phillips dvd recorder- worth it?

[brtcmfn]

My nearest BestBuy has a open return on a Phillips DVD recorder (Model DVDR1000) for $600.
Does anyone own this recorder?, Is it worth it, Simple and easy to use, Do you have any problems playing back disc's on other standard DVD players? Or should I just hold off and wait till prices and formats get settled- (At this point it looks like there will be 3 DVD formats)
My purpose is to record occassionally off satellite TV broadcasts, playback pre-recorded DVD's, and transferring existing Video tapes to DVD.

Thnx for your input.

[Steve Phillips]

DO NOT get the DVDR1000, that is the old model that can't do DVD+R; and the picture isn't as good as the newer model, the DVDR985.


The Philips DVDR985 is very easy to use; no harder than a VCR.

It can record in DVD+R and DVD+RW, yet plays back DVD-R and DVD-RW as well.

Most DVD players made in the past couple of years can handle all of these, so there really isn't a "format war".

I've got both the Panasonic DMRE20 (DVD-R and DVD-RAM) and the Philips DVDR985 (DVD+R and DVD+RW) and the Philips is far and away the better machine.

The DVD+R and DVD+RW platform is the best becuse the erasable discs will play in regular players (DVD-RAM can't) and the picture is better IMO, especially at the slower speeds. The DVD-Rs can tend to be washed out also.

Philips will be introducing a newer model in a year or so which will use both DVD+R and DVD+RW as well as DVD-RW.

You can get a new DVDR985 for about $700.00 if you look. Don't buy the used older model, get a newer 985.

[brtcmfn]

Steve,
Thnx for your reply and honesty..
Will follow your directions- Should I wait for the newer model coming out? I am thinking that by that time the price will be lower than they are now.

[Steve Phillips]

It might be quite a wait. The dual model is due in Japan in 2003 and probably won't get marketed in the US for 18 months or so.

Sony just issued a dual format PC based DVD drive, though.

If you can spare the $700 or so; the DVDR985 is worth it. All discs I've recorded in it will play on my two Sony DVD players, and friends have borrowed them as well with no issues.

DVD+Rs are about $2 in bulk now at Best Buy and COMP USA; the DVD+RWs run about $4 ea but if you catch a sale they can be found for less. Hint at Best Buy: look in the computer section for blank media. They tend to have a small selelection of blank DVDs with the recorders but tons more choices and better prices in the PC area.

[gotapex]

The DVDR985 is available for $619 shipped today from an authorized etailer, but that ends at 11:59pm pacific. It does come with 10 free dvd recordable disks too.

[Corky Roxbury]

Steve Philllips, have you heard anything good about the Panny dmr-hs2, it is the new 40gb harddrive and dvd recorder in one unit.

[gotwavego]

I have the HS2, in Japan its an 80GB HD with DVD recorder (both dvd-r and dvd-ram support), plus it also accepts a smart card so images/movies can be transferred that way.

So far I have used the HDD portion extensively, but have only burned a few DVDs.

I debated waiting for the Pioneer models that were due out in Nov. but they didn't have the smart card reader so I went with the HS2.

Geno

[Steve Phillips]

I have heard that the Panasonic Hard drive units have not been performing well at all. Something about the hard drive portion working fine, but when trying to make recordings off of it, the picture is poor. I really shouldn't comment as I haven't used one of these.

I think this is the wave of the future though, as Philips and their camp has announced their own version.

[Corky Roxbury]

Thanks Geno, and steve phillips for your responses, I will porbably just sit and wait on it for awhile until a better model comes along.

[digitalfreaknyc]

I had the HS2. Returned it within a week. ALL panasonic DVD recorders have a white level bug.

[gotwavego]

Originally posted by Steve Phillips
I have heard that the Panasonic Hard drive units have not been performing well at all. Something about the hard drive portion working fine, but when trying to make recordings off of it, the picture is poor. I really shouldn't comment as I haven't used one of these.

I think this is the wave of the future though, as Philips and their camp has announced their own version.

I haven't seen this at all, I've only made 2 DVDs but the quality (I recorded on the HD in SP mode) was excellent.

Record quality in EP is VHS level, I haven't tried XP which is one step better than SP.

Geno

[gotwavego]

Originally posted by digitalfreaknyc
I had the HS2. Returned it within a week. ALL panasonic DVD recorders have a white level bug.


Not sure what you mean by this, care to elaborate?

-g

[Steve Phillips]

I can't agree EP recording is VHS level. It's much worse than VHS EP. It's like every other frame is missing, and motion is very jerky.

[digitalfreaknyc]

Originally posted by geno
Not sure what you mean by this, care to elaborate?

-g

Check AVSforum.com for the black level thread.

ALL panasonic recorders lighten the IRE level from 7.5 to 15 on recordings so that the resulting DVD looks washed out.