Sharp DV-SR45U DVD Recorder with MP3 Playback
Good recorder for disappearing media.
This is a very good recorder with strong editing capabilities.  Both the DVD-R & RW format discs offer track-editing options suitable for basic or more event-specific recordings from several sources.  Recording from VHS often rewards you with a quality that in fact appears better than the original.<br /><br />It has a quirk regarding the cooling fan which is easy to circumvent.  What you can not work around however is its inability to function outside of 4X media.  Though you may have an easier time with 2X or 1X, the proper media is DVD-R 4X (MAX) 4.7GB for this machine.  You will not find this information easy to come by otherwise.  Such 4X disks appear close to extinction, as they have often been replaced in catalogs and on shelves by 1x-8x disks -- DO NOT BUY THESE -- which are not compatible with this machine.  There are no firmware upgrades available for this model.<br /><br />If you have a stack of 4X (max) disks on hand or know a source that can provide you with such media, then you will be quite satisfied.  Without a firmware upgrade however, this recorder will soon suffer a fate not unlike death.