Post by dkennedy on Jun 21, 2005 5:52:39 GMT -5
The VCR is dead -- long live these replacements
June 20, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle, CNET.com
The VCR is dead at age 30. Unlike vinyl, there's no good reason for a VCR revival. No worries. Whether you want to convert VHS tapes to DVD, burn shows directly to discor hop on the DVR bandwagon, we suggest upgrading to one of these machines...
TiVo Series2 DVR (40 hours)
Editors' rating: 7.7 (very good)
The good: Pauses live TV; controls cable and satellite boxes; great user interface, remote and searchable program guide; supports networked audio, photos and programming options.
The bad: Requires additional monthly or lifetime charges; needs non- Internet phone line for initial setup; no HDTV support.
The price: $199 plus service fees
TiVo remains the coolest, slickest and most versatile stand-alone digital video recorder available. Its superior interface and network-friendly features far surpass competing DVRs offered by cable companies. The catch? TiVo requires a monthly fee of $13 or a onetime payment of $300, in addition to its $199 price tag. Compared with an extra $8 or so on the monthly cable bill -- typical of what you'll pay your cable company for its DVR -- it's way too expensive for most people.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/TiVo_Series2_DVR__40_hours_/4505-6474_7-30981619.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
Panasonic DMR-ES10S (silver)
Editors' rating: 6.8 (good)
The good: Relatively inexpensive; excellent recording quality; chasing playback and quick-start recordings with DVD-RAM discs; easy-to-use menus; flexible recording mode.
The bad: Inability to create chapter stops on DVD+R/-R/-RW discs; no IR blaster for timed recordings.
The price: $159 to $200
We love the recording quality of this budget DVD recorder, but its editing features are lacking. It delivers sharp video even in four-hour EP mode, and it gives you a few DVR-type features, such as the ability to watch a program as it's still being recorded (called chasing playback). Recording to DVD is simple: Hit the Record button or schedule it. It costs only $200 (list) and even less online, but anyone who wants to edit or insert chapters would be better served by another deck.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/Panasonic_DMR_ES10S__silver_/4505-9141_7-31310131.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
Humax DRT400 (40-hour TiVo)
Editors' rating: 8.2 (excellent)
The good: Combination TiVo DVR/DVD recorder; easy disk-to-DVD archiving; superb interface; progressive-scan output; works with virtually any satellite or cable box.
The bad: Requires additional monthly or lifetime fee; no way to edit out commercials; limited flexibility when dubbing camcorder videos.
The price: $399 plus service fees
The DRT400 is an excellent hybrid of TiVo and DVD recorder, but you'll need to pay a subscription fee to use it. You get TiVo's 14-day real-time electronic programming guide for antenna, satellite or cable; the ability to pause and rewind live television; 40 hours of storage on the internal disk and the ability to watch one show while recording another. All compelling features, but they'll cost you $12.95 a month or a onetime fee of $299. Go for the latter if you want to keep the unit for more than two years.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/Humax_DRT400__40_hour_TiVo_/4505-6463_7-31356482.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
Lite-On LVC-9006
Editors' rating: 7.7 (very good)
The good: Low price; excellent VHS-to-DVD dub quality; friendly menus; up- converts VHS playback for component-video output; records to DVD+R/+RW/-R/-RW and CD-R/-RW formats; automatically inserts chapter stops; FireWire input.
The bad: Scant editing options; no flexible recording speed; no IR blaster for changing cable or satellite boxes; can't automatically create thumb-nailed chapter menus.
The price: $215 to $299
Easy operation makes this VHS/DVD combo recorder a great choice for beginners and anyone else looking to turn VHS tapes into DVDs. The LVC-9006's friendly menus take you step by step through playback and recording functions; its stellar VHS-to-DVD dubs are among the best we've seen, and it records to all four major DVD formats. Experts may bemoan its skimpy editing features and lack of a front-panel S-Video input, but these are our only knocks on this satisfying combo deck.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/Lite_On_LVC_9006/4505-9141_7-31294671.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
The following Cnet staff contributed to this story: senior editor David Katzmaier, senior associate editor John Falcone, freelance writer Ben Patterson, executive editor David Carnoy and senior associate editor Tim Moynihan. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit www.cnet.com.
June 20, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle, CNET.com
The VCR is dead at age 30. Unlike vinyl, there's no good reason for a VCR revival. No worries. Whether you want to convert VHS tapes to DVD, burn shows directly to discor hop on the DVR bandwagon, we suggest upgrading to one of these machines...
TiVo Series2 DVR (40 hours)
Editors' rating: 7.7 (very good)
The good: Pauses live TV; controls cable and satellite boxes; great user interface, remote and searchable program guide; supports networked audio, photos and programming options.
The bad: Requires additional monthly or lifetime charges; needs non- Internet phone line for initial setup; no HDTV support.
The price: $199 plus service fees
TiVo remains the coolest, slickest and most versatile stand-alone digital video recorder available. Its superior interface and network-friendly features far surpass competing DVRs offered by cable companies. The catch? TiVo requires a monthly fee of $13 or a onetime payment of $300, in addition to its $199 price tag. Compared with an extra $8 or so on the monthly cable bill -- typical of what you'll pay your cable company for its DVR -- it's way too expensive for most people.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/TiVo_Series2_DVR__40_hours_/4505-6474_7-30981619.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
Panasonic DMR-ES10S (silver)
Editors' rating: 6.8 (good)
The good: Relatively inexpensive; excellent recording quality; chasing playback and quick-start recordings with DVD-RAM discs; easy-to-use menus; flexible recording mode.
The bad: Inability to create chapter stops on DVD+R/-R/-RW discs; no IR blaster for timed recordings.
The price: $159 to $200
We love the recording quality of this budget DVD recorder, but its editing features are lacking. It delivers sharp video even in four-hour EP mode, and it gives you a few DVR-type features, such as the ability to watch a program as it's still being recorded (called chasing playback). Recording to DVD is simple: Hit the Record button or schedule it. It costs only $200 (list) and even less online, but anyone who wants to edit or insert chapters would be better served by another deck.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/Panasonic_DMR_ES10S__silver_/4505-9141_7-31310131.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
Humax DRT400 (40-hour TiVo)
Editors' rating: 8.2 (excellent)
The good: Combination TiVo DVR/DVD recorder; easy disk-to-DVD archiving; superb interface; progressive-scan output; works with virtually any satellite or cable box.
The bad: Requires additional monthly or lifetime fee; no way to edit out commercials; limited flexibility when dubbing camcorder videos.
The price: $399 plus service fees
The DRT400 is an excellent hybrid of TiVo and DVD recorder, but you'll need to pay a subscription fee to use it. You get TiVo's 14-day real-time electronic programming guide for antenna, satellite or cable; the ability to pause and rewind live television; 40 hours of storage on the internal disk and the ability to watch one show while recording another. All compelling features, but they'll cost you $12.95 a month or a onetime fee of $299. Go for the latter if you want to keep the unit for more than two years.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/Humax_DRT400__40_hour_TiVo_/4505-6463_7-31356482.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
Lite-On LVC-9006
Editors' rating: 7.7 (very good)
The good: Low price; excellent VHS-to-DVD dub quality; friendly menus; up- converts VHS playback for component-video output; records to DVD+R/+RW/-R/-RW and CD-R/-RW formats; automatically inserts chapter stops; FireWire input.
The bad: Scant editing options; no flexible recording speed; no IR blaster for changing cable or satellite boxes; can't automatically create thumb-nailed chapter menus.
The price: $215 to $299
Easy operation makes this VHS/DVD combo recorder a great choice for beginners and anyone else looking to turn VHS tapes into DVDs. The LVC-9006's friendly menus take you step by step through playback and recording functions; its stellar VHS-to-DVD dubs are among the best we've seen, and it records to all four major DVD formats. Experts may bemoan its skimpy editing features and lack of a front-panel S-Video input, but these are our only knocks on this satisfying combo deck.
Read the review at sfgate-cnet.com.com/Lite_On_LVC_9006/4505-9141_7-31294671.html?&part=sfgate-cnet
The following Cnet staff contributed to this story: senior editor David Katzmaier, senior associate editor John Falcone, freelance writer Ben Patterson, executive editor David Carnoy and senior associate editor Tim Moynihan. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit www.cnet.com.