Where can i find a good HDD Recorder?

[DroWni]

I tried best buy and alot of stores and they don't have anything. I even tried ebay but everything is used.

From what I read, I'm looking for a Toshiba RD-XS35 or something better (not as expensive as JVC)

Thanks

[gshelley61]

eBay is probably going to be it. Mostly used or refurbished, but some new stuff is available there as well.

[samijubal]

I scored a new XS35 on ebay a couple of months ago, there was at least one more sold new at the same time. You may have to watch for awhile to get one but it can happen.

[victoriabears]

How about Philips dvdr 3575 or 3576

[oldfart13]

Wal-Mart also might have them. 80 Gig ones are available from Wal-Mart Canada. I'd like to get one just to see what (if anything) can be modded on them....

[lordsmurf]

What are you wanting to use it for? Off tv, convert VHS, convert DV? Different desired uses will mean different recorder suggestions.

[DroWni]

Convert VHS. I have about 500 video tapes, mostly concerts.

[jman98]

Philips has announced plans to abandon the North American marketplace for DVD recorders in 2009, but for now they have a highly regarded model with a 160GB hard drive that is said to be excellent for VHS to DVD recording.
I thought seriously about buying one to convert some old tapes I have, but long story short, those were tapes of an old TV show not on DVD. I have now discovered a channel that shows it in re-runs and I'm getting better quality to record that than to try to convert my old low quality VHS tapes of it to DVD.

[TBoneit]

I suspect that if you can get a new Pioneer with hard drive you would like the features.

OTOH the Philips tunes ATSC and QAM from basic cable. The one basic menu it creates is not as nice as the choices on the Pioneer.

Havng both I use the Pioneer for everything except the locals due to the control it gives over the input settings. The locals I set the timer to record from the HD channels and that gives me a better quality DVD.

[handyguy]

Convert VHS. I have about 500 video tapes, mostly concerts.

You don't need a HD for that. There are a lot of dual vhs/dvd units that can do that much faster. Put in vhs, put in blank dvd, select COPY. that's it.

[samijubal]

Know that if you buy a Pioneer it won't be a U.S. model, they don't market them in the U.S. anymore, therefore it won't have any warranty, unless it's through the seller, which would only be as good as the seller.

[jman98]

Convert VHS. I have about 500 video tapes, mostly concerts.

You don't need a HD for that. There are a lot of dual vhs/dvd units that can do that much faster. Put in vhs, put in blank dvd, select COPY. that's it.

True, but some might want to do editing prior to burning or use the hard disk as a DVR, neither of which you can do with a recorder without a hard disk. Also, the Philips might able to be put into multi-region mode whereas combos units rarely can.

[DroWni]

Convert VHS. I have about 500 video tapes, mostly concerts.

You don't need a HD for that. There are a lot of dual vhs/dvd units that can do that much faster. Put in vhs, put in blank dvd, select COPY. that's it.

Well, I would like editing, that's why I would prefer a HDD recorder. I actually have an ILO DVDR04, it's been fine so far, but sometimes when the tapes are too grainy it records alot of blocks.

[lordsmurf]

Combo units almost always have inferior quality VCRs inside -- many barely function at all.

For conveting VHS tapes, you should get a unit that filters tape errors. Few do this. The JVC DR-M10 , DR-M100, DR-M30 and DR-M300 do. So do the Toshiba XS-series units. These will only be found used, so check eBay. These units will make DVDs look BEtTER THAN the tape did. Most DVD recorders make tapes look the same or worse (usually worse, especially most Panasonic crap).

[samijubal]

Not necessarily true on the used part, I got a new XS35 a couple of months ago on ebay and the seller had at least one more new one too. I've seen other new Toshibas on ebay too, they usually sell for a pretty hefty price, mine had an incredible buy it now price, but new ones do come up now and then.

[Seeker47]

I suspect that if you can get a new Pioneer with hard drive you would like the features.

OTOH the Philips tunes ATSC and QAM from basic cable. The one basic menu it creates is not as nice as the choices on the Pioneer.

Havng both I use the Pioneer for everything except the locals due to the control it gives over the input settings. The locals I set the timer to record from the HD channels and that gives me a better quality DVD.

Even though the Pioneer (or any of the other standalone DVD recorders) only record in SD, like you I go with the HD channel feed of the same program, whenever there is one. I think it offers a much better signal to record from. The results I've gotten from this have been quite satisfactory, and sometimes better than that. If I felt a real need to record HD -- and since the PVRs from the Cable / Sat providers that most Americans seem to be happy with do not (*) let you portably archive what you've recorded -- I guess I'd go the HTPC route with a Hauppauge, ADVC, or whatever the best capture card option seemed to be.

{* No need to remind me again about Tivo2Go, if that's what it's called: I suspect that the number of people who have gone that way does not greatly exceed the number that opted to build their own HTPC. While neither option is terribly appealing to me, I think I'd rather go with a HTPC, which is apt to be far more versatile and subject to my control, than with some cockamamie proprietary thing that could have the rug pulled out from under it at any time.}

[lordsmurf]

Not necessarily true on the used part, I got a new XS35 a couple of months ago on ebay and the seller had at least one more new one too. I've seen other new Toshibas on ebay too, they usually sell for a pretty hefty price, mine had an incredible buy it now price, but new ones do come up now and then.

I mean "new" as is you cannot walk into a "big box" store (Best Buy, etc) and get one off the shelf. I've also seen some new ones online, such as eBay and smaller stores.

[kennywally]

The only one being made for the usa that I'm aware of, is the philips model.

I'd rate it fair, but that's it. I'm very happy with my panasonics, which will not last forever but are no longer being made, but there are some online stores with old stock, so you may get lucky.

A converter box will kind of fix the issues with broadcast tv, I know, because I don't have cable either.

I never used a tape to dvd burner, so I got no input there.

I see a bunch of great comments here, you should be able to find something after digesting all of this.

[FulciLives]

http://www.220-electronics.com

This is a reputable on-line retailer of import electronics.

I recommend them if you want to buy a Pioneer HDD DVD recorder.

The cheapest model they have is the DVR-340H which has a built-in 80GB HDD and can record in NTSC or PAL. It is an Asian unit but it is new. This model would be my suggestion if you want to get away "cheap". Note the price is $389.00 US Dollars.

For about $90 more you can get the DVR-550H which has a built-in 160GB HDD with NTSC/PAL recording and is a slightly newer model although quality wise I doubt you will see a difference in regards to recording quality. However it does offer a few "enhancements" in that the HDD is twice the size plus it can output 1080p plus it has a FireWire input (one feature some would miss on the DVR-340H model).

I have an old USA model Pioneer HDD DVD recorder (the DVR-531H-s model) and I have always been happy with the quality of the recordings. Granted the built-in DVD burner died on me but I'm in the process of fixing that (fingers crossed) otherwise I might be buying the DVR-340H myself at some point.

Below is a link to an old thread where I posted some still images of recordings that I had made with the Pioneer DVR-531H-s

Link ---> https://forum.videohelp.com/topic284140.html

I wish you luck with whatever it is you decide to purchase!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Seeker47]

I have an old USA model Pioneer HDD DVD recorder (the DVR-531H-s model) and I have always been happy with the quality of the recordings. Granted the built-in DVD burner died on me but I'm in the process of fixing that (fingers crossed) otherwise I might be buying the DVR-340H myself at some point.
- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Good to hear that, John. I think it is probably well worth fixing. I forget, but didn't you determine that the burner in that one was a Pioneer 109 ? Once you do that, I would recommend you put some good power-protection ahead of that gear -- if it is not already present. Then you shouldn't have to worry about surges or storms, and can hopefully get some more good years out of it.

btw, were you aware that your fave director made at least one Western and at least one sex comedy ? Just about every Italian director with a long resume over that period was sure to have dabbled in other genres.

[FulciLives]

Lucio Fulci actually started out making comedies although most of these are next to impossible to find these days ... at least outside of Itay and I don't speak Italian.

He did make at least three spaghetti westerns that I am aware of yet I've only seen one of them: Massacre Time

Massacre Time is not nearly as good as a Sergio Leone western (few movies in any genre are as good) but Massacre Time is one of the better spaghetti westerns ever made and it does star Franco Nero who was made famous due to the spaghetti western Django!

As for my Pioneer ... I have a working replacement DVD burner and instructions on how to swap it in for the old dud burner. Seems simple enough I just need to find the time to do it. I only got this replacement DVD burner recently. My understanding is that it is essentially a 109 model but not the same "stock" 109 that was sold for computers ... I seem to recall it is slightly different with a slightly different interface etc.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman