298wv28 Sagem PVR6240

26/7/05

10:58 am

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On test
Freeview PVR G Approx price: 130

PVR6240

Sagems debut Freeview PVR comes at an amazing price, but is it too good to be true? Ian Calcutt finds out
ot long ago you couldnt get a digital TV receiver for much less than 100. Now times have changed and standalone set-top boxes cost about 50, while for 100-150 you can join the hard-drive personal video recorder revolution. Up until now, Sky+ was the cheapest upfront way of sampling this adaptable, tapeless recording technology, but the circa-100 cost of the hardware must be fed by a regular Sky subscription, so in real terms it costs more. Non-subscription Freeview PVRs generally cost more than 150 (twice that, if you consider the Topfield model reviewed in this issue on page 56). So can
Guinness poured into an oblong tray.There are no front panel controls, but there is a readable amber fluorescent channel/clock display. The rear connections are stripped down and basic no flashy PC interfaces, pay-TV modules or multimedia slots, just two Scarts (though they carry the standard RGB and S-video) and RF aerial loopthrough.Theres no modulated output for feeding the PVRs own pictures via the aerial output, but it is worth noting that this PVRs bigger brother, the PVR6680T, adds digital photo display via USB and memory card reader. The onscreen display is colourful and easy to follow, with a
The full potential of having two tuners and a hard disk are not fulfilled
a 130 product really do an adequate job?

looks & features

The Sagem PVR6240T has restrained looks, but its reasonably attractive.The casing is all plastic, in a two-tone mix of dark grey with a cream top, like a pint of
consistent approach across menus and the electronic programme guide (EPG).The hard disk is relatively small at 40GB, and stores up to about 20hrs of digital TV. The entry-level standard is fast becoming 80GB, but given the cost of this PVR, 40GB should be fine for beginners and occasional viewers.
As well as setting programmes directly from the EPG, theres a quick manual timer option and daily or weekly choices for making regular recordings in a given timeslot. Features are lightweight, but we like the funky radio-style graphic that appears for audio-only channels, though it could do with a proper screensaver for any plasma owners, rather than just dimming slightly to reduce screen-burn risk. Editing features are appearing in more digital-TV PVRs and, while there are no ways to chop up existing recordings on this budget model (though the user guide alludes to it on another product), there is an unusual merge option to fuse two programmes together.The merged recording retains the title and synopsis of the first selected recording, but it will run into the second one uninterrupted.
A Freeview tuner with a hard disk. Could you ask for anything more?

Details

FEATURES
Hard-disk capacity: 40GB Recording modes: 1 Max. recording time: 20hr approx Non-linear editing: merge only TV tuner: 2 digital terrestrial Dimensions: 315(w) x 45(h) x 230(d)mm Weight: 1.75kg Other Features: seven-day TV guide; pause live broadcast (30min max); simultaneous play and record; favourites list; parental lock; subtitles & digital text

ease of use

The PVR is quick to set up.The programme guide supplies listings for up to seven days, with

Key connections

RF loopthrough
Enables you to receive analogue as well as digital broadcasts

Audio outputs

Analogue and optical digital connections for feeding sound to amps

Dual Scarts

RGB output to TV and S-video via VCR Scart

SOCKETS

RF aerial in/out; 2 Scarts (1 RGB/Svideo/composite out; 1 Svideo/composite out); optical digital audio out; analogue stereo audio out (minijack)

CONTACT

www.sagem.co.uk
054 I What Video and Widescreen TV I Issue 298

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Also Consider >>
THOMSON DHD4000 A 40GB Freeview recorder with twin tuners and lots of upgraded features one of the best around Reviewed: Issue 293
INVERTO IDL-7000T An admirable and affordable PVR, with 80GB HDD, attractive EPG and distinctive styling Reviewed: Issue 295

Remote

All the buttons are the same size but theyre an okay size and the layout is acceptable
Looks ##### Layout ##### Labelling ##### channels clearly listed on the left, titles per channel on the right and a panel at the top to show the synopsis of any programme highlighted by the cursor from the list. Having two digital tuners usually means you can make two recordings at once, however, the Sagem only permits you to use the twin tuners to make one recording at a time while watching another live channel. So, although this is convenient, the full potential of having two tuners and a hard disk are not fulfilled. The PVR6240 also prevents you from selecting two back-to-back programmes to record (this appears to be to allow for brief over-runs)
and you dont even get an onscreen warning about it.You can set a manual timer event to cover two programmes (on the same channel), but this is hardly an easy workaround. On the plus side, you can pause live TV temporarily storing up to 30 minutes even when recording another channel. Thankfully, you can also watch a recording before the programme has finished (by choosing it from the normal List menu) or you can play anything else from the hard drive while recording. Helpfully, theres a simple resume play option to return you to where you left off in any unfinished programme recordings, while the useful i info key calls up the full title, synopsis, total running time, time elapsed and a progress bar to show how far through the playback has reached.

performance

For a small, cheap PVR, the hard drive is very quiet and theres no obvious fan noise. It also boasts very fast search speeds both forward and back, beginning at sedate x4 and x10 rates, but capable of speeding up to x60, x300 and even x600, which puts other PVRs to shame. Its also good to report that theres no serious audio break-up when coming out

Fact file

I 40GB HDD
I Twin Freeview tuners I Seven-day programme guide I Simultaneous play and record I Pause live TV

of search, just a muted second or two.The hard drive is reasonably fast-acting, as are the onscreen graphics. Recordings look just like the original broadcast, as with virtually all PVRs, but they only come into their own if the initial pictures are strong. Sadly, thats not quite the case with the PVR6240T. The image reveals much more blockiness and digital break-up around outlines than most digital TV receivers or recorders.There is also a slight gauze-like effect on the image, especially if the source material is grainy, suggesting that there is hardly any noise reduction taking place. Also, the contrast is too high by default.White parts of the picture bloom and detail blurs, but you can change the boxs contrast output to a lower setting in the Video and Sound part of the menu. Theres little to complain about with its colour reproduction and general digital TV reception appears to be robust, but with our test sample, listings for some channels dropped out, leaving gaps in the EPG schedule.
Its small size and tasteful sizing make for a discreet digibox

Ratings

WHATS GOOD
Small; quiet; onscreen displays

WHATS BAD

Picture; no overlapping or adjacent recording; not Top Up TV ready; no modulated RF out

conclusion

Overall, this Sagem PVR offers decent value given its asking price, and the flaws in the picture quality will probably only be more obvious to large screen owners. However, it does have a number of drawbacks compared to its slightly pricier rivals, so if you can afford up to 100 more, its worth it for a better viewing experience I
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value
##### ##### ##### ##### #####

OVERALL VERDICT

Cheap, but features are limited and the picture is mediocre
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