What Hi-Fi? Verdict
If you don’t think you’ll require a bigger hard disk, this is a bargain
Pros
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Great price
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decent looks and build
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easy to use
Cons
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Smaller hard disk than its rivals
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
The brains behind digital TV are currently pushing PVR recorders with their ‘Freeview Playback' campaign. Now, it's true there's no new technology behind the marketing, but don't let that spoil the message that ‘PVRs are fab!'.
Unless you've used Sky+ or one of these Freeview PVRs you won't realise how easy they are to operate. Forget all that business of messing about in the past with VHS tapes, trying to set the timer correctly and then praying the tape won't run out two minutes before the end of your favourite programme.
You can pause live TV
PVRs avoid all that and make recording ever so simple. The Goodmans is typical in that regard: it takes two or three minutes to set up, and choosing which programme to record is as easy as bringing up the on-screen Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), and clicking record. Its twin digital tuners mean you can record two things at once, or record one while watching another.
As with other similar PVR units, you can also pause live TV (while you answer your phone, pop to the bathroom or make a cup of tea), or even rewind a few seconds if you miss a crucial line in a Coronation Street or EastEnders. Tempted now? Yup, we thought you might be…
So does it have any weaknesses? Well, there's only an 80GB hard disk, and with some rival models boasting 250GB that seems a tad paltry. However, its 35-hour capacity should be sufficient for most users, most of the time.
Whichever way you look at it, the Goodmans is a bargain. It's ideal for adding to a non-Freeview TV or to replace an old VHS recorder. Alternatively, if you already have Freeview in the living room, you could add this to a kitchen or bedroom set.
