Humax HD-7000

Measuring 365mm x 260mm x 60mm, the high definition HD-7000 sports a stylishly slick front-panel, with a slim LED screen above a small row of buttons, which finishes with a menu navigation pad. The back panel is relatively simple, with basic S-Video and AV connections, as well as component, RGB and DVI connections. Component cables come included with the HD-7000, giving users access to 1080i resolution high definition television from the moment they plug it in. Digital audio output is also supported via either coax or optical connection.

The Humax has a professional and detailed menu system. The menus manage to remain complex without becoming complicated, displaying plentiful information but not cluttering the screen. Unlike a lot of other set top boxes, the HD-7000's on-screen interface is split up into several separate sections. This has the benefit of making each one a lot more compact and specific, but it adds a lot more buttons to the remote, making it appear quite cramped. Additionally, the way the menu navigation buttons are laid out on the remote was almost counter-intuitive, and it took longer than usual for us to familiarise ourselves with the layout of the controls.

The HD-7000 includes the full range of features to be expected from digital TV, including channel editing, favourites menus, digital radio support, teletext and an electronic program guide (EPG).

Its multi-view feature is an interesting one. Not quite equivalent to twin tuners, it simply displays the various channels from a single broadcast multiplex signal (eg, all Seven Network broadcasts, or all ABC broadcasts) in a split screen of either two or four windows.

The interfaces and menus for the various features are streamlined and easy to use, and don't provide too many options at once. The EPG is especially excellent, allowing users to cycle through all available channels and search forward in time to see what's coming up in the next few hours.