On test

HDD/DVD recorder Approx price: 450

LG RH200MH

Danny Phillips takes an admiring look at an immensely versatile hard-disk recorder that lacks a tuner but accommodates every kind of memory card
emember the DVD recording format war? Theres no reason why you should, because recorders such as the RH200MH rendered the whole debate pointless. Not only does this multi-talented machine support DVD-RW, DVDRAM, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD+R and DVD+R Double Layer discs, but it is also endowed with a large and impressive 250GB hard disk that makes it possible to store up to 356 hours of TV.

looks & features

The black versus silver debate has raged among AV fashionistas for years, but LG sits on the fence with a split, silver/glossy black fascia. This works extremely well, helping the RH200MH to exude an air of cool, cutting-edge charm. The silver section drops down to reveal a row of auxiliary inputs:
you to make best-quality recordings from external digital TV receivers. Its a good job too, as the RH200MH lacks a built-in digital TV tuner, an odd omission given the UKs impending switchover to digital TV. However, theres plenty more to get your teeth into.You can upscale pictures to 720p or 1080i when using the HDMI output to better match the resolution of your atpanel TV. The unit will play DiVX, MP3, WMA and JPEG les, and it even lets you copy them from a disc or memory card to the hard disk. As for recording, theres a choice of XP SP LP and EP settings that allow , , you to t 1hr, 2hr, 4hr and 6hr on a single layer DVD respectively. Once youve made your recordings, theyre stored in the Title List, a nicely presented menu that shows moving thumbnails of each recording and lets you sort them by genre. Its
(VR) discs can be added to a playlist and pieced together to create a new title. Sadly, this feature isnt available for hard-disk recordings, but you can delete sections, which is useful if you want to trim them prior to dubbing. Its easy, thanks to the virtual editing suite where you can select start and stop points.You can also divide or combine titles and chapters. When copying from DVD to HDD or vice versa, theres a Fast Copying feature that transfers material up to 12x speed. While you cant choose how your menu looks when its nalised, you can rename the disc.
Provides direct access to key features and is superbly laid out

ease of use

The RH200MH is complex, but it can be mastered through trial and error. It helps that the remote sports specic buttons for changing the recording mode, accessing Timeshift, changing the output resolution or accessing individual menus. Its also logically laid out, packing in a lot of buttons without being over cluttered. LGs menu system is beautifully presented and full of neat touches like menu screens that dissolve into each other. The Home Menu makes it easy to access music, JPEG or photo les stored on disc, memory card or hard disk. Files that have been copied to the hard disk are presented in a straightforward but clearly presented list, complete with track names. Meanwhile the onscreen displays use eye-catching graphics and fonts that make operation an overall satisfying experience.

Looks Layout Labelling

Details

FEATURES

Recording modes: Max recording time: 4 presets 356hr (HDD), 12hr (+R DL) Non-linear editing: Yes (-RAM,-RW) TV tuner: Analogue Timer: 16-event/one month GuidePlus/VideoPlus: No/Yes Set-top box control: No Dimensions: 430(w) x 54(h) x 275(d)mm Weight: 4.1kg OTHER FEATURES: Timeshifting; Playlist editing; Picture-in-Picture; Clip Record; Add chapter markers; moving thumbnails; 14-in-2 memory card slot
Displays use eye-catching graphics that make operation a satisfying experience
S-video, composite video, stereo audio and DV, plus two memory card slots, one of which accommodates Compact Flash and Micro Drive cards, while the other houses SD, MMC, xD and Memory Stick. Using these, you can view digital photos or play music les. Socket-spotters will have a eld day with the rear-panel as it sports all the key connections, including HDMI, component, Scarts and two digital audio outputs. The Scart input accepts RGB signals, which allows possible to play back a programme from the start before it has nished recording, or play something from the hard disk while recording onto DVD (and vice versa). Also useful is the Timeshift feature, which enables you to pause live TV. But unlike some hard-disk recorders, you can search the timeshifted video and choose to record it permanently. Theres a useful array of editing functions on board. Recordings made on DVD-RAM or DVD-RW

WHAT IT PLAYS

DVD-V; Dual Disc (CD side); Dual Disc (DVD side); CD; MP3; WMA; JPEG; MPEG4 DiVX (v. 3.x/5.x); XViD; VCD; SVCD; CD-R/-RW/-R/ -RW (Video);-RW (VR);-RAM; DVD+R/+R (DL); +RW

performance

RGB recordings made in XP mode from a Freeview receiver are almost

SOCKETS

HDMI output
Digital socket that offers upscaled 720p or 1080i pictures

Scart input

RGB captures top quality images from an external set-top box

Component video output

If progressive scans your thing then hook these up to your TV
Front: i.Link DV in; composite & S-video in; stereo audio in (phono) Rear: 2 x Scarts (RGB/composite/ S-video in; RGB/composite/S-video out); HDMI out; component video out; S-video out; composite video and stereo audio out; composite video and stereo audio in; electrical and optical digital audio outputs; RF in and out

CONTACT

5454 www.lge.co.uk
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Also Consider >>

PHILIPS DVDR7250H 160GB hard disk and built-in Freeview, but limited editing and copying options Reviewed: Issue 311
TOSHIBA RD-85DT Excellent disc authoring and performance, but lacks key features like HDMI and RGB input Reviewed: Issue 311
250GB hard disk Multi-format recording HDMI output 720p/1080i upscaling DiVX playback identical to the source, boasting lots of detail and a low amount of MPEG noise. The brightly lit studio shots of BBC News 24 provide a worthwhile test, and the RH200MH copes admirably with the bold colours utilised for both captions and graphics. Fast moving sports footage also scrubs up very nicely, with no more signs of MPEG noise than youd expect from this type of challenging broadcast material. On the downside, there is some tizzing around the edge of small scrolling text on the news ticker, and skin tones have a touch too much redness in them. Moving to SP theres little , difference in picture quality, boasting the same strong colours, ne detail and sharply dened edges as in XP mode. In LP theres some noticeable , degradation, with recordings looking slightly softer than in XP or SP but , not to an unacceptable degree. In fact, as LP modes go this is a very good quality example, and gets you a lot of extra recording time for a very small sacrice. When recording in EP mode, the manual warns that you may see a fragmented picture during playing back the contents. Aside from being grammatically incorrect, this statement is also a little harsh sure, theres extra dotty noise around the edges of moving objects, shimmering during camera pans and a few jagged edges, but pictures are hardly fragmented. Playback of DVDs from the Scart socket is generally crisp and noisefree, but more discerning viewers

may bemoan the slightly reddish hue with skin tones. HDMI output looks marginally better, but were hard pressed to notice a difference when the output is set to 720p or 1080i on a 42in plasma TV during playback of recordings or prerecorded discs. Its worth pointing out that when viewing a playlist on a DVD-RAM/ DVD-RW disc or a HDD recording with a section deleted, the edit points are far from seamless theres a pause of about two seconds. Elsewhere, dubbing to HDD from disc and vice versa is quick and
painless and playback of DiVX les is smooth and glitch-free.
Auxiliary ports are hidden away behind a cool, silver ip-down door

conclusion

The lack of a digital tuner and some picture grumbles aside, theres much to admire about the RH200MH. Its bursting with useful, convenient features such as memory card slots, DiVX playback, multiformat recording, HDMI output and a huge hard disk capacity. Its also easy to use thanks to the superb menu system, making the RH200MH an attractive proposition for the money

Ratings

WHATS GOOD
Menu system; hard disk capacity; features; recording quality

WHATS BAD

No digital tuner; no playlist editing for hard disk; some picture aws; edits not seamless

Test Data

TEST READING RATING RECORD TESTS (HDD)
Chroma AM: -56.7dB Good Chroma PM: -56.3dB Good Frequency Response @ 4MHz: XP: -1.0dB Good Good SP: -1.0dB LP: -1.0dB Good EP: -1.1dB Good Power consumption: 4W (stby) >24W (use) Video jitter: 2ns Excellent Audio jitter: 231.7ps Very good S/N ratio: Composite: 65.8dB Average S-video: 68.6dB Average Component: 68.8dB Average Chroma AM: -71.5dB Excellent Chroma PM: -61.4dB Average Frequency Response @ 5.8MHz Composite): -1.5dB Good S-video: -1.5dB Good Component: -0.4dB Excellent
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value

VERDICT

Not polished enough to earn top marks, but it offers many features, decent recording quality and its a complete doddle to use
For a full explanation of test data, please see page 98
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