JVC DR-MX1S DVD Player/Recorder, Hi-Fi VCR, and Hard Disk Recorder
I LOVE this machine.
I got this dvr as a gift in 12/2005 and it is now 5/2006 and I LOVE it. <br /> <br />I have been transferring my old vhs tapes (about 200+) to the hard drive, deleted commericals, created a playlist and put them on dvds practically every weekend since I got it.  Then I go onto a movie database website (imdb.com), search out the movie and copy the description onto a dvd labelmaker for each dvd.  I even bought this fantastic dvd binder holder from Walmart that hold 24 dvds in what looks like a book the size of a dvd - 3 \\"books\\" in a case, which is a total of 72 dvds.  I bought 4 of them so in total I can have 288 dvds in such a SMALL amount of space. <br /> <br />The manual is difficult to understand, so I've basically learned how to use it by going on various websites (Amazon is one) to really learn how to use it. <br /> <br />The playlist is my all time fav thing, although my beginning dvds aren't as good as my current ones.  I also love the idea that if I had 3 playlists on a dvd, if I wanted to see the 2nd I could go directly to it instead of rewinding on a vhs.  Another great feature is the \\"Resume\\" - if I start to watch a show and I have to stop, if I go back to the same show I have the option of either going to the beginning or to resume where I left off.  When you finalize the dvd (which you need to do if you want to play the dvd on ANOTHER machine) the different backgrounds you can choose from is a neat feature also. <br /> <br />I tape my daytime soaps on the hard drive instead of vhs which is fantastic and unlike on a vhs tape, I can tape the shows separately and just delete one without touching the other shows - unlike a vhs tape where you have to rewind and either use another tape or tape over. <br /> <br />PROBLEM - The only problem I'm having is being able to tape and watch different shows at the same time - manual is confusing in this regard. The machine froze a couple of times, but all I needed to do was unplug it and it fixed whatever caused the freezing. <br /> <br />Hubby couldn't understand why I wanted the machine, he thinks I'm nuts for even having all my vhs tapes of movies/shows of the past.  He even asked me if I indeed have 200 vhs tape, does that mean I'm going to have 200 dvds.  I told him probably not, in the sense that with the dvds I can categorize the various movies/shows which you really can't do with the vhs tapes. <br /> <br />The main thing I wanted it for was as a spacesaver, which is something vhs tapes is not.  I'm a big Elvis Presley fan, so I showed him my 9 vhs tapes (3 movies on each tape) of his movies right next to the 7 dvds of the movies; no comparison in spacesaving in my opinion - which is what I really wanted. <br /> <br />I highly recommend this machine to anybody who would listen. The cost on the JVC website is absolutely disgusting ($1,000, please), but hubby went onto another site and got it for a whole lot less.