Advice needed re new recorder

[Bishop123]

My old style combined VHS and DVD recorder has finally broken down and is beyond repair. I need to go out and buy a new DVD recorder but the question is which type. Also, any recommendations regarding particular brands and models would be gratefully received. Thanks.

 

[ericmark]

Much depends on where you record from. I bought a DVD/Hard-drive recorder very cheap as it does not have freeview and since I also have Sky+ I only use it for long term storage and to record with firewire from cam corder it does all I want.

I would say you do need the hard drive as I can remove all adverts before going onto DVD so I can fit more onto each DVD.

However the Hard Drive on Sky+ is so easy to use and it seems there are similar systems for free to air and freeview.

Sky+ will not record onto DVD direct and stores in encrypted format so to keep one does need second recorder and my cheap second recorder allows 6 hours of live TV not just the 1 hour of Sky+ but it's a real pain if you want to set a timed record as to start recording it has to be in standby. The one before which was only DVD was the same.

But the live recording can be made permanent then divided and just bit wanted kept. The old DVD recorder would record anything and I had transferred many old VCR films to DVD but new one reports as being copyright and will not.

Old one could only name with 8 letters new one allows around 20 which is more useful.

The Philips my new one I am very pleased with and at less than £100 new I think I did right not paying for freeview however had I not got sky then I think I would have felt different.

 

[JohnD]

The Panasonic recorders tend to come out very well on "Which" tests and I am very pleased with mine.

However I also have a lite-on with a large hard disc as well as a DVD drive, and I strongly recommend you look at a recorder with a hard disk if you can afford it. I am very happy with mine and only bought the Panasonic because it has a Digital tuner which my older recorder does not have. It also means I can use the same remote for TV and recorder as they are the same brand.

DVD recorders are relatively unreliable, so look for an extended warranty

 

[Alison556]

I've got two Panasonic DVD recorders - one is disc only and the other is hard drive and disc. I really like them - the electronic programme guide is really easy to use (very much like Sky's) and with the newer one (the one with the hard drive), you can set it to record an entire series (much like Sky) and you can be watching a recorded programme whilst recording something else. They're a bit expensive I guess but I feel worth it.

 

[Bishop123]

Thanks for all three replied so far. All very helpful. I have been looking at the Panasonic range and I think that I will go for one of theirs with a hard drive.

 

[Donkmeister]

Contrary as always, I would ask "Do you actually need the DVD recording capability?".

I ask, because almost everyone I know with a DVD recorder uses it to record things off the TV, watches them once then either records over it or puts it in the cupboard and never watches it again. A DVD recorder seems to make sense as a VHS replacement, but it's not the only solution available now.

Even the top-of-the-range Sony DVD recorder only has one Freeview tuner, so you can't do things like pause one channel whilst you're watching another. But, twin-tuners seems to be a common feature even on the cheaper hard-disk recorders.

For most people a twin-tuner hard-disk recorder works best.

Of course, it's your cash so get what you like!

 

[ChrisFrost]

I'd second Donkmeister's suggestion. I've hardly used the disc recording part of my DVD-HDD recorder. The hard drive gets used most, then the recordings erased after watching.

If I were buying again I'd go for a Humax or Topfield freeview PVR.