Hard Disk Recorders

Hard disk DVD recorders

Despite their relatively high cost, hard drive DVD recorders are a preferred choice of both users and reviewers. That's why it is so disappointing that many manufacturers have decided against introducing new models since the FCC tuner mandate went into effect. What's available now in this category still has great advantages over basic DVD recorders, but falls short of the best products once offered by Panasonic, Pioneer and others.

Early reports say that the Philips DVDR3576H/37 (*Est. $350) , an upgraded but virtually identical version of the well-reviewed Philips DVDR3575H/37 from last year, looks to be the best current hard drive DVD recorder. Its hard drive has a 160 GB capacity that can store up to 198 hours of programming at the lowest quality setting, but 33 hours at the highest quality setting. Unlike the better recorders of the past, the Philips DVDR3576H/37 lacks its own programming guide, but can use the one sent by over-the-air digital stations as part of the digital broadcasting standard. Unfortunately, the recorder can't use that guide for programming; users have to use the old-fashioned system of entering channels and recording times manually, much like a VCR. While it can't really replace a digital video recorder, it does include some DVR features such as the ability to pause and resume live TV.

Reports say the Philips DVD recorder is good, but perhaps not great. While it's technically an upgraded model, the only significant change from the DVDR3575H/37 is updated front-end firmware and a new black case. Because of that, it is likely that most of the comments we saw regarding the previous-generation recorder will also apply to the newer DVDR3576H/37.

While experts review the Philips DVD3575H/37 in mostly positive terms, user reviews were a little less consistent. Both the DVD3576H/37 and its predecessor have drawn complaints for a confusing interface and slow load times. Several owners also note that they find the image quality a bit disappointing, and say that the picture tends to be rather dark. One major issue that shouldn't carry over from the older DVDR3575H/37, however, is a bug in the tuner's channel memory that caused it to "lose" cable QAM channels, forcing a rescan. Reports say that the problem has been fixed in recorders with build dates later than July 2007, meaning that the newer Philips DVDR3576H/37 should be unaffected.

There are only a few other hard disk-equipped DVD recorders currently for sale in the U.S. The newest of these is the Magnavox H2080MW8 (*est. $200), which began appearing at Wal-Mart stores late in 2007. The Magnavox brand is owned by Philips in the U.S., and is used to market their "value-priced" electronics. User feedback for the Magnavox H2080MW8 is highly favorable; most give this recorder high scores for value and performance. One issue that's noted by several owners, however, is a glitch that causes all pre-programmed recording menus to be erased twice a day when the clock is set to update automatically. Those same owners point out that it's still possible to use the timer to record programs, as long as the clock settings are changed to manual rather than automatic. Unfortunately, this can also cause the clock to drop out of synchronization, which can make the timer more difficult to use in that respect. Still, most users who discuss this issue don't seem bothered enough by it to withhold their recommendation for the recorder itself.