Sony SVR-S500 review

Recorded programmes are stored in the 80GB hard drive, which offers around 40 hours of footage using the standard quality mode (SP), 60 hours using long play mode (LP) and up to 80 hours using the lowest quality extended mode (EP). It's not the largest hard drive, but it should be fine for general use and you can always delete or archive copies onto tape or disc to free up space.

There are several ways to make recordings, including simple one-touch recordings and typical timer recordings, but using the accompanying digital EPG is simplest -- all you need do is highlight the desired programme from the list and you're away. Although the EPG is beautifully presented however, there are some annoying limitations.

Accessing the EPG only gives you programme schedules for a single channel at a time, which means you can't quickly scan an overview to find what's on elsewhere. There are also no thumbnailed images to prevent you from missing programmes while you set up recordings.

Equally frustrating is the blank screen delay that appears between changing channels, and the programme title bar always appears out of sight at the top of the screen. The device is also comparatively noisy with a whirring sound that never disappears, even when the unit is in standby mode. These may be minor issues but they can become irritating with everyday use and some less expensive models are not plagued by the same problems.

You can, however, programme recordings up to eight days in advance and copies can be easily found and edited. Recorded programmes are divided into five-minute scenes using thumbnails to help navigation, and you can edit or erase scenes to create playlists.

Finally, the hard drive nature of recording allows for various time-slip functions including pausing and rewinding live TV, chasing playback and simultaneous recording and playback.

Performance
If you can ignore the usability issues, the SVR-S500 puts in a highly creditable performance that compares favourably with the best PVRs on the market, such as the Panasonic TUC-TH100.

Digital programmes are densely defined with excellent detail and contrast for a broadcast image. Colours appear natural and well balanced, while only the most challenging scenes, featuring overwhelming information or unpredictable movement, suffer from any alarming instability.

Recordings using the standard (SP) mode are extremely accurate to the original, although the odd digital artefact does occasionally rear its head. Aside from a touch more shimmer around edges, the lower quality (LP) mode shows very little deterioration, too. Detail softens and colours appear slightly muted using the (EP) mode, but there's less decline in image quality than we expected, meaning even the lowest quality mode needn't be ignored as just a last resort.

Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Kate Macefield