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TVonics dtr-z500hd summer 2011
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n www.tvonics.com n £230
Features Freeview HD: Yes Hard disc size: 500GB MHEG-5: Yes Common interface: No Teletext: Yes EPG support: 8-day DVB Timer: Unlimited Upscaling: 576i/576p/720p/1080i/1080p UHF modulator tuning: None Software upgrade: OTA/USB/RS232 SD out: 1x Scart (RGB, composite) HD out: 1x HDMI HD in: 2x HDMI Audio out: Optical S/PDIF Data ports: Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0 Media formats: JPEG
Ratings PLUS
n Decent overall build quality n Easy to use n No recording glitches to report
Minus
n No favourites lists n Limited multimedia
functionality n No recording exporting Build Setup Searching Performance Features Value
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75%
Test freeview hd
TVonics dtr-z500hd TVonics’ latest Freeview+ HD recorder confidently covers the basics without pushing the boat out Late last year TVonics debuted the boldestlooking Freeview HD PVR yet in the shape of the DTR-HD500, as featured on this month’s cover. Should it not appeal, the £10 cheaper DTR-Z500HD looks more conventional but has a similar specification. It’s solidly built and narrow yet still with a fairly lengthy footprint and distinctive rounded edges. A red front panel sports LED indicators but lacks a text readout. A 500GB hard drive is the norm for HD recorders these days and two tuners allow for recording of up to two channels at once while playing back a recording at the same time or one while timeshifting another. The rear panel has two HDMI inputs and one output enabling the box to be used an HDMI hub for any other kit you may have sitting under the TV. Add to this a single RGBcapable Scart, UHF loopthrough and an optical S/PDIF. A software upgrade can be downloaded from TVonics’ website adding Dolby Plus/Pulse support and the ability to transcode BBC HD’s HE-AAC broadcasts to Dolby 5.1. An Ethernet connector (currently unused) is joined by USB ports at front and rear, but the latter is only for software updates and photo displays (with slideshows) using inserted drives. The classy-looking remote can be programmed to control your TV and has a familiar easy-to-follow button arrangement, though its buttons are on the small side. A clearly presented text-based menu system comes in a choice of emerald, green, sapphire blue, or onyx colour schemes (we favoured the latter’s white-and-yellow-texton-black simplicity). A picture-in-picture mode can be
used to keep an eye on two ‘live’ SD channels at once. Seven-day EPG data can be viewed in grid form overlaid semi-translucently over the live broadcast. This can be skipped in four or 24-hour periods and you can call up synopses. Contents can be searched for by genre, title or description. A programme info bar can be used to browse seven-day data for the current channel and others without switching. Recordings are scheduled via the EPG, info banner or using the manual timer. You can fast-forward/rewind at three levels of speed up to 128x, skip to the start or end or play in slow motion. For timeshifting, the PVR can constantly cache what you watch up for to four hours. You can start watching while still recording, resume where you left off or enter a time to watch from. Folders aren’t supported but they can sorted by age, A-Z or length and automatic delete options help manage space. Upscaling SD TV to 1080p adds a moderate degree of smoothness, though non-upscaled pictures didn’t look too shabby on a new Panasonic 50in TV either. Both live and recorded native HD broadcasts appear colourful and detailed n Grant Rennell
Verdict Although somewhat lacking in extra features, the DTR-Z500HD remains one of the most well thought out, inexpensive Freeview HD recorders on the market, whose ease of use makes it particularly well suited to PVR ‘newbies’.