The pièce de résistance is the box's ability to access your email, browse the internet or show caller details (accompanied with a corresponding picture) when someone rings the house phone - as long as you have Caller ID activated on your land line. You can even send and receive SMS text messages too, all through the same pleasant menu system, which you can write using the remote control in mobile phone style fashion (or using an IR keyboard, for an extra £25). Essentially, this is a, albeit limited, media hub.

And it doesn't end there. The iPlayer is also compatible with the Phantom PVR accessory; a small device costing £29.99 that syncs and controls your VHS, PVR or DVD recorder to start recordings following a click on the netgem's EPG. Unfortunately, this too needs a fair amount of patience during set up, as you have to program it to recognise your recording hardware, but it's still a neat feature nonetheless.

Bells and whistles aside though, the most important aspect of Netgem's machine is its primary purpose, TV viewing. More specifically, the audio visual quality. Thankfully, the iPlayer performs well. Through the RGB Scart there's a rewarding richness to the unit's colour performance (I often find digital tuners to be slightly washed out, even pastel in tone) and blacks hold their own well without a loss of shadow material. There's few artefacts around edges, even during fast movement.

Sonically, the unit operates at its best when using the optical digital audio connection. Digital radio stations sound as crisp and clear as the broadcaster's bitrate, while more general broadcast fare is quite comparable with the performance of other set-top boxes.

The Netgem iPlayer is undoubtedly the most versatile Freeview box you can currently buy. Its feature spread is inventive, if complex. However, only the techno-savvy or masochistic will enjoy the hideous set-up shenanigans you have to go through to connect it to a router or PC.

Average users may feel that it's too convoluted for the living room: for example, the internet browsing capabilities are restricted to simple websites without Java and unless you have a keyboard, you'd never really use the email hub. However, as a advanced Freeview box, the iPlayer is unique - and probably has one of the nicest user interface seen outside Windows Media Center Edition 2005.