Todays top tip

Ive owned a coupl of samsung TVs, Slightly better software than panasonic

My 22 inch Smart Samsung tv is fine. Works as a passable monitor and allows PIP to watch tv at the same time. Also has component input as well as HDMI. Football mode is a bit OTT but I don't use that.

And the Smart button allows access to all the usual catchup and other sites like BFI. Only C5 catchup doesn't work but not many people will miss that.

Fairy nuff - provided you can find an alternative which is better and at an affordable price.

Thing I find that pretty well everything which is software controlled will have annoying (to me) features. But others may be happy enough with it.

I've got several assorted Panasonic devices here and in general they have lasted very well. Some being quite old. Only newish one is a large screen smart TV which is OK. Only annoying thing with that is it mutes the sound momentarily when you call up the EPG, and quit it. But I can live with that.

There's a significant difference between "annoying feature" and "utter s**te".

The camera has an "annoying feature". You cannot delete pix from it via the USB connection. This is deliberate, in order to prevent the "click and drool" brigade from accidentally deleting their pictures. I find it irritating every time I copy pix off it, but it's not that serious.

The fact that you cannot do anything with the PVR when it is recording falls into the "utter s**te" category. To the extent that we kept our old (and crappy in its own way) Sony PVR in order to work around that. The Panasonic PVR is unfit for purpose, and I am am angry and embarrassed with myself that I didn't take it back, make a fuss and get my money back.

Must admit surprise you didn't go down the Topfield route for your first PVR, followed by Humax for a smart HD one.

I have the HD Humax BT supplied as part of their package, and it doesn't annoy that much.