Review of the Sagem DTR94500S Freesat Set-Top Box with 500GB Hard Disc Drive

The Sagem DTR94500S Freesat Set-Top Box with 500GB Hard Disc Drive is an excellent choice if you are looking for a reliable freesat recorder with an impressively large hard-drive (a whopping 500gb!)

With such a huge memory this item is great for a large family with a wide taste in television entertainment. With 500gb of space it is possible for you to directly record hours and hours of your favourite shows directly to the Sagem DTR94500S Freesat Set-Top Box with 500GB Hard Disc Drive with no hassle. Allowing connection to a freesat service this recorder and receiver is an excellent option if you want to make use of an old satellite dish without paying monthly subscriptions. With this receiver you will receive all standard Freesat digital channels and will also have access to BBC iPlayer when ever you wish too. You can pause, rewind and record live TV at the touch of a button which means you can now watch exactly what you want whenever you want! There is a dual tuner allowing for separate viewing of one channel and recording of another, which is great for those his and her moments when you can’t decide what to watch. Through an HDMI connection this set-top box allows upscaling giving a higher definition experience than you would expect from non-HD digital channels. Other features of the Sagem DTR94500S Freesat Set-Top Box with 500GB Hard Disc Drive include an 8 day electronic programme guide, parental control and clock. This is the idea buy if you have yet to make the switch to digital TV.

Where to buy the Sagem DTR94500S Freesat Set-Top Box with 500GB Hard Disc Drive

Retailer	Price	Other Info
Sound and Vision	£260	Free Delivery
Digital Direct	£252	£7.99 Delivery

PVR stands for Personal Video Recorder; this can also be known as a DVR or Digital Video Recorder. They let you record and play back programming - and usually also let you pause and rewind live or on demand TV.

Two types of PVR

Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) store video on digital disk drives. As a result of this the term is used for:

•   set top boxes which you get from some pay-for TV service providers such as Virgin (with the V+ Box) and Sky (with the Sky Plus Box and Sky Plus HD Box) and now for free-to-air Freeview and free-to-satellite Freesat (the new Freesat+ box from Humax); and

•   to describe software for computers which will allow you to watch TV shows and films and store them on your hard drive for certain durations of time (such as the Sky Player software download, or the BBC iPlayer service).

Which type of PVR?

Which type of PVR is suitable for you will depend on how you like to watch TV and films.

Set top box PVR: If you like to all sit together in the living room and watch television, then a set-top box connected to your TV could be best for you - for example from Sky (with the Sky Plus Box and Sky Plus HD Box, or Tiscali TV (an over-broadband service but delivered via a set top box such as the Tiscali Plus Box)

Multi-room PVR: Whereas, if you all like to watch different TV shows in different rooms a multi-box set up such as Sky Multiroom might suit you more.

Online PVR: And if you are happy watching TV programmes and films on your computer, you might be happier with an online service such as Sky Player (available on subscription or for one-off TV/film pay-per-view or own-for-ever, for Sky TV subscribers and non-subscribers).

What ISN’T a PVR?

Bear in mind that not all set-top boxes are PVRs - for example, the standard Sky box just lets you access those channels you have subscribed to - you would need a Sky Plus Box, or a Sky Plus HD Box, to access PVR features (and if you choose Sky Multiroom you would need a Sky PVR not just a standard Sky Box, to have PVR features in each room). So when you check out set top boxes, mske sure that if you want a PVR that the boxes you look at have PVR features.