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DVR buying guide

ť 1. Types of DVR
ť 2. Price parameter
ť 3. A/V recording modes

ť 4. DVD format compatibility
ť 5. Features explained
ť 6. Input/output connectivity

2. Price parameter

Now that you have an idea of the genre of DVRs, the next step is to allocate a reasonable budget based on your personal requirements. The following is a rough guide on the price bracket for each category with further segmentation in terms of HDD capacity.

Editors' note:

Note that these prices reflect the latest street and manufacturers' recommended retail price as of this writing. They may be subject to changes without further notice.

PRICE	WHAT YOU'LL GET
S$200 or less	PVRs, SingTel MioTV (rental only) These are strictly digital recording-only equipment with no inbuilt video-editing capability.
S$300 or less	DVD recorders No-frills disc recorders with only essential features such as multimedia playback and component-video output. If you have a video camcorder and would like to export the recordings, this should be the lowest category to start with.
S$500 or less	80GB HDD recorders Entry-level HDD recorders for extended home video recording. These lack optional HD video upscaling and other value-added stuff. However, the integrated hard drive minimizes user hassle from unnecessary DVD-recordable swapping and housekeeping.
S$800 or less	160GB HDD recorders, StarHub HubStation For those with a little more budget, these models deliver the best value for storage capacity and affordability. This range also tends to offer enhanced connectivity including an onboard memory card reader, USB and HDMI.
S$1,100 or less	250GB HDD recorders These used to be the top-of-the-line series as many vendors are now beginning to ship models with larger capacity. They also double as competent video players with 1080p HDMI video upscaling and quality audio-video analog-to-digital converters.
More than S$1,100	500GB HDD recorders Premium recorders with all the latest bells and whistles, some even come with an inbuilt digital tuner which further enhances TV broadcast recording quality. They are recommended only if you are have deep pockets or are too lazy to perform occasional housekeeping.