Pioneer DVR-640H-S DVD Recorder with 160GB DVR
NOT YOUR  FATHER'S VCR!!
We bought this unit to supplement our TIVO which, because of its single tuner and inflexible program guide, has difficulty  recording both cable-scrambled and unscrambled channels.  The 640H is directly replacing a VCR that we used to record scrambled channels and, for the moment, will give us a second DVD player.    This is our first experience with a DVD recorder and I suspect that, since we don't do home video or want the jukebox, we do not need many of the included features.    One of the reasons we chose this particular unit is that it DOES NOT depend on either the TV Guide video input or a TIVO-like service but rather, has its own programming options very much like a VCR.  Note, though, that for scrambled channels, both the cable box AND the unit timer need to be set.    For us the DVR-640-H-S does the following:     -Records cable-box scrambled channels directly into the unit's  channel 3 and then onto the hard drive (HDD) or a DVD.  Again,  the individual channel must be set on the cable box, either manually or using the cable box timer and the recording time must be set on the unit.  If a blank DVD is used as the recording media, several settings must be made to accomodate the specific type of DVD.  The HDD is more forgiving.    -Records cable non scrambled channels without going thru the cable box using the unit's built-in tuner and the recording timer. Same settings as for scrambled channel recordings cited above.  Note that on the Pioneer web site (but NOT in the manual) there is a footnote stating that the unit's tuner is analog and may need a converter starting in the year 2009.    -Records from the HDD onto a DVD for permanent storage.  Depending on the media selected, this can be done at high speed rather than real time.    -Records from a DVD onto the HDD.  Important: copy protected commercial movies cannot be recorded or copied so do not plan to create your own library from rented movies.  Non copy- protected prerecorded disks can only be copied inreal time.    -AN ADDED PLUS: Records from VCR (video tape) to the HDD or a DVD, thus allowing archiving of video tapes and eliminating the need for an extra piece of equipment to perform this function.    The list of recorded programs is accessed thru a \\"disk navigator\\".  The screen contains a block of info for each recorded program including a playing thumbnail and the time/channel of the recording.  Unfortunately, the screen does NOT contain the title or program name so that, even if you put it in manually when you set up the time record parameters, you need to input it manually again.  We find this system not as user friendly and much slower than TIVO's, but it is functional and the thumbnails are a plus.    There are also a series of playback adjustment options to improve the picture.    Undocumented feature: The \\"slowest\\" of the fast forward speeds  includes sound, sped up but still intelligible.    Be aware that, because of the fluid standards, ridiculous jargon and general lack of intuitive nomenclature in the DVD industry (-r; -rw; +r; video mode; vr mode, etc.) plus multiple disk, speed and other adjustment options, the DVR-640H-S manual is some 135 pages long!!  It is comprehensive and well written. I suspect this little book will be our companion at least for a while.  I also recommend downloading the manual from the Pioneer web site.   Read it before you buy the unit and keep it as a easily searched PDF reference.    And, quite frankly, be prepared to experiment and make some mistakes before everything works out.    So far, we give the Pioneer DVR-640H-S five stars, not necessarily for its ease of use but because, if you read the manual, hook it up correctly and make the effort, it can replace a TIVO, VCR and DVD player while performing functions that these units probably can't do alone or in combination.