Key Post: Current best value DVD recorder

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babydays

Registered User
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Here's the usual question, but I'm looking for an updated answer!

I want to get a DVD player/recorder within the week and have seen several offers. I can't spend much more than E300 so thought that meant that HD was ruled out until I saw this on piximania:


http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/91494/art/mustek/r580-dvd-player-recorder.html#

MUSTEK R580 DVD player recorder with hard drive E320

Get the most out of your favourite television programmes and DVD's with the Mustek R580. Use the 80 GB hard drive to stock hours of programmes, to be burned onto DVD's at your leisure. You can choose between 5 different recording standards to allow you to store between 1 and 6 hours of recordings per disc. The FireWire connection will allow you to copie your digital camcorder recordings onto DVD+R/RW and S-video and audio/video connections for maximum flexibility. The R580 will thrill you with the quality of its recordings and prove to be a great replacement for your video recorder!

Has anyone any views about this make (I've never heard of Mustek)? Also I've seen piximania recommended on this chat site but does anyone have any experience of how they are if there's something wrong with the equipment?

They also have a Mustek player/recorder for E173.

Other possibilities are simple player/recorder at did electrical:
Manufacturer: SAMSUNG

Model: DVDR122

Sale price E279.95

DVD-RAM/-RW/-R recording
DVD-RAM/-RW/-R playback
One touch recording
Chapter creator
MPEG 4 (DiVX)
Progressive scan
Time slip
Scart connections x 2
S Video input
Audio input
S Video input
Coaxial output
Optical output
Audio output




Manufacturer: PHILIPS

Model: DVDR610

Sale price E235.95


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DVD Recorder
CD-VCD compatible
CD-R/RW compatible
MP3 Compatible
Video Plus+
PDC
Remote control
2 Scart sockets
Colour - Silver

Height - 43.5 Cm
Width - 28.5 Cm
Depth - 6.5 Cm



I record a lot on our camcorder and also want to use the DVDplayer/recorder as a handy way to record camcorder stuff,then put it on my computer and work with the footage. Which of the DID ones would suit my needs best. Have I missed out on other current offers?

Any advice on what to get gratefully received!
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

babydays said:
Here's the usual question, but I'm looking for an updated answer!

I want to get a DVD player/recorder within the week and have seen several offers. I can't spend much more than E300 so thought that meant that HD was ruled out until I saw this on piximania:


http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/91494/art/mustek/r580-dvd-player-recorder.html#

MUSTEK R580 DVD player recorder with hard drive E320
...
Any advice on what to get gratefully received!
Click to expand...

The previous model, the Mustek R100B-5, got a mediocre review on Home Cinema Choice. Review [broken link removed]in PDF format - takes a while to load.

"The Mustek R100B-5 is a competent DVD recorder, albeit one with predicatable budget limitations. Build quality is compromised and playback performance is unspectacular."

Hopefully, the R580 has overcome these shortcomings.
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

Hi Babydays,
Buying a DVD recorder is a lot more complicated than buying a VHS recorder. You really have to decide on what features you want, i.e. flexible recording, DV Link, High Speed dubbing , progressive scan and so on. Some of this will depend on what kind of TV you have as well. I would suggest you get a multi format machine as these are becoming more available all the time.

Be aware that in general the cheaper recorders have less features and they are falling in price. Also their are two new formats on the way although they are probably 2 or 3 years away.

Hope this helps
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

Hi Weeslip, no I haven't bought anything yet! Tks M. Bond for the review. The fan noise sounds highly irritating - if that's the case with the current model I wouldn't like to get it. Found this 'review' as well. [broken link removed]

Still poised on the threshold of a decision as to whether to go for the cheapest recorder & HD (mustek) or for a better quality recorder. Must say, being able to (for the most part) put the discs away as well as the time slip feature the HD becomes v. attractive.
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

babydays said:
Hi Weeslip, no I haven't bought anything yet! Tks M. Bond for the review. The fan noise sounds highly irritating - if that's the case with the current model I wouldn't like to get it. Found this 'review' as well. [broken link removed]

Still poised on the threshold of a decision as to whether to go for the cheapest recorder & HD (mustek) or for a better quality recorder. Must say, being able to (for the most part) put the discs away as well as the time slip feature the HD becomes v. attractive.
Click to expand...

IMHO, you should spend the extra money and get a named brand like a Philips, Sony or Pioneer. After all, you want it to least a few years, don't you?
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

well, I can't spend more than absolute tops of E350 on this thing. So if I want to give in to the lure of the HD from Mustek I can pay the E320. Otherwise I might just have to accept the recorder of the known brands which have the timeslip function (drives me mad when miss the crucial part of storyline when the phone rings!).

M.Bond - do you really not expect such a machine to last a while?

How soon will HD be commonplace in DVDs at a low price? Perhaps I'm better off just getting a cheap recorder and wait til HD is more affordable by the better brands?

Actually while writing this I'm thinking I might stick to the recorder option but I'm still thrifty minded! Looking through the new Argos catelogue I see Goodmans recorder for E179 but then again perhaps I'll meet the same old problem of only getting what you pay for.

This morning when I got up I was certain I was going to go ahead and get the Mustek!
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

HI,

Does having a hard drive simply mean that one does not have to keep putting in discs every time you wish to record something?
I like the look of the basic Sony model which is a tad more expensive than the rest at 369 euro.Does anyone have experience with this one?
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

practitioner - where did you see the sony DVDR with HD for E369? I might just increase my budget for that?
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

Sorry If I misled you...i don't think there is any HD on this model....does this mean you just end up having a few discs and retaping over them?
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

drat, thought you had come across a real bargain.

As far as I know the major advantage of HD is indeed that you don't need to fuss about having discs to record onto - you can record directly onto the Hard disk drive. Also you can 'pause live tv' i.e. if phone rings while watching your favorite programme you can press pause and then resume watching the live TV programme without having missed anything - although some DVD recorders have this feature without a HD.

Am probably mad but have decided to treat myself and pay up to E450 for DVDR and HD - Argos has phipils DVDR3300H - anyone know anything about this one?
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

I'd be interested to know how much it is in ireland...??? And if there's a similar good brand with same specs but cheaper.
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

The philips one that I just quoted above is from the new Argos catelogue in Ireland.


If you hear of similar specs, good brand and cheaper in Ireland - please let me know!
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

IMHO if you are even thinking of going towards the Eur450 mark you will find no better than the Sony HX710 160gig dvd recorder if you want Quality.

It's at Eur499 in Pixmania - and considering that the 80gig model is 599 in dublin shops you are getting a fantastic top Brand name bargain.

Well I think so anyway cos I have one and it is the business. Even your granny could use it.
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

podgerodge,

the Sony sounds absolutely fabulous and seems excellent value for what you get but............ E499............you're waving temptation at me. I started hoping to get something for approx E300 and now decided I could possibly jump to E450 and now you're talking about almost E500. It just keeps going up!

In anycase - what happens if there's a problem with the goods received from Pixmania - I know you can send it back etc but does anyone have any experience with this?

I'll check out Pixmania for the 80gig model to see what they charge. Have to say that splashed out on a really expensive desktop comp a year ago and am sooo pleased that I did go the extra on it.... but E499 for a TV accessory!!!!!

Are there any other good sites which have current reviews of models? Thanks for the links c-saw.
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

your point being that it is possible to purchase dvd recorders in these stores?
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

I bought a philips dvd writer/player for a pc from an irish based supplier 8 months ago similar to pixmania. It packed it in 3 weeks ago so I contacted the supplier. They said my warranty was with philips. When I contacted philips they said it was direct with the supplier. Sent a copy of my rights from the irish consumer assoc. to help the supplier take responsability...received contact last week to say it was being sorted by philips but they were surprised to get such a letter. (Moral - my money had skid marks goin into their account...slow to take the product back & nearly 2 weeks without now)
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

Babydays
Pixmania don't sell the 80 gig model - which does not have DV in for camcorders by the way like the 160 gig does.

I've purchased many items from Pixmania without any problems. The reality is sometimes you have to assume that most things just work - especially models such as Sony.

You may have noticed that Pixmania offer a second year guarantee completely free. But they normally say that in the first year you get the manufacturer to fix it locally.

If you are really paranoid they offer a guarantee for 5.9% - Eur29 approx on the Sony DVD recorder which means you just send it back to them and they give you a credit voucher for immediate purchase of the same or another item on the website without having to get the product fixed at all.

Look at the links to Power city and DID by all means but you get what you pay for. Sony is Sony!
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

babydays said:
podgerodge,

but E499 for a TV accessory!!!!!
Click to expand...


Far more than that! You'll never have to worry about a blank tape or DVD again. When you do need to transfer a recording onto a blank DVD it does it up to 16 times faster than the length of the program. When the phone rings you just "pause the live tv" - you'll wonder how you got by without this feature!

[broken link removed]
 
Re: Current best value DVD recorder

podgerodge,

As I'm probably not going to go the Sony E499 pixmania route (although it is periously attractive) could you indicate, after Sony, which brands are most reliable. Looking at Tom's hardware reviews, Richer sounds and pixmania there are several I've never even heard of- e.g. pixmania has a KISS with 200GB HD (!), Tom's has Lite-on, some have LG...

Which brands are next best after SONY - how would you rate:
Philips
Pioneer
LG
KISS
Sharp
Sony
etc..more?
 
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