HELP thinking of purchasing a DVD recorder

laoisfan

Hi

As the title states, I am thinking of purchasing a dvd recorder.

Now from what I have been to read up on, it would seem to make sense to go with one that has an internal hard disk and also that it can record/play DVD- and DVD+.

Is this right?

Can people recommend some models/brands? Some links would be useful. Will continue to do a google myself.

--laoisfan

aidan_dunne

I want to jump in on this thread as well, laoisfan, if that's okay with you as I have the same question. Currently thinking about buying a DVD recorder with built-in hard drive. Something that can preferably read and write both formats of recordable disc (DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW) along with the usual CD-R/RW, MP3, VideoCD/Super VideoCD and, if at all possible, DivX and XviD as well. In terms of hard drive size, something above 80GB or so if possible with the ability to do the "pause live TV" function thingy as well. Anyone here have something that can do all of (or most of) those things or can recommend one to me?

Was thinking about the Tevion one, I think it was, that was on sale in Aldi a few weeks ago. Seemed to be pretty good and came with a 160GB hard drive. The only things stopping me from buying it were:

1: I wasn't too sure about the whole "picking up all the channels" problem that some people were talking about in this thread (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=294636). I'm on Chorus analogue cable so I'd need something that would work properly with that and I didn't know if the Tevion one would or not.

2: There's no Aldi here in Portlaoise! So that ruled it out pretty much straight away anyway! But, if there had been no major issues with it, I probably would have travelled to the nearest one to buy it.

I was looking at the Philips DVDR3300H that's in the current Argos catalogue (page 819, item 3) for €449.99. It only has an 80GB hard drive and, as far as I can see, only records to DVD+R and +RWs. Looks like it doesn't record onto DVD-R/RW format discs. I don't even know if it reads -R/RW discs either. And it doesn't do DivX/XviD either, from what I can tell. But I was just wondering if anyone here had one and could give me their opinion on it.

Thanks for your help, in advance, oh wise ones of the Home Entertainment forum!

karltimber

lads,

I was in the same boat as yourselves - wanted a sky+ box without subscriptions and also a dvd recorder + hard drive.

So, I have decided to build a pvr - personal video recorder.
This is essentially a pc (in either a desktop/tower or special htpc box) and it uses Media Portal (free software compared to windows media edition) to record,burn,get sched off the web/pause tv --all the things a bought one can do.
I am putting in a 200gb hd into mine

have a look at www.byopvr.com --- build your own pvr.com

it's a good website.
I could easily buy one as in the specs you showed but I can build one for about e500 to my taste and it's like a mini project.

hope this helps.
I might keep an account of what I am doing and post some day with pics.

Maxwell

Im looking for a resonable DVD recorder aswell as even though I am looking to set up a Media PC - I want to have something easy enough for my wife to use all the time (as simple as the old video recorder way!!!)

I presume 80gig and up - but just something easy to use, okay quality and looks okay in my set up.

Anyone got any links to any on line shops/outlets etc?

atgate

I just bought a LG RH7500 from Dixons for €369 (approx). It has an 80GB HDD (upgradable to at least 250GB if you google for instructions). It records to HDD, DVD+/- R, DVD+/- RW, DVD+R Dual Layer. Reads almost anything except DVD RAM. Does read DivX. Has high speed copy from HDD to DVD. Can dub (unprotected material) from DVD to HDD. Can copy and hold DivX from CD or DVD (same with MP3 and Jpeg files).

Other stuff: Timeshift (pause live TV), Progressive Scan on Component out, Firewire in.

I've only played with it for a few hours but so far it rocks for the money.

Also, there's an easy way to make it region free (google) and it has a full irish tuner (good tuner too).

Hopes this helps!

MarkR

karltimber wrote:

So, I have decided to build a pvr - personal video recorder.
This is essentially a pc (in either a desktop/tower or special htpc box) and it uses Media Portal (free software compared to windows media edition) to record,burn,get sched off the web/pause tv --all the things a bought one can do.
I am putting in a 200gb hd into mine

have a look at www.byopvr.com --- build your own pvr.com

Been torn between buying a dvd hdd recorder off the shelf, or building one in a htpc case. Most of the sites i've checked were american, and I wasn't sure about what would be needed for an irish setup. Could you pm your proposed setup?