Advice Needed, use DVD Recorder or PC
 

I have Direct TV with a DVR and theres lots of TV shows I'd like to keep , but with a DVR you run out of space and then theres other problems like the DVR box breaking .

So I was thinking of transferring shows and movies from my DVR to either DVD or Hard Drive . I'm not sure what route to take or if I should even bother and just buy DVD sets of the TV shows and movies . The average TV show season is around $25-$35 , which will add up to alot of money . But in the long run is it better to buy than to transfer ?? I don't have much money to spend but I do have Time , so thats why I was thinking of doing it myself .

If I transfer straight from the DVR to DVD recorder , I found the Sony VRD-MC6 DVD Recorder http://about.pricegrabber.com/search...ut_hometheater. I could record S-video out of the DVR straight to the Sony and record DVDs . Which I like the idea of because Hard Drives crash and having it on DVD as a backup then transfer to a computer later if I want to , to maybe edit out comercials , seems like it would work good . I can also watch the DVDs on anything , whereas captured to a PC , I'd have to burn a DVD later .

Or record from the DVR with S-Video into a PC . I do have a PC with a P4 , 1.8Ghz , 1 Gig Ram , RADEON X800 Series video card . I did do a test recording using Windows Movie Maker to capture the video and it seems like the picture is missing frames and the image also shakes , not steady , not sure what the deal is . I can post a clip if anyone wants to see what I'm taking about . Settings were ..... , ATI T200 AVStream Analog Audio Capture , High Quality Video (Large) .

Anyways should I bother transferring , or just buy ? Whats method is better ?

only re-encode when you have to-
 

It's just a preference- but if a TV series that I happen to like gets a retail release, I wait for a sale and buy it. Unless you value collecting original-air-date broadcasts with the original advertisements included, the overall quality of a studio-issued DVD set will always be higher than what you take off-air yourself.
Again- it's just a preference. What you do depends on how much discretionary income you have and how particular you are about what you put in your media collection. You're the one who best knows what your viewing criteria is...
Having said that, backing up files of anything is always an advisable practice!

If I think the disc will receive wide enough circulation (not go OOP easily), then I'll go so far as to wait for the used market to build up about 2 years after the release. I just bought several DVD box sets last week for pennies on the dollar. (Honestly, I couldn't have afforded them any other way.) Same for books. I just snagged a half dozen Doctor Who books for about $4 each! Those were about $10 new. Those prices included shipping.

Buying "big names" shows (House, CSI, Lost, Big Bang Theory, etc) is what I do. New or used from Amazon.com or Deepdiscount.com

I only record TV when it's something unique and not likely to be put to DVD anytime soon (if ever) -- off PBS, for example.
Maybe re-runs of shows that don't have releases, and may never get them.

An easy solution is to transfer the recordings to DVDs, using a good DVD recorder.

1. What kind of budget do you have available?
2. And do you insist on buying new recorders only, or would used be fine, too? (More options used!)

The Sony VRD-MC6 DVD Recorder is a piece of junk that should not be used. It's really, really unreliable and lousy.

To give quick suggestions:
- New: MAGNAVOX MDR513H/F7 320GB HDD DVD Recorder for $228 shipped @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B003DPKOKK
- Used: RCA DRC8030N DVD Recorder with 80GB Hard Drive for $135 shipped @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000US4JKE

Both of those are awesome recorders for recording TV shows directly off TV (or from DVR). Clear, noise-free gorgeous picture quality.
Best used at the 2-hour and 3-hour modes.

Thanks for the advice guys , I really appreciate it !

Looks like the RCA DRC8030N is the thing to get . I'm used to my Direct TV DVR , are the menus and settings as easy to use on the RCA ? Is it pretty much the same as using the Direct TV DVR box ?

If the RCA is pretty much the same thing as my Direct TV DVR , recording shows and burning them to DVDs will be about as easy as it gets .

It's an extremely easy DVD recorder to use. It has a single menu screen, with a few tiered menu options. It doesn't really have any fancy features, but it does have a Zoran encoder chipset inside that gives it the awesome clarity and quality. It's one of the most user-friendly DVD recorders I've ever seen, second only to LiteOn (which I would not suggest for your needs).