Panasonic DMR-ES20K DVD Recorder
I have no idea what these bashers are talking about
Like any electronic device, you need to read the manual before using to ensure you properly set up the device and know how to use it.  I have had the recorder for 6 months now and have burned over 50 movies from my DVR (Tivo for those who only know DVR as such)without a problem.  ALthough I find that DVD+ format is faster than DVD-, but this is because Panasonic chose + to be its prefered format.  NO difference in quality between + and -.  If you don't need all the SONY bells and Whistles (As well as the fact that SONY works best with other SONY devices and overcharges for thier products), then this is the way to go.  Just keep in mind, commercial DVDs are recorded dual layer for over 9 GIGs of data, this means your recording will NEVER look as good and as with VCR tapes, the longer you stretch the recordings (2 hr, 4 rh, 6 hr, 8 hr) the more you lose quality.  Since blank DVD-+Rs cose less than $1 each, record on Flex mode to the exact time of the movie and use DVD-RAM for recording regular TV shows over and over again.