I know these are no longer made and don't have the ATSC tuners. But from what I have read (my mind is swimming as I'm new to all this) there is no such thing as a unit to which you can connect your own external hard drive and record to it through the DVD recorder. So the choices are record to DVD-Ram, RW or a unit that has a built-in HD if you want to edit to some extent.

My purpose is to copy a ton of VCR tapes but would rather not copy all directly as they are really mixed up and have lots of garbage on them. I don't particularly want to import to my Mac and deal with it all there since I need to use it for other things and don't want to tie it up.

I've located a place that supposedly has these two units for sale at not too much over their original retail. Would you think it is worth it to get these since they have all the components? Or would it be better to get a more recent DVD recorder with HD and connect a VCR externally? The unit would have to have some sort of editing feature. If this method would be better, which model would you suggest?

Does the Philips DVDR3575H/37 have editing ability?

TIA :)

Yes, the 3575 has basic editing capabilities...delete/cut sections, divide titles, chapter marking, titling. Simple-to-use menus, pretty straightforward machine. 160GB HDD great for copying tapes to and editing as you get time. Great PQ (only the most usable rec. modes). Digital tuner. 36-program timer recording. Manual written by English-speaking person. :)

You can PAUSE a recording if you want to load different tapes to get stuff together into one title, and you can also copy a whole tape then cut stuff out you don't want...or just Pause Rec, FF tape, Resume Rec, etc.

For more editing bells and whistles, such as mixing chapters and sections of diff. titles into one, Toshibas are supposed to be the best. No new units with digital tuners tho.

I have 2 EH75's and love them, I would grab the EH75 so you have the VCR too. I was worried initially that the 80GB drive on the 75 wouldn't be enough, but it's not a problem at all, 80GB holds alot more than you think, especially if you use LP, it's really not even an issue even using SP. It's a very well thought out and executed unit, with very good quality feel to it, even the VCR is smooth and quiet. It's beyond idiotic that you can't get the HDD/DVD recorders anymore, definitely some kind of shady deal going on with the movie studios or some kind of pressure on manufacturers so we rent the monthly DVR'$ from cable provider$. Nothing beats recording to the hard disk, slapping some index points on there, editing it in 2 minutes flat, then burning it to DVD-RW all in the same unit in high-speed mode (bit for bit). Then if you want to tighten it up more, format the same DVD-RW and do it again.

My purpose is to copy a ton of VCR tapes but would rather not copy all directly as they are really mixed up and have lots of garbage on them. I don't particularly want to import to my Mac and deal with it all there since I need to use it for other things and don't want to tie it up.

Does the Philips DVDR3575H/37 have editing ability?

TIA :)

What you want to do can be done by the Panny or Philllips at the same quality but very different cost. I have a panny ES-20, polo 2000g and Phillips 2575. The panny has been retired.I got better quality recordings of my VHS tapes from the Polo than the Panny. So much better that I redid all of them.

You do need a HD recorder. I would not worry about the garbage when you record from tape to the HD, since you can do all the cuts on the HD and do not have to do them live. Another thing, if your tapes are longer than 2 hours (since SP mode is the most used and best quality fit with VHS tapes), it does not matter to the HD.

The Pannys may still have FR recording (which allows you to set the exact time to record), but I found that I got the same quality if I just set SP (2 hours) or, for the Polo and Phillips, 2.5 hours (SP+ if I recall correctly) to fit the tape. Could not see much difference.

I would buy the Phillips since you also get stuff that will be there after you finish the main project, like the digital tuner and Pause Live TV (which still needs work but does what it says it does). And only get a Phillips with a July or later build and you are on Comcast.

Thank you very much for your opinions and advice.

Seems the place that said they had the early Panasonic models didn't have them after all. Boo, hiss.

So, looks like the Phillips is my most likely purchase since I probably would be needing that hard drive option. Before I make my move, is there any other model that has similar specs worth considering?

And one last question...my folks just want to copy some VCR tapes to DVD without a lot of editing. Is the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK a good machine or are there others that are better? An ATSC would be helpful as they have over air reception.

Many thanks.

I bought the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK at my local Costco last week and it is going back today. Instead, I am going down to get a Philips DVDR3575H/37.

Like you, I have a lot of tapes to copy. The older Panny VCR/DVDR models (which I also own) allowed for greater control over how the tapes are copied to the discs.

For example, suppose you have several tapes, each containing one episode from four different series (e.g. each tape has an episode of Friends, one of Seinfeld, one of Frasier, and one of Scrubs). You want to organize them on DVD discs so that each series ends up on a disc containing just episodes from that series. With the previous Pannys, you could just copy the first 30 min. of a tape to one DVD, the second 30 minutes of that tape to another DVD, and so on. You could do this without physically having to be in the room and stop the dub.

The DMR-EZ47VK only lets you copy the whole tape (or as much as will fit) onto one DVD. It will divide the tape into separate "programs" on the one DVD (based on when the original tape recording process was started and stopped on the VCR). BUT, you can't set it up to only dub the first program on the tape and stop so you can switch out the DVD. The transfer process results in one DVD being fully filled with as much content from your tape as it will hold at the recording quality setting you have selected. In effect, all of your tape ends up on one DVD, and you have no control over it. This is convenient if that is what you want. It is annoying if you don't.

Also, the older Pannys let you use FR for tape-to-DVD dubbing (so a 2 hr 30 min movie could be dubbed from tape to DVD at the highest quality possible for the length of the movie). The EZ47 does not give you that option. If the movie is over the 2 hours allowed at SP quality, you must dub it to DVD at LP quality, thus both reducing the bitrate of the final recording and wasting much of the capacity of the DVD (since it could have held 1 hr. 30 min. more content at LP).

If you want to do any content organizing at all, get one of the older Panny VCR/DVDR combos (some are available refurbished) at least. I still have and use mine (but having more allows multitasking-- it is a force multiplier).
It sounds like you will be still happier with a HDD unit which will allow you to both organize and edit.

Dox -

Welcome back, Professor. You've been missed.

Vic

To the OP - If you can find an EH75 at a reasonable price (I own two) you will find that they are set up well for what you want to do.

Ah, that info about the DMR-EZ47V helped a lot. Pretty sure the Philips is what will suffice for now. Recording to the HD seems to be the way to go. I suppose I can then record to RW and edit further on my computer for special projects.

I wish I could get an EH75 for a decent price but I can't see paying what people are expecting these days. Who knows, a year from now there may be all kinds of models to choose from.

Well, one can hope, anyway. ;-)

KBear2:
You might get lucky. I saw some refurb ES30Vs somewhere (Pricegrabber, I think). They are pretty good for what you want to do.
Vic:
Thanks for the kind words. I missed you all (seriously) and it is interesting to see how things have changed.

There is nothing like an HDD unit for dubbing VHS AND editing- In other words non HDD DVDR units just do not cut it for best quality transfers. Btw that Philips is very much less user friendly to edit out commercials than ANY of the Panny HDD units. Night and Day. But actually the Pio 531 series -2005 and 2006 pio 640 are best since they leave an editing trail in case of coitus interruptus. :)

There is nothing like an HDD unit for dubbing VHS AND editing- In other words non HDD DVDR units just do not cut it for best quality transfers. Btw that Philips is very much less user friendly to edit out commercials than ANY of the Panny HDD units. Night and Day. But actually the Pio 531 series -2005 and 2006 pio 640 are best since they leave an editing trail in case of coitus interruptus. :)
Editing on the Philips 3575 is very easy and straightforward. Like any unit, you have to operate it correctly.

HoustonGuy, I didn't know you had a 3575???