DVD & PVR

Philips HTS6515

Using Ambisound on the HTS6515 was Philips' way of creating an illusion of surround sound from just two speaker units. Well we've tested this piece and we can confirm that the depth of sound we got exceeded our expectations. In terms of picture quality, we'd go so far as to say it's some of the most impressive upscaling we've seen from an all-in-one unit like this

Editor's rating 8.0

Pioneer BDP-LX71

If you aren't feeling the credit crunch, Pioneer's £600 BDP-LX71 is an excellent Blu-ray player with superb picture and sound quality. It has wonderfully simple menu systems that are a breeze to configure and we love the connectivity options. If money is no object, and you already have a Pioneer TV, you should buy one

Editor's rating 8.5

Samsung BD-P1500

The Samsung BD-P1500 is dirt cheap at around £170, and it has a certain charm with its rounded edges and bold controls. A good choice of features and the ability to play 1080/24p pictures effortlessly on your TV make the P1500 a promising option for people looking to switch to Blu-ray players

Editor's rating 8.3

Panasonic DMP-BD35

Quite simply, this is one of the most sensibly priced and best-performing Blu-ray players on the market. With the BD35, Panasonic is proving that stand-alone players can offer decent performance and other advantages such as lower power consumption, nearly silent operation and a much more sensible form factor

Editor's rating 9.0

Samsung HT-X710T

The Samsung HT-X710T is a solid home theatre-in-a-box that focuses on DVD playback while offering excellent sound. It has a 2.1-channel system -- meaning two speakers, one subwoofer and a 'head unit' amplifier and disc player. If you don't mind the offbeat styling and the dearth of video inputs, this is a worthwhile choice

Editor's rating 7.0

Oppo DV-980H

First things first -- we love this DVD player for ignoring DVD region coding. But that isn't all it does: the Oppo DV-980H does just about everything else, too, including producing 1080p pictures. It may be expensive, but for what you're getting, it's great value and will be worth it for those who want to watch their DVDs in amazingly high quality

Editor's rating 8.5

Humax PVR-9300T

If it wasn't for the appalling fan noise, we'd suggest this is the best PVR we've seen in a long time. The operation is simple, the picture quality is very good indeed and the new style is fantastic, with a more modern look than the previous generation. Plus we're big fans of the addition of HDMI output

User rating 7.0

Editor's rating 7.3

Toshiba XD-E500

If you're looking to make the most of your DVD collection but you aren't up for a Blu-ray player, this Toshiba upscaling DVD player may be a good bet. Play with the three different upscaling modes to find your ideal picture, but watch out for some behavioural problems

Editor's rating 6.9

Sony RDR-HXD995

Despite all the awful shopping channels, there's a wealth of great TV to record on Freeview. For maximum flexibility you'll want a DVD recorder and PVR with plenty of storage space, and that can record cable or satellite from a number of inputs. The Sony RDR-HXD995 fits the bill, with 1080p upscaling to boot

Editor's rating 7.5

LG DP391B

LG's demurely named DP391B deserves a more conspicuous moniker -- it's easily one of the best portable DVD players we've ever seen. With a glorious screen, handy kickstand and tonnes of features, including DivX playback and photo display, it's just the thing for dull journeys

Editor's rating 8.0

Panasonic DMR-EX88

The Panasonic DMR-EX88 comes with a high-end price tag, but its features are certainly up to scratch. A Freeview recorder PVR with a massive 400GB hard drive and a DVD recorder built in, it will also play Xvid and DivX files and upscale your DVDs. That should clear out some space under the TV

User rating 4.0

Editor's rating 7.7

Toshiba SD-P91S

With its twisty-turny, 9-inch screen, the Toshiba SD-P91S is a great portable DVD player for when you're stuffed into cattle class. It's a large, widescreen player that supports lots of video files and has a USB port for easy access. It'll definitely help frequent travellers on long, boring journeys

Editor's rating 6.3

Samsung HT-X715

The Samsung HT-X715 gives you a good reason to stay home instead of going to the cinema. This 5.1 surround-sound system with built-in DVD player could be a great all-in-one complement to your nice television, handling movie soundtracks plus DVD and Blu-ray material skillfully

Editor's rating 7.0

Pioneer LX01

Pioneer's LX01 takes the idea of an all-in-one system to another dimension. It has a load of features, including a Freeview tuner, DVD/HDD recorder and surround receiver, and could be considered a home media hub that will accommodate your every home entertainment need

Editor's rating 8.8

LG HT762TZ

The LG HT762TZ is a good starting point for people who want surround sound but aren't interested in building a complicated separates system themselves. It's a 5.1 surround sound speaker system with an upscaling DVD thrown in the mix, and is great for home cinema newbies

Editor's rating 7.0

JVC NX-F3

The JVC NX-F3 has an impressive list of features. Its 1080p upscaling option produces clean images, free of digital artefacts, and black levels are well defined and detailed. It's incredibly simple to install and its menu system is easy to use. Good connectivity is another plus point

Editor's rating 6.9

Philips DVDR5520H

The Philips DVDR5520H's main attraction is its built-in Freeview PVR. DVD and support for downloaded Internet material is also available. It looks sleek and attractive and has excellent connectivity, and a very well laid out electronic programme guide. Picture and sound quality are also good, with full 1080p upscaling

Editor's rating 7.0

Grundig freesat receiver (GUFSAT01)

The Grundig freesat receiver (GUFSAT01) is an excellent option for the 27 per cent of UK who do not get a Freeview signal to switch over from analogue to digital. The box itself is pretty fast at responding to the remote commands and is a good size, with a generous helping of ports

Editor's rating 6.9

Humax Foxsat-HD (freesat)

The freesat satellite service is finally here and so is the Humax Foxsat-HD receiver. Although it's one of the first to hit the market, it already feels like a mature product. It's fast, user friendly and offers great picture quality, all while managing to pack all this into a compact and stylish box

User rating 6.5

Editor's rating 8.0

Sony BDP-S500

The Sony BDP-S500 Blu-ray player is an excellent performer. Both standard definition and high definition material alike looks beautiful, providing scenes with sharpness and strong colour. Audio quality is also crisp, but does this player measure up to the PlayStation 3?

Editor's rating 7.0