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Comment on UK Bargain Sony SVRHDT500B Freeview HD Personal Video Recorder with Twin Tuner for Sale by Sanda "Sanda"

Sanda "Sanda" — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:59:54 +0000

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

Just one silly flaw, 3 Aug 2011

This review is from: Sony SVRHDT500B Freeview HD Personal Video Recorder with Twin Tuner (Electronics)

To go with my super-duper new Sony 40" HD LED TV (new in Jan 2011) I wanted a way to record programmes easily without having to fire up a standard definition Freeview box in a cupboard, change inputs and press loads of buttons. The EPG in the TV is excellent - 9 rows and importantly, a decent space for a summary of each programnme as you scroll about. All it needed was a 'Record' button so I could select a programme and set it to record.

I had hoped that the this recorder, being the same generation as the TV and with the wonders of BraviaSynch, would do this for me. I had fondly hoped that after setting it up a 'Record' button might appear in my TVs EPG, but no luck. In fact you're supposed to feed the incoming signal into the recorder first, then take it to the TV. Thus the recorder is always on (and warm, using electricity - a simple physical loop-through now seems to be impossible) and thus you have to use the recorder's EPG. You'd think it would be the same as the TV's EPG, being the same generation and all that. Oh no it bloody isn't. Same size screen of course, but now only 8 rows and most annoyingly, NO summary visible as you scroll around. Now, you have to select a programme, then press the 'info' button to see what the programme is, then press another button to make the info go away, then carry on scrolling. We know Sony can make a great EPG because there is one in the TV; quite why they threw it away and went back a step defeats me. Infuriating.

As a result I use the TV EPG instead and leave the recorder switched off, sort of, and only switch it on when I want to record something. Then I have to change inputs, scroll all the way to the programme again, hit 'Record', then rechange inputs and switch it off, going back to the TV.

Apart from that, the product works well, picture quality seems very good, it's not noticeably loud, it looks nice, it's small. However the functionality is not as good or as intuitive as the TV (or the old Sony HD/DVD recorder) and whoever did the EPG bit should be shot - because Sony can make it better and didn't. Such a silly thing to trip up on. So my grand plan to buy Sony recorder because it would be totally compatible didn't quite work, but it is still the best of the various options as the remotes do interact to a certain extent.

ETA: Once recorded, there is no facilty to edit out adverts or over-runs. As it's on a hard drive this should be easy - my old Sony DVD/HDD recorder could do it. So why not this one? The menus are full of options but never what you want. Not intuitive; as suggested elsewhere I think someone else designed this machine and Sony just bought it in. Fix the interface/functionality and it woud be perfect.

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Comment on UK Bargain Sony SVRHDT500B Freeview HD Personal Video Recorder with Twin Tuner for Sale by RayG

RayG — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:05:39 +0000

249 of 256 people found the following review helpful:

High quality, fantastic picture, 5 April 2011

RayG -

This review is from: Sony SVRHDT500B Freeview HD Personal Video Recorder with Twin Tuner (Electronics)

This is Sony's first high definition Freeview hard disk recorder, making Sony among the first major electronics brands to launch a Freeview+ HD player in the UK. Freeview HD (high definition) is gradually being rolled out across the UK and new players are being launched as the market grows. Standard definition (SD) Freeview uses the DVB-T standard, whereas Freeview HD uses DVB-T2, meaning that in order to get Freeview in high definition, you'll need to buy a new box with a DVB-T2 tuner inside.

Sony's SVR HDT-500 Freeview+ HD box contains the necessary DVB-T2 tuner for receiving Freeview in high definition, and also contains a 500GB hard disk drive for recording TV programmes. In fact, the SVR HDT-500 contains two DVB-T2 tuners, meaning you're able to record two programmes simultaneously. If you've ever used a Sky+ HD box, this works along the same principle. You can pause live TV, rewind, skip forward (though no further than the point at which the live broadcast has got to) and record up to 300 hours of SD programmes and 125 hours of HD programmes, which should be enough for most people - if you plan on recording more than this you can always opt for the 1TB version, which has twice the capacity of this one.

The box itself is very sleek and fits in with the recent Sony product branding, with a glossy face and matted top and sides, and a minimalist approach to buttons. It's relatively light, but heavier than a normal Freeview box due to the presence of the hard disk drive inside. The power supply is actually an external unit, so you have a little black box (just a bit bigger than a deck of cards) that plugs in between your wall socket and the player itself. Although this can be a little unsightly, it does help to keep the player cool internally, thus keeping the internal fans running at a slower (and quieter) pace.

The remote control is what you'd expect from most Sony devices these days, it's slick and well laid out. It's slightly wider than a standard Sony TV remote due to the extra buttons it needs, but if your TV supports Bravia Sync you won't need to use your TV remote at all. Bravia Sync is Sony's branding for HDMI-CEC, the ability of connected HDMI devices to be controlled with a single remote. If you own a Sony TV from the last five years, chances are that it will feature Bravia Sync. As this is a standard technology across most brands, you may be lucky enough to find that your non-Sony devices are able to be controlled with the SVR HDT-500's remote too.

The SD picture quality is very good, and not far off the very best available. It automatically upscales to whatever resolution your TV is set to (either 720p, 1080i or 1080p) and produces very few visual artefacts in the process. You get all the existing SD channels exactly as you would on a normal Freeview box.

In addition to the SD channels, you have the HD channels. There are currently only a handful of Freeview channels available in HD, the latest addition being BBC One HD in October 2010 - before this the only BBC output in HD was from BBC HD, a part-time channel showing a selection of HD programmes from the BBC. Alongside BBC One HD and BBC HD are ITV1 HD and 4HD, with more channels set to follow in the future.

When watching TV you have a variety of features available, including the usual subtitles, descriptive audio and 'red button' services. You can also use 'Picture in Picture' mode for showing one channel in the corner of the screen while watching another. It may sound strange but it's quite handy if you want a flick round the channels while adverts are being shown.

The menus and TV guide are very clean looking but are also quite plain compared to some other players. One of the The SVR HDT-500's main competitors, the 500GB Humax Freeview+ HD box, shows a video preview of each channel as you browse through the TV guide listings and it would have been nice to include such a feature here. Sadly, not only do you not have a video preview but you don't even have a text preview as part of the TV guide. You actually have to highlight the programme you may want to record and then press the 'Information' button for a synopsis. This seems to be the only real oversight on this player, but it's frustrating enough to become a bit of a pain, especially when looking through dozens of episodes of The Simpsons to find which episodes you want to record.

A nice surprise was to find an HDMI cable enclosed, which is exactly what you'll need to connect this to an HD TV. There are also plenty of other options including a digital coax socket for 5.1 output and a standard network connection to hook the player up to the internet. There isn't anything useful to be gained from doing this at the moment but the BBC iPlayer is currently scheduled to be integrated with the SVR HDT-500 sometime in May 2011, meaning you'll be able to stream TV programmes over the internet... Read more

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Comment on UK Bargain Sony SVRHDT500B Freeview HD Personal Video Recorder with Twin Tuner for Sale by Andrew W. Martyr-icke "andy_icke"

Andrew W. Martyr-icke "andy_icke" — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:31:30 +0000

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5*......Great Picture. Great Sound. Looks Good. Job Done, 16 May 2011

Andrew W. Martyr-icke "andy_icke" (Evesham, UK) -

This review is from: Sony SVRHDT500B Freeview HD Personal Video Recorder with Twin Tuner (Electronics)

I've had one of these PVRs now for about a month and I can only say good things about it.
The picture quality is excellent and the sound is dramatically better than through my old freeview PVR.
Recording and playing back is a doddle as is set-up (which only took a few minutes all without stress or agro). The screens and menus are clear and easy. And while the fan noise can be just noticed when you stand near to the unit without any sound on, I have never noticed it when watching TV.
The menus are clear and easy to read and when connected to the internet via a network cable you can vie BBC Iplayer via the red button.
Oh, and if you have a Sony TV the remote control operates both your TV and the PVR.
I chuffed with mine.
What more is there to say?

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Comment on UK Discount Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port) for Sale by Electronut "Ron"

Electronut "Ron" — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:47:29 +0000

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

Not remotely interested, 23 Jun 2011

Electronut "Ron" (Sheffield England) -

This review is from: Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port) (Electronics)

Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port)

This is the second Sumvision unit I have purchased and it does all the player bits so well it is a real shame that the remote control is infuriating (and was on the last one that I now use in the bedroom). Most of the time the remote seems to be playing mind games with you. I won't go on about that as at less than 30 quid this is a great player with a picture quality that is better than lots of others I've seen on much more expensive units. Not only does it play DVDs but also cards and memory sticks (haven't done that yet but it says it on the box so I expect it does do that). Connectivity is easy as I am using the HDMI port, so two plugs and play (then curse the remote) and sit back and enjoy.

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Comment on UK Discount Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port) for Sale by Paul Richardson

Paul Richardson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:59:16 +0000

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Cheap and cheerful 2, 3 Oct 2011

Paul Richardson (Carlisle UK) -

This review is from: Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port) (Electronics)

This DVD player is not pretty, the design is almost retro. Inside however it is a clever little piece of kit. I hooked up via an HDMI cable and the picture quality from disc is superb. Playing movies from an SD card or USB memory stick is not straightforward as the formats quoted were not recognised by my machine. I did, by trial and error discover that Mpeg2video runs perfectly off either removable medium.
I used AnyVideo converter, a free download to convert from Flashvideo for the trial. Well worth the money and I have no complaints as the delivery was just a couple of days after ordering.

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Comment on UK Discount Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port) for Sale by Mark

Mark — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:20:12 +0000

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Pleasantly surprised but not for the big fingered!, 6 Nov 2011

Mark (UK) -

This review is from: Sumvision 1080p Phoenix DVD Player (HDMI DVD Player inc SD Card Reader Slot and USB Port) (Electronics)

I was looking for a low cost player for a bedroom, size and cost most important consideration. Sumvision may not be a brand most people recognise but they are quite big in computer peripherals, so I wasn't concerned about this. On opening it I was surprised at how small it is, about the width of 2 dvds and just slightly deeper. It also feels quite sturdy and well built. The remote control is a good size but feels a bit lightweight, and the buttons are really too small for comfortable operation.

Loads of connectivity on the back panel; scart, HDMI, coaxial, video +L/R sound, and 5.1 channel audio to boot. On the front panel there's an SD card slot and a USB port.

Hooked it up through the HDMI port selected the menu option to find that everything was all setup, just had to change the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9. Tried it out with a DVD and very impressed with the picture, TV input monitor showed it as a 1080p signal so clearly upscaling as advertised. Also noticed how quiet it is in operation. Then tried it with a DVD-R, a CD, a CD-R, and a DVD rom with AVI files on, all played faultlessly. The same when I plugged in a USB stick with AVI files on. The only input I didn't try was the SD slot, and I wasn't able to try DVD+R either.

So overall, a great spec for the price, good picture quality, perfect for a bedroom. Drops a star because the remote control could be better to be honest.

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Comment on UK Low Price Sony KDL37EX524BU 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Edge LED Internet TV with Freeview HD Lowest Price by Grace "Grace"

Grace "Grace" — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:31:14 +0000

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

an affordable HD television, 3 Dec 2011

Grace "Grace" (Greater London) -

This review is from: Sony KDL37EX524BU 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Edge LED Internet TV with Freeview HD (Electronics)

As our area is going to change to digital reseption next year, we decided to buy a new television. After reading all the comments about the Sony tele, we thought we should go for it. It is a very good television and the price is very reasonable. On top of that we've got our £50 cash back. A bargain!

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Comment on UK Low Price Sony KDL37EX524BU 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Edge LED Internet TV with Freeview HD Lowest Price by Dpm1

Dpm1 — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:16:10 +0000

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

absolutely fantastic, 15 Nov 2011

Dpm1 -

This review is from: Sony KDL37EX524BU 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Edge LED Internet TV with Freeview HD (Electronics)

Well what can i say about this television... i bought the smart TV so i would be able to access live streaming and this has been a revelation to me, just fantastic for love film, catch up tv, browing, video,music, and you tube. i bought the sony TV as i also wanted good sound quality and have to say this was truly astonishing. i think if it is wall maounted you may need supplemental speakers but on a stand it is of the quality you would expect from Sony. This is a bit of a mute point though as i went on to buy the Sony Home Cinema surround sound system with sony blu Ray, it makes some features of the TV redundant but the combination of picture quality and sound is just phenomenal, even on SD as this upscales everything. best TV i have ever seen or heard.

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Comment on UK Low Price Sony KDL37EX524BU 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Edge LED Internet TV with Freeview HD Lowest Price by jpod

jpod — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:14:27 +0000

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

wow, 27 Sep 2011

jpod -

This review is from: Sony KDL37EX524BU 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Edge LED Internet TV with Freeview HD (Electronics)

I already have a sony 46ex503 (which is an excellent LCD TV) and I am now the lucky owner of a 37ex524bu (LED). I can't fault it in anyway. It does exactly what I want - fantastic picture, great sound, looks good, nice and light, easy to use, fantastic features. I nearly went for a 40" tv but thought it was too large for a second lounge - really pleased with the 37" as it is way better than 32" and not over size like a 40". LED technology is amazing, normal tv and HD pictures are brilliant.

You can't go wrong with this tv.

Only downside is the wireless USB is expensive.

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Comment on UK Discount Odys SLIM TV 7 Novel Portable TV Lowest Price by Darren M. Gomes

Darren M. Gomes — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:55:11 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Odys' Novel TV, 17 Jan 2012

Darren M. Gomes (Croydon, England) -

This review is from: Odys SLIM TV 7 Novel Portable TV (Electronics)

Just received my Novel today, I'm impressed. The default language for the unit is German, but even so, it proved reasonably simple to change to English and get set up. I bought it to use in the kitchen, rather than as a take anywhere with me TV, though I did buy it to replace a very old pocket telly. The sound apparently does drain the battery when it's loud, as I read on another review. I did buy a cheap 2.1 speaker set up to use with it, but found when I connected it up to the audio output socket, the output wasn't very loud, so had to use the headphone socket instead, which produced a better output for the speakers, as well as cutting out the TV's speakers too.

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