Choosing a DVD Recorder

[J C]

My Apex DVD Recorder just broke down. I spent $100 on it and to get it fix would cost around $100 after the labor and shipping, so I figured I should just buy another DVD Recorder.

The DVD Recorder that I am looking for is a DVD Recorder that records onto DVD+R (must be + because I bought loads of DVD +Rs before my recorder broke down). I would rather have one under $200, but if there is a really good one that is more I would pay for it. It is ok if it doesn't have time-slip or a hard drive.

If anyone knows of a good DVD Recorder like the one that I would like to find above, please let me know.

[siratfus]

For your price range.... I hear good things about the Lite-On 5005.. It will write both - and + R/RW, and it also writes to CDs. It could be had for below $200 now, easily.

[JohnnyCNote]

My ilo DVR04 works very well. It's hackable and costs about $140 from WalMart. You can also add a replacement plan for $15 or so. I use it as a regular player as well and it's fine....

[gshelley61]

Have a look at the Pioneer DVR-220. Also under $200, excellent recording quality, AC3 (Dolby Digital) audio, lots of useful features, and is a very good DVD player, too.

[handyguy]

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorders

[trhouse]

Panasonic newest, the DMR-ES10 is available now at Circuit City for $189.99. It records to dvd-ram, dvd-r, dvd-rw, and dvd+r but not dvd+rw. It will playback dvd+rw.

Picked one up last night and will test for the famous Panasonic "traits". Wish I had the THx test disk.

[lordsmurf]

Best quality: JVC, Pioneer
Decent quality: Sony, Toshiba, Sanyo, Emerson, LG
Most hackable: ILO, LiteOn
Most overrated: Panasonic
Most grain/macroblocks: Panasonic, Philips, Magnavox
Most likely to break: Cyberhome, Apex, GoVideo, Polaroid

... and almost everything else not listed is running off Cirrus, Philips or ESS chips, and is often of mediocre at best build quality. YMMV on the ones bot listed, but they're not the best. Maybe decent quality at most. Maybe.

[ejai]

Best quality: JVC, Pioneer
Decent quality: Sony, Toshiba
Most hackable: ILO, LiteOn
Most overrated: Panasonic

[djohlson]

I don't mean to hog your question, but I'm also looking around. Have a no-use Philip DVR80 after 18 mos. wouldn't read anything. A month at a repair shop and was told have to send it to Philips for repair. Decided not to put any money into it. Don't know if that's the right attitude because I did like the Philips. But I've looking into Sanyo DRW500 ($170 at WalMart) and Sony 300--which had 4 returns in boxes at Best Buy--makes me feel suspicious although it receive some good reviews. It's expensive but has everything I want (except have jpeg capability--which I think is cool). I've read reviews on several recorders but the experts may rate it 7.3; the readers 5.6. Very confusing. What to do? Al least you can test drive a car. Maybe just buying one a testing it at home is the way to go. If it doesn't work, send it back. Advantage of buying from store not internet.

[trhouse]

This controversy is quite interesting. It reminds me of the evolution of loudspeakers. When the cheap ones were harsh and tinny, the consumer and people who worked in the recording industry shared the same desire for the high end sound. The change came when the cheap ones improved. Then the consumer and industry people went different directions. The industry people wanted the most accurate reproduction while the consumer bought the sound they liked and the two are not always the same.

Regarding the Sony.

I would not be afraid of it because four people returned them. When I bought a combo vcr/dvd recorder, the store had seven returns. The reason, people couldn't figure out how to set it up. I bought one of the returns for work and the thing runs eight hours a day for the last month without a hitch.

[Bix]

Best quality: JVC, Pioneer
Decent quality: Sony, Toshiba
Most hackable: ILO, LiteOn
Most overrated: Panasonic

Yes?

[gshelley61]

I'd have to agree with trhouse on returned DVD recorders. They are not as simple to use as a VCR is, and it is probable that many who buy them discover this fact and become frustrated - thus the returns.

[nickyboy4]

The Pioneer does not write +R, also stay far away from JVC unless you dont mind sending a brand new machine in for repairs.
Liteon has a pretty good +R machine at a good price.

[handyguy]

"I would not be afraid of it because four people returned them."

Alot of people return because they think it can copy a commerical dvd, which of course, it cannot.

[kenmasters83]

i have the ilo machine it makes excellent recordings from digital cable's hbo on demand..

[victoriabears]

I got a Daytek from Costco for Can$249 and I have never seen such a user friendly machine and the hack for region free again has to be seen to be believed.

Dunno about longevity, but didn't somone say they have same chipset as Lite-on or JVC ?

Must admit I'd get a cheap one with a cheap extended warranty for about 60% the price of a big name brand and just buy another updated one if it broke down afetr the warranty.

I have to generally agree with the picture quality of the panny though, the Toshiba is very nice to use but has soft image quality.

[J C]

Thanks for all of your help.

I decided to go with the Ilo DVD Recorder. I like that it is also hackable and one of the hacks at http://www.ss3f.com/ilo/r04.htm can let you disable macrovision (a big problem I had with my last DVD Recorder)

[djohlson]

Thanks for all of your help.

I decided to go with the Ilo DVD Recorder. I like that it is also hackable and one of the hacks at http://www.ss3f.com/ilo/r04.htm can let you disable macrovision (a big problem I had with my last DVD Recorder)

what does "hackable" mean?

[djohlson]

OK. Many seem to think LiteOn is a good product. Which is better 5001 or 5005?

[lordsmurf]

Some bad info floating around in this thread.

Be sure to read this:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=263168

[handyguy]

I was looking at the price for Panasonic 85hs. $369 (with shipping) to $599 w/o shipping. It's amazing how the price varies for the same thing.

[djohlson]

I've checked out LiteOn 5005 and Sanyo DRW 500. Both are under $200--so good price. I'm sending the LiteOn back. It works, but the playback pictures are not good--somewhat blurry. I don't want to record on the 1 or 2 hour speeds. I like more on a disc. The Sanyo ($170 at WalMart) has better quality in my book. I know you don't hear much, if anything, about Sanyo in chat rooms. I had a Philips DVR80--good for 18 mos. I might still compare the Philips DVR75 and Magnavox 640 if I don't go crazy in this quest for the perfect recorder. I like the Panasonic ES10S from what I've read. But it's mainly -R and I have 100+ discs recorded on +RW that I couln't rewrite on the Panny.

[DVWannaB]

The Pioneer does not write +R, also stay far away from JVC unless you dont mind sending a brand new machine in for repairs.
Liteon has a pretty good +R machine at a good price.

Hate to say it and agree with nickyboy4, but I have personal experience with the JVC in the shop after ONLY 3 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!. We can spin that nayway we want to, from bad unit/lemon, to operator error, etc etc etc...... but the bottom is that it is in the shop. Be very wary of new JVC products. They work REALLY REALLY GREAT, but the question will always linger.............. when?

[handyguy]

Panasonic has a couple of new ones out, one second from power on to record, reads & writes every format disk there is.

$392 approx:
The DMR-EH50 series DIGA DVD Recorder with 100GB Hard Disk Drive offers users up to 177 hours of recording time. TV Guide On Screen Program Guide. Lightning-fast response in start-up, recording and Electronic Program Guide display- as quick as 1 second. Records DVD-RAM, DVD-R, +R and DVD-RW discs; and can play back DVD-RAM, DVD-R, +R, DVD-RW, +RW, DVD-Audio, DVD-video, video CD, audio CD (CD-DA), and CD-R/RW MP3/JPEG formatted discs..

[DVWannaB]

when is panny going to offer FR in their machines?

Does Panny have a "JUST DUB" feature, which allows you to record on HD, lets say at XP, then burn to DVD -/+R and uses ALL space on the disk (4.35GB)?

Inquiring minds want to know?

[djohlson]

In the past week, I've checked out the Sanyo DRW 500, the LiteOn 5005 and the Magnavox 640. I returned the Sanyo--slow and didn't record with timer; the LiteOn--playbacks too fuzzy for me. I kept the Magnavox and I am happy. I had a Philips DVR80 and I like the format of listing titles as boxes below each other rather than the big box side-by-side that are used by Sanyo and LiteOn. The Magnavox picture is clearer and it's easier for me to maneuver around menu. But the manual is often very frustrating. But can't have everything. One thing--not on the box but feature listing from Best Buy, said the recorder could show photo discs. I asked the clerk if that meant jpeg and he said yes. Well, if my 640 can use jpeg I don't know how to do it. Any suggestions??? I know Magnavox/Philips aren't rated highly by users of this chat room and others on the Net. Even so, I'm happy with my selection. And now I know how to evaluate the reviews and user comments. Testing these 3 dvd recorders and comparing my experiences with what's been written was worth the time and effort. Don't believe everything you read! Some how you have to do some testing on your own. Good luck

[trhouse]

According to these specs from the Philips site it can playback CD jpeg's. Your not thinking it can playback dvd jpeg's?

http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/m/mrv640_17/mrv640_17_pss_aen.pdf

[djohlson]

No trhouse, I am using CD-R. The recorder reads the disc and displays ROM but nothing happens when I push "play." I've tried this on several CDs that have worked on my Cyberhome DVD player. But that quality is less than Magnavox and I wanted to see it on the 640. I don't know if there's something I can do during the burn of the CD that would make it acceptable to the 640. The manual does say it can play CD-R and CD-RW. I've tried both--no luck.Any suggestions?

[spiderman2k1]

I have a Panasonic E80 and it's a year and a half old now.

Have not had one problem with the unit so far, works every time I turn it on so far.

Pioneer is coming out with “Dual Layer DVD Recorders” in Japan. They should be making there way over seas soon. Most likely some time in the fall.

One thing Pioneers have some problems with VHS tapes backing them up. Panasonic has had some people not happy with “GemStar TV Guide programmer” with E85 and up. I have a older model E80 that does not have the “GemStar TV Guide programmer”.

[trhouse]

djohlson,

I wonder if by "Picture CD", Magnavox is referring to this specific software with that title,

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/t140463.html