Should you buy a DVD recorder at all?

DVD recorders often are the subject of scorn from users. Many owners are frequently frustrated by hard-to-understand instruction manuals. Disc formats, disc compatibility, copy restrictions and player capabilities only add to the complexity.

If you don't need to record programs to a disc -- if, for example, you mainly want to record shows temporarily then delete them after you've watched them, your best bet is a DVR, not a harder-to-use DVD recorder. In the long run, monthly fees can make DVRs like TiVo and those offered by cable and satellite TV companies more expensive, but given the user frustration we found with DVD recorders, a DVR might still be a better way to go. See our separate report on DVRs for more.

Here are some of the things you should be aware of when you shop for a DVD recorder:

  • Check for digital format compatibility if that's important to you. Most DVD recorders can read MP3 music files, DivX video files and JPEG photo files stored on CDs (or in some cases on removable media cards), but not all can.
  • Peruse manuals of DVD recorders that interest you. It sounds tedious, but several reviewers say it's not a bad idea -- especially because experts and users often complain about confusing and poorly written product manuals.
  • Avoid a tunerless DVD recorder if you get TV over the air. While tunerless DVD recorders are less expensive than DVD recorders with built-in digital tuners, they can't tune in broadcast TV. If you get all of your programming through satellite or cable (using a set-top box), however, a tunerless DVD recorder -- or even an older DVD recorder with an analog tuner -- will work just fine.
  • Be aware of copyright restrictions. Disc and tape makers typically place software on their products to prevent the duplication of copyrighted material. In addition, content protection included in DVD recorders can, at the discretion of the broadcast or cable channel, restrict or even completely disable the recording of some programs.
  • Picture quality is affected by recording time. DVD recorders give you several quality settings, and much like a VCR, the best quality takes up the most space. The highest-quality setting on a DVD recorder will result in one hour of material on a 4.7 GB DVD. The second-best setting will give you two hours, and so on. Reviews say the top two quality modes are generally best, and using anything lower than those results in a precipitous drop in image quality. Some reviewers say recording at the lowest-quality setting, which nets about six hours of recorded programming, produces picture quality that's worse than images recorded at the lowest quality setting on a VCR.

Recordable DVD formats

A format war between manufacturing groups has contributed to the confusion and frustration that some users encounter when using DVD recorders. Panasonic, Pioneer and Toshiba are behind the DVD Forum, which backs the DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-R DL (dual layer) and DVD-RAM formats. The DVD+RW Alliance, which includes Sony and Philips, backs the DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD+R DL ("DVD plus R") formats.

While current DVD recorders can read and write most (and occasionally all) formats, compatibility with older DVD players is more variable. DVD-RAM is not compatible with most older DVD players, aside from some Panasonic models.

Recordable DVDs have different functions, and confusion about what each type can and can't do is a continual source of user frustration. DVD-R and DVD+R are the two most widely compatible disc formats. Both types of discs need to be "finalized" before you can play them in other DVD players. These are "write-once" formats, meaning you can't reuse the disc.

DVD-RW and DVD+RW are re-recordable disc formats. That means you can erase and reuse discs over and over. DVD-RW discs have two recording modes, Video and VR. The VR mode has more editing options and CPRM (copy protection for removable media) compatibility (the copy protection system used to determine which programs could be recorded to DVD). However, while CPRM compatibility is a must for recording programs with copyright restrictions, VR mode recordings can't usually be played back on any DVD player except the one originally used to create it. DVD-RAM discs have the most recording flexibility. While recording on DVD-RAM, you can pause, replay or fast-forward on data being recorded live. You can also watch one program while recording another (something that's also possible on some recorders with DVD-RW discs in the VR mode). The discs are CPRM-compatible, but not all DVD players support DVD-RAM.

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