DVD Recorders

[Matt Meiser]

Just before Christmas we got ourselves a DirecTV system with Tivo. We are loving it, but have decided that we now have to get a DVD Recorder. I have about 10-15 hours of unwatched Woodworking shows and I've been deleting them after watching them to keep from using up the space. I'd like to be able to make a DVD to take with me when I travel for work to play on my laptop, or to take my daughter's favorite shows for her to watch on the DVD player in our van when we are on vacations. I'd also like to be able to keep the shows I like and I'm thinking VHS is no longer the way to go.

I'm seeing DVD recorders advertised from anywhere from $150 to $500+ and don't really understand the differences. What should I be looking for?

[Ron Smith ... Richmond, VA]

I have the Panasonic with the built in hard drive ... this is a little more pricey ( around $800.00) ... but it allows you to record whatever you want, then go in and do a lot of editing, shortening, dubbing, erasing and combining whatever you want. It can record in standard, long play and extended, just like the old VHS machines. It allows you to put up to six hours on a DVD with minimum (if any) loss of quality of picture. I recently used it to record over 300 hours of Michigan Wolverine Football games from 1994 to the 1997 Rose Bowl game for a friend who played for the team. It allowed me to cut out all of the commercials and interferences. It's Great! I know you'll like whatever you decide.

[Stefan Antwarg]

The different price points account for a lot of things - and I don't know all of them. But a built in hard drive (and the size of it) is a big reason. The brand - off name brands will be cheaper. The technology - there are still recorders that are a generation or 2 behind, therefore cheaper. The type of connections it offers on the back (and front). The media it records to. Playback options. Dub speeds. There are tons of thiings the recorders have or don't have. Recent issues of Sound and Vision clearly lays out the options. I suggest looking into some back issues of that.

Stefan

[Michael Perata]

I just picked up Magnavox from Best Buy for $200. It is a straight DVD Recorder/Progressive Scan Playback machine.

I had recorded "24" on my Dishnetwork PVR the week before I bought the Magnavox and a friend wanted a copy of the 24 program. Simply re-ran the program and cut a DVD.

Cuation: These recorders are not very intuitive to set up - take your time to RTFM.