internet. HD upscaler to maximise normal broadcast picture quality. Will be HD when it is switched on.
First: You need to be a bit of a techy to get this running. My smart box would not connect to the WIFI in my house. I had to download the latest O/S version to a USB stick and then manually update the O/S on the smart box. After that it worked fine BUT...
Consumer review (reevoo.com)
Excellent Picture Quality , HD live and recorded is superb. BBC i-player works well. Plays files from external drives or network. Full media player capability in many formats. Remote control is excellent and also controls TV. Since the latest update...
Only one - No external indication of recording status. ...Oh ok then, its a little bit ugly :)
Consumer review (reevoo.com)
Can record 2 things at once, or record one thing and watch another. Downloaded Alice in wonderland in HD from Fetch TV, very good value and Fantastic picture! I love being able to rent films without leaving the couch and bbc iplayer is much better on...
its not my favourite design for a remote control, but it works!!
Consumer review (reevoo.com)
Good SD picture and great HD, my parents in law were surprised how much better the picture was than their foxsat HD box (partly down to a better tv :)) Easy to use and install(although there isn't a manual so it helps if you know how a PVR works), does...
When first installed it would lock up/become unresponsive around once a day, this was solved with the first software update but..... After first software update the box would sometimes fail to display HD cannels showing a fault with the HDCP...
Consumer review (reevoo.com)
Good price,picture quality
Unreliable
Consumer review (reevoo.com)
Absolute rubbish, I payed nearly £200 for this junk, Its never played a whole film through without a reboot, or channel change. Total utter piece of junk, dont waster even £30 unless you want a 320gb HD
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