Panasonic DMR-XW380

Panasonic DMR-XW380 review

Looking for a World Cup recorder? With the exceptions of set-top boxes from Icecrypt, Humax and i-Can, the first batch of Freeview HD kit has consisted of simple receivers, with almost no advanced features. So step forward Panasonic, which along with Digital Stream has launched the first Freeview+ HD recorders in the UK. Panasonic, which already puts both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners into its current batch of flat-panel TVs, is launching a bevy of hi-def recorders at the moment. Unbelievably the feature-rich DMR-XW380 is its most basic. This DVD-cum-Freeview+HD recorder is up against some strong competition from within the Panasonic stable of 'Diga' digital recorders, where you'll also find Freesat HD models and two Blu-ray recorders, but it still constitutes a high-end – and to our mind, unique – way to interact with the new Freeview HD broadcasts. FeaturesThe DMR-XW380 has two Freeview HD tuners and a 250GB hard disk, enabling recordings to be made that can then be archived to DVD. Around 255 hours of standard definition recordings can be made, or roughly 65 hours of HD programming, though the latter can't be archived to a DVD in hi-def, of course.