Spotify, the world conquering music streaming service, is now available through the Virgin Media Tivo set-top box.

Great news for folks planning on blasting out their favourite tunes in their living rooms (particularly if they've got home cinema set-ups sorted) Virgin will be bundling Spotfiy Premium deals in with their mobile and broadband contracts.

New and existing Virgin Media fibre optic subscribers will nab 6 months worth of the Premium version of the streaming service for free, an offer worth £59.94 if purchased separately.

Virgin Media pay monthly mobile users get 3 months of the Premium service, worth £29.97, and have the added benefit of incurring zero data charges for streaming tracks over 3G while on their network.

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said: "Our goal to deliver a truly unique experience for our customers and we're really excited about bringing Spotify to our TiVo service as part of our ongoing initiatives to develop the platform further with new features, applications and content."

Spotify's Andreas Liffgarden, global head of telecom business development added: "What used to be a big cube is now a flat screen connected to the speakers and surround sound system in your home. Since we like our users to enjoy the world's best music under the best possible conditions, it made perfect sense for us to develop this great Spotify app for Virgin Media TiVo."

You can find the new Spotify app in the games and apps area of your Tivo box menu.

Click here for our Christmas gift guide to the best set-top boxes.

What good is a brand new TV sitting wrapped underneath your Christmas tree this goodwill season if you've got nothing to watch on it? While plenty of TVs have built in digital tuners, only the most expensive have web connected features, and fewer still have storage space for recorded shows.

That's where these set-top boxes come in. With features ranging from dual tuners for multi-channel recording, massive hard drives to store your shows on and a wealth of web-connected apps and movie download platforms, these set-top boxes will bring out the best from your flatscreen TV.

When you're done here, be sure to check out the rest of Tech Digest's 2011 Christmas wishlists too.

YouView, the venture that is looking to bring on-demand video and Freeview together, is to start a friends and family testing period starting in early 2012. The service is looking to be a catch up service that is based on your TV so you dont have to resort to watching it on a computer.

The service will be free from all TV contracts, with the set top box you will get all Freeview or Freesat channels with the inclusion of the last seven days catch up TV. Also a choice of on-demand and pay TV for films, sports and some US drama.

The service is backed by many of the UK's largest broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and BT. TalkTalk, known for its broadband services, will be giving 3000 of its employees the YouView set top boxes, made with manufacturer Huawei, to "focus on the end to end customer experience."

Following this trail a full launch will follow with each and every one of the 8 million Freeview customers a target for the YouView service. The company stated, "The launch of YouView next year will be a major development for TalkTalk and we are on track to offer a value for money product of phone, broadband and TV in spring 2012."

TalkTalk will be looking to undermine the more expensive phone, TV and internet services of their main competitors Virgin and Sky, perhaps hoping to steal a few customers who feel they are being over charged. But they reamin true to giving Freeview customers something extra to their packages.

TalkTalk have invested heavily in the set top box with four million pounds already invested and a contract between YouView's partners to cover a hundred and fifteen million pound budget which will include covering development, launch and the first four years of operating.

Freesat are allowing TV watchers to pick the winner of their TV Channel of the Year award, with the station with the most votes crowned at an annual awards event to be held on July 12th.

The Viewers Choice award will not only see TV execs and stars walking away with a prize, but also one lucky UK voter, who stands the chance of winning a day at a luxurious spa as well as an Echostar+ digital TV box.

To take part, head on over to www.freesat.co.uk/awards/viewer-s-choice-awards. Voting closes on the 17th of June.

Name: DTR-Z500HD (TVonics)

Type: Freeview+ HD Digital TV recorder

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £224.99 direct from TVonics

HDMI switching is a rare feature for a digital TV recorder, but the TVonics DTR-Z500HD packs it in. Does the rest of its features live up to the relatively hefty price tag attached to this PVR?

Sleek black curves and its stout boxy frame aside, the DTR-Z500HD is a rather unassuming Freeview HD set top box, completely bereft of buttons, that houses a rather unique feature. On its rear is not only a HDMI Output port, but also two HDMI inputs, allowing for pass-through switching of two further HD sources, such as a Blu-ray player or games console. Switching between the two via dedicated "HDMI 1" and "HDMI 2" buttons on the remote control, it'll be a godsend for those with a TV packing only the one HDMI port, or those looking to tidily wall-mount a TV with the minimum amount of input cables on show. With Freeview HD broadcast in 1080i, it also reveals why the need for 1080p support is included here, as so many Blu-ray players and games consoles using the sharper picture format could potentially pass through the box.

Cramming in a 500GB hard disk, the DTR-Z500HD has all the Freeview+ HD features you'd expect from a premium digital TV recorder, including series link options, one-button recording and Live TV pause, allowing you to fence off a portion of the hard drive for as many as 4 hours of live TV to be rewound through. Dual tuners allow two channels to be recorded whilst a third is being viewed. Around 70 hours of HD footage can be stored, or 220 hours of standard definition programming. There's even a recommendation service which, depending on whether or not broadcasters include the relevant information with their shows, will suggest programs you may enjoy based on those you've already recorded.

In use, the EPG and menu system is punchy and fast, skirting around the layers of programme information and channel listings briskly. Text is crisp and easy to read, and there's even some light customisation options when it comes to the skin of the EPG and its colours.

Sharp, smear-free Freeview HD images are delivered from the box, while even standard definition channels are upscaled to a high standard. Those using larger screen TVs upwards of 40 inches may see a little softening to SD images, but only minimally. Though few shows are broadcast with 5.1 sound on Freeview HD, the DTR-Z500HD supports it regardless, converting the compressed HE-AAC format into Dolby Digital 5.1, compatible with all AV amps. There's even a Dolby Surround option, converting stereo sources into 5.1 through an AV with Dolby Pro Logic codecs.

The remote control is very comfortable, if a little lightweight. Along with the afore-mentioned HDMI switching buttons, there's a central click wheel, surrounded by "Guide", "Text", "Info" and "Back" buttons. A button dedicated for switching between TV and radio EPG listings will suit those who listen to the wireless a lot too. However there's one pretty glaring issue with the remote set-up here. Though leaving the DTR-Z500HD without buttons makes a fairly sleek design for the box itself, losing the remote down the side of a sofa or, even worse, breaking it, will lead to you being unable to control the box at all.

If we had any other major complaints with the box, it's how underused both the dual USB ports and Ethernet port found on the device are. The USB ports can only display photos stored on a memory stick rather than music or movie files, with their purpose predominately for updating the system software. Likewise, the Ethernet port is incapable of grabbing content from a networked PC or other DLNA compliant device, though it will be future-proofed for eventual Freeview+ HD web features.

Verdict:

Delivering class-leading Freeview HD images and offering a genuinely useful feature in the shape of its HDMI switching function, there's a lot to love in this latest TVonics box. However, it's got quite a steep price tag, and those looking for a little more storage space or a more robust feature list may be better served elsewhere.

Sky's EPG channel line-up is to get a fairly drastic shake-up come the start of February, pushing the growing number of HD channels higher up the list.

40 HD channels (not including the key terrestrial channels) will swap places with their more prominently placed standard definition counterparts. For instance, Sky 1 HD will now reside at channel number 106. The changes will only affect Sky+ HD subscribers; the SD Sky EPG will remain unchanged.

"We want our customers to be able to discover and enjoy the content they are most passionate about," said Roy Webster, Sky's Commercial Director. "That's why we've worked with a range of partner channels to ensure that customers can find their favourite pay TV channels and programming as easily as possible.

"And with high definition viewing now demanded as standard, this has also meant swapping HD channels into the EPG numbers that our customers know best.

"The combination of high quality content, an intuitive, easy-to-use EPG, and innovative services like Sky+HD and Sky Anytime+, means our customers benefit from real choice, control and flexibility of viewing, whether linear or on-demand."

The changes will occur on February 1st.

Name: DTR-HD500 Freeview+ HD recorder (TVonics)

Type: HD set-top box and recorder

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £255.31 direct from TVonics

Let's not beat around the bush; £250+ is a hell of a lot of money to pay for a Freeview+ HD recorder these days, considering you can get very capable set-top boxes for little over the £100 mark. While the entry price may prove a barrier for many, there is no denying however the quality of TVonics' latest flagship recorder, the DTR-HD500 Freeview+ HD recorder.

A slick, curved, black gloss design makes the 85mm x 380mm x x200mm DTR-HD500 very easy on the eye, with a small display on the front showing channel names and other info snippets. The first clue as to the reasoning behind the DTR-HD500's premium pricing can be found on the unit's rear, where you'll find a HDMI output accompanied by a pair of HDMI inputs. Though labelled for a DVD player and games console, they can in fact be used as a dual HDMI switch for any device that uses the connection, including Blu-ray players.

Two USB ports are available for viewing media files, equally useful for those looking to update the box. After listening to the requests of early testers, the DTR-HD500 can now playback Dolby Digital Surround audio, installed via a download popped onto a memory stick. An Ethernet port sits on the back too, though its purpose isn't all that clear. We'd have much rather had a Common Interface slot for Top-Up TV, sadly absent.

Housing a 500GB hard-drive, the DTR-HD500 is just about the biggest Freeview+ HD recorder we've seen, allowing you to store a veritable library of around 65 hours worth of Freeview HD programming or 250 hours worth of standard definition content. Twin DVB-T2 tuners also allow two channels to be recorded at once, as well as set up series links; very handy should the X-Factor clash with the footie.

All of the excellent features above however would be a bit pointless should the DTR-HD500 suffer from poor image quality. After a quick and simple channel scanning set-up, the box thankfully doesn't disappoint, offering vibrant, pin-sharp HD content and top-notch standard def upscaling. A clear EPG offers lists nine channels over 90 minutes per screen-filling page, while an overlaying pop-up box can be used to browse channels while watching shows. The EPG can be a little slow to refresh if you try to quickly scan far into the future though, which was a little disappointing at this price range.

Recorded shows are kept in a dedicated library area, displaying how much hard drive space has been used and is left to fill. The remote control proves a little confusing here, as as sorting and navigating through stored shows is overly complex, while an "editing" function only allows you to block minors from shows or lock a show to prevent its deletion. Both live TV and recordings can be paused, rewound and (providing you're running slightly behind broadcast time with live shows) fast-forwarded, at two different speeds.

All in, the TVonics DTR-HD500 Freeview+ HD recorder is a very capable set-top box that, while having a few quirks, does well to keep the pace with the standard-setting Sky+ HD box. Those quirks can be a little annoying considering the premium price tag, but you still get a load of quality features for the dough.

4/5

TVonics are today launching their first Freeview HD recorder, the DTR-HD500.

With a 500GB hard-drive, the recorder squeezes in plenty of top-spec features at a reasonably affordable £279.99. These include:

Trailer bookings - record a programme during its trailer.
Recommendation - recommends programmes associated with pre-set recordings.
A twin tuner - to record two channels at the same time as watching a third.
Twin input HDMI ports - to plug in supporting HDMI devices.
Two USB ports - to plug in supporting USB devices.
1080p viewing quality
Accurate recording - automatically adjusts the recording time if a programme runs over.
Series record - record an entire series in one touch.
Parental control features - sort and hide channels and recordings.

The box also features a HDMI switch, meaning owners of port-strapped sets won't have to keep swapping leads around the back of their tellies.

A Dolby Surround Sound firmware update will also be available from the 20th October.

Grab the DTR-HD500 now from John Lewis, Comet, Sainsbury's, Tesco direct (online), Leekes, Audio T and Eurosat, as well as the TVonics online web store.

ProVision, who wowed the CES crowds earlier in the year with their wireless high-def streaming kit, have just lifted the covers off of their potentially game-changing AXAR2010 HD video system.

Though not yet available to buy, the AXAR2010 will allow four separate HD signals to be streamed to multiple sources around the home from a single box.

Using the 5GHz 802.11n wireless standard, four different 1080p HD streams (HD TV channels, Blu-ray, games consoles etc) can be sent to different TV sets, laptops or mobile devices around the house. Potentially, the technology could do away with the need for separate set-top boxes per room in a house.

"AXAR software technologies are sold under an IP licensing model and will be integrated into set top boxes, TVs, DVD players and media routers from major consumer electronics manufacturers and multinational OEMs", said Steve Cliffe, CEO of ProVision.

No word on a retail release yet, but ProVision are said to be in talks with distributers on both sides of the pond.

Humax released their impressive HD-FOX T2 Freeview box back at the start of the year, but it's this, the Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview HD recorder, that we've been really looking forward to. Humax have now finalised the details of the recorder's release, so read on for the low-down on this impressive set-top box.

Due out in July, the Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview HD recorder can playback and record the free High Definition TV service offered by Freeview. It features a 500GB hard drive, storing 125 hours of HD video, and roughly double that for standard definition content.

The Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview HD recorder will also play back mp3s, photos and video from a USB port or across your home network via Ethernet.

Pick this one up for around £349 when it launches in July.

Sky have announced a new deal this morning, bringing their on-demand Sky Player to Humax Freeview set-top boxes, expanding the number of Sky viewers by thousands.

The deal comes hot on the heels of similar ones made with 3View and TV manufacturers Cello, as well as Microsoft and the Xbox 360. However, the new partnership with the popular Humax brand is a significant move for Sky, as Humax themselves are key players in the now-lucrative Freeview market.

"Until recently, Sky Player has largely been confined to the PC screen but that is changing fast. Since last autumn, it has been available on the Xbox and this year it will roll out to more broadband-enabled devices through deals with the likes of Fetch TV, 3 View and Cello," said Sky's chief executive Jeremy Darroch.

"Just today, we're announcing a further expansion of Sky Player through a new agreement with Humax, the leading provider of Freeview boxes. And there are more deals in the pipeline."

Speaking in Cannes, much of Darroch's speech focussed on Sky's fight with Ofcom over the price of its premium sports content. The expansion of the Sky Player and the increasing move away from satellite based services seems to show that quality content is the most high on Sky's agenda.

"In providing both new and existing customers with more choice and control over how they access Sky content, we continue to harness secure and high-quality distribution platforms like Humax," said Griff Parry, Sky's Director of On-Demand.

"We know that many Sky homes also have Freeview in other rooms, and this provides a great way for them to enjoy Sky away from their Sky box. And for new customers, particularly those in Freeview homes, it provides an innovative new access point to Sky's high-quality pay TV content."

Humax's Graham North added:"The addition of Sky Player on our Freeview HD boxes ensures Humax is positioned to offer consumers an exciting way to experience digital TV, with great content and a range of home networking and content sharing features."

Sky's online TV service will launch across Humax's new range of IP-enabled high definition Freeview boxes, including the Humax HD-FOX T2.

From today users of Sagem Freesat HD and Freesat+ HD set top boxes can catch up with their favourite BBC programmes and radio stations via the BBC iPlayer service, providing the box is connected to the internet.

The BBC iPlayer can be accessed by pressing the red button from any BBC channel (excluding CBBC and Cbeebies) and entering the official trial access code 5483. After a few seconds the iPlayer will begin (an initial 'number not found' message may appear before iPlayer begins).

Complete guides to selecting the correct digital TV service for you and set up guides can be found on www.sagemcomdigital.co.uk and more information about the BBC iPlayer service on freesat set top boxes can be found at www.freesat.co.uk/bbciplayer.

Commenting on the latest addition to the Sagemcom products MD Raphael Fainac said: "Sagemcom is a leader in set top box technology and we aim to provide our customers with products that they need. The BBC iPlayer has gained tremendous support since its launch and with all of the UK having either freeview or freesat the BBC iPlayer service is a great addition to our offering."

BBC iPlayer enables you to watch TV or listen to radio programmes that were first broadcast up to seven days prior, via the internet.

It's been available for a couple of months to some viewers, but Freeview HD was officially launched today, bringing subscription-free high definition broadcast television to millions in the UK, just in time for this year's World Cup.

BBC, ITV and Channel 4 HD channels will be offered on Freeview HD, as well as up to 50 standard definition channels. Five will initially be absent from the line-up though the company is expected to have a HD service available on Freeview HD by the end of 2012.

To receive the high definition service, viewers will need a new set top box connected to an HD Ready TV, or a TV with built-in Freeview HD. Freeview HD boxes are available to buy from around £140, while TVs with built in Freeview HD will be on sale from this month. Freeview+ HD recorders will also be available later this Spring. For information on models see Freeview's blog.

The launch comes just before the football World Cup this summer, when both the BBC and ITV will be showing matches in HD on Freeview.

However, the service will not be available to all UK viewers at this stage, with 50% of viewers able to access the service now, 60% by the World Cup in June. Some will have to wait until the end of 2012 before they can watch Freeview HD.

Via Pocket Lint

Traipsing through the cavernous Westfield shopping centre might not be as arduous a task as it sounds next week, thanks to a special 3D TV trial that Sky are running.

Sky will be handing out 3D glasses to shopaholics visiting Westfield, where they will be treated to a short demo of 3D sports and catwalk clips.

With 3D TVs hitting stores next month, Sky will be looking to raise the profile of its own 3D broadcast service, which it aims to roll out later this year.

Thankfully, if you're already a Sky+ HD subscriber, there will be no need to upgrade your existing set top box as they will already be fully compatible with Sky's 3D service. Of course, you'll still need to shell out for a new 3D-compatible telly, but Sky are hoping to make the prospect a little more enticing by launching a new range of sports, movies, arts and documentaries channels all showcasing the extra dimension.

The trial will be running at the Sky Retail Store on Westfield's level 2. For more info on Sky's 3D services, click here.

Keen not to fall behind the pack of blossoming high-definition channels that keep popping up on Sky+ HD and Freeview HD, Virgin Media have secured the rights to broadcast the new Film4 HD channel, as well as E4 HD.

It's a massive win for Virgin Media subscribers, as Film4 HD offers what's probably the best catalogue of movies outside of Sky Movies and Sky Movies Premier.

"Channel 4 has a great track record in delivering innovative and compelling content and we're delighted to bring some of their very best films and most popular programmes to our customers in stunning HD", said Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media.

"As more and more households become HD-ready, we're lining up content that makes the most of High Definition and are making HD available to all our of customers for no extra fee."

As well as Film4 HD and E4 HD, Virgin Media's HD line up also includes BBC HD, C4HD, ESPN HD, FX HD, MTVN HD, National Geographic HD, LIVING HD and Eurosport HD, with Discovery HD also on its way.

This week sees the launch of a new range of Sony Bravia HD TVs, the UK's first to feature an integrated Freeview HD tuner.

Rather than having to shell out for a HD compatible set-top box, these HX, NX and EX sets will let their owners watch Freeview HD channels straight out of the box.

They're pretty good looking sets too, with a minimalist design that should see them fit right in in almost any home.

Each set will include a range of IPTV features too. LoveFilm accounts can be accessed through the sets, along with Twitter feeds and the Demand Five VOD service.

To sweeten the deal even further, the HX models will be fully 3D compatible once Sony start rolling out firmware updates to their Blu-Ray players and PS3 consoles.

Click here for more details.

In keeping with the big green trend in electronics right now, BT are re-launching their Vision range of set top boxes, claiming a 12% reduction in power consumption.

The new BT Vision + box doesn't just give you Freeview TV and digital radio channels, but also connects to BT broadband lines via their Home Hub router to give users access to on-demand TV, films and music. The box features a 160GB hard drive, storing roughly 80 hours of video content.

Marc Watson, CEO BT Vision said, "We are always looking at ways in which we can improve BT Vision. The new BT Vision+ box is not only better looking, it also consumes less energy, something that we know is extremely important to our customers."

The new glossy black look for the box is designed to match BT's "iconic" Home Hub wireless router. Well, as iconic as a router can be I suppose.

You can pick up the box for free when you buy BT Vision online, available here. You'll want to hurry though, as the offer ends 15th January.

The message boards over at our Shiny friends HDTVUK have been alight with readers venting their spleens over the new-look Sky + HD Guide, which completed its nationwide roll-out last week.

Many of you have been complaining that the new Sky Guide isn't up to scratch, either running too slowly, not being particularly intuitive or with text too small to read.

Alex Foligno posted on December 17th:

SERIOUSLY AWFUL the greatest injusticed (sic) is the fact that non-HD (lower paying customers) have the classic menu which we have all loved for the past decade. A CLASSIC option would be much appreciated.

James followed up with a similar sentiment:

I thought I would give it a go for a week before I complained as I thought it would grow on me. I was wrong. I still hate it. I want the old one back. The old one was straight forward and easy to use. This one is just a mess. It really puts me off watching TV.

Some readers have had such difficulty reading the new guide that they have contacted the Royal National Institute of Blind People, believing the new guide to be an affront to accessibility for the visually impaired.

Your complaints have not fallen upon death ears completely however! A Sky customer services representative today confirmed to HDTVUK that visually impaired Sky viewers will be able to revert back to the previous Sky + EPG if they wish. However Sky + HD subscribers will have to downgrade to a Sky + box in order to get the old guide back. This may be however just a temporary solution, as all Sky boxes, including earlier models, are expected to take on the new look guide sooner rather than later.

What do you think? Should all Sky +HD subscribers be given the option to revert back to the previous guide? Or are the complaints all smoke and no fire, with the guide being well suited to your needs?

Let us know!

(Thanks to HDTVUK reader Mark for the tip!)

When it comes to digital TV services, Freesat is a relatively new kid on the block. Launched 18 months ago, it's still seen by many as the poor relation compared to Freeview (digital terrestrial) and Sky (satellite). But all that could be about to change with the announcement a couple of months ago that BBC and ITV are gearing up to launch their digital TV players on the service. The BBC iPlayer, already available on Virgin's cable service, is currenly in beta testing on Freesat and the ITV Player will start early next year.

Another attraction of Freesat is that it's a good way of watching HD content without having to pay Sky TV up to £50 a month for the privilege. The Beeb offers a wide selection of programmes on its HD service, including popular shows live Gavin and Stacey and Friday Night With Jonathan Ross while on ITV there's Champions League Football. And with all the criticism surrounding Sky+ latest HD TV Guide (see HDTVUK.tv for more details) now seems a good time to look at a much cheaper and aguably better alternative.

Annoying set up
Available in two versions (one with a 250GB and one with a 500GB hard drive), the Sagem DTR94 is the latest Freesat box from the France based company. Like most digital boxes these days set up is largely automated though you will have to feed it your postcode details (I'm not really sure why as you could easily make one up if you didn't pay the licence fee and besides you don't have to put in your full address).

Annoyingly it's default position is also to make you input a four digital parental code and to hide away all the adult channels - well there's only really two that I could find, Babestation and Filth (what a horrible name that is!) Once it's found the channels these are stored either by genre or as a channel list and you can move them around etc if you really want to.

The 8 day electronic programme guide is particularly clear with the ability to skip forward by days or hours to find what you want using the colour coded buttons. And one-touch recording is straightforward enough - recordings complete with a preview screen can be viewed by pressing the red button.

The only downside with Freesat is that you will need to have a satellite dish with two LNB outputs in order to watch one channel while recording another. The box can be used for manually adding channels and not only do you get the usual programme descriptions you can also access technical data about each broadcast such as whether it is available with 5.1 channel sound, is transmitted in high definition and what the satellite signal level is like.

High definition pictures
If you want to receive full HD quality then you will need to connect the silver box up to your TV via HDMI cable (most recent TVs have an HDMI socket - but if yours doesn't then you will only get standard def pictures). Plenty of other sockets are provided too, including two Scarts for connection to a DVD recorder and a digital audio output (coaxial) in order to benefit from DTS/Dolby Digital sound when connected to a home cinema amplifier.

Picture quality seemed very good though is of course largely dependent on the source material in the first place. For example watching old American programmes on the CBS channels I was struck by just how terrible pictures were, but that has much to do with the NTSC format they were filmed in rather than any fault of the set top box. On the other hand, Champions League Football in HD really does look fantastic with the players much more clearly defined. Nor is storage of high definition programmes a massive problem with the 500Gb box capable of holding around 200 hours of content according to Sagem.

Verdict
With the addition of ITV and BBC's digital players in 2010 and with some (albeit not enough) HD content now available for free, Freesat is definitely worth considering as an alternative to Freeview or Sky. And with a price tag of £300 for a model with 500Gb storage, the Sagem box is a good option.

Sagem DTR94 HD Freesat (£250 for 250Gb hard drive, £300 for 500Gb hard drive)

Pros:
Good price - works out much cheaper than Sky+
Easy set up
Lots of sockets
BBC iPlayer available soon

Cons:
Parental controls too restrictive
Still not enough HD material on Freesat

Links:
www.sagemdigital.co.uk
www.freesat.co.uk

BUY FROM HERE

Sagem has announced the availability of its latest Freesat+ High Definition digital recorders. Available with 250GB or 500GB hard drives, the boxes also boast auto set-up and navigation menus.

Sagem's Freesat+ digital recorders are available from all major high street retailers including John Lewis, Currys, Comet and Argos. The 250Gb model retails for £250 and the 500Gb model is £300.

* John Lewis has just reported that sales of digital TV recorders for Freesat and Freeview are up 175% year on year and 13% week on week.

For further information go to www.sagem-communications.com or the new www.sagemdigital.co.uk.