DVD recorders with bonus features

Last year it was all about DVD recorders, this year the more advanced hard drive combis are winning favor. These units will change the way you watch television--the hard drives are scratch discs to which live television is recorded, so you can pause or rewind at any time. You can also record everything in high quality and downsample to DVD for keeps--all handled by the units themselves.

Toshiba's RD-XS34 is the machine of choice for recording fans. Its interface is easy to use, the recording options are plentiful to the point of being extreme, and its AV performance is second to none.

The older kids on the block are the Pioneer DVR-520H and Philips' HDRW720. Of the two, Pioneer's box is better designed--its editing features are as good as ever and the AV performance is pure gold. The Philips HDRW720 is decent enough, but it's limited by the fact that DVD recording can only be made from hard drive footage, as opposed to on the fly.

Lastly, the JVC DR-MV1 offers DVD and VCR Recording in one, which will be very attractive to the many people out there still with piles of tapes. However, it's let down by some poor implementation from JVC.

Product name	Philips HDRW720	Toshiba RD-XS34	JVC DR-MV1	Pioneer DVR-520H
Price
	S$1,099 (US$809.14)	N.A.	N.A.	S$1,299 (US$956.39)
Remarks
	Saddled with a crippled electronic programming guide and hard-to-browse menus, Philips's new DVR-DVD recorder is more trouble than it's worth.	Toshiba's previous model, the RD-XS32, set the template for the combined DVD/HDD recorder. Now, with a bigger hard drive and enhanced editing facilities, the RD-XS34 is the power user's recorder of choice. If it had Freeview integrated into the box it would be approaching perfection, but the hard drive size, ease of editing/recording, and image quality mean this should be at the centre of your AV setup.	JVC's promising but confounding VCR/DVD combo recorder is saddled with too many quirks.	Although it lacks a programming guide like that of its TiVo-powered rivals, Pioneer's slim, beginner-friendly DVR-DVD combo boasts some thoughtful features.
Basic Specs
Video recorder type	DVD + HDD recorder	DVD + HDD recorder	DVD + DVD & VHS recorder	DVD + HDD recorder
Recording media	DVD+R, DVD+RW	DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM	DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM	DVD-R, DVD-RW
Max recording capacity	80GB hard drive (max 130 hours); 4.7GB on DVD+R (max 8 hours in M8 mode); supports double layer DVD+R recording media.	160GB hard drive offers up to 80 hours of good-quality footage	N.A.	80GB hard drive can store up to 102 hours of recording; up to 6 hours of recording on DVD media
Dimensions (HxWxD)	435 x 76 x 335 mm	430 x 58 x 333 mm	435 x 96 x 347 mm	420 x 59 x 339 mm
Weight	5.3 kg	4.9 kg	6.3 kg	4.7 kg
Video output	S-video, Composite video, Component video	S-video, Composite video, Component video	S-video, Composite video, Component video	S-video, Composite video, Component video
Audio features	Dolby Digital output	Dolby Digital, DTS, Linear PCM	Dolby Digital, DTS	WMA compatibility
Onboard devices	i.Link connection (FireWire)	i.Link connection (FireWire)	i.Link connection (FireWire)	iLink connection (FireWire)
Playback options	Supports MP3 playback; progressive scanning; time base correction	Supports MP3, WMA, JPEG, CD-R, CD-RW; timeslip function; playlist editing	Supports MP3, JPEG, CD-R, CD-RW; playlist editing; timeslip function	Simultaneous playback and recording / chase play; CM skip and back; PhotoViewer (JPEG Playback)
Accessories included	Universal infrared remote control; AC power cord; Coax RF antenna cable; SCART cable; quick start guide; user manual	Remote control; remote IR sender	Remote control	Remote control unit
Warranty	One-year limited warranty	One-year limited warranty	One-year limited warranty	One-year limited warranty