TechRadar.com - Deep into technology

As soon as you unpack this device, you can't help but notice that the ITD68 doesn't ship with a Scart lead and that you'll need to stump up the cash for one separately before you do anything.

The receiver itself sports a sleek compact design, although the remote has a somewhat cheap look to it, and the most frequently used buttons are positioned too far down the zapper to be really comfortable.

Connections are kept to a minimum with just an RF-out and RF-in present and, rather disappointingly, only one Scart connection, which could prove rather limiting. On the plus side, though, the ITD68 does include the option for Top Up TV.

Setting the box up is a very simple affair, since the onscreen installation is straightforward and takes only a few minutes. However, the box does take slightly longer than expected to boot up and overall operation is rather sluggish, with the device taking a good five seconds to fire up from switch-on.

The onscreen menu is simple to use, although once the main menu is accessed, you cannot continue to watch the current channel behind the menu information.

It's a small gripe, but it does make going through the menu options slightly tedious, unlike on the Freecom, where the channel continues to play in the background, providing seamless entertainment.

There are few extra features, such as a timer, although the inclusion of that Top Up TV option is obviously a selling point. And for sports fans, the revelation that each box comes with one month's free subscription to Setanta Sports is bound to be a major draw. With 46 live Premiership games and 60 from the Scottish Premiership, alongside horse racing and golf, this may well provide a genuine alternative to Sky.

Despite the £60 recommended price tag, we've seen the ITD68 available at around £40, so if you're after a bargain, and all you want is a no-frills Freeview receiver, then this may well fit the bill.