TVonics DTR-Z500 500GB Freeview+ DVR
Doddle-to-use recorder that can store 11 days' telly
Review We rather like TVonics here at Vulture Central because its kit is British designed and made, and rather stylish. More to the point, for the large number of people who don't understand all this digital switchover malarkey, its devices work right out of the box.
TVonics' DTR-500: foolproof
The DTR-Z500 is essentially an update of the DVR-250 we looked at – and liked – back in June 2007. In fact, the steel casing is identical in size and the only exterior difference being the rather curious 'wavy' front panel. As with the DVR-250, the DTR-Z500 is wholly devoid of controls or displays, that large silver knob being purely decorative. There isn't even an on/off switch - you just plug it in and away you go. It even sets itself up.
Round the back the Z500 has two Scart sockets, one with RGB and composite-vido and s-video compatibility, the other with just composite, which means that outputing to a DVD recorder will involve swapping cables around and crossing your fingers. As well as the two Scarts you also get a 3.5mm stereo line-out jack and co-axial aerial in and out sockets.
Since the Z500 lacks an RF modulator, that co-axial out doesn't mean you can use the Z500 with an old pre-Scart telly.
About now, some of you will be howling about the lack of an HDMI output, the presence of which - along with its ability to upscale standard-definition content to HD - is one of the main attractions of top-end DVR's like the Humax 9300T.
To be fair, TVonics make no claim to any sort of HD compatibility and we suspect that the vast majority of the Z500's potential customers will not be put off by its resolutely SD credentials.
RGB Scarts - but no HDMI
For the remote control, TVonics has stayed with its tried and trusted Sky-style device, and a good thing too because as far as remote controls go it's almost faultless. And it works with other kit too - setting the remote up to control both the Sony TV and LG DVD player we had rigged alongside the Z500 was the work of mere moments.
COMMENTS
@ Bit Rate AC
>> "dirty little secret" that's brewing for Q4 2009 onwards - "HD Ready" equipment with integrated SD tuners should really be investigated by Ofcom or someone because you have to apply an external HD source to get HD! (Richard Floyd)
>That's why it's HD *Ready*, it is ready for you to apply an external HP Sauce to it, just the same as an HD Ready TV without an integrated tuner is. It has an HDMI input.
Errm, for the average man on the omnibus, "HD Ready" means it will do HD - and "HD Ready" + "Integrated Freeview" means it will do HD Freeview when it arrives. As Richard Lloyd suggests, there is going to be a LOT of disgruntled people when they see on the news that HD transmissions have arrived and the HD channels have appeared in the guide, but for some reason they won't show - it's going to be fun for the dealers explaining why that new TV isn't actually broken.
And as for showing time left, yes, all the Freeview channels use a similar bit rate - it does vary, BBC generally uses over 2GB/hr, some others under 1.5GB/hr. But unless you are down to the last few gigs of disk space, it's going to be accurate enough, especially if the 'time remaining' is done on a pessimistic basis.
It looks rubbish...
Sounds rubbish and has the specs of...you guessed it...RUBBISH!
another nearly but not quite...
in the lines of save the best stuff for the five year business plan...
this is another not quite right product.. problem is the competiton (in this case Humax) has already done better.
Shame the brits cant keep up.
I wonder whether they will be able to pull thier finger out and release a sellable product before they fold? Im still holding my folding.
Ah?
You are kidding right?
No HDMI, Standard Definition and Scart stopped being used 5 years ago.
Old technology in a shiny box.
Paris, because i bet she has a shiny box.
Bit Rate.
>> you're told how much free space you have in terms of hours rather than the percentage figure beloved by Sky. It also tells you much space you've used and how much is allocated to scheduled recordings, again in hours.
That's great for Freeview, perhaps all the channels on freeview are the same bit rate. On Sky different channels use different encoding, some are high bit rate, high quality - others are shit. So there is no way a Sky box can tell you how much time is remaining on the box, as it depends on what you want to record. I suspect Freeview isn't entirely disimilar in this respect.
>> "dirty little secret" that's brewing for Q4 2009 onwards - "HD Ready" equipment with integrated SD tuners should really be investigated by Ofcom or someone because you have to apply an external HD source to get HD! (Richard Floyd)
That's why it's HD *Ready*, it is ready for you to apply an external HP Sauce to it, just the same as an HD Ready TV without an integrated tuner is. It has an HDMI input.
>> As for this TVonics unit, a total thumbs down because of the SD tuner and lack of HDMI...
Well indeed, it is SKIP Ready.
*please note any typo's may be related to my skipping breakfast this morning
