DVD Recorders

Introduction

DVD recorders do exactly what they say on the tin, they allow you to record on to DVD discs. It's only recently that home users have had the technology available to record onto DVDs. For over a decade consumers could only purchase DVD players, and still had to relay on VHS recorders. However, DVD recorders are more complicated than their VHS counterparts. The various recording formats, and copy protection can bewilder many people. Currently DVD discs are recorded into regional formats. This means that the majority of dvd recorders can only play a select amount of regional DVDs, but some are multi region.

Articles

• Examination of multi region recorders
• Pause live television shows with tivo like devices
• A look at the new digital video recorders
• DVD, blank disc options and specifications
• Connecting and setting up a DVD recorder

Introduction cont...

What are the current advantages of DVD recorders over VHS?

• Unlike VHS tapes, recordable DVD's do not deteriorate over time.
• Track and chapter lists can be inserted to save on fast forward and rewind functions.
  
• They also support CDs, so can double up as a CD player.
  
• You have the option of cheaper one time recorded discs or re-recordable discs.
• Offers far superior digital video and audio recordings.
• Playlisting.
• Subtitles in a multitude of languages can be added, and labeling.
  
• Will not automatically record over existing data, and will warn if there is not enough storage space for the recording selected.

There are currently three different types of DVD recorder,

1. DVD-R/RW
   Can record onto both -R/RW discs. The formats are explained further down the page.
   
2. DVD+R/RW
   Can record onto both +R/RW discs. The formats are explained further down the page.
   
3. DVD-RAM
   Includes a hard drive, so you can pause live TV, and play and record onto a disc at the same time.

*Update, some machines are now coming with the ability to play all the above formats.

Prices have come down considerably since their initial release. You can buy a budget machine for around £100 currently. Of course the more you pay the more extensive the list of features, and the better the quality of recording in all likelihood. The one downside the amount of storage space on discs. Recorded at a premium rate, you can sometimes only record up to two hours of data. Therefore a recorder with a hard discs is handy for long recordings.

Below are listed some of the features you should keep an eye out for,

• A hard disc, so you can pause live TV and record longer films.
• HDMI upscaling and connection for high definition support.
• Digital video noise reduction.
• CD, DivX, VCD, CDR, SACD, MP3, CDRW and JPEG compatible playback.
• Memory card slot.
  
• Dolby Digital 5.1 recording.
• Two or more scart sockets, if your TV is not HDMI compatible.
• Digital Coaxial input.
• S-Video output.
• Interactive disc features supported.

A number of prominent manufacturers are also combining their existing DVD recorder technology with hard drive based technology. Called 'digital video recorders' or 'DVRs' for short, the Sky+ box is one example of this technology.

Many retail DVDs available now come with copy protection. Whats occurs is that once you connect your DVD recorder directly to a VCR the picture will be distorted. Quite a few dvd recorders also allow you to copy protect the contents of the disc you create.

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The information contained within this site is general in nature, and may not be applicable to all DVD Recorders. We can also not guarantee the accuracy of the information.