Humax DMR-E55 manual DR-M1, Centros Espejo R311

039 EHC 08 DVD REC G.Test 21/9/04 5:33 PM Page 58

DVD Recorders

MAKE	CYBERHOME	GOODMANS	HUMAX	JVC	LG	LOEWE	MICO
MODEL	CHDVR750	GDVD300R	DRP-560	DR-M1	DR4810	CENTROS	ESPEJO R311
SPECIFICATIONS
Price	£250	£200	£315	£400	£300	£450	£200
Recording formats	DVD+R, DVD+RW	DVD+R, DVD+RW	DVD+R, DVD+RW	DVD-R, DVD-RW,	DVD-R, DVD-RW	DVD+R/+RW,	DVD+R, DVD+RW
				DVD-RAM		DVD-R/-RW
RGB recording	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
DVD-Audio playback	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Video CD/Super Video CD	YES/NO	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/NO	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES
CD-R/CD-RW playback	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES
MP3/JPEG playback	YES/NO	YES/YES	NO/NO	YES/YES	YES/NO	YES/YES	YES/NO
Tel	+49 21 0238000	0870 8730080	020 8547 4240	0870 3305000	0870 6075544	0800 0276465	0852 2951 4538
Web	www.cyberhome-europe.de	www.goodmans.co.uk	www.humaxdigital.com	www.jvc.co.uk	www.lge.co.uk	www.loewe.de	www.micoelectric.com
FEATURES
VideoPlus/PDC	YES/YES	YES/NO	YES/YES	YES/YES	NO/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES
GuidePlus	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Variable bit-rate recording	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO
Non-linear editing	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO
Playlist editing	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO
Timer	6-event	8-event	6-event	8-event/one month	7-event	YES	6-event
No of recording modes	5	6	5	5	3	4	5
Trick-play functions	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Zoom	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO
Progressive scan playback	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
	We say: Easy to install	We say: Onscreen user	We say: It’s a bit light on	We say: RAM compati-	We say: Menus and	We say: Editing features	We say: Offers fewer
	with a good remote	interface is easy to	features, especially RGB	bility means fantastic	scans through DVD	combined with dual-RW	editing options than the
	which controls many of	navigate, while DVD	recording for digital TV	editing options and	chapters are smooth,	format support are great	Philips deck it was
	the functions, but has	playback is difficult	and it can’t divide	progressive scan gives a	and editing on DVD-RW	but the lack of progressive	cloned from
CONNECTIONS	fairly basic features	to fault	DVD+RW recordings	great picture	discs in VR mode is easy	scan is a disappointment
						at this price
RGB Scart in/out	NO/YES	NO/YES	NO/YES	NO/YES	NO/YES	NO/YES	NO/YES
Component video out	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO
DVI or HDMI out	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES/YES
S-video in/out	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES
Composite video in/out	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES	YES/YES
Stereo audio out	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Optical digital audio out	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO
Electrical digital audio out	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES
i.Link in/out	NO/NO	NO	YES/NO	YES/NO	NO	YES	NO/NO
Photo card slot	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO
	We say: Not RGB ready	We say: This budget	We say: You can’t make	We say: No RGB input is	We say: The lack of inputs	We say: Neither Scart	We say: No RGB input
	and only supports	recorder lacks RGB input	RGB recordings from	a letdown but	makes this virtually useless	supports S-video or RGB	is bad for digibox users,
	composite and S-video		digital TV sources but you	recordings made from a	for making quality	input, so decent quality	and there’s no RGB
	so set-top boxes can’t		can do DV dubbing from	good S-video source	recordings from digital TV	digibox recordings require	out if you select
	be connected		digital camcorders	look excellent		plugging an S-video cable	S-video input
VERDICT						into its front!
Ease of Use	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★
Features	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★
Looks	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★
Picture	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★
Sound	★★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★
Value	★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★	★★★
	We say: This retro	We say: It may be a	We say: By no means a	We say: Fantastic audio	We say: It might be	We say: A disappointing	We say: There are too
	looking model is at the	budget DVD recorder but	bad DVD recorder at	(although there’s no	available at a decent	case of style over	many cut corners here
	lower end of the market	this smart model is the	Humax’s first attempt.	manual control of	price, but there’s a	substance. Lacking even	for the budget price to
	and comes with what	equal of many more	Quite easy to use and fine	recording levels) and	good reason. Despite	rear S-video input let	overcome. It’s too easy
	you would expect in the	expensive units. DVD	for recording analogue	very good picture	attractive casing this is	alone RGB, there’s no	to mistakenly record
	way of features. A	playback picture quality is	terrestrial TV but, sadly, not	quality, combined with	a fairly mediocre	proper way to get good	over a partially recorded
	budget Philips clone	more than adequate while	digital. Its eye-catching	an attractive street	recorder that suffers	recordings from digital	disc, the remote lacks
	with limited editing	sound too is very reliable.	design, complemented by a	price, equals a good	from limited editing	TV, which is daft, and	any class and DVD+R
	options, it’s nevertheless	Recordings made in SP	stylishly thin remote	value unit. Slight pulling	options and a poor array	there’s no progressive	recordings can’t easily
	a good performer when	mode are near-DVD	control, is let down by a	noticeable with captions	of inputs. Fewer	scan playback. Dual	be edited. We do like the
	it comes to sound, while	quality, although sounds	sluggish menu system and,	but overall it can’t be	recording modes than	format recording is handy	audio output, which is
	recordings made in SP	quality is fairly weak. All	above all, the price. A	faulted as a DVD player.	most models and a	but apart from the	good on both surround
	mode are as good as the	in all a great value	good unit but other	The combination of	bland picture make this	excellent editing features	sound sources and CDs,
	original broadcast.	recorder for the price, just	recorders offer just as	DVD-R and DVD-RAM	a limited, albeit easy to	it’s quite tricky to use.	and the picture quality is
	Better, though, to spend	don’t expect miracles.	much for the money. A	gives you freedom while	use, deck that is worth		excellent. What a shame
	a bit more and get an		sizeable drop in price may	editing. All it needs is an	avoiding: better units		it has no RGB input for
	RGB input and more		be needed if Humax is to	RGB input.	are available, and		recording digital
	flexible editing capability.		keep up with its rivals.		much cheaper.		TV sources.
OVERALL	★★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★

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