The DHG-HDD500 offers most of the cable connections you need to connect it with your TV and surround system. This includes analog component (Y, Pr, and Pb) and a digital video HDMI for transmitting high-definition video signals. An optical digital audio output sends the 5.1 audio soundtrack available on some cable and HD channels to your receiver or separate surround processor.
 
Conspicuously absent from the unit is a FireWire, or IEEE-1394 connection, which is included on a number of Sony’s high-definition televisions (called iLink). If you want to off-load HD content onto, say, a digital-VHS recorder, or the forthcoming Blu-ray HD recorders—which are likely to have a FireWire connection—you’re out of luck. For a box that should include every cool feature imaginable, this is disappointing (even if few people might use the feature today).

The remote control offers a handy jog shuttle wheel that helps you zip through the hundreds of channels in the program guide. This is a good thing since finding channels you want in the guide is nearly impossible, otherwise.

 
Fortunately, setting up the box to work with your system is pretty easy. Time Warner handled our CableCard installation, though an on-screen installation guide made it simple for the technician to do. You can then configure the video outputs for essentially any type of TV and subsequently get an appropriate number of aspect ratio adjustments for each configuration.

Up to this point, I’ve mostly dealt with what I consider Sony’s side of the box, which is well constructed and intelligently thought out. Much of what follows I consider to be part of TV Guide’s domain, as it relates, in one way or another, to the TV Guide on-screen menu. Using the box without the program guide is as intuitive and simple as any system. It’s when you add the guide that things get difficult.
 
For example, scheduling the DVR to record your favorite programs is workable, and all the tools you need to do it are there, but the search function is slow and static. It will search for keywords, which is nice, but you have to type in some or all of the word and hit enter before the guide will search for likely candidates. With other DVRs, the system starts searching the guide and narrowing the prospects with each letter you type. I seldom have to type a whole show name into my Tivo before it shows up on the list.