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calling all dvd users.... VCR versus DVD recorder?


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Old 28-12-2006, 15:07
sugar puff
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I am just giving up my old video recorder and wondering whether to buy a VCR/ DVD combi or just go for a DVD recorder. Can users of DVD recorders please confirm it will fit my needs. I currently use my video to tape programmes from analogue tv and watch them back when I choose. Therefore this involves taping over tapes again and again until they get knackered. My questions are this:
1. Will I be able to use a dvd in the same way ie. record over RW discs again and again
2. Will the quality be ok in order to get about 3 hours of watching time onto a dvd in extended play mode
3. Can you watch one station, say BBC1, whilst you record from ITV, or do dvds stop you from doing this? - something about twin tuners?
4. Are there any snags to using dvd that I will be unaware of that video does that dvd doesnt do?
All comments welcomed
thanks
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Old 28-12-2006, 15:19
campioni06
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I just bought a Samsung dvdr/vcr combi from argos reduced from £199 to £130. Couldnt be happier, one touch recording from old vhs to dvd, and you can still play back vhs as well of course.
1. As long as you use RW discs then yes you can tape over n over again, R discs only once
2. I use LP mode which gives me 4 hours per DVD, quality is only as good as the vhs but certainly no worse
3. Not sure about that, I'm sure someone else will tell you
4. No snags I've found. All much easier to use, create chapters and skip straight to them instead of ff'ing vhs and hoping to get to the right spot. And the amount of storage space you'll save
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Old 28-12-2006, 15:34
sugar puff
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thanks for that, but actually Ques 3. is the most important to me! Just need anyone who records using dvd to tell me if you can record one channel whilst you watch another channel? And why has my question been "bad threaded"???
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Old 28-12-2006, 15:40
campioni06
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Having thought about point 3 the answer is yes as you'll be recording through the AV channel, while you can still watch another terrestial by selecting TV and choosing the channel
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Old 28-12-2006, 16:00
yorkie100
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A fuller answer to your point 3 is that it depends whether your dvd recorder has its own tuner. Some do not.

If you buy one that has then you will be in exactly the same position as with your video - recording one channel using the dvd or video tuner and watching the tv tuner.

This only applies to analogue - it gets more complicated for freeview/digital.

So just check that whatever you buy has its own analogue tuner.
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Old 28-12-2006, 16:01
E Thomson
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You can't record a freeview channel and watch another freeview channel at the same time. I got a dvd recorder for Xmas and you can record analogue telly and watch a freeview channel and vice versa.
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Old 28-12-2006, 16:33
David (2)
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For Freeview recording on to blank DVD, you either need a standard DVD Recorder with a Freeview box attached, or a DVD Recorder with Freeview built in. If you want to record one Freeview channel while having a different Freeview channel on the tv screen, you would need 2 Freeview devices, eg a DVD Recorder with in built Freeview and a TV with Freeview built in.

Unless you buy Dual Layer Blank dvd's (more expensive, dont work with all machines, can only be used once), you will be limted to single layer blank dvds [regardless of format], and without extra compression, these have less capacity than VHS. In "BEST XP" mode, my recorder will only get 1hr per disc. SP mode gives me 2 hrs per disc with almost the same picture quality. LP mode gives me 3 hrs per disc but the picture quality starts to suffer. I even have a 6 hr mode, but the quality is way down - far below VHS.

-R and +R discs can be used once only, but will playback in nearly every dvd machine ever made. -RW and +RW discs can be used over and over - but you will need to remember to "Erase" a disc before it can be used again. DVD-RAM is less common - a disc with a shell - more robust - upto 9hrs capacity as well, but not common place and the discs wont fit a lot of machines. With all recordable discs (apart from DVD-RAM), the surface of the discs is very delicate - requires more care than tape or pre-recorded film DVD. Any marks on the surface will result in the image freezing, and or missing frames, audio drop out, or even a complete machine freeze.

Some Recorders can now record/play -R/-RW/+R/+RW discs, and while this may put the price up, it does offer peace of mind. Others will play all discs, but only record onto -R/-RW or +R/+RW [not both].

Whatever you do, dont buy a Goodmans.

If your happy with normal 5 channel tv now, but think you might want Freeview in the future, get a Recorder with a hybrid tuner - eg, it can tune into analogue and Freeview. Panasonic make several such machines. Most other recorders are either analogue or Freeview [not both].

Dave
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Old 28-12-2006, 17:20
sugar puff
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Thanks. At the moment Im happy with analogue. I'll think again once analogue is switched off! I was referring to being able to record one channel, say ITV, whilst watching BBC 1.
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Old 28-12-2006, 17:39
Nigel Goodwin
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Originally Posted by sugar puff
Thanks. At the moment Im happy with analogue. I'll think again once analogue is switched off! I was referring to being able to record one channel, say ITV, whilst watching BBC 1.
Yes, as the DVD recorder should have an internal tuner, just like a VCR does.

However, if you're in a Freeview covered area, I would suggest you get a Freeview Hard Disk Recorder instead - for time shifting like you want, they are SO much better than a VCR or DVD recorder. It also has the added bonus of giving you more channels.
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Old 28-12-2006, 18:05
Scorpio
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As a Sky+ user (and a DVDR for archiving) I would definitely suggest a twin tuner PVR like a Topfield or Panny. These are much more versatile and are designed to do exactly what you are asking for................UNLESS................you really want to archive someprograms long term onto DVD, say movies/sport in which case a HDD/DVDR with built in digital tuner will give you the best of both worlds.

You can record a program digital/analog without having to hunt around for a blank disk or having to format one to record the next program.

Then, when you've finished, you can delete it or choose to keep for later on the HDD or archive to DVD.

Panny, Pioneer and Toshiba make machines like this that have received good feedback on the forum.

Rgds,
Scorp
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Old 28-12-2006, 20:14
bobcar
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Just seconding (thirding?) what Nigel and Scorpio have said, a PVR is far far better than a VCR or DVDR solution. If you go this route you'll wonder how you ever managed without one.

The only advantage of a DVDR is if you want to keep programes long term, for all other purposes they are less useful. I have both but if I had to lose one it would be the DVDR for sure.
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Old 28-12-2006, 22:42
kev
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Originally Posted by sugar puff
1. Will I be able to use a dvd in the same way ie. record over RW discs again and again
Yes. If you are going to have multiple recorders get them from the same brand - I've not been able to successfully record programmes onto the same disc from multiple players (you can however format (i.e. erase) a disc and record on a different recorder).
2. Will the quality be ok in order to get about 3 hours of watching time onto a dvd in extended play mode
Better than VHS, if possible use 2 hours of recording for quality as good as the original broadcast.
3. Can you watch one station, say BBC1, whilst you record from ITV, or do dvds stop you from doing this? - something about twin tuners?
If you want to record Freeview get one with a Freeview tuner built in. You will need an IDTV or STB if you wish to watch a different programme at the same time.
4. Are there any snags to using dvd that I will be unaware of that video does that dvd doesnt do?
See 1 above.

If you are only watching in one location a PVR is THE only choice to make, if you want to record and watch in different locations it's not as easy - however if one of those locations is on a 14" portable - get one with an RF Modulator, and you can use analogue transmissions to get it to a kitchen set - Sky Plus and it's TV Link is really handy here. (We need a networked CE-PVR!)

Personally I use my Pace Twin PVR and an analogue DVD recorder - the PVR is used for time shifting, and the DVD recorder for archiving from the PVR.

(I have a cheapo Freeview DVD Recorder in the kitchen for watching DVDs and Freeview too)
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