Archive for David Smith

Home Cinema 4 out of 5

Panasonic DMR-ES15 dvd player review

By David Smith 7 April 2006

Panasonic has built a fine reputation in the DVD recorder market, with a range of excellent models. Decks that combine a DVD recorder with a hard disk recorder are more versatile, but the basic recorder on test here is more likely to appeal to those looking...

Home Cinema 3.5 out of 5

Sony DAR-RH1000 home cinema system review

By David Smith 26 January 2006

Sony has put a steep price tag on this all-in-one home cinema system, but is there are some serious omissions on the spec sheet? First the good news, though. This is a very attractively designed system, built around an HDD/DVD recorder with a 160GB hard...

Home Cinema 4 out of 5

Philips DVDR3305 DVD recorder review

By David Smith 1 December 2005

With plenty of HOT deals floating around this Christmas, is it wise to opt for the cheapest model? We take a look at Philips' moderate offering hoping to last you longer than up to the January sales. Philips' new entry-level DVD recorder is a great-looking...

Home Cinema 3.5 out of 5

JVC TH-R3 Home cinema system review

By David Smith 25 October 2005

JVC’s latest home cinema offering is the first, rather strangely, to include an RGB Scart. This attractive system has that vital input, which means that digibox users will be able to record their favourite programmes in all their RGB glory. This is...

Home Cinema 3 out of 5

Funai DRV-B2737 review

By David Smith 21 September 2005

You may not have heard of Funai yet, but having made a big impression in America, the Osaka-based company has even bigger plans for us here in the UK. Those plans include the launch of the DRV-B2737 VCR/DVD recorder combi. Pocket-lint sat down with the...

Home Cinema 4.5 out of 5

Sony RDR-HXD910 HDD recorder review

By David Smith 24 August 2005

Sony’s HDD/DVD recorder combination is willing to go the extra mile to please consumers even if it is perhaps double the price of its competitors. But is this just Sony being expensive like no other or is the extra cost justified? We take a look and...

Home Cinema 4 out of 5

Pioneer DV-380 DVD Player review

By David Smith 28 July 2005

First-time buyers may be tempted by the real cheapie models out there on supermarket shelves, but Pioneer thinks that even newcomers to the format deserve a little more than the basics. The DV-380 is specifically aimed at newbies, but it does not talk...

Home Cinema 4.5 out of 5

Yamaha DVD-S557 DVD player review

By David Smith 5 July 2005

Yamaha’s range of DVD decks may not explore the depths of pricing like some (this is the lowest-specified model and it still costs £130), but it has an aura of quality that is confirmed when you take a careful look at the spec sheet. Topping the bill...

Home Cinema 3.5 out of 5

Pioneer DCS-232 home cinema system review

By David Smith 30 June 2005

All-in-one systems should be easy to set up and easy to live with. Pioneer’s new entry-level system certainly fits the bill on both counts. With colour-coded speaker sockets and small, attractively designed satellite speakers, this system will be up...

Home Cinema 4 out of 5

Panasonic DMR-ES30V VCR DVD recorder review

By David Smith 14 June 2005

The video boom of the eighties and nineties had one rather untidy consequence - an unsightly pile of VHS tapes in every living room around the country, most probably full of stuff you might not have watched before taping over it again. The advent of recordable...