CHOOSING A DVD RECORDER

Finding the right DVD recorder for you isn't as hard as you might think. Although the choice is bewildering (and becoming more so each day) you'll find it hard to buy a bad machine - and if you look around you'll find a great machine at a cheap price.

Firstly, let's sort out the terminology. I'm going to talk about DVRs (Digital Video Recorders). This includes both DVD recorders, which record onto a DVD, and HDD recorders, which record onto a hard drive, like the one inside your PC. These days, many DVRs come with both DVD recorders and hard drives, so you may not even have to make that choice!

DVD Formats

This is not the problem it once was. The danger of a VHS/Betamax re-run, has all but passed, with most DVRs now supporting most of the major formats. The only exception to this is DVD-RAM which does not have widespread support, despite its advantages. This is probably because many of those advantages are emulated by HDDs, which as I said above, are appearing in even budget DVRs. Even so, you will find some machines which support all formats.

The major DVD formats are DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM. All you have to remember is that W means reWritable i.e. you can record more than once onto the same disc and that the + and - varieties are not compatible. There is nothing to choose between + and - in terms of quality, although for some reason, - discs tend to be cheaper. DVD-RAM is slightly different in that the discs are double-sided and therefore have a greater capacity. They also allow 'time-shifting', watching the beginning of a recording while still recording the end, pausing live TV etc. DVD-RAM discs will not usually play back in a standard DVD player, or a DVD player on a PC.

HDD

HDD recorders allow you to record directly onto the hard drive. This technology was popularised by brands such as Tivo in the USA, and Sky Plus in the UK. In reality, you don't need to buy either a Tivo, or a Sky Plus branded machine to enjoy the benefits (time-shifting, pausing live TV), but you should look out for a model that has a good EPG (Electronic Programme Guide). Obviously, HDDs come in all shapes and sizes. The greater the size of the hard disc, the more TV you can record, so go for the biggest you can afford. It's bound to fill up quicker than you think.

Well known brand - or budget cheapy?

Do you like a risk? Well, buying from an unbranded vendor is always going to be a bit more of a risk than an established name, partly because you can't rely on the after-sales service. However, the quality of budget DVD recorders being produced is astounding and it is pretty hard to go wrong. You may not find the list of features, but picture quality is almost always great.

What other features should I look for?

Depending on whether or not you're an audio- or video-phile, you might want to check out the connections. Although a SCART socket is all you need, you'll get better picture quality if the recorder has component-video out and in.

Can you recommend a recorder?

No, it's more than my life is worth, but why not check out the DVD recorder reviews section, here on DVD Recorder World? You'll see it's a difficult choice as most new recorders are getting good reviews. When it comes down to it, you might have to choose based on looks.

£169.99