Humax DRT800 DVD-R/RW Recorder/TiVo Series2 DVR Combo
Extremly easy to use, not sure about image quality
I don't want to go through all of Tivo's features, but they really are amazing, and aren't over hyped at all.  This Humax unit has all of those features, plus a DVD-RW drive perfectly integrated into the rest of the Tivo interface.  Burning a DVD is as easy as sticking a disk in the drive and selecting from a list which shows you want to transfer to DVD.  Every show has a percent listed after the name, indicating how much of a DVD the show will fill up, and the top of the screen indicates how much space is left on the disc.  There are no editing features on this, or any other Tivo based DVD-Recorder.  If you pick a show to copy to DVD, it copies all of it.<br /><br />While the disc is burning, the unit can still record another show and playback any show (except for any show being written to the disc).<br /><br />I'm not 100% sure I like the image quality on this unit as much as on a standalone Tivo.  I think it's slightly different, as the format it's writing has to be compatible with DVD players (obviously), whereas the &#34;normal&#34; Tivo format could be slightly more tweaked.<br /><br />The remote is a slightly improved version of the normal Tivo &#34;peanut&#34; remote.  The thumbs up/down buttons have been shrunk slightly (makes sense), and a few things have been slightly altered to allow for the new features this unit has.<br /><br />Oh, I guess it's worth mentioning that ALL Tivo units don't really give as much recording time as they say on the box.  This is an &#34;80 hour&#34; unit, which really means 80 hours at the &#34;Basic&#34; quality level, which is pretty poor (might be useable for news shows, stuff like Charlie Rose, etc., but it's not good enough for anything with much movement).  Above that is &#34;Medium&#34; quality which gives about 55 hours recording time, and is also pretty bad.  &#34;High&#34; quality gives about 27 hours, and is significantly better, as is &#34;Best&#34;, which yields only 18 hours.  Of course you can set up different shows to use different qualities-mix and match on both the hard drive and on DVDs, though you'll probably use &#34;High&#34; for most shows.<br /><br />Pros:<br /><br />*EXCELLENT interface, both for watching/recording TV shows, and for burning them to TV.  I'm almost 100% certain there's nothing on the market that's easier to use.  Unlike other DVD recorders or PVRs, this unit (and Tivo units in general) explain what's going on, and what different options mean IN ENGLISH, on your TV.<br /><br />*The front screen displays the time if you want it (normal Tivos don't), and tells you what percent of the DVD has been burned if you're recording one.<br /><br />*While you're burning a DVD the unit continues to record any scheduled shows, and you can watch any previously recorded shows.  So the unit can actually be doing three things at once, all with no effort from the user-recording to DVD, recording a show from TV, and playing back a show.  (The exception being you can't watch a show while it's being recorded to DVD).<br /><br />Cons:<br /><br />*This Humax, like *ALL* Tivo and ReplayTV units runs 24 hours a day.  There's no true &#34;off&#34; or standby mode.  Although it's quiet, this could be an issue if you plan to put it (or any Tivo/Replay unit) in a bedroom.<br /><br />*Image quality appears to be different, possibly worse than stand alone Tivo units-probably to facilitate compatibility with other DVD players.  I'm not even sure if I like it as well as the Sony VCR I bought this to replace.<br /><br />*DVD-RW drive can use DVD-RW 4x media, but it only records to them at around 1x.  That means that a full disc takes a little under an hour to burn. (But keep in mind that at &#34;High&#34; quality, you can fit 2 hours on a DVD, and it only takes &#62;30 minutes to record an hour show-at &#34;Medium&#34; quality you can fit 4 hours, and it takes a little under 15 minutes for an hour show, etc.).  Also bear in mind that you can continue using the unit for almost anything else while it's burning the DVD (a lot of competing products tie up the unit while they're burning a DVD)st anything else while it's burning the DVD (a lot of competing products tie up the unit while they're burning a DVD)