Updated on 15/05/2020 with updated prices. SFR's new offer consists of two elements: an ADSL/fiber modem and a TV decoder. Can be combined with any operator offer, this Box 8 will be billed to you 7 euros per month in addition to your internet package.
This gives us an entry ticket at €22/month for 12 months, then €40 thereafter if you take the ADSL offer, and €22/month then €45 from the second year for the fiber offer (of course, to this is added the costs of registration or change of equipment for SFR customers). Note that at this time and until June 8, 2020, SFR offers a fiber limited series at 10 euros and an ADSL limited series at the same price.
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A little reminder about its technical data sheet: the first box compatible with WiFi 6, the latest from SFR integrates many other technologies: 4K HDR Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and voice assistant. Features that make it on paper a credible alternative to the Freebox Delta.
Also to read:
- Good fiber plan and Internet box: Bouygues, SFR, Orange or Free, what are the best offers of the moment?
- Fiber: our guide to choosing the best operator or the best package
- ADSL internet box: our advice for choosing the best package and operator - August 2019
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A mysterious press release inviting you to come "discover the new SFR experience" and a categorical refusal to say more. Few knew exactly what to expect when they set foot on the Altice Campus on Thursday. Some were talking about a box and they were right. The brand new "Box TV SFR 8" freshly presented will be offered to Broadband (ADSL) and Very High Broadband (fiber) subscribers from 20 August next (the FTTB, connected home and Amazon Alexa offer only arriving in October). Connected like the Delta and the other flagships on the market, it aligns with most of the technical characteristics of its competitors, while differentiating itself with certain new features.
First of rope
SFR has decided to put the package on the connection. The new box 8 integrates the wi-fi 6, the most recent standard. A first whose promise is an "intelligent connection", capable of equipping several hundred devices at home at a speed well above the average. In terms of image and sound, new also with compatibility Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos to which is added the 4K HDR. Not all televisions and content are yet compatible with these new formats, but we are not doing better on the market today.
If the Delta of Free embeds the 4K HDR, it does not however benefit from these new sound features. On the design side, there is a black square, very sober. Its weight has not been revealed but this new box 8 stands out for its lightness. It displays dimensions of 15x15 inch with a much more compact and versatile case than that of the Delta, but also fewer connectors. Here, only an Ethernet socket, a TNT antenna socket and a USB Type-C port equip the machine.
Amazon or Alexa?
Failing to always innovate, the box 8 always puts itself at the level of the other high-end offers of its opponents. Like the Delta, it's a connected speaker. In addition to its speakers, it also introduces voice assistance. A simple "Okay SFR" will allow you to invoke the home assistant and control its experience as desired. It seems receptive and responds faithfully to the request submitted to it, even with significant background noise. The search "Ok SFR, find me movies with Angelina Jolie" was successful. If the program is available with the offer that the viewer has subscribed to, this will be indicated to them. Otherwise, box 8 will recommend the different sites and platforms where it is available. Thanks to a redesigned mobile application, all content will also be viewable on the go on computer, mobile or tablet.
From October, the Box 8 will also be available with Alexa from Amazon which is also found in its direct competitor. The sound experience is not overseen by Devialet as with its rival and SFR did not give any details on the manufacturer who was responsible for this part of the device. Only certainty, its price will be more competitive than that of its rival and SFR did not fail to let it be known.
SFR has also decided to give pride of place to l'IoT ("the Internet of Things") with its new box. Connected home enthusiasts will be able to subscribe to the new offer SFR Home. Basically, it includes a camera, a socket and a bulb connected and controllable from the voice assistant or the dedicated mobile application. Nothing innovative here, a similar offer is offered at Free for holders of the Delta.A simple and efficient interface
No major revolutions in the user interface of the Box 8. It's clean, classic and quite intuitive. It almost feels like Netflix, or YouTube. Once again, the originality is more to be found on the side of the functionalities which integrate:
- The recommendation according to the uses
- Favorite content directly accessible via widgets.
The programs are given more prominence than the channels, the idea being to adapt to new user consumption practices. There are also the main TV applications (Netflix, YouTube, BeIN, Canal +...) and of course the channels of the Altice group (RMC Sport...). Note the presence of the Chromecast function, practical for streaming content on your television.
