Pioneer or JVC dvd recorders that upconvert ?

Also are the remote control HDMI switchers reliable and do they lose any PQ ? Thx for any info.

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure they existed [in the US] in the first place (at least not from JVC and Pioneer). Panasonic and Sony, I believe, were the only Japanese manufacturers that were offering upconversion via HDMI in the US for DVD recorders (obviously players are a different story). Read the analog to digital transition FAQ above to get the general idea why the major players in the consumer electronics industry (Panny, Pioneer, Sony, and JVC) have all but abandoned HDD based DVD recorders (Panny) and DVD recorders in general (Pioneer and JVC) in the US and have left the market open for Chinese and Korean competition (rebadged Funai (Phillips, Polaroid, Magnavox), LG, and Lite-on). In a nutshell, the mandatory digital tuner transition in the US plus the relatively marginal profitability of DVD recorders in general have caused Pioneer and JVC to all but exit the DVD recorder business in the US (so not only are you not seeing DVD recorders with HDMI outputs from these guys, you are not seeing DVD recorders period). There are many theories as to why DVD recorders have not taken off such as Tivo and Cable/Sat company rented DVR boxes, consumer confusion with the formats and the relative complexity of DVD reocrding vs. VCRs, unreliability of optical media and dvd recording hardware, confusion related to HD optical media, etc... CE manufacturers are focusing on HD optical media player/recorders, SD upconverting players, and DVR-like devices.

Gotta love a thorough answer like that. Thanks much

And yet, all the same conditions exist in Canada, and those manufacturers skipping the U.S. market have chosen to sell North American models there in a much smaller market.

I would guess that's because vferrari missed the one most important reason: the legal climate in the USA, where manufacturers selling any kind of video recorder face a potential minefield of litigation and legislation.

Except that Canada has not mandated a conversion to all-digital broadcasts, and had not required all video equipment with a tuner to include a digital tuner -- not an insignificant factor.

But in practice Canada does exactly the same as the U.S., since the two countries share the same airwaves and the same electronics suppliers. And the new models being sold in Canada do include a digital tuner.

See for example:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10088440&catid=22494
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10088439&catid=22494
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10087752&catid=22494

And the new models being sold in Canada do include a digital tuner.The Phillips you linked to has the digital tuner, but the Pioneers don't.

And the new models being sold in Canada do include a digital tuner.

See for example:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10088440&catid=22494
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10088439&catid=22494
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10087752&catid=22494

Not true. The Pioneer DVD HDD recorders you link to have analog tuners only. This was verified by someone who actually bought one (click here). (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858403)

The Philips is the same one sold in the US, so no news there.

The Sony also listed on the BB Canada site (RDR HX-730, 160 GB HDD), also has only an analog tuner (click here). (http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=1003196&navigationPath=n45940n47000)

So, the majority of HDD recorders sold in Canada have analog tuners.

Case closed.

I've seen these Pioneer units in my local store, and I thought the sign on them that they have a digital tuner. It isn't mentioned in BB's description, and no manual or spec sheet is available online. The thread that rgazzara mentions is about the DVR-450H-K, a lower-end model which is missing some features, and doesn't address the question of the tuner in the 550 and 650 models.

I've seen these Pioneer units in my local store, and I thought the sign on them that they have a digital tuner.They have digital OUTPUT [HDMI], but no digital tuner.

They have digital OUTPUT [HDMI], but no digital tuner.

If not, that probably explains why they aren't for sale in the USA!

If not, that probably explains why they aren't for sale in the USA!

Thanks for making my point, again!

I didn't discuss the litigation issue because IMO it's a red herring (i.e., really a non issue) compared to the digital tuner mandate which causes circuit complexity in the units driving up cost and lowering profit margin (the real issue).