Zenith HDR230 High Definition Receiver Review

I used to be an editor for a trade magazine in the television industry and this had a few perqs. One was that I occasionally was given equipment to use, so that I could better understand the technology I was writing about. One of these was a Zenith HDR230, an off-the-air HDTV receiver with a built-in digital recorder. It is something of an odd-duck piece of gear with some VERY cool features.

What It Is

The Zenith HDR230 has two primary functions: It can receive digital TV broadcasts either off-the-air or over a digital cable system, and it can record this digital stream on a built-in hard drive. I have my unit connected to my rooftop antenna to receive free digital broadcasts.

The HDR230 is an attractive unit, standing about three inches high, 17 inches wide and 13 inches deep. On the back panel is an assortment of analog connectors that allow you to connect this receiver to standard-definition (SD) monitors as well as high-definition (HD) monitors. I have mine connected to a Westinghouse 27-inch HD-ready LCD monitor. This monitor does not have the ability to receive off-the-air digital broadcasts, so it requires an outboard receiver for this purpose -- the Zenith HDR230 fulfills this requirement for me. I connected the HDR230 to my Westinghouse LCD panel using analog component (red-green-blue) cables. This is the only way of getting an HD signal from the receiver into a monitor. Audio is connected using standard RCA audio cables.

Inside the HDR230 is a hard drive that is capable of recording up to 8.3 hours of full HD-quality video, indistinguishable from the original HD broadcast. The remote control for the HDR230 is used to perform the initial setup, change channels, start recording and control playbacks.

Using It

As far as a receiver is concerned, the capability of the HDR230 is not as good as more recent tuner designs. It makes fine pictures but the unit contains an older generation of receiver chip that is more susceptible to dropouts and signal loss. The unit usually works fine for me on most channels and the pictures have the spectacular look of HDTV. However, some channels have lots of breakup in rainy weather, so much breakup that they can't be watched.

My much-newer Visio HDTV has a newer-generation receiver chip and it seldom breaks up during digital broadcasts. I wish the HDR230 had one of these newer chips, as its susceptibility to signal loss is its biggest failing. Keep in mind that it's fine 98 percent of the time and makes lovely pictures at these times. However, when the signal breaks up, it's awful. And with digital TV there is no warning -- the picture is either great or awful. There is no happy medium.

The most fantastic thing about the HDR230 is its built-in digital recorder. I use this feature all the time and it is excellent. Since it records the off-air digital data stream, the image quality you receive is exactly the image quality that is recorded. Thus, a recording made of a program looks EXACTLY like the broadcast. It has all the same digital bits as the broadcast, including HD broadcasts. This recording feature is fabulous, and it is something that my wife and I quickly appreciated. We probably record and view three or four HD programs a week using this built-in recorder.

The unit's remote control is easy to hold and use, and it is a snap to setup and view recordings. Accessing menus is logical and straightforward, and I never had to crack open the user manual.

Summary

There can't be many Zenith HDR230 receivers out there. If you have an "HD-ready" monitor that does not have a built-in HD tuner, the HDR230 is the perfect companion. Although I have a bigger and nicer HDTV system than my 27-inch Westinghouse LCD panel, the Zenith HDR230 gives me something I don't have on my bigger screen TV: record capability.

The Zenith HDR230 is older technology from three years ago and this shows in its susceptibilty to breakup during reception of digital broadcasts. However, the built-in recorder gives this unit legs that will allow it to stand tall for another few years. If you can find one on eBay or a yard sale, I recommend the Zenith HDR230.