PVR reviews: Reliability
PVR reliability
PVRs are reasonably complex technical devices and reliability varies significantly between brands. So you'll need to choose carefully to ensure your new PVR doesn't turn out to be a lemon. Which? Best Buy PVRs all have proven brand reliability.
Our latest survey sent to 35,000 Which? members revealed one PVR brand with a reliability score of 69%, though our top brand scored 95%. Only signed-in Which? members can read the full reliability scores below.
Though Panasonic is listed in the table below, it no longer makes standalone PVRs. If you want a model from Panasonic, you'll need to buy one of its DVD/Blu-ray recorders with hard-disk PVR functionality. See the Which? DVD recorder reviews for more information.
| PVRs Which? reliability index | ||
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Rating | Score |
| Humax |  | |
| Panasonic | | |
| Sky / Sky+ | | |
| Virgin / Virgin + | | |
Top three PVR problems
- PVR freezing 35%
- Picture problems 19%
- Playback/record problems 13%
Common PVR problems solved
Box freezing
When a PVR freezes or becomes unresponsive it’s generally a result of a software problem, which can usually be solved by turning the device off and then on again.
If this happens regularly, try updating the software on your set-top box – consult the manufacturer’s website for details.
Picture freezing
If the picture on your TV freezes in the middle of playing something back, you should turn the PVR off and then on again. This is normally enough to reboot the device and fix the problem.
Recording problems
It’s very frustrating when your PVR fails to record, but this problem is sometimes caused by broadcasters rather than the manufacturer of your PVR.
If you consistently experience this problem, contact the PVR manufacturer to see if there have been any software updates that could solve it, or if there’s a known fault.
