I am new here and have only made two posts so I apologize if this has been asked in the past ...

I have had two DVD recorders in the past. One that blew it's mother board and my current second one is having trouble finalizing discs.

So I ask all of you in DVD Recorder land ... What is the best and safest DVD Recorder model out there for home use? I like to record games and movies so this is what I would use it for. I don't necessarily need one with a VHS in it if combo players seem to cause more problems or are more apt to breakdown. Which models do you like the most and which have given you the least problems? Best for the price?

Cause now I don't trust the one I have (a Panasonic DMR-ES46V) ...

-PT

Many people have had good luck with the Philips 3575 and 3576 and the clone of those two, the Magnavox 2160 released in late 2008.

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DVD recorders as a product category have had a roller coaster ride over their short five year history.

At their peak in 2004/5, many were unknowingly made with faulty parts which caused failed motherboards and power supplies (this problem was not limited to recorders: faulty counterfeit parts were the scam of the decade, affecting everything from shavers to microwaves to televisions). The faulty parts were cleared thru the system by 2006 at which point all consumer electronics became more reliable- it is unlikely a newer unit will blow its motherboard or power supply.

Unfortunately a bigger problem is recorders never sold well, and currently do not sell at all in the USA, which has had significant impact on our choices. From 2003-2006, all mfrs offered a "good-better-best" model strategy, with the most expensive units including the very useful hard drive feature. These were/are popular with video addicts like AVS members, but the general public shunned them as too pricey. They were pulled from the USA in 2006, all except the Phillips/Magnavox units covered in depth by wajo. All other remaining new machines are DVD-only or DVD/VCR combos. As of 2009, 90% of the DVD recorders for sale in the USA are useless junk- unreliable for various electronic/mechanical reasons, and/or unable to record anything because of new more paranoid copy protection circuits.

Avoid DVD/VHS combo units: there were some good models a few years ago, todays are all crap. If you already have a good VCR, and just want a DVD recorder, opt for Panasonic, preferably the EZ-28 model. It is the last DVD-only recorder that is any good, all others like Sony, Toshiba, JVC, etc are generating daily horror stories here on AVS and elsewhere. If you can afford $250-280, I strongly recommend you consider the Phillips 3576 or the Magnavox H2160. These are the only DVD recorders with built-in hard drives left for sale in the USA, and they are scheduled to be withdrawn by the end of the year. The hard drive is a killer feature that makes a DVD recorder WAY more useful, especially for timeshifting. It also allows trimming sports events and editing out commercials before burning the final DVD. Also, you have much less wear and tear on the DVD burner because you aren't using it constantly for timeshifting- you're using the hard drive, which is easy and cheap to replace on these models if they eventually wear out.

I am new here and have only made two posts so I apologize if this has been asked in the past ...

I have had two DVD recorders in the past. One that blew it's mother board and my current second one is having trouble finalizing discs.

So I ask all of you in DVD Recorder land ... What is the best and safest DVD Recorder model out there for home use? I like to record games and movies so this is what I would use it for. I don't necessarily need one with a VHS in it if combo players seem to cause more problems or are more apt to breakdown. Which models do you like the most and which have given you the least problems? Best for the price?

Cause now I don't trust the one I have (a Panasonic DMR-ES46V) ...

-PT

Your DMR-ES46V is one of the best DVD combo recorders ever made. It probably needs the dust, debris and oily residue removed from the rubber hub atop the DVD Drive's spindle, a fifteen minute procedure. See my post responding to you in your other thread.

I own five 2006 DMR-ES35V combo recorders, a low-end version of your ES46. Three of these have accumulated more than 3,000 recording hours per machine. With my sixteen functional Panasonic DVD recorders and combo recorders I clean the rubber hubs at eight to ten month intervals, more frequently for those in heavy use. Of all my Panasonics the 2006 ES series combo recorders are among my most reliable workhorses. While your DMR-ES46V does not have a digital tuner, it is a far better combo recorder than anything Panasonic is offering today.

If you're determined to purchase a new recorder CitiBear's advice is spot on. I should mention that I also own a Philips 3575 (a 2007 version of the current 3576) a Magnavox 2160 and a Magnavox 2080, all HDD/DVD recorders. These are proving themselves to be more reliable than the Panasonic EZ series recorders. I own five EZ series Panasonics, four DMR-EZ17 models (from 2007) and one DMR-EZ28 (from 2008). These models have bugs and design flaws. Of these EZ series Panasonics the DMR-EZ28 is the most reliable.

You're probably mad at your Panny like I was when I started having the exact same problems as you. I had a ES-30v and had a love hate relationship with it before we discovered spindle cleaning. I loved it's quality and features but I hated that I had to hold my breath every time I changed thumbnails or finalized the disc.
After the spindle cleaning I have no problems now and realize as Digado said, the '05 '06 Panny DVDRs were some of the best models made bar none. The newer EZ models make great recordings but are very flaky. Stick with your older one and you'll be happier.

CitiBear,
Hope my Panasonic DMR-EA18K I ordered from Vann's makes it.
ttwomotor

At their peak in 2004/5, many were unknowingly made with faulty parts which caused failed motherboards and power supplies (this problem was not limited to recorders: faulty counterfeit parts were the scam of the decade, affecting everything from shavers to microwaves to televisions).
According to people I know, the upcoming RHOS debacle will make the counterfeit parts scam look good. I have been show parts with the tin whiskers very evident. These guys estimate that with standard use, a consumer device like a television could see unrepairable failures in as little as 3 to 5 years. When these things start dying in very large numbers, recycling centers will be choked, and consumers will be very angry. Who wants to shell out that kind of money every few years? The real possibility of house fires exists from tin filament growth in the high voltage sections of consumer electronics. I have been warned to avoid anything RHOS compliant if at all possible. Hey, they figured out how to stop the electronic failures almost a century ago, and now we are regressing THAT far back.:mad: What a colossally ill-conceived idea.