DVD recorders with hard drive...your opinion

[flirtz]

Hi. Been shopping and studying on PVR's. Sony has a model RDR-HX715 that I can pick up for around $500. Toshiba's RS-TX60 is coming in 2nd at around $400. Both have 160 gig hard drives. I've always had good luck with Sony.
What I plan to do is simply hook to my dish network and select the channels that I want to record, on a movie by movie basis. I'm not going to be recording 1hr episodes. All movies. (also, not going to use dish's rental guide)
So, plz enlighten me. Is there anything out their that I should be taking a look at, for this price range?
I have the cash and am ready to make a movie
Thank you kindly for pointing me in the right direction.

[blutach]

Just on philosphical grounds, I would not buy any more SONY products - given their silly CD rootkits (which are viruses in disguise) and ARccOS DVDs, there are plenty of us who say they can go to blazes and not come back.

However, their product might be good for you.

Regards

[tigerman8u]

I agree with "blu". Some Sony products may be good but if you look around you can find products that are good as or better than Sony and usually cheaper $ wise

[ed klein]

I wouldn't buy a DVD recorder/player with out a hard drive. I have an ILO DVDRHD04 with an 80gb hard drive from Wal Mark for around $300. This baby does it all, like easily removing the commercials on a two to three hour football game and then burning the game to a DVD+R media. Super great and user friendly. I have it hacked for region free and macrovision removal. Also works great for CD's and pictures too. It is soooooooo much easier to build what you want on the hard drive and then burn to CD or DVD media after you remove all the commercials. LOVE IT

[flirtz]

Ok then.....

Hi. Thx for the replies. Ok, so I don't need to pay for a name brand like Sony, or whatever it is about them that you're emplying. All's I want, is a suggestion, for a dvd recorder, that I can hook to my dish network system (this is a MUST...NO subsription for receivers that do it all)
I simply want to record, to a hard drive, the movies or shows that I want.
I just want something reliable, at least 160 gig drive, that will also allow me to hook up to a vhs stand-alone, to get info off of vhs....and, my mini cam.
So, if there's something cheaper than sony, or, Toshiba, lay it on me.
This is what I'm asking...
Now, all my media, so far, is dvd-r. It would appear that all the Toshiba's only use this type media. The Sony's do most all the differnt medias. Again, I do not know anything other than the -R. Do I want DVD +R? I have no idea. I doubt it. I'm simply wanting something easy and useable... U know, not a piece of chit that's hard to use or understand. I do own a Toshiba dvd player that is good.
I need help with some alternatives, that you people own. I don't really care about second-hand info. Christ, I hear that at work all day long!
Thx again.

[darkbunglex]

Cheack out Lite-On LVW-5045 Umm apart from dat i dnt knw. i do it all tho PC

[darkbunglex]

Stick with DVD-R as a basic media but the more media types its compatable with the better, thats just in general.

[flirtz]

Lite-On LVW-5045

Looks like the reviews of this machine SUCK!
That was a quick look through epions.c##
Thx for the head-up though.

[sfheath]

I was thinking of the Lite-On till I discovered there were similar devices with DVB-T tuners, hence I'm now dithering between the Sony and the Panasonic DMREH60D. This has a 200Gb HD.
On the media front, when it comes to ReWritables I prefer + as they erase quicker on the PC. No idea if they do in Recorders.

[flirtz]

with recorder....

I do want the recorder, so as to have a stand alone unit. Looks like it's between a toshiba and sony, both having 160 G H/D.
It's apparent there are not many folks having these, for I've tried on a few different forums, to get folks to talk about either. Probably a little to new as of yet. I've always had good luck with sony, but still, much of the cash is the name. I've got a Toshiba player that's flawless. So on the fence.

[flirtz]

viruses?

Just on philosphical grounds, I would not buy any more SONY products - given their silly CD rootkits (which are viruses in disguise) and ARccOS DVDs, there are plenty of us who say they can go to blazes and not come back.

However, their product might be good for you.

Regards

Not sure what you're talking about with your info. Just after a good -R burner with H/D, that will not give me any problems. (hehehe, I know, welcome to the world of electronics...)

[noels]

I use timed recordings on a Magnavox DVD recorder

Hi flirtz,

I'm late to this discussion and maybe this answer is OBE, but here goes...

Why a recorder with hard drive? Why not just a straight DVD recorder and use timed recordings? Or you start and finish the recording sequence yourself while you're watching... I have a Magnavox DVD Recorder/VHS recorder combo I bought a year ago at BJs (like Sam's, WalMart, etc) for $250, and when I see an item I want to put on DVD, I set the timer with an extra 5 or 10 minutes on either end of the schedule just in case or scheduling differences, then let the DVD recorder put it on a DVD+RW. Then I run the RW through Shrink, cut out the stuff I don't want (commercials included) then burn using ImgBurn to a final DVD. Works great! And you can record while you're watching if you prefer, or dub a VHS tape to DVD and vice-versa. And I have the files on my computer to fool around with later on if I want.

Hope I didn't miss the point of the discussion, but just my humble opinion Noel

[flirtz]

Hi flirtz,

I'm late to this discussion and maybe this answer is OBE, but here goes...

Why a recorder with hard drive? Why not just a straight DVD recorder and use timed recordings? Or you start and finish the recording sequence yourself while you're watching... I have a Magnavox DVD Recorder/VHS recorder combo I bought a year ago at BJs (like Sam's, WalMart, etc) for $250, and when I see an item I want to put on DVD, I set the timer with an extra 5 or 10 minutes on either end of the schedule just in case or scheduling differences, then let the DVD recorder put it on a DVD+RW. Then I run the RW through Shrink, cut out the stuff I don't want (commercials included) then burn using ImgBurn to a final DVD. Works great! And you can record while you're watching if you prefer, or dub a VHS tape to DVD and vice-versa. And I have the files on my computer to fool around with later on if I want.

Hope I didn't miss the point of the discussion, but just my humble opinion Noel

Hi. I've thought of this, however I'd like to record several hours of 1 channel, maybe days worth. Just leave it to record. I'll probably get a dedicated pc and put in one of those wintv-350 cards and a 250 meg h/d. Nobody has still told me though, if I can do this with a wireless system.
Thx for any additional info.
ps. i'm getting much of my info from the byoprv forum.

[noels]

Hi flirtz,

Good luck with your purchase; I really can't help you with a PVR because I've never researched them. Sounds to me like you'll end up with many, many hours of programming. I surmise you just want to go back and watch the shows after the fact, and if that's the reason, it makes sense to go this way. Wish I could have helped more. Noel

[flirtz]

Hi flirtz,

Good luck with your purchase; I really can't help you with a PVR because I've never researched them. Sounds to me like you'll end up with many, many hours of programming. I surmise you just want to go back and watch the shows after the fact, and if that's the reason, it makes sense to go this way. Wish I could have helped more. Noel

Nope, you had made a very good suggestion and I thank you. Yes, many hrs of the same type of stuff, plus, different movies. I can't really go into what I'm doing for legality sake, for this isn't that type of forum. I'm off to build a PVR. Take care.