PVR BUYER’S CHECKLIST

WHAT YOU NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON WHEN SHOPPING FOR A PVR.

TUNERS

If you’re a TV addict, you’ll want to find a PVR with as many tuners as possible. Each tuner can record a separate TV channel, so the more tuners, the more simultaneous channels you can record. On the same note, the amount of storage space within will limit how much you can record. Obviously, the larger the hard drive, the more content you can record, with a 2TB drive able to record close to a whopping 1,000 hours of TV.

INTEGRATED WI-FI

Integrated Wi-Fi is a huge boon when it comes to these devices. By having internet connectivity, a wealth of information becomes available regarding each program. It also means you can use streaming apps, and usually allows you to watch recordings from your PVR on other devices on your home network, and vice versa.

ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE

The unit’s Electronic Program Guide is the heart and centre of these devices. This shows every program that’s coming up, allowing you to choose which ones to record. With over 60 channels, and schedules that run weeks in advance, a clear and clean EPG can make all the difference when it comes to finding what you want.

INTERFACE

On the subject of clarity, an easy-to-use interface is massively important, and you’d be surprised how much PVRs vary in this regard. We’re guessing most potential PVR owners will be skewed towards an older demographic, and less likely to get their video online — being easy to use is hugely important.

FANS

Like anything that is going to slot into your AV unit, silence is golden. Some PVRs have fans that are a little noisy — being audible during quiet moments in shows, which is a sure-fire way to ruin suspenseful moments.

CONNECTIONS

While all of the PVRs we reviewed included HDMI, if you’re running older AV equipment that doesn’t use HDMI (especially for audio), you’ll want to ensure your selected PVR has the right output for audio, which is usually an SP/DIF output for older AV receivers.