I don't understand your last answer. Which? haven't tested the 497H but they have tested the 498H and both machines are the same spec except the 497H has a smaller HDD (160GB or 129 hours compared to 250GB). Both models date back to 2009 and bear in mind that this machine only has an SD digital tuner. It cannot record HD Freeview and it will not show Full HD content in its native resolution. This is what they say about the 498H:
'The DVD recorder can be used for recording programmes onto DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW or DVD-Ram discs, including DVD+R dual-layer discs. This recorder has only a single digital tuner, which means you can't watch one programme and record another unless you also own a digital TV with its own tuner.
You can start watching a recorded programme before it's finished recording, which means you can deliberately set a programme to record, start watching it a few minutes after it has started and 'chase play', skipping over ad breaks as you 'catch up' with the live broadcast. This is very useful if your programme is on a commercial channel and you find the ads irritating.
Our viewing and listening experts were generally impressed with this model's picture and sound quality. Digital subtitles can be recorded and turned on/off as required, but people with a visual impairment will disappointed that there's no audio description, which provides an additional narrative track explaining what's happening on the picture in greater detail.
There's an HDMI output for connecting to an HD-ready TV, but the 'upscaled' picture (not true high definition) isn't an improvement over the conventional picture. There's also a USB input for transferring files from USB drives - MP3, wma, jpeg and DivX formats are all supported.
It's not a particularly easy recorder to use. The poorly presented instructions lack detail and useful diagrams and it's hard to find required sections. The remote control has some small buttons and some functions aren't obvious. Also the EPG is hard to read at times.
Pros: Good picture and sound.
Cons: Not easy to use, poor instructions, no audio description, can't record radio programmes, single-tuner PVR functionality less versatile than dedicated twin-tuner PVR.'