Question:
My wife wants me to buy a DVD recorder. Am I right in thinking that there are two standards? Which should I buy?
Which machines are worth looking at?
Thanks in advance!
Panasonic DMR-E50 from http://www.digital-point.co.uk/
And your in the wrong forum :)
This is better suited to the hardware forum I think.
Moving...
All of the machines are WORTH looking at, all of them are better than a VCR!
The E50 is a good bet, though get an E60 if you want firewire camcorder input.
The Phillips ones are cheap though allegedly not that reliable and the latest model scores poorly in WHF for original DVD playback.
The Sony is superb and is a brilliant standalone player but it costs more than a Panny HS2 with hard disc. However it will do both - and + R and RW.
The HS2 is brilliance full stop though I would rate it merely good as a DVD player.
The Toshiba appears good but doesn't record in RGB.
The Pioneer is woefully overpriced though an excellent DVD player. A new (though far more hideous) Pioneer arrives shortly.
Bush etc will shortly launch the most affordable yet.
As to formats???
REWRITE
Basically RAM (Panasonic etc) v the + and - RW camps. - and + RW are capable of playing in a lot of other machines whereas RAM will not. RAM offers the best edititing.
WRITE ONCE
Most players offer - or + R. Both discs once finalised allegedly play in about 75% of players.
RAM players offer -R which means you do escape RAM's incompatability.
-R is reckoned by the majority as being the most preferable write once medium.
Now if you want to merely record and watch stuff yourself RAM looks good. If you want to share write once recordings again a RAM - R player looks good. If you want to share rewritable recordings with family then + or - RW is the way to go.
I got the Phillips DVDR880. Worked great at the start, but it's now a heap of junk. I can confirm it's unreliability. Tried upgrading firmware, which made it worse. It is very tempramental. Got to use the right discs. It will now only work with DVD+RW disks, which are not as compatible as the +R disks. My Panasonic player will only play work recorded on +R, but won't touch the +RW disks. The X box will play them both.
Have used the Panasonic at work and it has gone on and on for 18 months without any problems, which is more than I can say for the Philips.
As for formats, the +R and +RW format is very good. My Philips DVDR drive in my PC has worked well..very reliable indeed, it is just the Philips DVDR880 and others of that vintage that appear to be troublesome.
CLH was incorrect on one point.The Sony will not record on +R,only +RW.
The Toshiba does not allow direct recording onto DVD-R,only via transfer from the HDD.
Oh god not phelings again on his quest!
:rolleyes:
Originally posted by phelings
CLH was incorrect on one point.The Sony will not record on +R,only +RW.
The Toshiba does not allow direct recording onto DVD-R,only via transfer from the HDD.
Lucky I didn't buy and +R discs then!
Who the hell is Jelly Baby?
I was pointing out 2 inaccuracies.Slightly more useful comment than yours
Originally posted by phelings
Who the hell is Jelly Baby?
I was pointing out 2 inaccuracies.Slightly more useful comment than yours
If you look around he's often (well at least once) found to be accusing other posters of imaturity, check the most recent 'I hate cats posts'. :D
Anyway for the record my other half loves my panasonic E50 dvd recorder, despite my initial reservations at how I could justify it, it's already proved a major hit. At aroud £300 or less it's a bargain, buy one and you'll love it too.
If you haven't got Tivo, justify it on the grounds you can watch one programme on disk, whilst recording another, or even watch the start of a programme that's still recording.
mike
A few more questions......
The Panasonic looks excellent but if there is still a format war could i be left with a Betamax type recorder!
Is it possible to back up your existing dvd collection?
Are the blank discs expensive?
and finally can it record in dolby digital 5.1?
Thanks in advance
You can't back up original DVD's and to date you can't record in DD5.1. You can record in DD 2.0 Stereo which if you have a DPL2 amp isn't so bad IMO.
Anyway, for as long as blank media exists to support you're particular choice of recorder you'll never have a betamax (assuming you won't want to lend your recordings to anyone).
That comment applies mostly to re-writable media (+/-RW and RAM). All players will do write once -R or +R which should play in most existing players and virtually all future ones.
I bought 10 Blank DVD+RW TDK in Jewel Cases from John Lewis for £34.99 so £3.49 each and IMO that's pretty cheap. Avoid buying single ones from WHSmith etc.
Finally I think the Panasonic is untouchable for that price at the moment.
Originally posted by David G Rees
A few more questions......
The Panasonic looks excellent but if there is still a format war could i be left with a Betamax type recorder!
Is it possible to back up your existing dvd collection?
Are the blank discs expensive?
and finally can it record in dolby digital 5.1?
Thanks in advance
Who knows what's going to happen in the format wars, in all probability 5-10 years down the line, blueray is going to make dvd-ram, dvd+rw and dvd-rw all redundant.
You could backup dvds if you knew what you were doing regarding copy protection, but that cannot be discussed here.
blank rewriteable disks are all much of a muchness, whether dvd+- or ram. The more expensive rams come in cartridges which makes them better but not really comparable - although I have a source which makes them £2.37 each in cartridges which is v.good
mike
I believe a Kiss player is on the way with a 5.1 input.The format choice is basically down to what your requirements are.If you follow the official formats,-R and RAM,one offers compatibility with other players,and RAM offers superior minidisc type editing but no compatibility.Philips unofficial format sacrifices RAM sophistication but is the only Rewritable disc to offer player compatibility and be able to return to the recorder for deletion.
With-R and +R seemingly offering similar compatibility,the editable HDD on the Panasonic is the icing on the cake if you can afford it.Ideally Sky+ would be there too for making the red dot go away,and its dual channel capability.
So simply work out your priorities,then get the best you can with your budget.
Thanks for all the info...
Is it true that a recordable dvd drive for a pc can record the dolby 5.1 soundtrack?
Originally posted by steve lucas
I got the Phillips DVDR880. Worked great at the start, but it's now a heap of junk. I can confirm it's unreliability. Tried upgrading firmware, which made it worse. It is very tempramental. Got to use the right discs. It will now only work with DVD+RW disks, which are not as compatible as the +R disks.
Well why don't you send it back to where you brought it from?I did and philips replaced it with the philips 75 dvdr.
A pc burner will copy the 5.1 soundtrack,but you will need appropriate software to circumvent copy protection.You can't just stick a film in and copy it-everyone would be doing it
...and most commercial DVD's are dual layer - DVD recorders only write single layer. so you have a capacity problem too !
Originally posted by steve lucas
I got the Phillips DVDR880. Worked great at the start, but it's now a heap of junk.
I also had a Philips 890 that went tits up after 6 months and got a full money refund including the 3 years extra warranty I took out. Richer Sounds the retailer and you cannot fault them IMO..:)
I have the philips DVDR75 now for 2 months and its working fine with
+RW, have not tried +R yet. The +RW work on a JVC and my PC dvd writer ok.
Noxid
I have the philips DVDR75 now for 2 months and its working fine with
+RW, have not tried +R yet. The +RW work on a JVC and my PC dvd writer ok.
Noxid
Got the Philips DVDR70 yesterday from Currys for £289. (299- 10 off UK Frenzy voucher). Have tried +RW and they play fine in our XBOX and PS2. So far so good.
+R and +RW should play on all but the very earliest PS2's.Although playback on +RW is hit and miss,Sony have said that all new versions of the PS2 have been adjusted to fully support recordable dvd.Not RAM of course.
Any suggestions for a HDD \ DVD recorder combo? Seems to be an economical way of saving blank disks and getting rid of the need for lots of RWs or that ugly VHS recorder...
Originally posted by saucyminx
Any suggestions for a HDD \ DVD recorder combo? Seems to be an economical way of saving blank disks and getting rid of the need for lots of RWs or that ugly VHS recorder...
Panasonic HS2 right now although there are more Pannies coming.
There is a Toshiba but it doesn't accept an RGB input.
the HS2 is very good.....however, on LP record mode onto DVD, I have noticed some excessive pixeling. Has anyone else had this and how do you cure/minimise the effect? Is it my disks (Datawrite DVD-r) or do I have to put up with it.
can you record at one compression (say standard play) and then save on to DVD-R at another? say (Long play)??
If you wish to record something then transfer it to DVD for archiving,to maintain quality you need the model with HDD,or a Sky+.All dvd recorders of all formats are restricted to only one hour at peak quality.A 2 hour level recording transferred would still be good,but why lose quality when the option is there(albeit at a price) to keep it perfect.
The price of the Philips DVDR70 has officially been reduced to £299. Anyone else got experience of this recorder - multi-region, rce etc?
Originally posted by phelings
If you wish to record something then transfer it to DVD for archiving,to maintain quality you need the model with HDD,or a Sky+.All dvd recorders of all formats are restricted to only one hour at peak quality.A 2 hour level recording transferred would still be good,but why lose quality when the option is there(albeit at a price) to keep it perfect.
Believe the HS2 is a HDD machine. I read about the HS2 interfacing with Sky, is this a function or do you still need to set the timers seperately??
Originally posted by iceking
The price of the Philips DVDR70 has officially been reduced to £299. Anyone else got experience of this recorder - multi-region, rce ete thing - when used with my Compacks DVD5000 it allowed me to copy DVD's i.e. no protected DVD warning. Obviously this is breaking the law and I won't be doing it again:thumbs:
Edit
Haven't tried any hacks for other regions as it isn't an issue and I've got the Compacks anyway.
Do you know how the digibox timer does it and would it work with a Panasonic box?
The Sky+ is best for off air recording.Even if you get a HDD that will interface with digibox,you still have the digibox out of action while the HDD records from it.Ideally ,you would have Sky+ for recording,and a HDD for editing before transfer to disc for archiving.
New JVC DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R. Looks the Bee's Knees.
hiddenwires.co.uk/resourcesnews/news20030618-03.html
www.dvdinsider.com/news/view.asp?ID=4974
https://secure.cheapelectricals.co.uk/acatalog/Catalogue_DVD_recorder_198.html
Which machines are worth looking at?
Thanks in advance!
Answers:
Panasonic DMR-E50 from http://www.digital-point.co.uk/
And your in the wrong forum :)
Answers:
This is better suited to the hardware forum I think.
Moving...
Answers:
All of the machines are WORTH looking at, all of them are better than a VCR!
The E50 is a good bet, though get an E60 if you want firewire camcorder input.
The Phillips ones are cheap though allegedly not that reliable and the latest model scores poorly in WHF for original DVD playback.
The Sony is superb and is a brilliant standalone player but it costs more than a Panny HS2 with hard disc. However it will do both - and + R and RW.
The HS2 is brilliance full stop though I would rate it merely good as a DVD player.
The Toshiba appears good but doesn't record in RGB.
The Pioneer is woefully overpriced though an excellent DVD player. A new (though far more hideous) Pioneer arrives shortly.
Bush etc will shortly launch the most affordable yet.
As to formats???
REWRITE
Basically RAM (Panasonic etc) v the + and - RW camps. - and + RW are capable of playing in a lot of other machines whereas RAM will not. RAM offers the best edititing.
WRITE ONCE
Most players offer - or + R. Both discs once finalised allegedly play in about 75% of players.
RAM players offer -R which means you do escape RAM's incompatability.
-R is reckoned by the majority as being the most preferable write once medium.
Now if you want to merely record and watch stuff yourself RAM looks good. If you want to share write once recordings again a RAM - R player looks good. If you want to share rewritable recordings with family then + or - RW is the way to go.
Answers:
I got the Phillips DVDR880. Worked great at the start, but it's now a heap of junk. I can confirm it's unreliability. Tried upgrading firmware, which made it worse. It is very tempramental. Got to use the right discs. It will now only work with DVD+RW disks, which are not as compatible as the +R disks. My Panasonic player will only play work recorded on +R, but won't touch the +RW disks. The X box will play them both.
Have used the Panasonic at work and it has gone on and on for 18 months without any problems, which is more than I can say for the Philips.
As for formats, the +R and +RW format is very good. My Philips DVDR drive in my PC has worked well..very reliable indeed, it is just the Philips DVDR880 and others of that vintage that appear to be troublesome.
Answers:
CLH was incorrect on one point.The Sony will not record on +R,only +RW.
The Toshiba does not allow direct recording onto DVD-R,only via transfer from the HDD.
Answers:
Oh god not phelings again on his quest!
:rolleyes:
Answers:
Originally posted by phelings
CLH was incorrect on one point.The Sony will not record on +R,only +RW.
The Toshiba does not allow direct recording onto DVD-R,only via transfer from the HDD.
Lucky I didn't buy and +R discs then!
Answers:
Who the hell is Jelly Baby?
I was pointing out 2 inaccuracies.Slightly more useful comment than yours
Answers:
Originally posted by phelings
Who the hell is Jelly Baby?
I was pointing out 2 inaccuracies.Slightly more useful comment than yours
If you look around he's often (well at least once) found to be accusing other posters of imaturity, check the most recent 'I hate cats posts'. :D
Anyway for the record my other half loves my panasonic E50 dvd recorder, despite my initial reservations at how I could justify it, it's already proved a major hit. At aroud £300 or less it's a bargain, buy one and you'll love it too.
If you haven't got Tivo, justify it on the grounds you can watch one programme on disk, whilst recording another, or even watch the start of a programme that's still recording.
mike
Answers:
A few more questions......
The Panasonic looks excellent but if there is still a format war could i be left with a Betamax type recorder!
Is it possible to back up your existing dvd collection?
Are the blank discs expensive?
and finally can it record in dolby digital 5.1?
Thanks in advance
Answers:
You can't back up original DVD's and to date you can't record in DD5.1. You can record in DD 2.0 Stereo which if you have a DPL2 amp isn't so bad IMO.
Anyway, for as long as blank media exists to support you're particular choice of recorder you'll never have a betamax (assuming you won't want to lend your recordings to anyone).
That comment applies mostly to re-writable media (+/-RW and RAM). All players will do write once -R or +R which should play in most existing players and virtually all future ones.
I bought 10 Blank DVD+RW TDK in Jewel Cases from John Lewis for £34.99 so £3.49 each and IMO that's pretty cheap. Avoid buying single ones from WHSmith etc.
Finally I think the Panasonic is untouchable for that price at the moment.
Answers:
Originally posted by David G Rees
A few more questions......
The Panasonic looks excellent but if there is still a format war could i be left with a Betamax type recorder!
Is it possible to back up your existing dvd collection?
Are the blank discs expensive?
and finally can it record in dolby digital 5.1?
Thanks in advance
Who knows what's going to happen in the format wars, in all probability 5-10 years down the line, blueray is going to make dvd-ram, dvd+rw and dvd-rw all redundant.
You could backup dvds if you knew what you were doing regarding copy protection, but that cannot be discussed here.
blank rewriteable disks are all much of a muchness, whether dvd+- or ram. The more expensive rams come in cartridges which makes them better but not really comparable - although I have a source which makes them £2.37 each in cartridges which is v.good
mike
Answers:
I believe a Kiss player is on the way with a 5.1 input.The format choice is basically down to what your requirements are.If you follow the official formats,-R and RAM,one offers compatibility with other players,and RAM offers superior minidisc type editing but no compatibility.Philips unofficial format sacrifices RAM sophistication but is the only Rewritable disc to offer player compatibility and be able to return to the recorder for deletion.
With-R and +R seemingly offering similar compatibility,the editable HDD on the Panasonic is the icing on the cake if you can afford it.Ideally Sky+ would be there too for making the red dot go away,and its dual channel capability.
So simply work out your priorities,then get the best you can with your budget.
Answers:
Thanks for all the info...
Is it true that a recordable dvd drive for a pc can record the dolby 5.1 soundtrack?
Answers:
Originally posted by steve lucas
I got the Phillips DVDR880. Worked great at the start, but it's now a heap of junk. I can confirm it's unreliability. Tried upgrading firmware, which made it worse. It is very tempramental. Got to use the right discs. It will now only work with DVD+RW disks, which are not as compatible as the +R disks.
Well why don't you send it back to where you brought it from?I did and philips replaced it with the philips 75 dvdr.
Answers:
A pc burner will copy the 5.1 soundtrack,but you will need appropriate software to circumvent copy protection.You can't just stick a film in and copy it-everyone would be doing it
Answers:
...and most commercial DVD's are dual layer - DVD recorders only write single layer. so you have a capacity problem too !
Answers:
Originally posted by steve lucas
I got the Phillips DVDR880. Worked great at the start, but it's now a heap of junk.
I also had a Philips 890 that went tits up after 6 months and got a full money refund including the 3 years extra warranty I took out. Richer Sounds the retailer and you cannot fault them IMO..:)
Answers:
I have the philips DVDR75 now for 2 months and its working fine with
+RW, have not tried +R yet. The +RW work on a JVC and my PC dvd writer ok.
Noxid
Answers:
I have the philips DVDR75 now for 2 months and its working fine with
+RW, have not tried +R yet. The +RW work on a JVC and my PC dvd writer ok.
Noxid
Answers:
Got the Philips DVDR70 yesterday from Currys for £289. (299- 10 off UK Frenzy voucher). Have tried +RW and they play fine in our XBOX and PS2. So far so good.
Answers:
+R and +RW should play on all but the very earliest PS2's.Although playback on +RW is hit and miss,Sony have said that all new versions of the PS2 have been adjusted to fully support recordable dvd.Not RAM of course.
Answers:
Any suggestions for a HDD \ DVD recorder combo? Seems to be an economical way of saving blank disks and getting rid of the need for lots of RWs or that ugly VHS recorder...
Answers:
Originally posted by saucyminx
Any suggestions for a HDD \ DVD recorder combo? Seems to be an economical way of saving blank disks and getting rid of the need for lots of RWs or that ugly VHS recorder...
Panasonic HS2 right now although there are more Pannies coming.
There is a Toshiba but it doesn't accept an RGB input.
Answers:
the HS2 is very good.....however, on LP record mode onto DVD, I have noticed some excessive pixeling. Has anyone else had this and how do you cure/minimise the effect? Is it my disks (Datawrite DVD-r) or do I have to put up with it.
Answers:
can you record at one compression (say standard play) and then save on to DVD-R at another? say (Long play)??
Answers:
If you wish to record something then transfer it to DVD for archiving,to maintain quality you need the model with HDD,or a Sky+.All dvd recorders of all formats are restricted to only one hour at peak quality.A 2 hour level recording transferred would still be good,but why lose quality when the option is there(albeit at a price) to keep it perfect.
Answers:
The price of the Philips DVDR70 has officially been reduced to £299. Anyone else got experience of this recorder - multi-region, rce etc?
Answers:
Originally posted by phelings
If you wish to record something then transfer it to DVD for archiving,to maintain quality you need the model with HDD,or a Sky+.All dvd recorders of all formats are restricted to only one hour at peak quality.A 2 hour level recording transferred would still be good,but why lose quality when the option is there(albeit at a price) to keep it perfect.
Believe the HS2 is a HDD machine. I read about the HS2 interfacing with Sky, is this a function or do you still need to set the timers seperately??
Answers:
Originally posted by iceking
The price of the Philips DVDR70 has officially been reduced to £299. Anyone else got experience of this recorder - multi-region, rce ete thing - when used with my Compacks DVD5000 it allowed me to copy DVD's i.e. no protected DVD warning. Obviously this is breaking the law and I won't be doing it again:thumbs:
Edit
Haven't tried any hacks for other regions as it isn't an issue and I've got the Compacks anyway.
Answers:
Do you know how the digibox timer does it and would it work with a Panasonic box?
Answers:
The Sky+ is best for off air recording.Even if you get a HDD that will interface with digibox,you still have the digibox out of action while the HDD records from it.Ideally ,you would have Sky+ for recording,and a HDD for editing before transfer to disc for archiving.
Answers:
New JVC DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R. Looks the Bee's Knees.
hiddenwires.co.uk/resourcesnews/news20030618-03.html
www.dvdinsider.com/news/view.asp?ID=4974
https://secure.cheapelectricals.co.uk/acatalog/Catalogue_DVD_recorder_198.html
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