Pure Digital BugToo review
When we first saw the Bug radio with its boggle eyes and big fat base we fell in love with it straightaway. With great reception, clear sound and a live pause, forward and rewind function (called ReVu) it was way ahead of other DAB radios on the market. And when we heard they’d revamped it and added extra goods we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the BugToo. The insectesque radio is more like a Sky+ box now with its electronic programme guide and recording function and with new coding is faster and able to provide us with more programme text and comes with a new switch-off button. Again it gets a big thumbs up. Design |
| Design wise the Bug is something you’ll either love the look of or want to run as far away as possible. Designed by Wayne Hemmingway it’s unlike your conventional box DAB radios, instead it looks like a cuddly insect. The big titanium silver base homes the menu, recording, info and standby key as well as a round navigating dimpled button and an even bigger ReVu/ snooze button. The speakers on either side of the bottom base looking like a pair squished insect arms and its long elegant bendy chrome neck leads to the large face which displays the station and text. At the back there’s an SD and USB slot for updates. |
| Setup/Installation |
| Switch on the Bug Too and press the large button to start scanning the radio. To save preset stations you just hold down the preset buttons on the top display for a few seconds. |
| Features |
| The Bug Too has got more features than Santa’s sack. This is more than just a DAB radio - not only does it look cute but it’s jam packed with funky extras. The biggest difference between the new version is the Sky+ box features. You now get a electronic programme guide (EPG) which lets you see what’s airing on the radio for the next week. The SD card you can slot in when recording programmes now also holds MP3s so you can listen to music from your Bug Too at the same time. As well as an instant record button there’s also a pre-set recording function meaning you’ll never have to miss your favourite programmes again. And the textSCAN function gives you more scrolling text which you can stop at any point, should you want to, and up to 20 alarm setting which will also play your MP3 music in them mornings. And it comes with digital output so you can connect it up to your amplifier or minidisk recorder. |
| Performance |
| Using the Bug Too is child’s play. Everything about it is straightforward. The first thing you’re going to want to do is tune the stations in. When you first switch the Bug Too on, it automatically scans through the stations for you. Then by pressing the round dimpled button in the middle of the base you can shift through the channels – once you’ve got the one you want, pressing the dimple in will selection the station. To store the station hold down any of the buttons at the top (the face) for a few seconds and your stations is pre-set. Easy and you can save up to 12 pre-set channels. Most digital radios work in the same way – you get digital channels a better reception. But the Bug Too’s extra features are what make it. Because the bods at the Bug factory have tinkered with the coding, they’ve improved the performance of the radio. So now when you press the ReVu button to pause the radio there’s little time delay (unlike the original which could take a couple of seconds). The EPG facility is fantastic. You get a full weeks listing of when and what programmes are on. If you fancy recording a particular programme just press the record button and it will give you a selection of recording options – something we think will really revolutionise radio listening. However unlike the Sky box you can only record or listen to one programme at a time, so you couldn’t be recording The Archers on Radio 4 at the same time as listening to Five Live. The new textSCAN gives you far more information now about the programme you’re listening to as well as news bulletins and contact details. By holding down the Info button for a few seconds you can freeze the scroll giving you time to jot down web address or the song title. But at present the additional text is only available on certain stations. While on the old Bug you could only set two alarm times, on this one you can set up to 20 alarms - and you can chose the alarm to come on with the usual irritating monotonous tone, the radio station of your chose or any music stored on your SD Card. There’s a USB socket at the back of the Bug Too which allows for any upgrading that might be needed in the future and also enables you to transfer information from the Bug Too to your PC or vice-versa. However neither USB cable or SD card are provided so you’ll have to get these separately. Finally switching off the radio is easier now they’ve added a standby button. Before you’d have had to wrestle with the dimpled dial which could be tricky if you didn’t have a steady hand, now you just press the off button. |
| What's In The Box? |
| Radio and power supply (SD Card is not included) |
| Overall Opinion |
| There are some things that are a must have. And the Bug Too is one of those. The original Bug was a thing of beauty which we thought couldn’t be improved on but they’ve proved us wrong. With the additional technology of a faster ReVu button, EPG, extra alarm functions and TextSCAN this is a thing to behold. |
By Babita Wakelin
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Unusual design Easy to use Good reception Updates on-line | No SD Card provided Can lose reception |
| Factor | Rating |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 4/5 |
| Durability | 4/5 |
| Style | 4/5 |
| Service & Support | 4/5 |
| Value for Money | 4/5 |
| Recommend | 1/5 |
| Overall | 4/5 |