Philips HDRW720 DVD Recorder with 120 GB Hard Drive
Great, Great Product!!
The Philips HDRW720/17 is by far the best DVD processor I have ever owned or used.  I own 20 DVD processors, of which 8 are burners.  And this Philips unit is in a completely different class.  (The others are NEC, Philips, RCA, Samsung, Apex, Kawasaki, Liteon, Pioneer, and others) <br /> <br />But the Philips HDRW720/17 I have has changed everything!  And I can't even use the TV Guide function because I have Satellite reception.  I just can't imagine how perfect, simple, and easy the concept of TV would be if this unit worked with satellite like it does with cable!!. <br /> <br />Anyway, this unit has changed the entire concept of recording TV programs.  Review your TV schedule for whatever time period you desire, enter the recording times, walk away, and whenever you want to watch something you know you're interested in, turn the unit on and pick your desire from the hard drive.  And if you really like the program you chose, just archive it to a DVD +R!! <br /> <br />It's really that easy...Choose what you like for the upcoming week, set it to record those programs, and when you come back choose among your favorites to watch, not just what's available right then on cable/satellite!  You always have something you're very interested in watching.  And don't worry about watching from the hard drive when a scheduled recording is happening.  This unit will do both at the same time.  You can even burn (archive) a DVD while you're recording on the hard drive.  Just set your recordings for the week, or for whatever time, and go about your business!  Watch prerecorded movies from the hard drive, record to the hard drive, burn from the hard drive...all at once.  And you can save it to disc if you really like it after watching it from the Hard Drive.  Like they say elsewhere...Set it and forget it!  It will be there at your convenience!! <br /> <br />Virtually all editing is done on the hard drive before the movie is archived to the DVD.  And the burning process is about 3 times as fast as with other DVD burners I have used.  This has to save a lot of wear and tear on the laser of the DVD burner.  I have a Philips DVDR985 which has caused me fits with repair.  But other DVD burners I have suffer from the same problem.  The laser head burns up according to how much it is used!  The HDRW720 minimizes this time. <br /> <br />There have been other reviews of the HDRW720's functionality here and I will not repeat them here...other than the product does what it claims and more.  The manual is painful, but the info is there if you're persistent enough.  This product works...Period!! <br /> <br />And a word about Philips customer service...They don't seem to know much about this product.  It's a pretty complicated piece of    mass merchandised product.  Anybody willing to buy it probably very well knows more about DVD recording than anyone in the Philips customer service department.   <br /> <br />I must say though, the Philips customer service people, despite their lack of knowledge of these higher end mass merchandised items, has been most courteous and helpful to me.  They stand behind their product 100% and they have resolved all problems I have had very well. <br /> <br />Sure you have to wait a little while on hold to get one of their \\"advisors,\\" but you do that with anyone you call regarding computer based technology.  But they are there and they have tried very hard with me. <br /> <br />As far as the big picture, think about what Philips is doing, and has done for as long as I have known and used their products.  They bring leading edge technology to the mass markets.  Want a bullet-proof recorder?  Then buy a unit costing 3 or 4 times as much as you paid for this unit.  Philips is trying really hard and I just love the HDRW720.  It's changed the way I see TV!! <br /> <br />Tom