Panasonic DMR-ES30VS DVD Recorder/VCR Combo
Great Product
When my old VCR finally went to electronics heaven, I decided to take the plunge and buy a DVD recorder.  Since I have a lot of VHS tapes that I still watch from time to time, a DVD/VCR combo was a logical choice, since it would eliminate having two different machines.    I am extremely pleased with this Panasonic model.  I was able to complete 90% of the installation on my own; luckily, a very helpful (and patient!) Panasonic technician guided me through the last few steps to make the new machine compatible with my cable system (steps that are never included in the instruction manual, or if they are, they are incomprehensible to the average person).    The picture quality from the DVD recordings is good (I use the second slowest speed), as are the recordings to tape.  The machine is easy to program and watch.  I don't know if this is common to all DVD recorders, but this machine gives the viewer a visual preview of all the programs recorded, which is very helpful.    There are a lot of bells and whistles on this machine that I will never use, much less understand (and which have been described far better by other more technically-savvy reviewers than I); but the best thing about this model is that you don't have to be an electronics wizard to get it up and running to play and record whatever you wish.