What's the best DVD recorder out there right now?

[ChachiFace]

Just curious, is there a standalone DVD recorder out there right now that seems to be better than most of the others? Any suggestions?

[BJ_M]

without a question the Pioneer PRV-LX1 is the very very best right at this time ...

of course it is also $4000 with the optional second drive/burner

[ChachiFace]

Wow! I'm looking for something > $1000US or so though. I should have said that.

Anyway, I'm looking for a DVD recorder with a HD for editing and if possible the ability to create chapter points and menu backgrounds. Anything out there like that?

[thor300]

Wow, what a recorder. That for sure answered your original question in a VERY convincing way. Or anyone know a better recorder?

[lordsmurf]

The best 4-HOUR mode quality around is found on the APEX DRX-9000.
That's what I wanted, so that's what I bought.

"Best" depends on what you want to do.

[BJ_M]

The best 4-HOUR mode quality around is found on the APEX DRX-9000.
That's what I wanted, so that's what I bought.

"Best" depends on what you want to do.

hey -- the pioneer does 4 and 6 hour modes also !

[thor300]

Apex is only a no-name brand, not exactly what comes to my mind when talking about DVD players or recdorders. Those things being sold under all kinds of name around the world, a new one i just heard was Digitrex, in Australia that is. And i seen posts where people complain about the quality of the 4 hour mode of DRX-9000, so how good is it? They even sell them in grocerystores here, what IS that?

[FulciLives]

The Panasonic models are probably your best bet.

The Sony model that is out now is also very good but more expensive and no HDD although it has an ever-so-slight edge in image quality over the Panasonic units.

Panasonic is cheaper (if you don't need a built-in HDD) or you can get a Panasonic with a built-in HDD which is very handy.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[chas0039]

From my limited experience it would be important to know what it is you want to record. I have a Panasonic E-50 which is great for off air and tape archives but is limited by the lack of affordable rewrite options (RAM only). Most of my other players are RAM compatible and I have a bunch of RAM discs so off air is afforable, and the choice of -R media is fine for my VHS transfers. Also the TBC and variable bitrate is superb. FWIW

[lacywest]

The best 4-HOUR mode quality around is found on the APEX DRX-9000.
That's what I wanted, so that's what I bought.

"Best" depends on what you want to do.

Hey Smurf ... can you display some links that supports your information.

Or is this from your own experience ??

[ChachiFace]

As mentioned above in my subsequent post to the original...the DVD recorder whould require an HD....its the only way to go. I used to have a Panasonic DMR-HS2....(I think that's what the model was) anyway it was awesome. I just got rid of it cause it could create your own chapter points and I was having some compatibilty issues which I belive just turned out to be media related.

[lordsmurf]

I tested out almost a dozen players. None of them touched the APEX in 4-hour mode. Most of them look the same in 2-hour mode and 1-hour mode.

Some of those hard drive features were nifty and all, but nothing I need. I have a PC to edit.

The only "flaw" I notice is the APEX, like other recorders (+RW especially), the IFO files tend to get corrupted if you attempt editing or finalization of the media. The effect is parts of your video disappears on playback (thought the info is still in the VOB, just skipped because of a faulty NAV info in the IFO).

Why do you need "documentation" or links of "proof" ? Nothing can point out what is the "one true best player" any more than any document will tell us the "one true religion". All we can do is share experience and knowledge. General consensus, under intelligent conditions, can help shape the rest.

As far as "Digitrex" and all, that's the APEX brand in Oz. Most "complaints" I hear about are user-related, normally from old firmware or bad media. My local grocery store sells Maxell DVD-R and JVC S-VHS. That does not make them lesser in quality. Just means your store is more open to better quality.

I actually found the Panasonic to be the lowest quality of all the players tested, below Apex, Pioneer, Sony and even Lite-On. Only exception is Cyberhome, which was a complete piece of crap for at least 3-4 reasons. I think Panasonic is talked about more simply because it is older and has more units out there, not because it's better.

BJ_M, the PIONEER 4-hour modes I saw were good, but I was looking at units under or around $1000. Luckily, I ended up with one of the lower-priced models (APEX), because it did what I wanted most: excellent 4-hour mode with no (or almost no) macroblocks.

When it comes to 4-hour mode, Panasonic was the single-worst brand. It must be part of the chips they use. The Panasonic TBC is also very overrated.

The APEX appears to have some sort of images processing/filters done. I cannot find tech specs on it, but I know what a filtered signal looks like, and this has it.

The only time I've ever seen a bad 4-HOUR on the APEX was Wrestlemania XX ... too much detail was on screen. Even 2-hour mode would have had issues (because 2-hour is almost an exact double of 4-hour, FYI). I needed max bitrates for that event, should have used the old trusty ATI card.

[ChachiFace]

Why do you need "documentation" or links of "proof" ? Nothing can point out what is the "one true best player" any more than any document will tell us the "one true religion". All we can do is share experience and knowledge. General consensus, under intelligent conditions, can help shape the rest.

don't know what you're talking about, I don't need doc or links of proof, I just wanted peoples opinions on what the best recorders out there were. I should have phrased the question more specific. thanks for your input though.

[lacywest]

Why do you need "documentation" or links of "proof" ? Nothing can point out what is the "one true best player" any more than any document will tell us the "one true religion". All we can do is share experience and knowledge. General consensus, under intelligent conditions, can help shape the rest.

don't know what you're talking about, I don't need doc or links of proof, I just wanted peoples opinions on what the best recorders out there were. I should have phrased the question more specific. thanks for your input though.

I think Smurf was aiming that comment at me.

I like Apex but spending more than $200 bucks ... I need to do some research first before I pull out my credit card.

[chas0039]

If you go to the link button on the left under DVD writers and specify stand alone models you can see other user's expierience on a lot of models, 22 users rated the Apex DRX-9000 for example. As is always the case, it depends on what you want the model for. Make sure you are looking at the same model you are considering as things change really fast in even within model lines and within the company. I was really interested in the Liteon models based on how good their DVD R/W drives were but a little searching turned up a lot of problems and too many firmware updates to solve problems as well as a model only a few months old that was already discontinued for support. In my case I wanted support.

[realmexican]

I am looking for the best one and cheap one (yes, yes I know I am asking for too much), I cannot get and use the expensive models from Panasonic, Pioneer or Sony. (AT my house everything is sony). So I got a Polaroid DVR-0800 at 200$, real cheap, I returned since it sometimes when you record more than 40 minutes it start inserting trash. Everything else was almost fine for the price. Anyway, I did some research and found the Sony GDRX7 records everything you capture between REC clicks, not too good for 600$. I found a number of Samsungs returned everywhere CC, BB you name, so may be aproblem with it. I recommen you reading the guides, the only problem is that is REALLY confusing having too many models for different markets in the same list, a lot of models are sold in EU or AUS, but not here in the US.

[lordsmurf]

Keep tabs on this thread:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215926

I'm attempting to do an under-the-hood test. I no longer care about brands. Much like capture chips and media IDs, I'm going for where it hurts.

[zanos]

The best 4-HOUR mode quality around is found on the APEX DRX-9000.
That's what I wanted, so that's what I bought.

"Best" depends on what you want to do.

you must have money to burn because I can't imagine wasting over 300 dollars on a piece of crap like Apex because you prefer the 4 hour mode on it compared to say the 4 hour mode on Panasonic dmr-e50. Does this 4 hour mode compare to high quality svcd or something because that is really the ONLY reason why anyone should get this machine and even then don't pay more than 200 for it.

[lordsmurf]

Zanos, I think putting money on a Panasonic is putting money in a sink-hole. There's nothing special about it. It's mediocre at best.

There are many other choices that look and operate so much better.

The APEX quality is excellent across the board, ESPECIALLY at 4-hour (not ONLY at 4-hour), and if you know your resolutions, whatever tradional stuff you feed it at 4-hour (352x480 DC10 2.5VBR, AC3 256k 2/0) will surpass the source. SP or XP is just wasting the disc space because you can. Or as the case with cature cards like the BT/CX types, because YOU MUST (lower res will suddenly die for no really good reason).

The 2-hour is almost an exact double of 4-hour, having a slightly more than double the res to 720x480, and then slightly double the bitrate to 5.5 VBR. No recorder really differs in the regard. The 2-hour is better than the 4-hour, but only slightly. The 4-hour is the real test of the encoder. If it can handle the Half-D1 with a fair bitrate, it'll handle almost anything.

Then again, some people actually think BT/Conexant chips are excellent, so to each his own I guess. I consider the Panasonic the BT/CX of recorders. It works, can often be over-priced, and is very common to find, but better options exist.

Is the APEX build the best around? Maybe not, but this new tech is all pretty sketchy right now. The LITE-ON 5005 uses the LSI chips too (like APEX) and should look as good, but with a potentially more reliable chasis.

[zanos]

Ok so what you're saying you get svcd quality at 4 hours right? Who doesn't want that? But for the price it aint worth it. No way. No matter what it's still made by Apex and that equals cheap, across the board. What difference will that 4 hour mode make when that thing breaks on you 6 months from now? Plus the apex doesn't even have a tbc in it. Whereas panasonics' is the best in the market and much better than any standalone one even. I'd say that is pretty special. The only thing I hate about them is the fact that they're still stuck on dvdram.

[rhegedus]

Pioneer DVR510

No more tying up my computer for TV captures

[rhegedus]

2 questions:

1 - wot, no SCART?

2 - I've noticed quite a few home electrical items with ethernet/LAN sockets on them (my cable TV box for starters). Can they be connected to PC, and if so what could I do with it?

[/img]

[jeex]

rhegedus,

its pretty rare to see a us/ntsc device with scart.

[rhegedus]

How do you connect DVD/VCR players to TV?

[holistic]

Scart (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs)

Nope . Won't find that on US equipment.

Typical Video - Component, S-video, RCA
Typical Audio - (stereo) RCA, Digital (RCA style or Optical)

[BJ_M]

2 questions:

1 - wot, no SCART?

2 - I've noticed quite a few home electrical items with ethernet/LAN sockets on them (my cable TV box for starters). Can they be connected to PC, and if so what could I do with it?

[/img]

Scart not on N.American or japan equipment - or on pro equipment (like this) ..

ethernet/LAN can be connected to LAN and in this case can be used for control and/or uploading/downloading files to the internal harddrive..

[rhegedus]

ethernet/LAN can be connected to LAN and in this case can be used for control and/or uploading/downloading files to the internal harddrive..

And on other electricals like cable boxes?

I've had a look at my cable box manual and it lists the ethernet/LAN socket under specs but doesn't say how it can be used.

Any ideas? I can't imagine being able to LAN a cable box.

[BJ_M]

it might be a x10 connection - i dont know ..

[hech54]

Ok so what you're saying you get svcd quality at 4 hours right? Who doesn't want that? But for the price it aint worth it. No way. No matter what it's still made by Apex and that equals cheap, across the board. What difference will that 4 hour mode make when that thing breaks on you 6 months from now? Plus the apex doesn't even have a tbc in it. Whereas panasonics' is the best in the market and much better than any standalone one even. I'd say that is pretty special. The only thing I hate about them is the fact that they're still stuck on dvdram.

You can stick that Panachronic's RAM disc up your a$$....of course it wont play there either...

[handyguy]

" is the fact that they're still stuck on dvdram."

That stuff lasts forever.

Plus, they also write to -R