Vodafone GigaTV Home Sound in the test: Internet TV box with Bang & Olufsen sound

VODAFONE GIGATV HOME SOUND

July 13, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

The Vodafone GigaTV Home Sound Box has to prove itself in the test, after all, it should offer practical functions, top sound from Bang & Olufsen and a comprehensive TV experience.

Vodafone GigaTV Home Sound im Test

Editorial rating 7,7 Reader rating

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Equipment / Performance

7,0

Audio / video quality

3,0

Compact upgrade for your TV fun

With GigaTV Home Sound you get a decent media player for a good TV experience with a sound that is better than that of a television. However, if you have auditory demands, love surround sound and listen to a lot of music, you should look at other speakers, because the sound is not good enough for real audio fans.

We liked that

Simple design
Quick setup
Remote control included
Voice commands possible
Sound better than TV speakers

We didn’t like that

Sound quality below expectations
A second remote control is required to turn off the TV

Scope of delivery and dimensions
Setup is simple
Changing channels
Why GigaTV Home Sound?
Conclusion

If you are looking for a new contract for your TV experience at home, Vodafone is tempting you with GigaTV. You can choose between cable TV “GigaTV Cable” and the Internet TV tariff “GigaTV Net”. Whichever offer you choose, you will get a TV box delivered to your home.

You can either choose the normal GigaTV Home Box or the “GigaTV Home Sound” model, which is designed for better sound and has a speaker system that has been optimized by the renowned company Bang & Olufsen. A tariff with the Home Sound Box costs five dollars more per month than one with the Home Box.

You can watch TV channels via the GigaTV app, but you need a receiver to enjoy the experience directly on your TV, Vodafone writes on its own website.

Scope of delivery and dimensions

Once unpacked, you will receive the box, an HDMI cable, a power supply, an Ethernet cable and a remote control. Cable connection customers will also receive an antenna cable.

GigaTV Home Sound is 16.3 centimeters long, 16 centimeters wide and 6.5 centimeters and weighs 1.1 kilograms. It leaves a simple, robust impression that should not put many people off. In the test, we liked the simple look, even if fingerprints are easily visible on the surface. The speaker unit is covered by a simple fabric cover.

GigaTV Net with Home Sound

This is what the Vodafone GigaTV Sound Box looks like in pictures

On the top there is a switch to turn the microphone system on and off and a button to connect to other devices via Bluetooth. On the top there is a switch to turn the microphone system on and off and a button to connect to other devices via Bluetooth.

A look at the back reveals the connections: antenna, Ethernet, HDMI, USB (x1) and one for power. A reset button can also be found there.

Setup is simple

The device is quickly connected to the television. Setup is quick. During this process, the remote control of the GigaTV box is paired with the television. From now on, you control the TV with your GigaTV remote control, which is simple but serves its purpose. There are even special buttons for directly accessing the three streaming services Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

The remote control can be used to turn the TV on, but not off. Unfortunately, the TV remote control is still required for this.

The TV picture is displayed after just a few minutes. In our test, we used the IPTV tariff “GigaTV Net” and we quickly found our way around the user interface.

Changing channels

The traditional way of changing channels is to use the remote control at the touch of a button. Alternatively, you can use the Google Assistant and thus voice commands to change channels. You don’t even need a Google account for this function.

Of course you can record programs, either directly or via timer. Vodafone offers up to 200 hours of recording storage via the cloud.

Why GigaTV Home Sound?

Most of these features are the same on both TV boxes, so why choose Home Sound? The media player is equipped with a speaker that the regular Home Box does not have.

This can also be connected to your mobile phone via Bluetooth and you can use it to listen to music normally without watching TV.

GigaTV Home Sound definitely delivers better sound than that which comes into the room via normal TV speakers. This makes it more fun, but we are still not entirely convinced.

The sound is sometimes a bit thin. We lack clarity, dynamics and power in the bass. The device may be tempted by its Dolby Atmos credentials, but with blockbuster films like Top Gun: Maverick, the spatial sound is hardly noticeable.

Better not to use as main speaker

With a good soundbar, you should get even better TV sound than with Home Sound. If you just want to listen to music, we recommend separate Bluetooth speakers rather than this kind of interim solution.