Page 1 of which DVD Recorder?

8) Hello, 8)

Just started looking at dvd-recorders and all that entails - the different formats etc. Can anyone recommend a reliable reviews website(s)/mag? Need as much opinion as poss. My girlfriend is buying me it for xmas and i want it to be a good `un!

Price range: around £250, which isn`t a problem judging from net offerings so far. I have noticed the Panasonic v Philips debate and from what i can make out the Panas are the way to go - perhaps the DMR range? Only prob is i am yet to be persuaded by DVD Ram - DVD+RW sounds much more appealing just from a compatibility pov.

cheers in advance

This item was edited on Friday, 14th November 2003, 03:38

If -R is the chosen recordable DVD format for Panasonic and JVC,then I don`t think you`ll have a problem.I`m sure they`ve done their sums.
I also don`t understand people`s `problem` with RAM.
I think it`s great.Very flexible and easy to use.
OK,I can`t loan out RAM recordings to other people,but who gives a stuff ?
If I think I might want someone else to watch something I use a -R disc.
I read something on here the other day stating that -R is compatible on 96% of machines whereas +R is 88%. I can`t recall the exact details.

I fail to comprehend why the likes of a Mico (Whooooo ???) recorder should be considered for £200 when £230 gets you a multiregion Panasonic E50. :/

Add Sony to the list of -R supporters for recording.
So -R is Panasonic,JVC and Sony. :)
+R is Phillips,Mico and maybe Goodmans. :/

Everyone supports DVD-R except Philips and some companies like Mico.
Philips recorders,at least the previous range were unreliable beyond belief.
If you want to record on a dvd,lend it out ,then reuse it,Philips DVD+ is your only option.If lending is not a priority,then a Panasonic machine will do the job better.Despite early publicity to the contrary,DVD-R is more compatible than DVD+R.Panasonic machines are great if you are happy to record and watch your RAM discs on the same machine.And the editing facilities are unmatched by any other format bar Hard Disc Drive.But forget lending them.The best option now is for a new Pioneer model,but these are still too expensive for the mass market.They offer DVD-RW in a new variation that offers +RW compatibility,as well as RAM style editing.But £600 is the cheapest currently I think

For best prices and some reviews look here - http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPC-Panasonic_DMR_E50~FD-87

I bought my E50 from here - http://www.digital-point.co.uk/dvd.asp Not the cheapest now but good service and next day delivery

Quote:
Everyone supports DVD-R except Philips and some companies like Mico.
Philips recorders,at least the previous range were unreliable beyond belief.
If you want to record on a dvd,lend it out ,then reuse it,Philips DVD+ is your only option.If lending is not a priority,then a Panasonic machine will do the job better.Despite early publicity to the contrary,DVD-R is more compatible than DVD+R.Panasonic machines are great if you are happy to record and watch your RAM discs on the same machine.And the editing facilities are unmatched by any other format bar Hard Disc Drive.But forget lending them.The best option now is for a new Pioneer model,but these are still too expensive for the mass market.They offer DVD-RW in a new variation that offers +RW compatibility,as well as RAM style editing.But £600 is the cheapest currently I think

Quoted the lot here `cause there`s quite a bit to add to.

there are now loads of companies adding +R/RW support to their machines, Toshiba and Sony being two of the forefront runners in the "player" category.
Grundig also now do a +R/RW recorder, as do quite a few others, but not everyone supports -R, it`s just more compatible in the first place and plays on most standalone players (Sony and Philips dvd players dont carry -R support...or at least on all the ones I`ve seen!)

-RW is now supported by Sony, and many standalones will play a correctly authored -RW disc, but not having the Sony myself, I can`t comment on it`s -RW compatibility.

Panasonic -R support is great, even though the damned machine is pre-set to "Princo" discs, I still get my Ritek`s to work fine (and would be able to change the disc type if I can find the damned entry method for the service menu!!)

RAM discs: Yeah, basically an incompatible with other machines standard, *unless* the person you want to loan it to has a recent (last year or so) Panasonic standalone player, as these DO carry RAM support (as do many PC drives even thought the box doesnt tell ya!)

Ram is much easier for TV style recording. And here`s how I describe it in store:
Remember a VHS recording? you had a 4 hour tape...you recorded in the following steps:
P1: 30 mins, P2 1 hour, P3 45 mins, P4 45 mins. you now have 1 hour of tape left to record on.
You`ve watched P2 and P3, but not P1 and P4, so you have 1 hr 45 mins in the middle and an hour at the end.
Your fave movie or concert is now on...you have no other spare tape. It`s 2 hours 15 minutes long....you can record 1 Hour 45 mins then *try* to stop the recording in time, fast forward and get to the other hour and continue the recording, missing the bit whilst you did the work...or you can scrub over P4 and lose it forever...

RAM does exactly the first one for you without you doing a thing! It finds the blank space on the disc and adds them all together to make that one recording...then there`s the editing side, but we won`t go into that <grin>

My breakdown of the formats is this:

TV recording to play mainly on itself and "one off" recordings for yourself and family: Panasonic DMRE 50/60
As above, but with hard drive editing: Panny HS2

Recording to play ONLY in itself or a +R format compatible: One of the Philips range (but make sure ya take an extended guarantee on it! Lol)

Best of all above, if money no option and yer loaded: The Sony (at £600 standard retail and no hard drive...I`d say thats overpriced ;) )
(it does -R/RW and +R/RW)

For the PC:
Backups of data and some personal recording: +R/+RW for price and speed
-R/-RW for compatibility with other units, but not just as fast.

Hard drive images or "rerecording" (using like a hard drive) : RAM again.

I have a Pioneer 104 (-R/-RW up to 2x) and a Panny E50, and I`d say I`m more than happy with that combo :)

Jimbo : oÞ
(soz for the long ramble <grin>)

The Sony recorder does not support +R.It may play the discs,but you cannot record on them,making the addition of DVD+ a waste of time.The Sony is also limited in its +RW facilities,it does not offer all the features that the format offers on other recorders.As the Sony recorder is a DVD- recorder with DVD+ limited features tacked on,its unlikely Sony players will not play DVD-R discs.Having said that,most players will play a -RW disc ,but only if its recorded in Video mode.The VR mode which allows RAM style editing is playable on nothing.I think you were referring to players,but just in case,Toshiba recorders do not support DVD+ at all.DVD+R/+RW should play back in most modern players,but apart from Philips and cheapie companies (Grundig do not exist as a company anymore,and their name will have been lent to a far eastern mob to give their unit more credibility,like Wharfedale did)nobody offers DVD+ recording.Despite Sony`s prominent ads,the lack of +R recording,and some +RW features,makes it the most expensive non HDD recorder yet.If you want to spend that sum,you are better off with a Pioneer or Panasonic HDD model.Its not surprising that DVD-R is supported by more companies,as it is the OFFICIAL format.DVD+ is Philips own invention,and future compatibility is not guaranteed.Blu-ray specs offer backwards compatibility with DVD- but not DVD+.

phelings you seem to have done a u-turn on the +R v -R debate - i remember when you and Paull used to slug it out on this forum, why have you changed your stance? I am on the verge of going for the panny myself and am heartened to hear you are now coming down on the -R side.

This is all very confusing to a non-enthusiast.
I want to buy a DVD recorder and a mini DV camera.
The recorder is to be used for general TV use, and also to record from the camera onto DVDs to be sent to others who will have a variety of players.
Can I just go out and buy anything?
Total budget is around £800.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Quote:
want to buy a DVD recorder and a mini DV camera.
The recorder is to be used for general TV use, and also to record from the camera onto DVDs to be sent to others who will have a variety of players

Panasonic DMRE 60 then

Same as the 50 with the addition of a DV input port.
RAM based for the rerecording side, and when you wanna transfer from camera to player for standalone use, DVD-R disc.
REMEMBER to finalise the disc though!!
(easy mistake to make...already done it meself! lol)

And to the Sony comment...you might wanna check on that, because if it doesn`t do +R recording, I have a feeling Sony have a few thousand boxes needing reprinted ;)

Jimbo : oÞ