[Mark0824]

Hi,


I will be off tomorrow to the local store (might buy online if a lot cheaper) to buy a DVD recorder. A friend of mine has let me use his Toshiba Dr-2. It is a noce device but does not have what I am looking for.


What I want to do with the DVR is mainly use it as a TIVO unit (so I can pause etc.. live TV), copy shows I record to DVD, record show to watch when I am gone and to hook up my Camcorder to trasnfer movies (this one is flexible).


I see that a few of the DVR's have TIVO built in like the Pioneer DVR-810h and others have a TV Guide feature that helps the system work like a TIVO unit.


Here are a few units I am looking at:

Pioneer DVR-520H

Pioneer DVR-810H

Toshiba RS-TX20


The Toshiba looks like it fits my needs best but I cant find it anywhere online. Are there any other units that are close to the Toshiba?


Please let me know your thoughts and advice.


Thanks,


Mark

 

[ClarkeBar]

Mark,


I think the TIVO oriented DVR's do not allow for commercial editing. I believe the new Tosh's (now Digital media Servers) are also like this. Along with the Costco only model of your friend's machine, the D-K2R, I have the still current Tosh HDD model the RD-XS32 with the 80 GB drive. While it lacks the TIVO connection it still performs all of the functions you have described, just not as simply or automatically...and it is not crippled in terms of editing.


All of the units in your list have their strengths and weaknesses. If automation in recording is a strong reason for purchase then stick with TIVO units. If you wish to have better editing capability go with a unit like RD-XS32. The 80GB drive has never been a problem for me...I edit/burn with some regularity. If you think you will have a lot of material piling up and/or intend on recording mostly in HQ then go for a unit with a larger drive.


Good Luck tomorrow...and welcome to the forum.

 

[coach]

of your list, i like the pioneer 520 the best. i have used it and it and the toshiba rd-xs32 had the best feature set. the panasonic e85 also has a following. i do what you do with a DishNetwork DVR and these are probably the three best units for editing purposes.


the pioneer 810 does not allow for editing, which is a must for getting rid of commercial breaks in archived media.

 

[piano632]

Something to keep in mind when buying - the units that have TiVo built in (Pioneer DVR-57H, DVR-810H-S) do NOT allow you to edit the content on the hard drive before burning to disc. If you simply want to record and play at the same time, I believe all of the machines with DVD-RAM will do that, and a few of the newer ones with 2x-4x DVD-RW. Don't know about the Toshiba. You might want to consider the JVC DR-MH30SL as well (out soon) which has both -RW and -RAM along with a hard drive. Not sure what these have in the way of a TV programming guide.

 

[Mark0824]

Basically I want a TIVO type unit that I can record TV, watch DVD's, move some of my DV Camcorder movies to DVD and that is about it.


I really want the ability to pause,ffd,rev live TV without having to puch the record button. Will the units with a Hard Drive allow me to do this? Also, how is the TV Guide feature with some oft hese units?


Thanks,


Mark

 

[Westly-C]

My vote cast for a Panasonic E85...It can all the things you have on your list.

 

[Mark0824]

Can the Panny E85 let me pause live TV without having to record the channel like a TIVO?

 

[Westly-C]

No, it won't pause live tv. You will have to be recording the show in order to use Timeslip, which lets you start watching an in progress recording from the beginning (you can pause, ff, and rewind during Timeslip) while continuing to record it.

 

[martig]

Anywhere to find out definitely if the Toshiba RS-TX20 does not allow editing on the hard drive. In other words you can't go back on something that has been recorded on the hard drive and take out a commercial. Can you change or add anything on the hard drive, like titles? What could you do on the DVD to edit out the commercial?

 

[Felgar]

I think there's a Phillips machine that always records a buffer, which is essentially for the capability to pause live TV. I'm not sure of the model # though.


I don't see that pausing live is a huge benefit. If I think there's a good chance I'll want to pause (like for sports) I just hit record - no mess, no hassle. And everything else is pre-recorded to be viewed much later.


The buffer only helps in 2 cases: first is when you are half way though something you didn't expect to be good but then you decide it would be nice to keep, and second is when you missed some dialog or something and want to replay it. But I think you'll find that most of your viewing is off the hdd once you get one of these units...

 

[cvillacci]

I have the Pioneer 810h. I am not fussy about PQ but this unit does has some issues with the quality. I will be returning it to get the new Toshiba RS-TX20. Costco has the Pioneer 810h both at the store and on the website. With such a great return policy, you can try it and see if PQ is an issue with you.

 

[alanpgh]

I don't see the RS-TX20 on the Costco web site. Can you point me to the location on theri web site?


Thanks,

Alan

 

[ClarkeBar]

I believe (but not certain) if the recording is a manual job it is editable. If done through TIVO it is not. Sorta makes the Tivo automation come at a stiff price.


These units do not feature -RW but do still feature RAM so I guess (emphasize guess) it is possible to edit the right sized TIVO Titles (if too big then a rate conversion dub) on the RAM eliminating the dead stuff and re-record back to the HDD and then burn a -R.


Whew! Sounds convoluted as hell!!!!!

 

[alanpgh]

My Best Buy doesn't have the RS-TX20 yet, and I can't find it online or at Costco online. I appreciate any suggestions any of you might have.


Thanks!


Alan

 

[Mark0824]

Picked up the TX20 at Best Buy 2 days ago. It is a very good unit.

 

[spiderman2k1]

Toshiba have black level problem. Pioneer might have problems with VHS tapes. I know the 510 does. Panasonic is good get the E80 E95 or E100 do not get he E85 there is a small bug in it.

 

[dsmith901]

If you just want to time shift and not edit/burn DVDs for archiving, then just get a TiVo or Replay (my preference). Toshiba sells a TiVo hard drive recorder with a built in DVD PLAYER (not burner) I forget the model number that BB often discounts to $199. It comes with free TiVo basic which is probably all you need, so no fees. If you want to edit/burn/archive, you need the Pansonic hard drive with burner.