Panasonic DMR-E80H Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder with Hard Drive , Silver
Excellent, Versatile Recorder
I watched DVD recorders for a long time, waiting for them to come down in price.  This recorder advertised the functionality I was looking for, and was much more reasonably priced than any of its counterparts.  So, I took the bait.<br />I was not disappointed.  This machine has essentially replaced my VCR, and I am now in the process of transferring several hours of analog video tape.  At the SP mode (next to highest quality level), the videos transfer beautifully, and offer tremendous flexibility.<br />There are so many features on this machine that the menus are not entirely intuitive, which would be one of my two small complaints.  However, I was able to master them fairly quickly with a bit of repetition.<br />The editing features work well, and the responsiveness of the remote control is very good when you are trying to pinpoint an exact frame.  (IOW, when you push the button at a certain point, it stops almost immediately.)  This is one great feature of this machine.  The editing controls are fairly simple, but it takes several steps to cut, splice, and title any segment you record.  This is my other small complaint.  Again, with repetition, the process becomes easy to master.<br />The hard drive is another outstanding feature.  I wouldn't recommend buying a recorder that didn't have one.<br />All in all, I would highly recommend this recorder, both for it's functionality and economy.