In the rush to bring out Freeview+ HD recorders in time for the World Cup in 2010, one or two manufacturers – including Pace and Sagemcom – quite obviously rushed out their products before they were finished.

Cue EPGs that didn't work, stalling operating systems and snarling consumers.

Happily, virtually all of those teething problems have since been fixed via over-the-air software updates, and there have been some new additions to the range as well.

There are 500GB hard disks with options to double that capacity, one-touch series link recording, wireless streaming of media around your home, recording to a USB device and even the occasional built-in Blu-ray player.

Oh, and pin-sharp high definition recordings.

One thing no manufacturer has offered thus far is a Freeview HD PVR with three DVB-T2 tuners, something that leaves Virgin V+ users, in particular, shackled to their monthly fees.

Sky users will already be familiar with the inflexibility of two tuners, though it's something we expect these brands to address in the new batch of Freeview HD PVRs in 2012.

What makes the best Freeview HD PVR?

When buying a Freeview HD recorder, do bear in mind the size of the hard disk. As a rough guide, 500GB will give you around 220 hours of recordings from standard definition channels and around 70 hours of high definition – although obviously you need to think of the mix you'll actually use.

Typically only one in four – or less – recordings are from hi-def channels, in our experience.

The user interface – always crucial on any AV product – only gets more important when you add recording functions, so choose carefully and, as always, try before you buy.