DVD Recorder Review

Finding the best DVD recorders

DVD recorders are home-theater components that can record TV shows onto DVDs, replicating the functions of a VCR. Some models combine a DVD recorder with a VHS player/recorder, making it simpler to convert a collection of home movies on VHS tapes to DVD. DVD recorders also function as regular DVD players and can play audio CDs. Many can also display JPEG photos and play MP3s on CDs as well. Keep in mind that none of these devices are high-definition. Blu-ray Disc burners for computers are becoming more commonplace but no maker has yet announced a standalone consumer Blu-ray recorder for the U.S. market.

Be aware that if you don't need to record TV shows to discs, a DVR is a better option. Reviewers say TiVo has the best interface, but almost all cable and satellite companies also offer a DVR for a monthly fee, or in some cases free with a qualifying programming package, and critics say these are catching up to TiVo recorders and even surpassing them in some respects. DVRs allow you to record programs internally for later playback, and many allow you to record in high definition, but you can't record shows directly to a disc. Most will let you record one show while watching another and introduce useful features such as the ability to pause live programming, skip backwards to rewatch something you missed or skip ahead while watching recorded or buffered programs -- sometimes at intervals conveniently timed to coincide with an average TV commercial. See our report on DVRs for more information.

You can also find DVD recorders that include a hard disk drive. These can't keep up with DVRs when it comes to features and functions, and they have a much more primitive user interface. However, the inclusion of the hard drive makes the sometimes challenging job of recording a program to a DVD much easier.

As a category, DVD recorders are among the most maligned of consumer-electronics products. Common complaints include failure to record programs (either through user or player error), hard-to-understand instructions and confusion over recordable-disc formats. Broadcasters and cable-casters are adding on to the frustrations of DVD recorder owners -- and makers as well -- by introducing restrictions on what programs can be copied to what devices; see What to Look For to learn more about that. DVD recorders with hard disk drives, though more expensive, fare somewhat better if for no other reason than if the process of recording to a disc fails, you still have a copy on the hard drive so you can try again.

Because manufacturers are bringing fewer and fewer DVD recorders to market, most professional reviewers haven't updated their coverage in quite some time. For example, ConsumerReports.org has the most comprehensive coverage, but most of the DVD recorders in that review are now discontinued, discussion is brief and everything is hidden behind a subscribers-only wall. CNET has also taken a long break from reviewing DVD recorders, but some players covered -- or their only slightly upgraded successors -- remain available. The situation at About.com is similar, but site guide Robert Silva provides some useful background information on why the DVD recorder market, though thriving elsewhere in the world, seems to be on life support in the U.S. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Even when expert reviews were more widely available, user reviews often diverged from those significantly because of the issues discussed above as well as others that don't necessarily show up during the brief amount of time professional reviewers spend with any given piece of equipment, including DVD recorders. For that reason, we considered user feedback highly when naming our Best Reviewed selections for this report. Right now, Amazon.com is the best place to go to read user opinions about DVD recorders. The site has a good selection of current models listed, and many get more than enough user reviews to make the overall ratings meaningful. AVSForum.com also has an overwhelming amount of information from users -- some of which are very technology savvy -- but you need to wade through deep threads and occasional off-topic ramblings to get to the gist of things. Walmart.com, JR.com and BestBuy.com list fewer DVD recorders but provide yet more user feedback.