What DVD Recorder Should I Buy?

[bmck]

My first posting and I know this question has been asked 1,000 times. I want to record some TV programs and also convert VHS to DVD. I have a Digital Cablebox, a JVC TV, A JVC combo VHS recorder and DVD player. I am leaning towards a Pioneer DVR-310 . WIll this be suitable for my needs and give me reasonable video and sound quality? If not, is there something better in the price range of the Pioneer model? I have read reviews where the Pioneer was rated # 1 and other reviews where it was not on the list. Most coinfusing and frustrating for a newbee. Thank you. Bob McK.

[gertbigones]

Hi, i was in the exact same position just 3 weeks ago, i did plump for the Pioneer 5100h as i wanted to transfer some vhs to dvd, for what its worth the machine is very good looking and full of features, half of which i dont think i will ever use, but the picture quality is superb on an average quality television even in one of the lower quality picture modes.
i cant compare this to any other as i have only seen this one in operation, i guess what i am trying to say is that i am very pleased and do not regret buying it as it does what i want, and when i delve into the features a bit more and take some time to find out what else i can do i dont think i will be disappointed, also the other reason i went for pioneer was that they have been rock solid over the years for good quality products and the picture quality i get from a standalone dvd player i have is second to none, as always you will find someone that disagrees with what i have written but they will be wrong........

and remember a closed mouth gathers no feet !!

[lordsmurf]

This was recently covered here:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215346
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215926

What if the DVD recorders were cars?
- PANASONIC: 4-cylinder engine, fancy chrome wheels with neon lights and hydraulics (useless fancy junk). Early versions had floodlamps instead of headlights (IRE levels).
- APEX: V10 engine, tires a little low on pressure so beware of a blowout
- LITE-ON 5005: V10 engine, tires fine, body decent. The 5001 forgot to put in oil or ventilation.
- JVC: V10 engine, but steering wheel is on the right side
- PIONEER: V8 engine, drives great, expensive. Has SUV models too.
- SONY: V8 engine, drives great, expensive.
- TOSHIBA: V8 engine, SUV but back doors won't open
- SHARP: V8 engine, square wheels
- CYBERHOME: V6 engine, tires fell off while leaving lot
- MUSTEK: V6 engine, square wheels
- POLAROID: engine still unknown, hood was welded shut and the wheels fell off while leaving lot

[spiderman2k1]

I like Panansonic E80. Some people report that pioneer two hour mode and four and hour mode are not that good. But other say it fine. I like to have a hard drive in my DVD recorder.

[Tearren]

I am with Spidey, I really like the hard drive feature of my Panasonic DMR-HS2. The hard drive is WELL WORTH the extra dollars it costs.

While I certainly respect Lordsmurf's opinion and expertise, I think the review of the Panasonic is a little harsh. I have had mine for almost 2 years and it works great. The picture quality in SP mode recording, from S-video satellite, is great and in XP mode it is excellent. So, I would recommend a Panasonic with a hard drive (specifically the DMR-E80 or DMR-E100), based on my experience.

Tearren

[lordsmurf]

The picture quality in SP mode recording, from S-video satellite, is great and in XP mode it is excellent.

SP and XP mode (1-hour and 2-hour) look almost identical on every single machine I've seen. Panasonic has no edge here, it's as good as the rest.

It's 3-hour and 4-hour mode where the Panasonic fails miserably.

Hard drives are okay for those without a PC or a computer burner, but if given the choice, PC editing is vastly superior.

It all depends on what you want to do.

My tests are always aimed directly for the use of 3- or 4-hour mode, and with an understanding that editing must be done on a PC for it to be precise and professional looking. I can't stomach those bland menus (especially not the MS-DOS-looking Panasonic menus).

If a hard drive is required, the JVC or Pioneer have the distinct advantage, at least in my book. If no hard drive is needed, any LSI-chipped recorder has a clear advantage.

[Tearren]

lordsmurf wrote:

Hard drives are okay for those without a PC or a computer burner...

Actually, I use the harddrive as my PVR instead of a Tivo or any other device. Though there are a few extra steps to setup and record a program, I don't have to pay the extra monthly fee.

...PC editing is vastly superior.

I do my editing on the standalone, for me it easy and sufficient. One could still always edit on a PC with a Panasonic. (I should note when editing with the DMR-SH2, it will either have a slight pause or a drop in sound where you edit. It doesn't bother me though cause I only edit if it has comercials, and then it is not very noticable).

I can't stomach those bland menus

Could not agree with you more on this one, I hate the menus. I author my DVD's with DVD-Lab.

It's 3-hour and 4-hour mode where the Panasonic fails miserably

I mainly use the recorder in SP mode (2 Hours) for what I want to keep. The LP mode is a little better than VCR quality and EP mode is almost unusable. For me the FR feature is acceptable if the video is under 3 hours.

Tearren

[lordsmurf]

Using the HD for a TIVO ? Not a bad idea.

I tend to use mostly DVD+RW myself for similar reasons. No need to make a DVD+R if I only want to see it once.

[handyguy]

left column, dvd recorders, features & comments is worth reading.

[lordsmurf]

left column, dvd recorders, features & comments is worth reading.

Be sure to READ the comment too. Some people are stupid, and give 1's or 10's for no apparent reason.

I just got a good laugh at some of the negatives about the SONY models. I can't believe some people.

[jim15800]

question for Lordsmurf:
Which panasonic models did you test?

[spiderman2k1]

Lordsmurf testt he Panansonic E50 I think.

[lordsmurf]

I personally tested the E50 extensively, but I've gotten many discs from the E20, E30, and E80 ... maybe a few others too, but never checked too hard.

Aside from the early ones have bad IRE, they all look alike. The 4-hour mode has gotten slightly better in time, but still are below all the other recorder choices in terms of quality (maybe as good as the Cirrus chips, but that's not saying much, more of a negative than a positive).

I've also caught a lot of Panasonics (not sure whcih model ... yet) that odd-deinterlaces in 2-hour mode. I recently saw some footage that wanted to make me heave. I'm not sure what caused this, but it was NOT the source. Something fluky happened in that recording. It could have been user error (progressive mode), but haven't looked into it too much at this time.

The under-the-hood info on these recorders is not easy to find, been looking for two weeks, but judging from several factors the recordings all share, it obviously uses the same chipset or several generations within the same manufacturer.

Again, if you only want 2-hour mode, nothing wrong with a Panasonic. But a bit pricey to have to limit yourself to that one mode. It has its strong points (I think it records closed captions, you'd have to ask Spidey), but need to weigh the whole package.

Panasonic has about a third of the recorder market because it was one of the first. So it has a large fan base you have to beat off with a stick in order to do fair tests of its ability. Some of these newcomers are much better. Not hard to do, all they did was watch the competition, and then do better for cheaper. Welcome to big business.

[biznutch]

I finally broke down and purchased an E80 three weeks ago because Circuit City had a great open box price. This is my first standalone recorder and its great for what I use it for. Sure, I could always make things look prettier on my computer but I don't have much time for that.

[Zetti]

Please, note : I DON'T HAVE a stand alone DVD Recorder,

Anyway, as I know how to make nice menus, some guys keep filling my house with DVD's recorded in stand alone machines

I might say I am DEEPLY WELL impressed with the quality of the Philips Recorder, I don't know the model, I just know it's a PHILIPS cause their menus have a logo;

It's impressive that the recorder makes it with low bitrate, say 4 Mbps or so;

Zetti

[spiderman2k1]

Yes the Panansonic DVD recorder's do record Closed Caption subtitle's. Panansonic record's in Dolby Digital and "LPCM only in XP mode" both will keep closed caption. I almost went with the APEX the thing's that change my mind was one I want a hard drive and some time's I just do not have the time to edit on the PC and make DVD's. Two I want to have Dolby Digital 2.0 sound and keep the closed caption subtilte's.

I know this might sound weird but I like the EP mode for recording. When I want to record some thing and delete it after I watch it. EP is fine and I get ton's of time like a tivo. If I'm going to keep soming I'm going to record in XP SP and some time's LP if I'm low on space.

There a recorder for ever one. If you read lordsmurf posting the APEX is the right choice for him and if you read my post the Panansonic E80 was the right choice for me

If you do not care about a hard drive and Close caption subtitle's then get the APEX is a great DVD recorder ever one say's the LP rock's very good. And if you shop around you will find it for $300.00 dollar's. Now if you get the $500.00 dollar sony your just get closed caption subtitle's for extra $200.00 dollar's.

If you do not have time to edit DVD on the PC then Panansonic is the one to get and hard drive to record TV show and delete after you watch them. And if you want DD 2.0 sound and closed caption.

APEX is coming out with a DVD recorder with a 40gig hard drive soon. I still would not mind get a APEX recorder for a second DVD recorder.

I'm very happy with my Panansonic recorder. One of the reason I want it was to get off the PC little. I got sick of editting with MPEG2VCR and making menu's and if the DVD was to big using DVD2one to make it fit on a DVD-R

One other thing I like about the hard drive some time's I want to record for up to eight hour's or more. I need the hard drive if i'm not home to change DVD-R black's.

[lordsmurf]

Keep your eyes on LITEON for a while too. They use the LSI chips found in the APEX, but are adding more features to compete with Pioneer, Sony and Panasonic. Hard drives too.

[Neuron]

... I want to record some TV programs and also convert VHS to DVD. .... Thank you. Bob McK.

Hi, Bob-
I'm a happy owner of the Panasonic DMR-E60S and I'm very pleased with the purchase. This model is almost equal to DMR-E100, but no HDD and not so expensive as overpriced E100. Excellently build unit. Durable with the recording and playback (never failed so far). Esthetically correct and user friendly design. If you'll decide to buy Panasonic brand and do not need HDD, this particular model, with all its useful options, is the way to go. Just my 2c.

.

[elkfir]

I know this might sound weird but I like the EP mode for recording. When I want to record some thing and delete it after I watch it. EP is fine and I get ton's of time like a tivo. If I'm going to keep soming I'm going to record in XP SP and some time's LP if I'm low on space.

I don't mind EP mode either, especially if I'm getting low on HD space. I don't even mind archiving it to DVD-R if necessary, so long as I author by transfering to the PC without re-enconding. If I have to re-encode when using my DMR-HS2 for burning, then it's not worth it, quality drops too low.

[tjdmobile]

I have the LiteOn 5001 model. It has excellent quality. Last night, after 5 months using the LiteOn though, I hooked back up my Hauppauge PVR-250 card in the PC. I did this because the 5001 doesn't have interval OTR, and I get tired of setting alarm timers to shut down a recording.

Disappointed to say that the Hauppauge beat both this and my Philips recorder out of the water in terms of quality in 4 hour mode. I can set the Hauppauge to 720 x 480, 2300 bps average, 4400 bps peak and there is hardly any macroblocks. 4 hour mode on the stand-alones always produce macroblocks, even on the news.

Bottom line, I use my standalone for programs which I will only view once, and will work out in 1 or 2 hour mode. 3 or more hours will offload to the Hauppauge. Too bad really, as the standalone saves time in burning (since it does this real-time), but that time savings is lost if you want to re-author your title to make it more compatible with other players. On DVD+RW models (like mine), it records in DVD+VR format. Although I don't own any players which refuse to load it, folks at my work have players that won't. Also, DVD+VR format doesn't allow you to time seek your video. If you don't have any chapter marks, you think you have gone back to video tape (linear, you have to FF or RW to move around. Hopefully DVD-VR doesn't have this problem.

[Denvers Dawgs]

lordsmurf what are your views on these 2 models (if any).......these are the main 2 I'm looking at right now.....


Philips DVDR75 - Progressive-Scan DVD+R/+RW Recorder


Lite On LVW-5001 - Progressive-Scan DVD+R/RW Recorder with Digital Video Link


Sticking with DVD+ because that's what I've found to work best for me....

[lordsmurf]

lordsmurf what are your views on these 2 models (if any).......these are the main 2 I'm looking at right now.....

Philips DVDR75 - Progressive-Scan DVD+R/+RW Recorder

Lite On LVW-5001 - Progressive-Scan DVD+R/RW Recorder with Digital Video Link

Sticking with DVD+ because that's what I've found to work best for me....

Much like Cyberhome, the Philips is not a top performer, not so much because of medium-decent quality (because there are better ones for not much more $), but because it operated horribly. Operation gets bad marks, quality gets medium marks. Let's just say Philips isn't for me. Mediocre machine that many may like, but there is better and at equal or lesser cost.

LiteOn gets high marks from the LSI encoder chips its uses. The 5001 has no fan, so it gets less points and can die from overheating. The 5005 added a fan, get that one. This gets my #1 vote as all around best encode quality, with one of the best made-to-last bodies.

I too believe DVD+RW is the best re-recordable standalone format, after having tested them. DVD-RAM is technically better, but impossible to play anywhere other than the recorder. DVD-R and DVD+R writing is 100% userless to me. I use these as VCR replacements most times, or as an extra capture device. They have strong points.

The LiteOn likely has the same image pre-processing that Apex and JVC have. Very nice results from VHS transfers.

I also have no need for a hard drve (HD), so I dismiss it in tests. Quality is more important that a drive. Both LiteOn and Pioneer have models here or on the way if you need HD.

[Denvers Dawgs]

Thx for you info lordsmurf....I have another question for you. The only reason I'm looking at the philips is because it includes vcr+, which when set can record shows for me. I'm only really going to use the dvd recorder to record tv shows(like a vcr). I'm not looking for numerous options, just a recorder with good video quality and a tv guide feature. So my question is are there anyother dvd recorders that, you know and may recommend, that include this feature or similar?