Panasonic DMR-E55S Progressive Scan DVD Recorder / Player , Silver
Most impressive
I've always liked Panasonic gear, and this is no exception. Works just like my last VCR, also a Panasonic.  <br /> <br />PROS: GREAT PRICE! Record from TV, camcorder, or other line-in source, such as a Tivo DVR. You can record up to 16 hrs. over and over again on one $17 DVD-RAM disk...writes up to 100,000 times. Also easy to record to $0.83 DVD-R media (one time only). Once \\"finalized,\\" the DVD-R becomes a DVD-video disc like any you rent at the store, so it should play on other players with no problems. I just made a copy of a show saved on Tivo and it worked great.  <br /> <br />Easy to setup. Good instructions. Plays 150-song MP3 disks with no problem...select song from list on TV screen. My next experiment: Will it read MP3's recorded to DVD-R on my PC? That would give like 700 songs on one disk. If not, can I burn my MP3's to DVD-audio? <br /> <br />Cons: Mechanism for opeing/closing disc drawer/door is clunky, slower than the Sony DVD player it replaced. Takes a lot of time to read the disc when you first put it in. (This is likely because it reads so many different formats: DVD-V, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, CD, so can't complain.) Wish it would record video to CD as well, just because CD-video media is so much cheaper. From DVD-Audio discs, it only reads 2 channel sound, not Dolby Digital or 5.1 Surround.  <br /> <br />Overall: A great all-around first DVD recorder for those who like to record from TV and want to replace their VCR, or for those Tivo users who want to send recorded programmes to DVD.