The Philips HDT8520 has today arrived in UK stores as the nation's first Freeview+ HD PVR.
The 240mm x 65mm x 210mm receiver, pictured above and designed by Pace, is currently the only available set-top-box that allows consumers to simultaneously watch and record Freeview HD broadcasts.
Arriving prior to the 2010 World Cup, the Philips HDT8520 is being touted as "one of the hottest tech buys of the summer" and is available immediately priced at £299 from various high-street retailers and online at Amazon.co.uk.
Equipped with a 500GB hard drive, the box is able to store up to 250 hours of standard-definition footage, or 125 hours of high-definition content. An eight-day electronic programming guide (EPG) provides common features such as one-touch recording and series link, and the box is said to have been developed to "operate almost silently".
SCART and HDMI make up to the HDT8520's connectivity options - with the latter providing 1080p upscaling of any standard-def content - and an Ethernet port is available to make use of future over-the-web services such as BBC iPlayer.
Earlier this week, rival manufacturer Humax announced that its own Freeview HD PVR - the HDR-FOX T2 - won't be available in time for the World Cup.
