DVD Recorder Advice?

[ccn103]

With the holidays coming up, I think I am going to finally take the plunge and ask for a DVD recorder. I was wondering if I could get advice from anyone. I would like to get one for under $300. (FYI, I have a 40" HDTV 16:9 monitor main TV, with Comcast's HD cable box.)

Here are my thoughts:

1. I definitely want one with a hard drive. What does a 40GB Hard Drive equal in recording hours on the best speed? (Also - most of the cursory looks around the web at DVD recorders under $300 with a hard drive are all generic brands, that may be the way I have to go.)

2. It would be cool to record shows in High Definition to a DVD, but I'm sure that is out of my price range. Another concern of mine is that when I have my VCR hooked up to the Comcast box, the picture running through this input is lower quality. Will this be the same with the DVD recorder? Depends on the player?


That's it, I'm not looking for too many other bells and whistles. I want to use it to tape mainly football games and music programs, and to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD.

One more tech question. When I put my TV in 16:9 mode on "regular" def, the picture looks kind of shoddy. Should I switch to 3:2 mode when I am recording for the best possible picture?

Thanks,
Chad

[BradOlson]

I like my Sansui that I bought from Sears

[Jamie Tate]

I have two Panasonic recorders. One is just a DVD recorder and the other has a hard drive. I love them both.

My personal opinion is that the Panasonics just look better than other brands, both on the recording and playback.

I'm waiting for a non-tape based HD recorder.

[JorgeGvb]

You also need to determine which DVD format you want to use for recording. Many of them still do not record in all formats. I was looking at the new Sony the other day and it does not record in the DVD+R format, although it will read it.

[Jamie Tate]

Yeah, mine won't do DVD+R either.

What's the difference in +R and -R? I don't feel as though I'm left out because I can't do -R.

[BradOlson]

My VCR/DVD combo deck doesn't record to +R although it can record to -R but since my DVD burner on my computer does -R and +R I am settling with buying DVD-R discs for both which is no big deal anyway. My Sansui is just a recorder, not one with a hard drive on it.

[BradOlson]

http://www.videohelp.com/dvd

[BradOlson]

If I need any hard drive use, I record on a DVD-RW, finalize it, rip it with DVD Decrypter and then reformat the DVD-RW.

[JorgeGvb]

Yeah, mine won't do DVD+R either.

What's the difference in +R and -R? I don't feel as though I'm left out because I can't do -R.

-R was the original format and +R is supposed to be an new and improved format. Due to licensing, some players don't play one format or the other. This can pose a problem if you record something one format and it cannot be played on certain players in your home or on your computer. Most of the CD burners for the computer will use both formats, it is the stand alone players that may not compatible with either -R or +R.

This happened to a friend of mine. He purchased a bunch of blank +R and made copies of his kids movies. Then found out the DVD player the kids use could not play +R's. It was a rather inexpensive player and I gather to keep the cost down they decided to forgo +R. I think it was an Apex DVD player.