your opinion on a couple of product models?
 

A few questions, before I can answer..

1. What's the budget?
2. What are you wanting to record from? Are you converting VHS tapes, only recording from television/cable/satellite, or both?
3. Are refurbs/used okay with you? (They are for me, lots of my stuff is refurb/used, great items!)

As to Qs:

1. Best not to base a reply on that criteria...Pretend it's "the sky"- I'll just hafta deal

2. From both suggested sources:

VHS (,etc.)- now and then
Off-air- routinely

in any scenario recording to -RAM

3. Okay (and obviously necessary), if hardware is not already in need of major repair...

Footnotes
Already own:
Panasonic AG-1980P (+AG-A96-P companion editor)
Panasonic DMR- E50
Panasonic AG-VP320
Panasonic DMR- EZ37VK
Panasonic DMR- ES10
Panasonic AG- DV1000
Sony EV- C200 Hi8 8mm VCR
Daewoo DVG- 950N
JVC HR-S9911U
using ALL S-video connections

Now what would you suggest? Thank you in advance!

For top quality off-air recordings, from cable/satellite/antenna, I suggest the most current Philips DVD recorders:

• 3505 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B001T72B7I
• 3506 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0015AD5SS
• 3575 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000P76KXY
• 3576 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0013WM0BQ

The units are all more or less the same, aside from the inclusion of a 160GB hard drive in the 3575/3576 models. Those units used to be $300-350 new at Walmart, so the asking price of $800 is fueled by insanity and greed, as the machines are in low supply. It's a great machine, however, if you have the funds to spend on it.

These Philips units (3505/3506/3575/3576) will record from ATSC/QAM HD sources, creating 16:9 widescreen DVDs in excellent quality. They will also do Half D1 for longer 3-4 hour recordings in SD (standard def) and will look excellent. Much better than the Panasonic quality.

The 3505/3506 units have some great prices on refurbs from the above Amazon.com links. If I needed such a recorder right now, that's what I would buy, and that's where I'd buy it from, too.

But the Philips aren't so hot on VHS>DVD recording, as it does no filtering. VHS needs filtering, it's a noisy source full of grain and chroma errors (those red/blue sparkling splotches you see).

For a quality VHS>DVD machine, hunt down one of those older JVC DR-M10S or JVC DR-M100S units. Those filter VHS nicely. Your best bet for these is going to be eBay.

Be sure to read the DVD recorder review page found at http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-recorders.htm for more details and history on the various DVD recorders from 2002-2009.

DVD-RAM is pretty much a dead disc format. It's never been friendly to use, and it forces DVD-VR specs, which are not all that friendly with DVD players. Why not use DVD-RW or DVD+RW? Those are erasable too.

Personally, I would not suggest DVD-RAM in the JVC units, it doesn't work as well in my experience, as compared to DVD-RW or DVD-R.

You're pretty much limiting yourself to Panasonic equipment, to use DVD-RAM. They were really the only manufacturer to bother including it. Not really sure why they did either, as it was never very popular, and such compatibility surely inflated machine costs.

upon further review...
 

For any members and visitors who read this forum and support the use of the reusable -RAM disc, I have (against the suggestion of the admin) been using several brands of -RAM discs with both Panasonic and JVC DVD set-top recorders. My results have been 'friendly'...I have had 'well working' results and better. Excellent quality and compatibility in both a PC drive and the aforementioned brand recorder/playback units.

Both Panasonic and JVC support the -RAM format; Both divisions advertised its inclusion in applicable models and list its functional capabilities in respective product spec sheets. As for it not being "popular"...It's quite possible the industry overestimated the capacity and/or willingness of the casual consumer home recorder to 'learn' a supplemental recording media format? (Same reason why the DVD recorder has come off the home market, too?) Speaking for my humble self, I am absolutely sold on the multiple benefits of using this format for almost any project I do. You say this is a "dead disc format"? Cool. More blank media for me...:)

It might simply be a matter of economics and compatibility. This is speculation on my part, but consider this:

• DVD-R/DVD+R were more massed produced (due to demand for burning DVD-Video discs),
  • therefore cheaper to manufacture,
  • therefore cheaper for consumers to buy.
• Supporting DVD-RAM in a DVD player drove up player costs,
  • at a time when DVD player prices needed to decrease
  • therefore making it the VHS replacement the industry wanted
  • thereby making DVD what it is today
  • making DVD-RAM a costly sacrifice

I remember DVD-RAM back in 1999, and even then it was a slightly aggravating format, being hard to read in anything other than DVD-RAM drives (not readable in DVD-ROM).

If you like DVD-RAM, then by all means, stick with it. :D

Just remember that some recorders will record in "unusual" (for DVD-Video) sizes, such as 480x480 DVD-VR size. For best "safe" recordings, stick to XP or SP, the 720x480 on a DVD-RAM.

Indeed, more media for you! I've seen some great clearance prices in the past few years.