Looking to upgrade the old Aiwa VHS recorder (FX2500) which is on it's last legs after giving me years of very reliable service. Checking up on DVD/HDD recorders with the HDD bit being more important. I don't tend to keep the stuff I record so the hard drive facility appeals to me more. I had kind-of decided on the Samsung DVD-HR 735 as being a good compromise for the money; I don't record too much stuff so hard to justify >£250. However, this model seems hard to come by over here in NI but I can get the 835 for £250. How does this compare to the 735? Is is just a case of a digital tuner which would be of no use to me as I live in a non-Freeview area (yes, there still is such a place)? That's why the Panasonic DMR-EX77 you rated so highly is a non-contender.