In reply to sutty: You've found me out I'm afraid! I do not know much about combined HDD and DVD recorders. I am not aware of one that has dual tuners - but that doesn't mean that such a beast doesn't exist.
Dual tuners give you the ability to watch one channel while you record another. Some also allow you to record two channels at the same time (or even record two channels and watch a third, provided that third channel is on the same multiplex as one of the other two). If your TV already has Freeview built in then you don't actually
need dual tuners to be able to watch and record simultaneously, although your TV won't allow you to pause and rewind live programmes like a PVR does.
My inclination would be to get a separate dual-tuner PVR and DVD recorder. That way you can choose the features which are important to you in each device, rather than - as usually seems to be the case - having to compromise on some features on either function. It also means that you can upgrade your DVD recorder as the media standards evolve eg dual-layer, Blu-ray etc without having to throw away the PVR bit (along with all the recorded programmes on the HDD which you haven't yet watched) as well.
The thing to look for in a PVR these days is "Freeview+". As the name suggests, this is very similar to Sky+. Like any PVR, you programme recordings directly from the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). A feature called "accurate recording" means that the PVR can use data transmitted with the programmes to adjust recording timings if the schedule changes. Series record allows you to tell the PVR to record every episode of a series, even if the different episodes get bounced around the schedules (it can even resolve clashes with other recordings by recording a repeat on another channel - though I'm not sure if
all Freeview+ PVRs can do this). All of these bells and whistles are dependent on the broadcasters transmitting the right data, which unfortunately isn't always the case. Predictably, the BBC tend to be the most reliable.
As for brands, Humax is generally regarded as being the best PVR manufacturer for general users, although the cheaper ones you find in Tescos and the like seem to be pretty good these days if you're not ultra-fussy about the exact feature mix, the way the EPG is presented etc. As for DVD recorders, I have a Panasonic which seems fine and I believe they are rated one of the better manufacturers but I don't really know that market very well. I actually record most of my DVDs on the computer (which also has a digital TV tuner). One thing: if the DVD recorder does DVD-RAM then it will usually be able to pause and rewind live programmes, like a hard disc recorder (the other DVD formats don't allow this, although I don't about Blu-ray).
One other thing to bear in mind: Digital terrestrial TV is going to get some (likely no more than four) HD channels from around 2010. HD reception will require completely new receiving hardware, although existing hardware will still work with the non-HD channels. If you like the idea of getting HD TV through your aerial then you may want to hold off spending a lot of money on a PVR which you will want to replace in a couple of years time. You could buy a cheaper model in the expectation of selling it on via that well-known auction site later, or even just manage without for a bit longer...
