Which is the best settop recorder to buy ?

[wolfdon]

Can someone please tell me what the best settop DVD recorder is . There are so many and the prices have dropped so much. I need a professional model to do serious DVD recording of professional performances live.

[DVWannaB]

me confused. Do you mean realtime or live as in the theater? If you mean realtime recording of broadcast TV then my manufacturer order of preference:

1-Pioneer
2-JVC
3-Toshiba

You need to be more specific of what you are looking for and need. Or better yet do some reading here on the DVD recorder forum:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewforum.php?f=28

This topic is covered almost daily

If you need to record LIVE at a performance then get a DV camcorder. Canon and Sony make great little almost pocket sized cams that produce killer results.

[wolfdon]

Thanks ! Well I do video production, live 2 camera shoots so I need a quality machine that responds easy to stop, pause start recording functions. And creates quality images without glitches etc. I use this master to duplicate and sell copies. Easy, simple menu creating is important too. I will be using 3 hr format. Also I don't know which is best, DVD-R or DVD+R ???? I know theres alot of published info but time is of the essence for me !

Don

[oldandinthe way]

The choices fall in two catagories:

Commodity
Name-Brand

Commodity Recorders are the stuff under $150 like Lite-ON, Cyberhome, ILO, Gateway, Philips etc. Standard Chipsets, Standard Drives (PC compatible). Cheap packaging. Cheap Tuners. Most support the 3hr format but sometimes it is firmware disabled and requires a hack. Most have a simple to use interface - can't afford to answer calls from dimwits.

Name-Brand
May or may not offer some additional features or interfaces. If you need one that a particular recorder provides, then you need it.

May offer a better tuner or may not. Check specific comments on a given recorder.

May have a fancier package with more lights.

May have a more complicated interface. Can afford more calls from dimwits.

On top of all of this you get the issue of firmware updates. Theoretically you might need updates as new brands of media are produced.

Some recorder makers are noted for making firmware updates available prompty, others may never provide them. Name brand is not necessary better than commodity in this respect.

Opinions of users are often shaped by their prejudices.

I use a commodity Lite-ON LW-5005. It does everything I ask and is easier to use. Like every greater than year old model, it has been discontinued. But the user interface is identical on the entire line. Newer models are smaller with fewer lights and a different chipset.

It is insane at this time to buy a recorder which is limited to DVD+R or DVD-R, If a machine can't handle both and both types of RW media, the manufacturer has an ax to grind or is cutting corners for no strong reason. Something else will also be missing.

By the way there is a loss in image quality of 3hr vs 2hr recording, will this be acceptable? If I had the flexibility I'd use one hour mode for production and create my final video on the computer in the highest quality mode whih fits the movie.

[Marvingj]

The Best are JVC, Pioneer, Toshiba...

[wolfdon]

Thanks guys ! I need to shoot in 3 hr mode because I produce dance recitals which go over 2.2 hrs. No one mentioned Panasonic ???? Walmart has one in the above 250 range..... any good? They also have a new Phillips which started all the settops. Its slimline and anyone know about that one? Don't know exact model number. I need specific recommends cause I need to buy soon and play and test before next weeks show !!!!!!! Thanks to all !

[piano632]

JVC and Pioneer recorders have the ability to set time length to practically anything. If you need to record something that's 2:15 or 2:30 long, you can set the time length accordingly - no need to use 3 hour mode which would waste disc space and give lesser quality video.

I would avoid Philips recorders, they tend to have a lot of "technical issues".

Now, if you really want a "professional model", there are a couple in the $3,000+ range.

[davideck]

I need a professional model to do serious DVD recording of professional performances live.

IMHO, you need a DVD Recorder with a Hard Drive. Record everything and edit later.

[kitty]

Many decent recorders have what they call "Flexible Recording" (FR) mode. It asks for a recording time and then adapts the video encoding to fit within that time.

Many recordings are on tapes that go a bit over, like 1:03 or 2:05. To get those extra bits, FR is convenient.

You have to look at the specs of the recorder to see what quality you'll get. The latest Panasonic recorders do state they record higher resolution in LP (up to 4 hrs) than previous models. Panasonic also says that XP (1 hr mode) may be a higher bitrate than stock recorders can play.

I have a Panasonic DMR-ES45V ($260 ish) and it works well. If you are going higher end you can look at the ES75 which has the hard disk. The unit does have an internal time base to correct tapes.

The other name brands mentioned above are excellent also I hear. The new Toshibas get high marks.

[richdvd]

Panasonic. (although lots of nerds will disagree)

[wolfdon]

were those swear words RichDVD?? Could not read them!!!!! davideck, I don't want to edit later either, just shoot and run , copy , sell. Not enough in it to do post edit. What I am really looking for also is some easy menu creation options rather than using the silly remotes , oh yea, that means I better get the 3000.oo pro units right?

[Seeker47]

were those swear words RichDVD?? Could not read them!!!!! davideck, I don't want to edit later either, just shoot and run , copy , sell. Not enough in it to do post edit. What I am really looking for also is some easy menu creation options rather than using the silly remotes , oh yea, that means I better get the 3000.oo pro units right?

The Pioneers may offer the best ease of learning / ease of use (with easy menu templates, easy enough basic editing features, and an understandable manual that doesn't seem to have been poorly translated into English, for a change), convenience features, good quality results. They are not among the cheaper ones, though.

[DVWannaB]

No it does not sound like you need a Pro unit. Sounds like you are just producing to sell to the concert goers and associated families and friends. The units I posted above will do simple menu creation for you (Pioneer, JVC, Toshiba 5x series). Only thing is that it sounds like you will do a one scene capture, so your menu will have only one object on it, since you will want to copy and burn in short order.

I say get a model with a Hard Disc Drive. That way you can burn only what you need. Also consider a a model that burns dual layer discs (Pioneer 53x & 63x series). With dual layer (DVD+R DL) you can do a 2 or 3 hour disc and provide better quality video than single layer (DVD-R) discs.