Samsung learned an important business formula from the staggering success of its LCD TV range. Keen technology + stylish design = vast increase in market share. Hence the artistically sculpted and fashionably black DVD recorder displayed here

Sleek design, Wide format compatibility, Friendly OSD and remote, Ease of use, Sleek design, Wide format compatibility, Friendly OSD and remote, Ease of use, Sleek design, Wide format compatibility, Friendly OSD and remote, Ease of use

No digital TV tuner or EPG

Everything it does right, and there is quite a lot, is negated by its insane lack of a digital tuner

You could almost hear the cheering when Sony introduced the first ever Freeview-equipped DVD recorder to the UK, banishing fuzzy analogue images and hailing a new era of easy EPG recording.

Impressive feature set, Friendly user interface, Picture quality from DVD and recordings in HQ+ mode

Relatively small HDD, Poor panel display

A good all-rounder, but we'd like to see a larger hard drive

It may be expensive, but Pioneer has gone a long way to justify the price hike. From the lustre of the black finish to the rigid build-quality, this looks and feels like a prestige product. It matches the best around spec-for-spec and adds in a CI ...

Good 1080p upscaling, Feature rich playback of music and picture files, Slick design

Rather complicated to use, Uncompetitive price

Great features and performance, but it's slightly let down by its complex operation and high price

Toshiba has an impressive new lineup of DVD recorders fresh from Japan, and the first to wash up on UK shores - for an exclusive review in our megatest - is the RD97DT. It sports multiformat DVD recording, analogue and digital tuners, and - like all ...

A full set of features, DVB and analogue tuners, Sat link control

Unituitive remote, No RGB Scart input, Unexciting picture quality

Toshiba has made one compromise too many in its quest for an attractive bottom line

The most striking aspect of this DVD recorder is its price - Comet is currently selling it for just £130, which is very reasonable for a deck with a built-in Freeview tuner. But inevitably, the low price has impacted on the deck's design

Good recordings, Brilliant price, Well-designed user interface

Loud fan noise, Limited -RW capability, Retro chassis design

Rough around the edges and lacking key features, but recordings look great and that low price tag could be a deciding factor