I am about to buy one of these things, and I have a question

[TheRybot]

I am going to be purchasing one of these DVD recorders soon, but before I do I have a few questions. My very first question is this Auto chapter feature I hear about. I really like the idea of having chapter markers every 5 minutes, But I want to make sure that the recorder I get has this feature. The 3 models I am considering are as follows:

Phillips DMR-E60S
Panasonic DMR-E30S
Phillips DVDR-985A

I Know the 985A has it because i've seen it on their site and on other websites. I was just wondering if the other 2 recorders had this feature too.

My 2nd question is about DVD-R's vs. DVD+R's Is there that much of a difference in this, or does it even matter what kind of media the recorder I get has. I've heard both sides of the story, and I just want a clear answer on the subject. The 985A (again, probably the one I'll get) has DVD+R which I hear are a little more expensive but work well with most DVD players. And the other 2 use DVD-R's. The other 2 recorders are also less expensive for me to purchase, so that is also a factor.

If I can get the autochapter feature on one of the less expensive ones and also be assured that DVD-R's aren't too bad I'll probably get one of them, but if not I'll wind up spending the extra money for the 985A. Could someone please let me know what the scoop is on these questions. Thanks a lot!

[FulciLives]

Hello

Both DVD-R and DVD+R are mostly compatable with newer DVD players. Some older players don't like DVD+R discs and some do. There are MANY arguments over this. The DVD-R camp (which I am a card carrying member of) feel that DVD-R is the more compatable overall but as newer and newer players come out it seems that both are nearly as compatable.

However, having said that, there are things you can do very nicely with the Panasonic units (the DVD-R units) that you can't do with the DVD+R format.

First of all, the Panasonic units all offer the auto chapter point every 5 minutes. So no need to worry about that. Secondly, the DMR-E30 is an old model by Panasonic and the replacement model is the DMR-E50 which I have seen on-line at around $400 (use a price search type website such as SHOPPER.COM or MY SIMON to find the best current low price. The DMR-E30 is a fine unit but has a "black level" bug that I won't go into otherthan to say this bug has been fixed with the DMR-E50 and all new Panasonic units will also be devoid of the bug. So I would stay away from the DMR-E30 and instead get the DMR-E50 which has pretty much the exact same feature set minus the "black level" bug. That is assuming it is the model you are interested in. Please read further:

You mention a Philips DMR-E60S but that is actually another Panasonic model. The DMR-E60 is the step up from the DMR-E50 and as part of the new line is also devoid of the "black level" bug. The two are almost identical but the main addition (though not the only) to the E60 over the E50 is that it has a DV FireWire input. This can be very handy in converting digital camcorder material to the DVD format. However, the mpeg2 video format that DVD uses is not all that well suited for editing purposes (at least not the extensive editing usually needed for camcorder footage). This is best done on a computer. However, if you don't need to edit or if you already did edit on a computer and then exported back do your digital camera and saved it to tape then hooking your camera up to the DMR-E60 to dub the final DVD is a nice feature. Please note that I think (though not 100% positive) that the DV input on the DMR-E60 is made to only read from a camcorder and not a computer. But like I said if you edited your project on a computer you can always copy it out to a tape in the cam then hook the cam to the E-60 and off you go.

Now the Panasonic units use either DVD-R discs or DVD-RAM discs. The Philips uses DVD+R discs and DVD+RW discs. Once you record to a DVD-R or a DVD+R that is it. You can't edit it. You can add more in the future if you don't "finalize" the disc but you can't do any editing. The DVD-RAM format and the DVD+RW format support editing. My experience is with DVD-RAM and it is great for doing (mostly simple) editing, such as cutting out commercials from TV recordings. I don't know how easy it is to edit a DVD+RW as I have no experience but it is generally accepted that DVD-RAM is the best format for this. Also, a DVD-RAM disc will last a LONG time and can be put through many uses (recording, deleting, recording, deleting). This can also be done with a DVD+RW disc but really DVD-RAM is best suited for multiple recordings.

I prefer the Panasonic line of DVD recorders. The feature set (especially when using DVD-RAM discs) simply cannot be beat. They do an excellent job at converting analog video to digital thanks to the use of a 3D Y/C comb filter and a built-in TBC although the Philips might have these as well ... I really don't know. What I do know is that many people have had problems with the Philips 985 not working 100% correctly. If you really decide that you want DVD+R over DVD-R then I would wait for the new line of Philips DVD recorders. As I understand it they are due soon (next 3 to 4 months if not sooner). The new line is EXPECTED to solve some if not all of the problems people have been having with the 985 model.

Another thing to consider. Seems very few people think about this but those who have discovered it (like me) find it to be a godsend. As you probably know all stand alone recorders make really simple menu designs with auto generated chapter points etc. Many people try to import the DVD they record into a computer so they can use a program to make fancy menu designs and custom chapter points. However, if you do this, the new DVD you make MUST go through a re-encoding process. Not only does this take a LONG time on a computer (usually at LEAST 3 times the length of the clip you are re-encoding) but it will downgrade the quality. However, if you record to a DVD-RAM and import it into the computer you can do all of that (even edit it on the computer) and NOT have to go through the encoding step. Not only does this save you HOURS and HOURS of re-encoding time but the end result is a final DVD-R or DVD+R that will be a custom job. You can't do this with a DVD-R recording or a DVD+R recording. You can edit a DVD+RW but only on the disc itself. A DVD+RW is not nearly as compatable as a normal DVD+R or DVD-R so for making custom discs (including simple editing) the DVD-RAM to computer to final DVD-R (or DVD+R whichever your computer has) is the absolute best method.

One final word ... the Panasonic line has a model with a built-in HDD that the Philips does not. The old model (HS2 with 40GB HDD) is soon being replaced by the DMR-E80 which will include an 80GB hard disk drive. This means you can record straight to the built-in HDD and then edit there (if you want) and then save it to either a DVD-R disc or a DVD-RAM disc. It's like having a TIVO because you can fit hours and hours and hours on the HDD and even watch from the HDD. So you only have to put something on DVD-R (or DVD-RAM) if it is something you want to keep. It is also very handy if you are away from home and tape alot. Let's say you go away for the weekend ... you can record as many hours as the hard drive can fit (depending on the recording speed/quality it can vary but we are talking at least 20+ hours here) and then watch everything when you get home. If you don't have the HDD model then you are limited to how much will fit on a single DVD disc which is no more than 6 hours (and if you want it to look good it is best to not go over the 3 hour mode but most people won't even go over the 2 hour mode little alone shoving 6 hours on one disc).

The Panasonic DMR-E80 is expected to be out sometime in July with a street price of around $700 (ther current model is the HRS2 but it only has a 40GB HDD instead of an 80GB HDD and like the DMR-E30 has the "black level" bug so best to wait for the DMR-E80 if you like the idea of having the HDD).

In my opinion, especially for TV recording, you would be a fool not to get a model with a hard disk drive (unless you already have a TIVO like device but even then I say get rid of the TIVO and get the DMR-E80 as quality would probably be better with an all-in-one solution vs recording to the TIVO then to the DVD recorder. Please note though that the DVD recorder is like programming a VCR in that you will not have some of the more kewl features that a TIVO has).

A lot to think about. If you have any further questions please post them here. I am sure either I or someone else will be happy to supply you with the answers.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[TheRybot]

Thank you very much! That is pretty much all the stuff I needed to know. You convinced me to lean towards the Panasonic model. Thanks a ton!

-Ryan