The Philips HDT8520 isn’t the first Freeview HD recorder we’ve seen, but with its Ambilight style rim, it’s certainly the coolest looking. We got a chance to check it out in the flesh, along with its receiver only little brother, so read on for the photos.
The Philips HDT8520 Freeview HD box certainly looks the part: its brushed metal square case and glowing edges set it apart from the rest of the bland black boxes we’ve seen so far. Whether or not you’ll want that glowing in the corner of your vision while watching TV is another matter entirely though, and the jury is still out there.
Inside, the 1080p upscaling Philips HDT8520 Freeview HD PVR packs a 500GB hard drive, capable of storing 250 hours of standard def broadcasts, or 125 hours of HD. Twin tuners mean you can record whilst watching another channel, or even record two channels simultaneously while playing back another recording.
In truth, the Philips HDT8520 isn’t a Freeview HD PVR for future proofers: there’s no BBC iPlayer access or media server software as we’ve seen on quite a few other machines, and the ethernet cable is simply there should Pace, which makes the box for Philips, decide to add them in at a later date.
But we did come away impressed with how easy it is to use: the EPG is easy to navigate, and it even pops up with handy messages explaining features. Try and watch TV whilst recording two channels, for instance, and a friendly alert will explain why you can’t. It’s a wise move that should appeal to anyone planning on setting their technophobe relatives up with Freeview HD anytime soon.
Freeview HD misses out on Five HD
Also unveiled alongside the Philips HDT8520 was the Philips DTR5520 Freeview HD receiver, a pleasant looking tuner that’s deadly quiet and only uses 6W when on. We’ll wait to test one out in full, but it’s not enough to tempt us away from the Humax HD-Fox T2 right now.
Have a look at the Philips HDT8520 and DTR5520 boxes here in our hands-on photos. You’ll be able to pick up the PVR from May for £299, and the receiver next month for £159.
Out May | £299 | Philips
