DVD Recorders Buyer's Guide
DVD Recorders
DVD recorders offer the ability to record in superb sound and picture quality without deterioration over time, which was a problem with Video Recorders.
No longer do you have to struggle to find a video tape and then make sure that the tape is at the correct location, as with DVD and HD recorders they record automatically at the end of the last item recorded as long as there is enough space on the disc itself.
DVD Recorders have lowered in price of late, and are now very good value. The price may have dropped because of the eagerly awaited Blu Ray and HD DVD Players and Recorders.
If you are looking to purchase a DVD Recorder or maybe want to update your set-up or replace your ageing video cassette recorder then this guide can tell you what to look out for when purchasing a DVD Recorder.
DVD Recording vs HD Recording
DVD Recorders that only record onto blank DVDs are usually a lot cheaper than their Hard Disk recording counterparts. Typically you will not find a recorder which only performs hard disk recording (other than the Sky+ box), as most recorders also allow you to record onto DVD as well.
Hard Disk recording is like your Hard Disk in your computer which has a lot of space record hours of programs. When buying a recorder see how larger the hard disk capacity is, the larger the GB figure, the longer the recording time you have at your disposal. Typical figures are 80GB, 160GB etc.
The future of television recording does seem to be with hard disk recording, the same technology that the Sky box uses, the only problem with this is that you cannot then replay anything you have recorded in another room, whereas if you record onto DVD you can take the disc and play it in most DVD players, a DVD recorder is also useful if you wanted to place your camcorder footage onto DVD.
DVD+ or DVD- discs for recording?
Most DVD recorders will support both DVD- and DVD+ discs, some are also compatible with DVD-RAM discs. The best type of disc to actually use is DVD+RW discs, as they have better error correction rates than DVD-RW discs.
It is also important to purchase good quality blank DVD discs such as TDK, Philips, Verbatim or Sony.
DVD-R or DVD+R discs only allow recording on once, so make sure that you always purchase DVD+RW or DVD-RW discs.
A number of DVD recorders also include built in Freeview which means you will be able to view and record Freeview through the DVD recorder, if you don’t already have a freeview box.
DVD Recorder/VCRs
If you are unsure whether you are prepared to give up your VCR and upgrade to a DVD recorder then a DVD recorder/VCR Combi is just what you need. Not only does it still give you the option of recording onto VCR as well as DVD, it also allows you to backup akk your videos on to DVD.
These machines are useful for now, but they may be an interim measure and will probably not be available in years to come when the use of VCR slows.
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