I have an 8000 and 8300. I would recommend the 8300, if available to you. I still have issues with software design, but generally a solid piece of equipment. The PQ is great for both HD and SD, and I use component. The HDMI output is apparently even sharper, and allows for native format pass-through.
My gripes with 8000 and 8300 as far as DVR functionality are as follows:
1. When you watch a show from the buffer and stop before it is over, when you want to pick up where you left off, it automatically goes back to the beginning. No option for resume from last location or anything like that. However, if while watching a show from the buffer you click on Stop, a submenu opens asking if you want to erase, copy to VCR, or resume from current time. It also offers Start Over or Skip to End. If they have this option in a submenu, why can't they make it like that in the main menu/show selection screen?
2. No option for prioritizing recordings - If you have a show that comes on at random times and you request all episodes to be copied, and there are already two scheduled recordings for that time slot, you cannot tell the DVR to automatically decide which two are more important and therefore occaissionaly not record something of little importance. I like to record the news, but if there is something more interesting on at that time, I don't mind skipping the news. As it is, a warning pops up saying you have to select one of the three conflicting shows to cancel. And when they mean cancel, the DVR is not talking about skipping/cancelling just one episode...you have to cancel ALL EPISODES! This is a bummer if you want to record a game and it overlaps with a regular show, like West Wing. Do you NOT record the game, or do you remove all scheduled recordings of West Wing. PITA!
3. Commercial Skip - I was really getting used to the E* DVR with its 30-second skip forward button. Now you have the unforgiving 3-level fast forward. In a Tivo box, when you FF at the highest rate, it allows for delayed response and automatically skips back a few seconds to compensate for slow human reaction times. No luck here. You FF or REW and when you realize the show is back on and press PLAY, you have to then manually go back (or forward) a few seconds. Minor annoyance only...
I am sure that there are more issues, but they get more and more petty as I go on. These are the issues I would like addressed first. Hopefully your experience will be equal or better.
