Product Description

With a Twin Freeview tuner and the 80GB HDD you will never miss aprogram with the SVRS500.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17185 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sony
• Model: SVR-S500
• Released on: 2006-04-10
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.81" h x 9.61" w x 14.06" l, 6.97 pounds

Manufacturer's Description:
The new Sony SVR-S500 Digital Video Recorder (DVR) provides more storage space with it's 80Gb Hard Disk Drive, and allows up to 106 hours of programming to be recorded. The DVR enables viewers to watch all free digital TV channels through FREEVIEW and allows you to record and store up to 106 hours of your favourite TV programmes directly onto its built-in hard disk drive. This presents another revolutionary lifestyle entertainment product from Sony as it helps manage your TV viewing, allowing you to watch the programmes you love at your convenience, not just when they are broadcast on TV.

A combined digital terrestrial receiver and digital video recorder, the Sony SVR-S500 offers a host of advanced features so recordings can be made quickly and easily, without the need for video tapes or difficult timers. Create a personal collection of favourite programmes with the ability to record and store up to 106 hours of programming directly onto the DVR - the unit allows you to create personalised folders for all your favourite recordings.

Planning weekly viewing has never been easier as the new onscreen 14 day TV listings guide lets you select programmes to record for up to 2 weeks ahead just by pressing a few buttons on the remote. Viewers need never miss an episode of their favourite soap or sitcom again. All recordings are made in digital broadcast quality and unlike VHS tapes; the quality doesn't deteriorate the more they are played.

You can even pause and rewind live TV as the Sony SVR-S500 DVR automatically records the last 30 minutes of the channel its been tuned to. This means you can stop to take telephone calls or make a drink in the middle of your favourite programme and continue watching without missing a second of the action. The Recording Edit functionality means you can crop a recording to remove unwanted sections for the beginning and the end of the recording - ensuring even more viewing flexibility.

The Retrospective Recording feature allows you to record the channel you have been watching, even if you only decide to record it anything up to 30 minutes into the programme. The unit is also capable of recording subtitles as they are broadcast.

Box Contains:

• Sony SVR-S500 PVR/HDD 80GB
• Remote Control
• Batteries
• RF Cable
• AV Cable
• Instructions
• Warranty Information

Customer Reviews

Mixed Bag
I've had this machine since it came out; lots of problems with the EPG in the early days and then all was fine for a year after an update. Now the machine is being extremely temperamental; won't respond to input commands, won't turn off, brings up onscreen information that won't go away...it's like the Nokia freeview boxes from years ago all over again!

As for the fan...it can drown out a 200 watt Musical Fidelity power amplifier...and that's just in stand-by mode!!

Unlike the majority of people here I bought a Sony product against my better judgement. If there are still any of these for sale out there my advice is stay well away.

Well, it did power up at least.
Anyone from Sony reading this should be ashamed to have been involved with this product, it's total rubbish.

How this got out the factory door, I'll never know.

I bought this two months ago and almost from the get-go, it failed to live up to the badge. It was like spending the cash for a Rolls Royce and realising you'd been sold a Montego, so what's up with it?

In a word, everything.

First up, the Electonic Program Guide (EPG) is badly laid out and, when you flip to it, all the audio cuts out so you can't hear the program you're watching while browsing the EPG. Annoying.

Set up was easy enough, but other than that, it's a very poor buy. The time taken to switch between programs takes ages (2+ seconds) and it's tuner is not great compared to other Sony products used in the same location.

Flipping channels is slow and my unit used to freeze every so often, so you would have to factory default the unit and it would work for another 2 weeks.

All in all, it was the most expensive book end I have ever bought. Take everyone's advice and leave this one alone - it's a total dog.

Clearly the sony ugly duckling
As stated previously, the unit is ridiculously noisy, unresponsive, and not user friendly at all. Steer clear at all costs!