Dubbing from DVR to stand alone DVDR

[LT9000]

Can anyone recommend a good stand alone DVDR purchase?

In particular, I want a stand alone DVDR that produces recordings playable on a variety of players.

The main use will be first and foremost for dubbing output from a Directv DVR. I would prefer having one with a (good) tuner for recording OTA broadcasts straight to the DVDR, but that is not the main purpose.

Any makers/models come to mind for this?

[orsetto]

Standalone DVD recorders have flatlined as a consumer product in the USA: 4-5 years ago there was a broad selection of good models from all major brands to choose from, today there is next to nothing worth recommending thats still sold new in stores. Personally, there are only two I would even think of spending money on: the Magnavox H2160A and the Panasonic DMR-EA18.

If you don't need a tuner, and don't plan any editing, the Panasonic is a rugged reliable machine, with far better durability and resistance to "accidental" copy protection than comparable Sony, Toshiba, JVC, Samsung, etc machines. The Panasonic costs more than those, especially if you opt for the model 28 which adds the tuner, but you get what you pay for: current "bargain" DVD recorders are useless trash.

If you have the slightest intention of regularly recording off-air ATSC broadcasts, spend a few dollars more and order the $249 Magnavox H2160A from Wal*Mart online. This recorder is, without exaggeration, really the only DVD recorder with a reliable ATSC tuner/timer system that does not crap out unpredictably (the Panasonic tuners are a joke by comparison and other makes are far worse). It is extremely difficult for mfrs to produce reliable ATSC tuners at a price low enough to include in cheap DVD recorders: yet another reason nobody wants to buy them anymore. This Magnavox is on its third generation of tuner which is about as good as you can get in a recorder. It also includes a 160GB hard drive, which operates much the same as the hard drive in your PVR, making the Magnavox very useful for editing and timeshifting. If interested, buy one ASAP: they were scheduled for discontinuation and supply dried up over the last few months, but apparently Wal*Mart re-stocked and they are available again. Probably for a limited time.

I myself use the recent Canadian-model Pioneer recorders, but they are trickier to buy as they must be imported from Canada thru eBay dealers. Pioneer this month announced they are essentially "going out of business" and will no longer make their fine recorders, so there is a run on eBay to buy up remaining stocks, driving up prices. If you can find a Pioneer DVR-460 or DVR-560 (identical units) for under $300, they are excellent: similar to the Magnavox but with more versatile editing features and the option to burn DVD-RAM discs. Unfortunately they do not have ATSC tuners and would not be good for off-air recording unless you added a cheap ATSC accessory tuner of good quality, like the Zenith DTT-901 or Channel Master CM-7000.

A number of excellent "vintage" DVD or DVD/HDD recorders are available second hand, but I can't really recommend a casual user to shop the tricky used marketplace. Prices for some three-four year old used recorders exceed the cost of the new Magnavox H2160, which is really a much better value for the money. The problem with older recorders is the chance of burners being worn out, they are insanely expensive to replace. Also older recorders can't cope with the modern blank media sold in stores now. If you are a long-time user of a particular machine or have special needs that can only be met with an older model, they are indeed great machines, but if you've never had one before and just want to back up your cable/satellite PVR you'll be happier with the new Magnavox or Panasonic suggested above.

[jjeff]

I'll second the above post, some very good suggestions.
If you're recording from PPV and some pay channels you may have CP to contend with. Many cheaper machines tend to report false CP warnings (insert Sony here ) You may need a ~$100 filter to remove any CP, search for video filters. They work quite well, IMO.