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Non-linear editing features can only be carried out on DVD-RAM, VR-formatted DVD-RW discs or the hard-disk. You can combine two titles into one, divide them in two or delete part of a recording. Chapters can be added manually or automatically in 5, 10 or 15 minute intervals, but there's no ‘smart chaptering' mode as found on the latest Sony/Pioneer decks. Additionally, on DVD-RW or RAM you can create title/chapter playlists without affecting the original recordings.

Elsewhere you'll find a Timeshift mode, which temporarily stores the current signal in a buffer memory and makes it possible to pause and rewind live TV, plus you can keep the temporary recording if you wish. And like any good DVD/HDD combi, you can watch something from hard-disk or DVD while recording something else.

For all its flaws elsewhere, there can be no complaints about the unit's recording quality. Live TV and Freeview recordings in XP, SP and to some extent LP look sharp and clean, with fluid movement, natural-looking colours and excellent noise suppression. The deck uses DVFX technology for recording and playback and on this evidence it does a decent job.

EP mode is just about watchable, but MLP recordings look absolutely dreadful, to the point where there's very little point in using it. The whole picture has no definition or detail whatsoever, and the screen looks like it's been smeared with Vaseline.

As a DVD player, the RHT497H neither dazzles nor disappoints, delivering solid pictures that should suffice for day-to-day viewing. With Star Wars Episode III boosted to 1080p, it delivers plenty of detail, deep colours and smooth movement tracking, although there are some unwanted artefacts visible on the HQV test patterns.

While you can quite happily use the LG as a CD player don't expect fireworks, but the Dolby Digital-encoded stereo sound for recordings is clear and dynamic - we had no problems hearing dialogue and subtle noises during any of our recordings, even at low volumes.

Verdict

Being reviewed so soon after the bar-raising Panasonic DMR-BS850, the RHT497H was always going to suffer by comparison. But the LG is aimed at a different audience, namely buyers on a budget who want a way of receiving and recording digital TV without the hassle of satellite dishes or subscriptions. And on that score it does a decent job, offering lots of recording features, clever editing functions and decent multimedia support at a very appealing price.

That said, there are several niggles - the single Freeview tuner is a major restriction, the Freeview+ functionality is awkwardly incorporated and the remote needs work. But perhaps the most disappointing aspect is that there isn't a great deal of difference between the 497H and last year's models, except of course for the much improved aesthetics. Let's hope LG can iron out the creases and give us something a little bit different next time round.

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