VCR replacement

[yuhr]

I am not exactly a newbie - for many years I operated a VCR and a DVD player (I know that many of my college educated friends cannot program a VCR). But it is more of a habit, than a real knowledge. It worked fine with old technology, though.
Recently I bought an HDTV, subscribed to TWC, get cable box with its remote (neither came with a manual: apparently, TWC assumes that most people are born knowing how TWC gizmos work). I didn't want to spend hours to figure out the hookups and learn new things, so I paid TWC techie to do all hookups. Now I can play the DVD and the VCR. I am unable to record anything to VHS. The TWC techie said that my VCR should be always set to channel 3. So, I cannot record anything, manually or programmed. I did some quick Google search and realized that, in principle, recording is possible if I purchase digital-to-analog converter and use a different hookup, using a splitter for the cable. But even then I'd have manually turn the VCR to do recording. It just kills the purpose of programming!
My VCR is quite old anyway, and I doubt that even with additional help I'll ever be able to do smooth automatic recording. I decided to buy a DVD recorder, so I'll be able to record a few shows and later watch them zooming through commercials. I'll be able to watch commercial and home-made DVDs; I will keep my VCR to watch old VHS tapes, although eventually I hope to transfer them to DVD.
A few of my friends use cable company provided DVR, TVguide, etc. I do not want to depend on any cable company, less so on TWC. Besides, I do not watch much TV anyway, perhaps 4-5 hours/wk. I would like to buy a simple machine which would function more or less as my familiar VCR, ideally capable to burn VHS tapes to a DVD. I does not have to be an HD or Blu-Ray gizmo: I rarely keep recorded shows for any length of time; my wife prefers to watch old movies, often B&W, whicn are not HD anyway.
I do not believe in consulting sales people: in my experience they suggest to buy something which sells slow, not what I need. In short, I am asking for your advice.
TIA.

[jman98]

Note that using a DVD/VCR combo may (or may not) result in some issues where your VHS tapes will not record to DVD. They make those combo units ultrasensitive and they just sort of freak out sometimes and assume that homemade tapes are copy protected and refuse to copy them. This is less of an issue with separate DVD and VCR units. You might buy a combo and never see this problem, but I have to warn you that it is possible.

Just about everybody has abandoned the US market for DVD recorders. Magnavox makes a combo you can still find that's pretty cheap that might be good for your needs.