Panasonic DMR-ES20K DVD Recorder
Exactly what I wanted
When our 8 yr old VCR broke, I turned to a DVR as a replacement.  I was looking for a simple DVR w/o complicated editing/commands.  I don't have time for that stuff.  The Panasonic ES20K has been great.  I tape over and over again on the same DVD-RW disk for playback at home, or I can record from another old VCR onto a DVD-R or DVD+R and finalize it to a DVD-video so that my mom can watch it too.  The only problem I had was when I tried to finalize the first time - it wouldn't work.  I called Panasonic tech support after hours and the guy said to download and install a firmware update.  I did just that and haven't had a problem since.  This product is a serious thumbs up for people who just can't be bothered with fancy functions.