Are DVD Recorders CR*P?

System

For what it's worth, after buying a panasonic viera tv (£500) I thought I would invest in a same make dvd recorder. (£300), there was a delivery/install/explanation for £25, which we did and found it to be the best £25's worth.

As for the machine itself, once a week, I go though the on-liine guide, and set it to record everything that we AIM to watch, as well as the things we won't be able to view. We now know that if we get interupted by callers, phone or forget to watch something, it is there to be viewed.

Equally once a week, I delete those things seen. All this is via the hard drive. Should we have something special recorded, we can transfer that to a disc. Or so the guy told me, as yet I haven't ventured that far.

donnajunkie

there isnt alot of difference in my opinion. you usually need to finalize - discs for them to work on other equipment. you need to know the disc formats of dvd-r, dvd-rw, dvd+r and dvd+rw. they are the main differences. in principal they are very similar and it just takes reading and learning what the instruction booklet tells you.
we have only had one that we bought two years ago. it is a sony rdr-gx210 and it is rubbish but that is probably particular to the brand or the model. we are currently saving for a new one and it wont be sony. we will probably go for panansonic or toshiba.

gnatschuffed

I agree that DVD recorders aren't the most intuitive devices to use. What exactly are they struggling with as there are several features on most modern DVD recorders? Is it basic recordings, timer recordings, finalising discs, using the EPG etc.? The best bet is heading over to the dvd recorder forum on avforums (someone posted the link above) and asking a specific question there. I know my parents wouldn't be able to use one but I have considered buying them a PVR as some of those are pretty much idiot proof for basic recordings. I never use the DVD rec feature on mine, I record to hard disc and delete when I'm finished. I wish I had bought a decent PVR like Humax, Topfield etc. instead. TBH, though you can't beat Sky+ or Sky HD for simplicity. It works a charm but the downside is costs £££s!!

buglawton

This £30 gadget at http://www.bluedelta.co.uk/phantom+.html allows your Freewiew or Sky box with either any brand of VHS or DVD recorder to behave like Sky+ albeit only in single channel mode and probably not with series recording. Occasionally these can be found for a lower price. Maplins stocks them too. Once set up, all you have to so is go to program guide, select the proggy and press one button to set the recording.

jevsy

I've got one of these and it took me a month to set it up and then only with help from AV forums! Dumb blonde?! Easy to use though now so long as you don't need the additional features such an advanced machine provides.
:rotfl:

letsbehonest

without meaning to be negative or offensive, people in there 80's are from a different generation highly technophobic. today's electronics are quite complicated with small buttoned remote controls.What chance have the elderly got ? Yes I know there are a lot of clever, capable elderly people but by and large they are ignored by today's manufacturers