However, the icing on the cake comes with the DMR-EH60D's general picture quality. Recorded footage in XP, SP and, as highlighted, LP is exceptional. Commonly, they feature little or no detail loss, with only minor artefacting on edges as you progress down the rates. EP (in either 6hr or 8hr modes) is a different story entirely. A recording from either the digital tuner or external source at the lowest rate is, to be frank, appalling; blocky, noisy and blurred. It's worse than VHS, and should only ever be used in an emergency.

On commercial DVDs, playback quality is fine, especially through prog scan component, with vivid colours and fine detail. Similarly, audio is superb, with Freeview recordings captured in Dolby Digital 2.0. Speaking of which, footage recorded from the digital tuner and then dubbed onto DVD retains both the audio signature and the anamorphic 16:9 aspect ratio for relevant images - something the rival Sony RDR-HXD910 falls down on (it letterboxes widescreen broadcasts).

In short, the DMR-EH60D is an excellent machine. It almost provides the complete solution to all your recording needs, and considering the class it oozes from every pore, most caveats are entirely forgivable. If only the machine had HDMI or DVI connectivity, then it would've been absolutely perfect. As it is, there's still room for improvement. Rik Henderson