They’re clearly labelled and placed with military precision – the direction pad lies directly under the thumb, surrounded by the important Guide and Function Menu keys, while playback buttons are coloured blue to make them stand out. Any purchase made through any other selling platforms will be subject to the Standard Warranty Period only. And the Panasonic App system on this device is as out of date as it was on the last Panasonic plasma I bought and that was just as useless then as it is now on this device. The pausing of ‘live TV, could also be a more reactive process and it can take up to around three seconds for the player to acknowledge your button press, which leaves you with the impression the command from the remote hasn’t been received. The DMR-PWT550EB is enabled with Wi-Fi so it can access a range of online applications from Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and All 4 to social media like Facebook and Twitter.

On the back is a limited array of connections, including an HDMI output, RF input and output – the latter allowing you to pass the TV signal to another tuner. Compatible with Full HD 3D TVs, it can also convert 2D to 3D which makes it ideal for your active or passive 3D TV.Please refer to that legislation for more information on the relevant laws and regulations involved or contact the owner of the rights in the content you wish to record or playback. It may not be much to look at but the DMR-PWT550 is well made from sturdy aluminium – although the front flap feels a little flimsy.

Credit subject to status, UK residents only, Crampton and Moore (Television) Limited acts as a broker and offers finance from a restricted range of finance providers. They may be missing some of the accessories, but this will be clearly detailed, and they may no longer be the original retail packaging, or the packaging may have some sticky tape damage.

It's not all gloom, we just like the layout of the on screen setup and ease of recording and playback. You can’t jump pages either – to scroll through the EPG quickly, you have to hold down the direction pad keys, which isn’t only inaccurate but also takes ages to reach the HD channels.

We would like to see Panasonic take the idea a step further, as some other PVRs do, by notifying the user when there’s a HD version available where they’ve set a standard def broadcast to record; there is a little box at the top of the EPG showing you the text ‘SD>HD’ but it’s not very obvious. Above the grid are a small live TV screen and a synopsis of the selected programme – complete with publicity still – while a row of handy shortcuts is found at the bottom.Hughes TV And Audio Limited, Mobbs Way, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3AL (Company Registration Number 695682) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA 724889) and acts as a credit broker, and not a lender, offering credit products provided by a panel of lenders, Novuna, PayPal Credit and Klarna, of whom we have a commercial relationship.