Dell - Philips HTS5800S $349

[GTA_best]

Is it any good?
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=CADHS1&sku=A0810868

Add the Philips HTS5800H to your exisiting TV for an outstanding home theater system. Record your favorite TV programs in digital quality and play any movie format including DivX with full surround sound on this complete and unique DVD Recorder / Home Theater System. When the 80GB Hard Drive is filled, make space by easily archiving video to DVD.

Record from TV or camera onto DVD
Pause Live TV: pause and resume live TV as it suits you
Instant Replay: relive a live TV moment
VCR+ uses a single code to program the timer
Connect your digital camcorder with i.Link FlexTime: watch the beginning while you record the end
Record up to 100 hours of TV on the 80GB hard drive
Superb audio and video performance in these formats: dts, Dolby Digital & Pro Logic II surround sound
Plays all your favorite entertainment, both movies and music
Movies: DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, (S)VCD, DivX 3.11/4.x/5.x
Music: CD, CD-R/RW and MP3-CD Photos (JPEG) with musical slideshow

[Phils]

My friend bought this unit during the Dell Days of Deals and returned it a week later.

The Home Theater receiver is weak as there is only 1 digital coax connection for sound just from the dvd. The rest of the connections are for white-red analog cables. The subwoofer is passive so it doesn't give the same result as a powered subwoofer.

The DVD recorder seemed to be a pretty good unit. There are lots of features. However, my friend returned it because she could not successfully record sound from her digital cable box. She got picture but no sound. Her cable box is a Scientific Altanta 8300HD. She could record to the 8300's hard drive and then copy to the DVD recorder but she could not do it in one step. We called Scientific Atlanta and were told that the problem was HDCP.

Dell accepted the return no questions asked.