Group test: DVD/HDD recorders

They might lack the glitz and glamour of flat panel TVs and high-definition disc players, but digital recorders are the unsung heroes of our daily entertainment routines. They work tirelessly to ensure that we never miss our favourite TV shows, and also let us preserve precious memories forever in pristine digital quality. But as this group test demonstrates, the latest generation of digital recorders do much more than just record - they upscale to hi-def, play media files and let you plug in all sorts of external devices. On test here are four of the latest DVD/HDD combi recorders, all of which can record directly onto a hard disk drive or a recordable DVD. This type of recorder offers the ultimate in timeshifting flexibility, allowing you to record onto the hard disk, edit the footage then transfer the results onto a disc if you want to keep them for posterity. Overview Price comparison: Panasonic DMR-EX77 More info: Panasonic Hard disk capacity: 160GB DVD recording: DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R(DL), DVD+R(DL) HDMI upscaling: 720p, 1080i, 1080p Connections: Rear: HDMI output, 2 x Scarts (RGB in & out), component video output, RF input/output, S-video output, composite video output, optical digital audio output, stereo audio output Front: i.Link (DV) input, SD card slot, S-video input, composite video input, stereo audio input Panasonic DMR-EX77 The DMR-EX77 sits just below the 250GB DMR-EX87 in Panasonic's current DVD/HDD combi range. It boasts a 160GB hard disk, which equates to a fairly generous 284 hours of recording time, and will record onto any type of recordable DVD, including DVD-RAM and dual-layer DVD+R/DVD-R when copying from the hard disk. It's bursting with other useful features, such as a Freeview tuner with seven -day EPG and an HDMI output with 1080p upscaling, which works with recordings as well as DVDs. It's the only deck in the group test to sport an SD card slot for playing back digital media files, but sadly it doesn't support DivX or WMA. In action the EX77 is exceptionally easy to use, thanks to the beautifully presented menus and intelligently designed remote. And picture quality is highly impressive too, particularly when recording in the best-quality XP mode from the built-in digital tuner - colours are rich and vibrant, detail levels are high and MPEG noise is nowhere to be seen. In LP mode the deck uses 500-line resolution where others would drop to around 300, which results in better than average picture quality, but EP mode looks soft and fuzzy, making it unsuitable for fast-moving material. DVD playback benefits greatly from the deck's solid 1080p upscaling, which helps to generate crisp, noise-free images. Verdict Plus points Loads of features, superb recorded picture quality Minus points No DivX playback, dull design

Overview Price comparison: Samsung DVD-SH855M More info: Samsung Hard disk capacity: 250GB DVD recording: DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R(DL), DVD-R(DL) HDMI upscaling: 720p, 1080i Connections: Rear: HDMI output, component video output, 2 Scarts (RGB in & out), S-video output, composite video output, optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, stereo audio output, RF in & out Front: USB port, i.Link (DV) input, composite video input, stereo audio input Samsung DVD-SH855M Like the Panasonic DMR-EX77, Samsung's combi deck supports every DVD format under the sun. But despite costing the same amount of money, the Samsung offers a 250GB hard disk compared with Panasonic's 160GB, making it better value on paper. But it's not all good news - the DVD-SH855M lacks 1080p upscaling (only 720p and 1080i are available), and it's harder to use than its rivals. The deck's remote is packed with swarms of small, hard to find buttons that make the user experience far from intuitive. However, the deck does boast a decent array of features, including a Freeview tuner and seven-day EPG, loads of editing functions for DVD and HDD, USB and i.Link ports for external devices and the ability to pause live TV. Strangely, the Samsung will only let you record from the Freeview tuner in Flexible Recording mode. This feature automatically selects the most appropriate recording mode depending on the quality of the incoming broadcast, which means you don't waste precious recording time using a higher bitrate than you need. The results are terrific; recorded picture quality matches the original source, retaining the strong colours, clean edges and punchy blacks without introducing excessive amounts of noise. Of course, there is the occasional bout of picture break-up and dotty noise in LP and EP modes, but generally this is a very strong picture performance.

Verdict Plus points Design, picture quality, good price for 250GB recorder Minus points No 1080p upscaling, poorly designed remote

1 2 Next page: Sony RDR-HXD870, Toshiba RD-97DT >