first of all it records both the standard definition channel and the HD channel which takes up both recording slots with no way to delete either. cuts off the end of some recordings, doesnt record others. recordings often suffered out of sync sound. towards the end it kept turning itself off, then resetting itself-requiring channel searches, now it can't even finish a channel search without resetting and trying again but to no avail. it is now completely unusable. this is the second freeview PVR to break on us (first was a sagemcom)so im beginning to think they all have their problems however from what i have researched it seems humax is the best bet.

bought the hdt8520 about a year ago ,within the space of 4 months had problems ,just thought it was gliches but problems persisted, ie recording the same program in hd and normal dvb ,so that conflicted with other programs that i set to record , some programs would not stop, so did a factory reset hd format ect ,still the same old problems ,and in the end the machine just froze up ,rang up phillips support they said no probs we will renew it ,they did but waited in a day for the courrier ,no joy had to wait in another day for IT to be replaced ,,,,,,such poor poor service ,and what a suprise the new one is just as bad ,so rang phillips up again they sais they would replace the second one but never turned up,and dont belive the rubbish about the new web site upgrade, done that and its rubbish . Top end and tail of it they put a product ot to market that is not fit for use

There are lots of reasons for why this box is both good and bad at the same time.
It is relatively expensive coming in at around 220-250 pounds, but when you first open the box it is a nice piece of kit and will not look out of place in any users set up. Being small makes it a nice standalone unit, though to keep it small meant the PSU is a brick on a lead affair so needs to be hidden away from view rather than just a cable to deal with.

Initial setup is easy with only a couple of moments where user input to confirm a selection was need during its automatic searches and setup. The unit comes with a HDMI cable, a scart and an aerial cable. The aerial throughput is a powered design for active aerials, though this can be turned off to be a simple pass through.

The remote, like many PVR remotes isn't perfect, but it is fairly well laid out, though play rewind fast forward are a little small.

The EPG however does need a mention. You cannot change channels whilst in the EPG. Trying to select anything from the list makes the box record and not just switch over. Equally irritating is the lack of a thumbnail video while in the EPG. Nor is there a see through menu option. These don't sound like anything worth mentioning unless you have seen alternative menus from other manufacturers that make this EPG look weak in comparison.

In use the box is functional, having 2 tuners and a workmanlike EPG. Programme titles that don't fit in the schedule box scroll to give a better view of whats on, though irritatingly they still do not do the whole title, being limited to a small amount of scrolling text.

On original firmware there are many glaring issues, most notable being the way every programme recorded is in a locked state. To delete you have to unlock it, then delete it (with the usual are you sure at the end). The newer firmware reverses the lock issue and makes life easier, leaving you to choose when you want to protect a file.

Series links go in their own folders, while individual items stay in the main list. A nice way of doing things and the norm these days for most boxes.

Start up from standby is fast and picture quality is spot on. The box can upscale lower resolutions to 1080p and handles this coding well. People comment on how the images from the box are better than the TV channels on the TV Tuner.

What lets the box down more than anything though is the complete ommission of any search facility in the EPG. You are stuck with a +24 hours and -24 hours selection using the coloured teletext buttons. It is almost criminal in this day and age to have to trawl through listings to find a programme. This issue alone is the main reason for knocking the scores down on the box as you can only scroll through page after page for so long before you curse the philips box for the ommision of a true search.

Surround sound output is Dolby, but it must be stressed that it is the Freeview standard and not the DVD/Bluray that many users may have as their 5.1 choice of home cinema. The philips box does convert to some degree but it is not fully compatible with all formats so make sure you check it is right for you if surround sound equipment is involved.

Despite having an RJ45 network connection, the box does not use it for anything the User woud want. So no network streaming or internet links. Similarly, the USB port is for music, pictures and updates only, no Mpeg/Divx content here. This lack of reach for supplying alternative feeds is a vast oversight in my eyes and again marks the box down. If iplayer, network drive streaming or media playback via USB feature in your needs, then this box falls flat in not having any of those options available. Whether a firmware update in the future will add any of these options or not isnt even hinted at in any promotional info on the box so must be taken as missing at current/latest firmware and unlikely to ever appear as things stand.

The remote is a 'control all' type and has facilities to control TV DVD Hifi as well as the main unit. I never got chance to play with these beyond controlling the Samsung TV as I chopped it in a week into ownership. The 'starship enterprise' white light pulsing randomly around the top of the unit was switched off almost immediately as it has no relevance to anything the box is doing and just drew your eyes from the screen all the time.

The front panel screen cannot be faulted though. 3 Levels of brightness and clearly legible from anywhere in an average sized room, for this alone the box deserves some credit as many manufacturers add a screen that is useless to all but those on their hands and knees in front of the box.

The box works fine as a recorder though was a disappointment once you started using it. Once your favourites are in place as a linked series it will happily record them for you. Prior to the updated firmware it would record too many as it often recorded the HD and SD programme despite you only asking for the HD version. Latest firmware has reduced that issue to an occasional problem rather than every time it records.
For trying to find a particular thing to record though it is a non starter. The frustrations and niggles mentioned ruin this box for me and I would not recommend it to friends for the reasons listed in this review.

Early releases of the box were plagued with both software and hardware issues. Build quality at the time was suspect and it was claimed that philips released it too early to cash in on the world cup. Although the build quality is now no longer an issue, the user interface software limitations (rather than the glitches and crashes that the firmware updates fixed) controlling the box still falls lower than expectations even with the latest firmware in place.

To sum up in 20 words or less. It is ok at best, despite good quality images and sound, it falls sadly short in functions and usability