Pioneer DVR-633H-S DVD Recorder With 160 GB Hard Drive
Great Value - Steep Learning Curve
This DVR does have a steep learning curve, but once you figure it out, it really is a great system.  The picture quality is great and it is loaded with features.  I agree that it is noisy and that the TV Guide Online is terrible, but I did figure out how to get around that problem (I didn't see it expressly stated in the manual but I stumbled into it).   <br /> <br />To program the DVR like a VCR here are the steps:  In the Schedule menu (press \\"TV Guide on the remote) select the \\"Menu\\" Button (refer to page 44 of the manual).  Next select \\"go to Service Bar\\" from the options on the right side of the screen.  Then, chose the \\"Schedule\\" Option at the top of the bar.  Select \\"Menu\\" again.  This little step is left out of the instructions.  Then select \\"New Manual Recording\\" on the right side menu.  Here you can program the machine just like an old VCR.  Select any date you like and enter the time.  One more thing I noticed is that when I use the TV Guide to record, I also edit it to begin 1 minute early and end 1 minute late.  I was not getting the whole show and it was disappointing to miss the first few seconds and last few seconds of a show.   <br />Overall, it is a great value for cost versus performance.