0408HCC01 Daewoo SV900*P

28/5/04

Page 96

FreeviewVCR

DAEWOO SV900 N 160 (APPROX) N 500 N www.daewooelectronics.co.uk

When DTV meets VHS

THE CHEAP AS CHIPS DAEWOO SV900 IS THE FIRST VCR TO COME WITH A DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TUNER. GUY COCKER SUPS ON THIS COCKTAIL OF OLD AND NEW
ouve got to give the humble VCR credit. Despite the number of digital recording options
for anyone with a receiver or simple home theatre system. If you do so, this is where the Digital Radio services come in handy, with the audio output from the SV900 proving to be fairly admirable (even though an optical audio output would retain the full quality). Many people will have read about the furore over low quality DAB broadcast standards recently, but all channels broadcast on Freeview are clear and well encoded. The SV900 EPG rounds off the package, with a clear, unpretentious display taking up a quarter of the screen with Now and Next information.
it will offer an over-the-air download when the extended EPG is rolled-out though. Like most of the current Freeview hardware available, theres no Common Interface (CI) slot. This is only significant if you are keen to access the newly-launched digital terrestrial subscription service, TopUpTV (which for most is unlikely). Unlike some of the cheaper Freeview boxes, you can also route the digital output through on an RF channel. Useful if you either a) dont have a Scart in/out or b) want to funnel it into an RF signal distribution system. As far as VCR
growing almost daily, the analogue tape format finds ingenious new ways to court our affections. Weve had combination VCR/DVDs players, combi VCR/HDD players and now the first combined Freeview digital TV tuner/VHS recorder has arrived, courtesy of Korean manufacturer Daewoo. With many of us still navigating piles of VHS tapes somewhere in the house, can the combination of Freeview and VCR be enough to dissuade people from investing in an all-digital solution?

SAME OLD SAME OLD

Obviously, the digital tuner update isnt going to change the physical dimensions of this VCR. The mechanical nature of the tape transport will make sure of that. Hence, the unit looks exactly the same as a regular VCR, with only a few logos across the tape slot making the Freeview embellishment obvious. To the right is a jog shuttle control to allow various speed tape rewind and fast-forward, with Play, Stop and Eject located close by. Theres also hidden front phono AV inputs and a rear-side Scart (RGB output from the Freeview tuner enabled). To start with the Freeview tuner, the unit offers no unpleasant surprises. Sound and vision quality is comparable
A fine Freeview receiver, its ability to play back legacy tapes is not to be sniffed at
Interactive services, such as BBCi and Teletext, are a joy to use, loading quickly and navigating easily with the remote control. The cache used to store these pages is relatively large, as the change and loading between screens is never prolonged. Like all Freeview recorders, basic functionality continues to be hampered by the non-appearance of the 7-day EPG information outside of London. The company has confirmed that functionality goes, the SV900 is fairly standard. The unit supports Videoplus and theres also an 8 event/1 month timer. Tape navigation is basic compared to PVRs and DVD-recorders, but to ease matters theres a progress bar displayed when youve made a recording, and the Go To option is handy when skipping through for a specific programme. Picture-quality is obviously restricted by the limitations of VHS. But for those

Excellent

Average Poor

Lab Report

with stand alone tuners. Skin tones appear natural, with the usual blocky artefacts on the lower bit-rate channels being entirely the fault of broadcasters. The setup is quick and easy, when channels are ordered correctly, and if you want a favourites list then its a simple affair to set up. The sound can also be routed out via a pair of phonos handy

FEATURES

Specifications: MPEG-2 Video Recording to VHS; MHEG Recording facility; EPG (ready for 7-day over-the air update); digital text and interactive support; Favourites List; subtitle support; NTSC playback; 6-head Hi-Fi Stereo Recorder; Recording via Now and Next EPG; VideoPlus; Jog Shuttle Rewind; SetPal EPG support; Auto-Scan for new channels every 24 hours Connections: 2 x Scart (One RGB); Composite In; Antenna In & Out; Stereo Phono In & Out Dimensions: 360(w) x 288(h) x 91(d)mm Weight: 3.4kg

Video jitter (495ns) Signal-to-noise ratio (-45.6dB) Chroma AM (-45.4dB) PM (-41.8dB) Freq response @2MHz (1.8dB)

Good

96 H O M E C I N E M A C H O I C E

AUGUST

1/6/04

12:56 PM

Page 97
A mix of old and new, the SV900 is the worlds first Freeview/VCR combi

Celebrate!

Harman Kardon and Infinity mark 50 years with Musical Images
This year, Harman Kardon celebrates its 50th anniversary.
To commemorate this important event, Musical Images has a limited number of Harman Kardons special edition brushed-silver Anniversary receivers and DVD players in stock. The perfect accompaniment to Infinitys stunning Oreus 5.1 speaker system, these limited edition products are the latest remarkable designs from the worlds largest professional audio company. For the choice of all the best products from Harman Kardon, Infinity and many other world beating names, visit Musical Images today. With relaxed demonstrations, knowledgeable staff and the best installation team in the business, you havent experienced the best in Home Entertainment until youve visited the experts.

RATINGS

Highs: Good Freeview receiver, Easy to Use Recorder, Great Value Lows: Poor Picture and Audio from VCR Recordings, No RGB Input
Picture (tuner) Picture (tape) Sound (tuner) Sound (tape) Features Overall #### ### #### ### #### ###12
about video and audio quality will have banished memories of Long Play a while ago, but theoretically it gives you 6 hours of recording on one tape. If you can put up with its technological shortcomings as a whole, the Daewoo is more than willing to work for your affections. One nicety is the ability to skip exactly 30 seconds of recordings (press 4-6 times to skip your average ad break). Even though the recording technology is old, there are modes for displaying in true widescreen for supported programmes, or 4:3 fullscreen/letterbox. The VCR is a six-head model that will play NTSC recordings.
Musical Images, London and the South Easts premier AV dealer.
Founder Member Intelligent Homes in the Making
who have been time-shifting ghosted analogue reception for years, at least it looks clean. The main sacrifice is in detail, as if the screen has been given a sheen of Vaseline. The recording options are comprehensive, with the ability to record programmes with subtitles, turn MHEG support on or off (eradicating the cursed red button in every corner). Theres also a setting for the machine to automatically record in Long Play if there isnt enough tape left at standard mode. Obviously, anyone caring at all

CONCLUSION

Whilst many home cinema aficionados will have long-binned the analogue recording solution, Daewoos SV-900 works fine as a Freeview receiver, and its ability to play back legacy tapes is not to be sniffed at. Should you have any family who have yet to experience the benefits of digital television, point them in the direction of the Daewoo SV900, and inexpensive, quality viewing and recording will be theirs I
Harman Kardon DVD506 & AVR 507 Limited Edition models with Infinity Oreus 5.1 Surround speakers
All Harman Kardon AV Receivers feature Signal Processing
EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE AT T H E U K ' S P R E M I E R AV D E A L E R
BECKENHAM BRANCH Tel: 3777
126 High Street, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1ED
COVENT GARDEN BRANCH Tel: 1346
18 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HB

EDGWARE BRANCH Tel: 5535

173 Station Road, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7JX
Phono outputs mean you can rig TV & radio up to a speaker system More packed than your average Freeview remote, but not too tacky
Please call your local branch for opening time details. Audio Visual Lifestyle Ltd t/a Musical Images. E-mail: sales@musical-images.co.uk

0403HCC05 Panasonic idTV P

19/12/03

Page 84
PANASONIC TX-32DT40 N 1,100 (APPROX) N N www.panasonic.co.uk

IDTV parade

PANASONIC ADDS A FEW HIGH-END FRILLS TO ITS LATEST TV WITH INTEGRATED DIGITAL TUNER BUT WILL THEY IMPRESS JOHN ARCHER?
to tempt you into buying separate Freeview digital receiver set-top boxes instead, but some retailers have started flogging some such set-top boxes off for as little as 40. So the pressure is definitely on IDTV wannabes like Panasonics TX-32DT40. Can such a TV really deliver enough quality and user-friendliness to tempt a digital newcomer to invest in such a relatively high-cost digital option? The 32DT40 gets off to a good start, at any rate, by understanding how important aesthetics are to an IDTVs appeal. As well as its integrated digital tuner doing away with messy second boxes and cable tangles, the 32DT40 also benefits from a very fetching two-tone design. A deeply chic glossy dark grey frame sits directly around the screen while a gun-metal grey outer
ts not a great time to be an integrated digital television (IDTV). Not only are more and more manufacturers trying
that such services are forthcoming at present). Another advantage of the IDTV digital route as represented by the 32DT40 is ease of set up. As soon as I switched the set on for the first time it went into autotuning mode, and served up all the analogue and digital channels almost before I knew what was happening! No set-top box could make life so easy. Whats more, even though the 32DT40 doesnt feature the classic two-tone Panasonic TV remote found with many of its other sets, its operating system is still an absolute joy to use, again helping it score over the separate receiver option. The 32DT40 impresses with its features count, too. Pictures, for instance, benefit from both 100Hz processing and optional flicker reduction. Theres also noise reduction and picture and picture/picture in picture modes that, with the help of the dual analogue/digital tuner, does a particularly slick job of letting you view two sources simultaneously. In keeping with all IDTVs, the 32DT40 carries an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) system you can use for perusing all the Now & Next programme
information currently available on the terrestrial digital broadcasts. This EPG works quickly, but its a shame Panasonic hasnt addressed past criticisms of the fact that unlike IDTVs from Sony and Toshiba, the Panasonic EPG doesnt maintain a small version of the TV picture in the corner while you peruse the EPGs contents. Theres none of the genre-searching sophistication of the Sony EPG either.

STARS OF THE SHOW

A few elements of the 32DT40s construction deserve highlighting: a Super Shadow mask for higher brightness, a DQ-DAF Electron Gun specifically designed for enhanced resolution, and Super Pigment Phosphor technology for supposedly stronger colours. I mention these tricks in particular because, well, they all seem to actually work! With those all-important digital broadcasts the 32DT40 does a cracking job of delivering their strengths while hiding most of their weaknesses. And so we find richly saturated and vibrant colours, complete stability,

Excellent

Average

Lab Report

Colour Geometry Frequency response Contrast
frame adds both colour and since it
curves towards you at its tips contour contrasts. Nice. Connectivity is decent too. Three Scarts (two RGB) are available to you as well as the usual S-Video and composite video options. This again puts the 32DT40 in good stead compared with a set-top box, which would of course reduce by one the number of available sockets on your TV. While were on the subject of sockets, its worth mentioning that in keeping with its digital talents, the 32DT40 carries both a modem jack and PCMCIA slots where you could, for instance, add a Conditional Access Module for any pay-TV terrestrial digital services that may launch in the future (although theres no indication

HCC Practical Tip

Remember before you run out and buy a 32DT40 that there are still parts of the UK that cant receive Freeviews digital terrestrial broadcasts. If you dont know if you can get them or not, visit http://www.freeview.co.uk/canireceivefreeview /index.html where theres a postcode-based search engine to check for availability of the service in your area. Bear in mind, too, that in a small number of cases people have had to also upgrade their TV aerial to receive Freeviews 30 or so channels properly.

FEATURES

Specifications: 32in 16:9 IDTV; Nicam sound, with Ambient and Music/speech settings; flicker reduction; geomagnetic tilt correction; 100Hz scanning; Quintrix tube; EPG with favourite channel support; noise reduction; PIP/PAP; multiple aspect ratio support; analogue and digital autotuning; selectable analogue/digital tuner output for recording; off timer; teletext (analogue with subpage memory, and digital); 8-event, two-week timer Connections: three Scarts (two RGB); RF input; S-video input; composite video input; stereo audio input; stereo audio output; PCMCIA CAM slot; Modem jack Dimensions: 564(h) x 902(w) x 553(d)mm; Weight: 56kg
84 H O M E C I N E M A C H O I C E

22/12/03

Page 85

Celebrate!

Harman Kardon and Infinity mark 50 years with Musical Images
This year, Harman Kardon celebrates its 50th anniversary.
To commemorate this important event, Musical Images has a limited number of Harman Kardons special edition brushed-silver Anniversary receivers and DVD players in stock. The perfect accompaniment to Infinitys stunning Oreus 5.1 speaker system, these limited edition products are the latest remarkable designs from the worlds largest professional audio company. For the choice of all the best products from Harman Kardon, Infinity and many other world beating names, visit Musical Images today. With relaxed demonstrations, knowledgeable staff and the best installation team in the business, you havent experienced the best in Home Entertainment until youve visited the experts.
sharp but ghostless edges, and a general dearth of grain and tizzing. Even the notoriously blocky BBC digital channels look almost flawless. Its also good to find no mess being introduced by the TVs own digital processing. Some 100Hz Panasonic TVs in the past have shown alarming amounts of smearing and image lag, but today this seems to have been cured. The resultant new clarity gives the 32DT40s exceptional contrast and black level response free rein, giving pictures a stunning amount of depth and vigour. are those common ones of a lack of bass and slightly boxed in dialogue. But the 32DT40 cleverly tries to disguise these flaws behind an exceptionally wide and three-dimensional soundstage that paints a sonic world behind the TV as well as to either side of it. When alls said and done, the 32DT40 makes a hugely compelling argument in favour of the IDTV. The digital operating system works beautifully, the TV looks lovely, and most important of all, it gives you digital pictures so good they make those most of you would get from connecting a cheap external Freeview receiver to your current TV look drab as hell I
Founder Member Intelligent Homes in the Making

RATINGS

Highs: Digital and DVD pictures; design; OS Lows: minor picture softness
Picture Sound Features Overall ####12 #### #### ####12

Musical Images, London and the South Easts premier AV dealer.

FUTURE PERFECT

If the TV has any weakness with digital channels, its that fine detail levels arent particularly stunning in these days of detail-boosting technologies. It would be interesting to see one day how Panasonics own Acuity processing works with a digital tuner but for now were content to take the 32DT40s supreme naturalism instead. The 32DT40s sound isnt quite as good as its pictures but thats certainly not to say its bad. The chief weaknesses
Harman Kardon DVD506 & AVR 507 Limited Edition models with Infinity Oreus 5.1 Surround speakers
All Harman Kardon AV Receivers feature Signal Processing
EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE AT T H E U K ' S P R E M I E R AV D E A L E R
BECKENHAM BRANCH Tel: 3777
126 High Street, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1ED
COVENT GARDEN BRANCH Tel: 1346
18 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HB

EDGWARE BRANCH Tel: 5535

173 Station Road, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7JX
Three Scart inputs, two of which are RGB ready The remote control is well-designed and easy to use
Please call your local branch for opening time details. Audio Visual Lifestyle Ltd t/a Musical Images. E-mail: sales@musical-images.co.uk