BUYERS GUIDE / DIGITAL RECORDERS
DVD RECORDING FORMATS PAL PROG SCAN N0. OF RECORD MODES i.LINK IN/OUT MAX RECORD TIME COMPONENT VIDEO OUT S-VIDEO OUT TUNER TYPE GUIDE PLUS/ VIDEO PLUS OPTICAL/ ELECTRICAL DIGITAL OUT GUIDE PRICE

RGB IN/OUT

HDMI/DVI

DVD RECORDERS

Multiple format DVD recorders

/ LG DR198H

Even offers dual-layer +R recording, but only carries an analogue tuner. Full review: Issue 312
Akai ADR5800Di Daewoo DRT-10 Dual DVRW1 Funai DR-B2737 Hitachi DV-RX7000 JVC DR-M10 LG DR175 LG DR198H Lite-On LVW-1105HC+ Lite-On LVW-5115GHC Loewe Centros 1102
-R/RW, +R/RW +R/RW DVD-RW, DVD-R. DVD+RW. DVD+R +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW -RAM, -R/RW -RAM, -R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW
-RAM, -R/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW
8hrs 5.5hrs 6hrs 6hrs 10hrs 6hrs 6hrs 8hrs 6hrs 6hrs 6hrs 6hrs 5hrs 6hrs 8hrs 14.5hrs 16hrs 8hrs 8hrs 6hrs 6hrs
An An Di An An Di An An An An An An An An An An An/Di Di An An An
0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

CyberHome CH-DVR1600 100
Goodmans GDVDR305DVBT 150
-R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW +R/RW -RAM, -R/RW, +R -RAM, +R/RW, -R/RW -RAM, -R/RW, +R -RAM, -R/RW, +R/RW +R/RW +R/RW, -R/RW -R/RW R. DVD-R (DL)

/ Panasonic DMR EZ27EB

A no-nonsense deck boasting 1080p uscaling and straightforward, user-friendly operation. Full review: Issue 321
Nissan DR-200BB Panasonic DMR-ES10 Panasonic DMR-ES15 Panasonic DMR-ES20D Panasonic DMR-EZ25 Philips DVDR615 Philips DVDR3305 Samsung DVD-R100E

An/Di 0/0

Panasonic DMR-EZ27EB 250
-RAM, -R(DL)/RW, +R(DL)/RW 8hrs
Samsung DVD-SR150M 150 Sony RDR-GXD310 Sony RDR-GXD360 Tatung TDVR600S Thomson DTH-140
DVD-RAM, DVD-RW. DVD- 16hrs +R/RW, -R/RW -R/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW +R/RW +R/RW -R/RW, -RAM -R/RW DVD+RW 14hrs 15 hrs 8hrs 8hrs 6hrs 10hrs
An/Di 0/0 Di Di An An An An An/Di An 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 0/0
Monthly reviews delivered right to your door
Toshiba D-R150 Toshiba D-R160 Toshiba D-R17DT Yamada DVR-8100
DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R. 8hrs +R/RW 6hrs
Key: An=Analogue Di=Digital

DVD RECORDING FORMATS

PAL PROG SCAN

N0. OF RECORD MODES

i.LINK IN/OUT

MAX RECORD TIME

COMPONENT VIDEO OUT

S-VIDEO OUT

TUNER TYPE

GUIDE PLUS/ VIDEO PLUS

OPTICAL/ ELECTRICAL DIGITAL OUT

GUIDE PRICE

DVD RECORDER/ VCR COMBI Bush DVHRS02 Dual DCRW5002 Funai DRV-B2737 Panasonic DMR-ES30VEB Panasonic DMR-EZ45 Samsung DVD-VR325 Sanyo DVR-V100E Sharp DV-RW25OH Toshiba D-VR15
+R/RW, VHS +R/RW, VHS -R/RW, VHS -R/RW, RAM, VHS (DL)/RW , VHS -R/RW, RAM, VHS +R/RW, VHS -R/RW, VHS -R/RW, RAM, VHS

6hrs 6hrs 10hrs 8hrs

An An An An Di An An An An
0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0

/ / / / / / / / /

/ Free DAB radio, anyone?
Subscribe now and bag yourself a fantastic BLIK DAB digital radio from Revo. Check out this amazing offer on p84
-R/R (DL)/RW, RAM, +R/R 8hrs 8hrs 6hrs 6hrs 10hrs

DVD recording formats

Quick tip

/ Save some disc space.

.by using your HDDs editing facilities to remove any unwanted material (eg adverts) before archiving your recordings to DVD.
THERE ARE FIVE main types of recordable DVD. The common division is between the plus (+) and minus (-) versions, each of which have use-once (R) or rewriteable (RW) versions. Most recorders use either plus or minus, while DVD-RAM recorders

also work with DVD-R. Increasingly, recorders use three or four of the ve types. The plus formats are DVD+R and DVD+RW and commonly appear on budget models. DVD+R discs must be nalised before playing in other decks, while DVD+RW discs can be
editted. Compatibility with other players is high. DVD-RW is similar to DVD+RW, but it can be formatted in one of two modes: Video or VR. The former allows discs to be played in most decks, while VR trades this compatibility for the ability to edit.
112 / What Video & High-Denition TV / Issue 331

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Want more up to date prices? Log on to www.techradar.com
COMPONENT VIDEO OUT OPTICAL/ ELECTRICAL DIGITAL OUT

HARD-DISK CAPACITY

DVD RECORDER/ HARD DISK COMBIS Hitachi DV-DS161E Hitachi DV-DS253E JVC DR-MH300 LG RH199H LG RH200MH Lite-On LVW-5055GDL Packard Bell EHR2080 Panasonic DMR-EX77 Panasonic DMR-EX85 Panasonic DMR-EX87 Philips DVD-3300H Philips DVDR3577H7 Philips DVDR7250H Philips DVDR7260H Pioneer DVR-540HX Pioneer DVR-545HX Pioneer DVR-930H Pioneer DVR-LX60D Pioneer DVR-LX70D Pioneer DVR-RT601H Sony RDR-HXD560 Sony RDR-HXD860 Sony RDR-HXD870 Thomson DTH8550U Toshiba RD-85DT Toshiba RD-97DT Toshiba RD-XS24 Yamada DTR-1000HX

300 250

-R/RW, RAM, +R/R (DL)/RW -R/RW, RAM, +R/R (DL)/RW -R/RW, RAM -R/RW, RAM, +R/RW -R/RW, RAM, +R/R (DL)/RW +R/RW RAM
160GB 233hrs 250GB 338hrs 160GB 300hrs 250GB 356hrs 250GB 356hrs 80GB 104hrs

An An An An An An An Di

0/0 / 1/0 / 1/0 / 1/0 / 1/0 / 0/0 / 0/0 / 1/0 /

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Best HDD/ DVD decks with digital tuners

/ Panasonic DMR-EX77

This outstanding deck is superb value and ticks almost all the boxes. Full review: Issue 325
-R/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW, CD-R/RW 250GB 330hrs -R/R (DL)/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW, 160GB 284hrs -R/R (DL)/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW, 250GB 443hrs RAM -R/R (DL)/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW, 250GB 443hrs RAM +R/RW -R/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW +RW, +R, +R D Layer, -RW, -R RAM -R/R (DL)/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW, 160GB 455hrs RAM -R/RW DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/R/+RW/+R,-R/+R (DL) -RAM,-RW,-R,-R(DL),+RW,+R 500GB 1422hrs -R/RW -R/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW -R, -RW, +R, +R DL,+RW -R, -RW, +R, +R DL,+RW +R/RW -R/RW, RAM -R, -RW, +R, +RW -R/RW, RAM +R/RW 80GB 80GB 227hrs 106hrs -RAM,-RW,-R,-R(DL),+RW,+R 250GB 427hrs 160GB 249hrs 160GB 340hrs 160GB 240hrs 160GB 284hrs 250GB 424hrs 160GB 284hrs 160GB 204hrs 400GB 700hrs 250GB 711hrs 80GB 130hrs
An/Di 1/0 / Di An An 1/0 / 0/0 / 1/0
-R,-RW,+R,+RW,+R(DL),-R(DL) 160GB 180hrs 160GB 250hrs 160GB 250hrs
An/Di 0/0 / An/Di 0/0 / An/Di 0/0 / An/Di 1/0 / An 1/0 /

/ Pioneer DVR-LX70D

Cheap it aint, but youll struggle to nd a better specied recorder. Full review: Issue 330
-R/R (DL)/RW, +R/R (DL)/RW, 160GB 455hrs
/ / / / / / / / / / / / /
An/Di 1/0 / An/Di 1/0 / An 0/0 / An/Di 1/0 / An/Di 0/0 / Di An Di An Di 1/0 / 1/0 / 0/0 / 0/0 / 0/0 / An/Di 1/0 /

/ Sony RDR-HXD870

This ne offering won our DVD Recorder of 2007 award and provides amazing value for money. Full review: Issue 325

Samsung DVD-SH855M 300

An/Di 1/0

OPTICAL DIGITAL OUT

TWIN CHANNEL RECORDING

N0. OF TUNERS

MAX REC. TIME

NO. OF DIGITAL TUNERS

FREEVIEW PVRS Astratec PVRTU1 Daewoo 9503T Digifusion FVRT90 Digihome PVR160 Evesham iPLAYER Evesham DTR250 Evesham PVR160 Goodmans GHD8015F2 Humax PVR-9200T Sagem PVR6280T Sagem PVR7280T Sharp TU-R160HA Sony SVR-S500 Thomson DHD-4000 Topeld TF5800 Top-Up TV Anytime TVonics DVR-150 TVonics DVR-FP250

190 190

HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD HDD

80GB 80GB 80GB

40hrs 40hrs 70hrs

*/ */ */ / / */ / / / / */ */ / / */ / / */ /
For DVD & VHS all in one.
/ Try the Toshiba SD-38VB

PAY TV COMPATIBLE

ELECTRICAL DIGITAL OUT

RECORDING FORMATS

160GB 80hrs 160GB 77hrs 250GB 160hrs 160GB 80hrs 80GB 80GB 80GB 80GB 80GB 40GB 35hrs 35hrs 40hrs 40hrs 80hrs 26hrs

Goodmans GHD8020F2 130

160GB 100hrs

160GB 80hrs

160GB 88hrs 160GB 120hrs 160GB 80hrs 250GB 125hrs
This combi deck from Toshiba is ideal for those that are reluctant to leave their VHS tapes behind, but who also want a DVD player. The deck plays various recordable formats, supports DiVX playback and also offers progressive scan. Theres no upscaling or digital tuner, but at just 90, its still an absolute bargain. Full review: issue 325.
Key: Di=Digital *=RGB Loopthrough
Issue 331 / What Video & High-Denition TV / 113

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BUYERS GUIDE / DVD PLAYERS
OPTICAL DIGITAL SACD PLAYBACK MPEG4 PLAYBACK DiVX PLAYBACK PAL PROG SCAN MP3 PLAYBACK NO. OF SCARTS JPEG VIEWER COMPONENT VIDEO RGB SCARTS GUIDE PRICE ELECTRICAL DIGITAL

DVD-AUDIO PLAYBACK

DOLBY DIG DECODER

HDMI/DVI OUTPUT

S-VIDEO

DVD PLAYERS

DVD decks to die for

/ Arcam DV137

It might be a tad pricey, but this universal deck offers exceptional pictures and sound along with advanced video upscaling. Full review: Issue 323
Alba DVD382STB Arcam DV137

50 1,200

0/0 1/0 1/1 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/1 1/1 0/0 1/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0
Cambridge Audio DVDCyberHome CH-DVD 635S 100 Denon DVD-1730 Denon DVD-1740 Denon DVD-1930 Denon DVD-2930 Denon DVD-3930 Denon DVD-A1XV Denon DVD-A1XVA Dual DVD860 Evesham DVD650 1,100 2,500 2,100

/ Denon DVD-1740

Excellent picture, sound and build quality from this 150 1080p upscaling wonder deck. Full review: Issue 326
Goodmans GDVD 100WLCD (portable) Goodmans GDVD164HDMI Helios HVD2085 LG DNX190UH Marantz DV4001 Marantz DV6001 Marantz DV6600 Marantz DV7001 Marantz DV7600 NAD T515 NeoDigits X5000 Oppo DV-981HD Panasonic DVD-S33EB Panasonic DVD-S49

/ Pioneer DV-400V

100 seems like a ridiculous amount of money to pay for such a classy deck, particularly when it offers such good 1080p upscaling. Full review: Issue 323
Mustek DTV407 (portable) 180
Panasonic DVD-LS85 (portable) 300

/ Marantz DV7001

A fantastic universal deck which plays pretty much any disc format you can think of and offers excellent upscaling. Full review: Issue 322
Panasonic DVD-LX97 (portable) 300 Panasonic DVD S53 Philips PET710 (portable) Philips PET1000 (portable) Pioneer DV-380 Pioneer DV-400V Pioneer DV-585A Pioneer DV-989AVi Philips DVP80 60

/ NeoDigits X5000

Networkable, high-def compatible and regionfree player with 1080p upscaling and support for internet radio. Full review: Issue 315
Philips PET1030 (portable) 250 Samsung DVD-HD850 Samsung DVD-HD860 Samsung DVD-HD870 Sharp DV-SV97H Shinco SDP-1250 (portable) Sony DVP-NS36S Toshiba SD-270E Toshiba SD-38VB (combi) Toshiba SD-350E Toshiba SD-360 Toshiba SD-370E

.and a portable classic

/ Philips PET1030
The bright screen, slick design and easy operation make this a great portable. Full review: Issue 330
Toshiba SD-37VB (combi) 90
Toshiba SD-P1600 (portable) 170 Toshiba SD-P2700 (portable) 300 Toshiba SD-P2800 (portable) 300 Xoro HSD 7500 (portable, IDTV) Yamaha DVD-S657 Yamaha DVD-S375 250
114 / What Video & High-Denition TV / Issue 331

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/ HIGH-DEFINITION DISC PLAYERS / DVD SYSTEMS
ETHERNET PORT DOLBY DIGITAL PLUS/TRUEHD DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO RECORDABLE BD COMPATABLE HDMI VERSION

Best Systems

5.1 AUDIO OUT COMPONENT OUT S-VIDEO OUT OPTICAL/ ELECTRICAL DIGITAL OUT GUIDE PRICE 720p UPSCALING 1080i UPSCALING 1080p UPSCALING RATING (1-5) SCART
HIGH-DEFINITION DISC PLAYERS LG BH100 Panasonic DMP-BD10 Panasonic DMP-BD10A Pioneer BDP-LX70 Samsung BD-P1000 Sharp Sony BDP-S1E Sony PlayStation 3 Toshiba HD-E1 Toshiba HD-EP35 Toshiba HD-XE1

1,000 1,1,350 650

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 n/a

IMAGE STABILISER

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

320 316

/LG HT902TB
Assuming you can live with the sizeable tower speakers, youll struggle to nd a single box system that offers more bang for your buck. Full review: Issue 330
Xbox 360 HD DVD drive 130

MANUAL WHITE BALANCE

MANUAL FOCUS

OPTICAL ZOOM

PROGRAM AE MODES

/ Panasonic SC-PTX7

If 5.1 surround sound is not for, this 3.1 DVD system offers features galore and a performance thatll take some beating. Full review: Issue 330 COMPONENT VIDEO FIREWIRE RATING (1-5) ISSUE 323

RESOLUTION

HARD DRIVE

LCD SCREEN

MANUAL EXPOSURE

FORMAT

HD CAMCORDERS Canon JVC GZ-HD7 Panasonic HDC-DX1 Sanyo VPC-HD2 Sony HDR-HC7

600 1,700 1,900

HD HD HD HDV HD

1920x1080

10x 10x 12x 10x 10x DVD-A PLAYBACK

Optical

2.7in 3in 2.2in 2.7in
1920x1080 60GB 1920x1080 1280x720 1440x1080
Optical 2.8in Optical Elec. Optical

SACD PLAYBACK

DOLBY DIGITAL

No. OF SCARTS

TOTAL POWER OUTPUT

COMPATIBLE FORMATS

RGB SCARTS

DOLBY PRO LOGIC II

/ Pioneer DSC-363
This astonishing compact all-in-one system is great if youre short on space and provides a knockout performance. Thats why it came top in our awards back in 2007. Full review: Issue 326
DVD SYSTEMS Denon DHT-1356XP Denon DHT-550SD Denon DHT-M330DV JVC TH-P7 JVC TH-R3 JVC TH-S55 LG HT902TB LG LH-RH361SE LG LH-RH7506 LG LHT7601A LG LH-RH760TF Loewe Individual 40 Marantz Hollywood Take 2 Panasonic SC-HT545W Panasonic SC-PTX7 Philips HTS6600 Philips HTS9800W Philips LX7500R Pioneer DCS-333 Pioneer DCS-360 Pioneer DSC-363 Pioneer RCS-77H Samsung HT-TXQ120 Samsung HT-X200 Samsung HT-XQ100 Samsung HTP-1200 Sharp SD-PX15H Sony DAR-RH1000 Sony DAV-X10 Toshiba SD44HK
n/a n/a n/a -R/RW, +R/RW DVD-R/RW, RAM -R/RW. +R/RW, RAM, -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW, RAM -R/RW, +R/RW n/a -R/-RW, +R/+RW, +DL, RAM n/a +R/-R/+RW, DivX RAM,+R,+RW,-R,-RW, DivX +R/-R/+RW, DivX -R/RW, +R/RW +R/RW, -R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW, RAM -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW -R/RW -R/RW, +R/RW n/a -R/RW, +R/RW DVD/-R/-RW/RW)VR)/+R /+RW/CDR/-RW/SVCD/VCD/MP3/JPEG/DiVX n/a

n/a

425W 600W 5 x 20W 360W 810W 810W 1000W 300W 5x 100W 700W 700W 4 x 40W 560W 6 x 110W 330W 800W 2 x 100W 5 x 100W 360W 360W 5 x 110W 1000W 300W 500W 800W 175W 5 x 120W 480W 300W
0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 / 0/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 0/0

n/a 1 1

ISSUE 327 294
6,190 -R/-RW, +R/+RW, -R/-RW
Want HD without a format war?

/ Get hi-def TV instead

Sky TV and Virgin already have their own high-denition TV offerings in the shape of the SkyHD and V+ set-top boxes, but the terrestrial TV channels arent far behind. The BBC is still conducting its own HD trial (which ends in the summer), while ITV, Channel 4 and Five have also all successfully completed their trials.
Issue 331 / What Video & High-Denition TV / 115

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