Conclusion

Accessories and Documentation – 10/10

The PVR-660 came with all the necessary cables as well as some thoughtful accessories like the Coax extender and the S-video to composite adapter. The manual was accurate and easy to follow. It contained screenshots for just about every step outlined. We found the remote functional and ergonomic.

Installation and Ease of Use – 9.0/10

We’re always happy when installation goes smoothly, and the 660 installed without any hurdles. Set up was a breeze and we could watch TV as soon as the software finished scanning for channels.

The Electronic Programming Guide, while easy to use, lacked some important features found on most PVR systems, namely the ability to record a program based on title rather than timeslot. However, we don’t think it’s fair to expect a free service to provide the same functionality as subscription-based services.

Performance – 9.5/10

Overall, we were quite pleased with the performance of the PVR-660. We didn’t experience any failures or glitches while viewing or recording TV, or while messing around with the Photo and Music modules.

We liked the integrated nature of the Total Media software but, while adequate in most respects, we found its functionality quite rudimentary at times. Several of the modules (namely Music and Photos) don’t offer anything beyond what is already available through Media Player or Picture and Fax Viewer. Windows Movie Maker provides more functionality than Total Media’s Video module in terms of editing.

On the other hand, we really liked the ability to use the 660 as a capture device for camcorders and even broadcast radio—two features that are even more notable considering its external, portable nature.

Value – 8.0/10

At anywhere from $107-$130, the 660 costs significantly more than its PCI-based siblings. As a rule, external peripherals almost always cost more than their internal counterparts, and the 660 provides no exception. However, we’ve seen PCMCIA-based tuner/capture cards from other manufactures for less than 1/2 of the price of the PVR-660. Although we haven’t evaluated the performance of these other solutions, we find the difference in price range striking. This tuner also does not access HD content.

We’ve given the 660 a value rating of “good” because it worked just as it was supposed to. Had we experienced any problems, we would have scored it significantly lower.

The Bottom Line – 9.0/10

Pricing aside, the Diamond Multimedia PVR-660 performed as advertised and turned our laptop into a decent PVR. We particularly liked the fact that we didn’t have to pay a subscription fee to use the scheduling service, even if it lacked the most advanced features available through other services. The 660 put in a solid performance, and we experienced no issues either during installation or day-to-day use.