Introduction - Observations so far - Models - Real world use
Models - PVRs (Personal Video Recorders/DVRs) - (in the UK) Email me if you can help fill in any of the question marks or provide a one-sentence review.
Notes: No. of tuners is important as it means you can watch one channel while recording another; EPG = Electronic Programming Guide, a way of scrolling through all channels, all programmes and selecting any for recording
Manufacturer	Device/model no.	Image	Capacity	No. of Tuners	EPG?	Price (£)	Notes/Review (if available)
Bush	IDPVR801B		80GB	1	?	£100	n/a
DigitalVision	DVR180		80GB	1	Yes	£95	Works well, intelligent firmware, but device is bulky and generates some heat. Only single tuner, too, so it's strictly one channel at a time.
Grundig	GUSTB801V		80GB	?	?	£120	n/a
Hitachi	HDR160		160GB	1	No	£180	Now apparently obsolete, but just as well, the single tuner makes it very limited.
Humax	PVR9200T		160GB	2	Yes	£190	Regularly updated device, reliable, capable of recording two channels at once without issues. Fan can be noisy. USB port lets you dump videos to PC.
Matsui	M802PVR		??	2	Yes	£120	[no review yet]
Proline/Protech	PDFV70	(no pic)	160GB	1	Yes	£140	New unit, but unaccountably expensive for a single tuner model. Avoid.
Sagem	PVR62160		160GB	1	No	£150	Basic chassis used by Sagem for several models, including the PVR6240 and PVR6280. All models nice and quiet and generally work well, but recording consecutive programmes is tricky because of padding of each with extra minutes
Sharp	TU-R160H		160GB	2	Yes	£230	Expensive unit but fairly quiet as there's no fan. Somewhat bulky but works well enough.
Sony	SVRS500S		80GB	2	Kind of	£200	Rebranded unit from cheaper 'name'. Very noisy, limited EPG
Technosonic	PVR101		80GB	2	Yes	£120	Sleek, looks a million dollars. Very clear on-screen prompts and indications, very high quality look and feel even if, deep down, you know that it isn't! Quiet, with no fan. A few software glitches that get uncovered if you push it too hard. Updates over the air aren't too frequent
TWF	PVR302		80GB	1	Yes	£100	Boxy design, with cooling vents and fan.

(c)All text copyright 2006, 2007, Steve Litchfield