Sony RDR-GX300 DVD Recorder
Great recorder, but could have been perfect with Firewire.
I have only used the Sony rdr-gx300 for several days now, so I can't comment on the durability; however, it does have a one year Sony parts and labor warranty so that should put some durability fears to rest.  I do know that it is the best set-top DVD recorder that I have encountered/used to date.  I also own a Philips DVDR75/17, which has been fairly reliable, and a good overall value; however, I would trade it in for another Sony in a heartbeat.  The only feature that keeps the Sony from being perfect is the lack of a firewire input, which they are addressing on their latest model (the latest model,rdr-gx315, also records on dual-layer DVD+R media).  The Sony is akin to using a Macintosh, whereas the Philips is like using DOS.  The difference is night and day.  First off in recording quality, the Sony is the hands-down winner.  I am viewing the image on a 110\\" 16:9 widescreen with a high definition Infocus DLP projector, so quality is not only easier to judge but it is also paramount.  Another good feature for those using a projector or just trying to minimize cable clutter is the Sony will upconvert your incoming SDTV signals (i.e. cable, satellite, VCR) and send the upconverted signals in full progressive scan 480P to your TV/projector through the component video cables making redundant SDTV connectors (such as S-video or composite) obsolete.  The Sony has a nice GUI that makes it virtually foolproof to setup timed recordings, and if that isn't easy enough then the VCR+ feature seals the deal.  I am an electrical engineer, and I still must read the Philips manual approximately every third or fourth recording.  Not only is the Philips counter-intuitive, but the remote buttons must be used for functions that they have no label for (i.e. the up and down arrows change the input that is being recorded from, but only when in monitor mode, which is just another confusing and unecessary level of complexity).  The Sony managed to strip useless modes of operation that addno value and properly label everything for ease of use (I have yet to open the book).  The Sony has an external IR controller that you can use to control a cable box or satelite receiver, whereas most competing models do not.  On other models, you must manually switch to the channel you want to record from and leave it on that channel until recording is complete, which means you can't setup recordings on multiple channels and go out of town.  Another nice feature with the recorder is that it allows you to adjust everything.  You can change the amount of noise filtering, brightness, contrast, color, hue, etc. on the incoming recorded signals and on the outgoing signals from the player (i.e. dvd playback).  The brilliance is that you can even adjust them seperately, so that store bought DVDs look good when you play them back and it can adjust for inadequate input signals so that their playback is as true as the store bought DVDs.  It allows you to set the recording times to between one and six hours.  Some recorders will only allow you to set it to four hours max.  Of course, the recording quality will vary with program length, but at least its nice to have the option.  The Sony machine also excels in style and build quality.  The look fits in with my higher quality media room components, where the mirrored face on the Philips looks cheap.  The Sony is perhaps the quietest player/recorder that I have ever used, and the DVD playback quality is excellent once properly adjusted.  I would also like to point out that I am far from being a Sony fanboy.  I currently own 3 surround sound receivers (1-5.1 and 2-7.1), a projector, 2 LCD HDTVs, a rear projection CRT HDTV, a normal CRT tube TV, 5 DVD players, 2 portable DVD players, 3 HD receivers, 2 digital media streamers, Tivo, a home theater PC, etc. ( I could go on for days);however, this is my only Sony component.  I don't believe in buying all one brand; instead, I believe in getting the best features, quality, and pricefor each and every component.  I feel that I have achieved this goal with the Sony rdr-gx300, but I can't wait until the Sony rdr-gx315 gets cheaper so that I can try it out downstairs on my Tivo.  Even though there is no Firewire, I am rating this product five stars because I knew that going in and the Sony exceeded expectations in all of the other features that it includes.