DVD/VHS Combos

Best choices for transferring recordings from VHS tapes to DVDs

Many buyers of DVD recorders have libraries of VHS home movies they want to transfer to DVD. If that describes you, a device that combines a DVD recorder and a VCR or videocassette player in one device is a logical and reasonable choice. Though stand-alone VCRs are no longer being made, if you already own one, you could also hook that up to any DVD recorder to transfer VHS tapes to DVDs.

Among users, we saw the best overall satisfaction with the Toshiba DVR670 (*Est. $210). Displeased owners -- and even some of the mostly pleased ones -- complain about challenges in programming the recorder, which are compounded by challenges in translating the instructions. Some report issues with the VCR side of things. Some complain that the tuner can't address cable channels higher than 99. Still, far more are happy overall, with many praising the picture quality of this Toshiba VCR/DVD recorder.

In terms of features, you'll find chasing playback and time slip features. One nice extra is commercial skip -- a 30-second preprogrammed jump that lets you race past most commercials with just a push (or several pushes) of a button. One negative is the lack of an IR blaster to control an external cable or satellite TV box, though many boxes now include a timer feature that will change the channel for you if you are not around. You just have to remember to program your cable/satellite TV box as well as the DVD recorder for unattended recordings.

Few other DVD recorder/VCR combo decks get much attention from experts. One exception is the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK (*Est. $275), which gets coverage from both CNET and ConsumerReports.org. However, user feedback on that DVD/VHS combo is disappointing. Complaints are varied. For example, one owner warns of an unappreciated recording feature, wherein the DMR-EZ48VK treats any break in the incoming video as the signal to divide the content into discrete segments. According to the review, this feature can't be disabled and the artificial breaks can result in a loss of content, making the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK DVD recorder less than ideal for buyers who might be looking to transfer home movie collections from VHS to DVD. Other complaints include challenges with mastering the limitations of the various recordable DVD formats, difficult-to-understand instructions and some reliability issues.

On the flip side, just about as many owners are mostly to completely pleased with both ease of use and performance. The DMR-EZ48VK has been available for quite some time now. While it can still be found at retail, supplies look to be growing scarce.