PVRs: How we test PVRs

Which? test lab

Which? tests almost 3,000 products every year, including more home technology products than anyone else. We look at new products as soon as they are announced, helping you to understand new technologies, and whether they are worth your money.

Which? is different because...

Our tests are based on years of testing experience
We don't accept adverts in our magazines or website
We buy everything we lab-test
We're completely independent of any manufacturers

Which? exists to give consumers impartial advice, which means that if a product isn't any good we'll say so, without fear of penalty. Which? works for you, providing trustworthy advice without a hidden agenda.

We examine everything that matters across all products, including performance, features and how well they work in real life – so you'll know exactly what to expect. Our unique, comparative lab tests mean you can trust our Best Buy and Don't Buy verdicts and choose with confidence.

Try Which? today for just £1 to find out which PVRs we rated as Best Buys.

What makes a Best Buy PVR?

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PVR testing in brief

Which? tests 30 Personal video Recorders (PVRs) a year and we ensure that our guides only have the models that are currently available.

We test a range of different PVRs, from Freesat and Freeview boxes to those from Sky and Virgin when updates occur.

We aim to ensure all the major brands are represented.

Let Which? help you decide which TV recorder is best for you with our interactive choosing tool.

How we choose products for testing

Dedicated Business Researchers carefully select the products Which? tests, scouring the market for the latest releases and the most innovative products. Our Business Researchers aim to cover a very high percentage of the market in any one product area. And, while we do test some premium products, we avoid testing those products which you would need a second mortgage to afford. We take the following criteria into account when choosing PVRs:

Popularity – we test PVRs that are the biggest sellers
Brand reliability – we test more PVRs from brands that are reliable and tend to do well in our testing
Innovation – we test new and innovative PVRs
Cost – we typically test PVRs that cost between £100 and £300.

Ease of use

Our expert assessors test our products for their ease of use by running through everyday scenarios that replicate how you use your PVR.

For PVRs we first check how straightforward the PVR is to install and set up when you first get it home. If you need a rocket scientist to set the PVR up, and one is not included in the box, it may never be possible to get the best out of a product.

We then check whether the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) is easy to navigate as a poor EPG will result in a poor user experience every time the PVR is turned on.

The whole point of a PVR is that it enables flexible viewing, so it is essential that retrieving and playing back recordings is easy, so we see how complicated it is to record and play back your favourite TV programmes.

We also consider how comfortable products are to use for those with manual dexterity problems, taking advice from our sister organisation Ricability.

Looking for a PVR? Read all our latest PVR reviews.

Technical testing

Our products undergo an extensive range intensive objective laboratory testing to assess performance

The operation of the Electronic Program Guide is checked in detail by our experts

Our testers try out all the recording, playback and program management options to find out which are the most capable and versatile products.
We look at all the tuners and see how easy they are to set up to your preferences and to re-tune. Re-tuning happens more regularly as digital channels come and go, and as the digital switchover occurs, so this has to be easy to perform.
A poorly designed EPG (Electronic Program Guide) that is lacking common features could mean that the PVR is annoying to use every time, so it is looked at in detail for any problems or omissions.
For the hard of hearing we thoroughly investigate subtitle and audio description options to make sure it has all the advance features that users require, and that they work correctly.
High Definition and Standard Definition picture quality are checked, along with sound quality, noise and video signal quality by expert technicians using actual footage and test patterns. We also check lip synchronisation to make sure the picture and audio are in time.

Energy consumption

We check all products for energy consumption to make sure that they do not cost you, and the earth, once they are plugged in.

The energy consumption star rating takes into account how much power the PVR uses when turned on, while in standby (this is particularly important as PVRs need to be left in standby at least) and whether it has any power saving options.

Look out for out 'Energy Efficiency' logo which is awarded to Best Buy products we find to be the most efficient in their class.

Try Which? today for just £1 to find out which PVRs we rated as Best Buys.

Ratings explained

All data sent back from our laboratories is carefully analysed by Which? staff so that the highs and lows of every product are revealed. If anything does not add up with a product then we will retest it. If there's a fault we'll purchase a new product to see whether its a one-off issue, or symptomatic of a larger problem.

The PVRs score ignores price and is based on: