DVD recorders: How we test
Inside our lab- the tests that identify Which? Best Buys.
Picture quality
Our 5 viewing experts watch a series of movie clips and test patterns on pre-recorded and self-recorded discs to check motion, resolution and colour accuracy.
Recordings are made mainly in standard-play (SP) mode – this fits 2 hours of recordings on one DVD disc. We check recordings in 3 and 4-hour modes too.
The HDD (hard disk drive) on a combination unit should make recordings of the same quality as the DVD – but we make sure nothing has gone awry and check HDD in standard play, too. If there’s a VCR on board, we’ll check this, too. After watching some 400 scenes, we are ready to pick our Best Buys.
Our ergonomic experts test the ease of use
Ease of use
We assess each model using various everyday scenarios, ranging from installation and simple playback to the ease of making and editing recordings.
The usefulness of the instructions, basic playing features, remote control and front-panel layout, plus advanced features, are all judged by our 2 ergonomic experts.