Philips DVDR600VR DVD Recorder with VCR
Great product!
If you're looking for a DVD Recorder/VCR that's affordable, easy to use, and of good quality, look no further than the Philips DVDR600VR.  This product contains both a DVD+R/RW recorder and a VCR, making it easy to record high quality DVDs and videotapes.  You can dub from tape to DVD or vice versa, set your own chapters and titles for DVDs, or record DVDs right from a TV or camcorder, as well as play CDs. <br /> <br />The DVDR600VR is surprisingly easy to use, even though the owner's manual looks a bit confusing (and the five sheets of addendums didn't help).  I had the product set up in 30 minutes and had recorded my first DVD by the end of the day, complete with index pictures, titles, and chapters where I wanted them.  Although it took me a few false starts and a couple of snafus, I've pretty much got the hang of it now and I've only had it for two days. :)  Also, it records in DVD+R format, which tends to be compatible with more DVD players, so I can play my homemade DVDs in other devices - a definite plus. <br /> <br />The DVDR600VR isn't perfect, of course; you can't pause the recording when dubbing from tape to DVD, so make sure your original tape doesn't have anything you don't want.  You can choose to label commercials, etc. as \\"hidden\\" chapters, which won't be shown during playback, but those still take up room on the DVD.  You can't label chapters the way commercially-made DVDs do, so you just have to flip through a title to find the chapter you want; a minor aggravation at best.  I've also had trouble dubbing from another VCR; I don't know if it's the other device, but playback seems slow and jerky when viewed through the DVDR600VR.  The biggest problem that I've had, though, is transferring older or less-than-perfect VHS tapes to DVD.  If there's any kind of bobble in your tape, it winds up as a brief (think half-second) dropout on the DVD which gives the look of odd, jerky splicing.  Also, the DVDR600VR won't copy \\"protected\\" tapes - understandable, but it has a weird idea of what constitutes \\"copy protection\\".  I've been able to transfer a couple of older, commercially-produced tapes from my old skating competitions, but a ballet that had been copied perfectly from DVD to VHS wouldn't record because the DVDR600VR thought it was \\"copy protected\\".   <br /> <br />Still, though, these are minor flaws considering the quality and value of this product.  The DVDR600VR is easy enough even for beginners, and it's a great value especially at Amazon's price.  If you're looking for the best way to put your favorite TV shows, movies, or memories on DVD, this is a great way to go.