Record digital television perfectly with no loss of picture or sound quality.

DVD technology offers the perfect solution for recording and re-recording favourite programs - up to over 100,000 times on the same disc - and provides huge storage capacity.

With some models you can transfer your home movies from your digital camcorder in pure digital format and create your own DVDs with ultimate picture and sound quality.

Typical Benefits - note that individual models vary in specification and you should check individual product pages for full details of what the various models include.

Basic DVD recording
When you use a DVD recorder in its simplest mode, much as you might use a conventional VCR, the recording is made onto a DVD disc, instead of tape. By feeding the recorder from the digital output of your satellite or 'Freeview' box (some models have 'Freeview' built-in), you are recording a much higher quality picture and sound than with the VCR and the quality when replayed is far superior. DVD/RW and RAM discs can be re-recorded and replayed over and over with no loss of quality, unlike tape, which degenerates a fraction every time it's used.

Make DVDs of your home videos
Today's digital video camcorders record at a much higher level of quality than the older fashioned VH-S, SVH-S Video 8 and Hi-8 models. Near broadcast quality, in fact. But much of the quality improvement is lost if you just stick a connecting lead between the camcorder and your VHS or television set to playback.
If you record a DVD from your camcorder using a DVD recorder equipped with Firewire or i-Link, however, you'll lose nothing of the quality when you play the DVD back on your TV.
Many camcorders and DVD recorders allow you to simply make an edited, digital version of your film, prior to recording, so you can cut out the bad bits and add effects - your friends will marvel at the quality of your home movies!

Make time 'stand-still' to avoid missing the best part of the programme
Many DVD recorders have a 'Time-slip' facility, which allows you to start a recording when your viewing is interrupted, by a telephone call or a visitor at the door, for example. When your visitor has left, without having to wait until the programme finishes, you simply resume watching from the point you were interrupted, while the recorder continues recording the programme in real time, so you miss nothing.

Use memory card slots to import, show and record your still pictures
Some DVD recorders are equipped to accept memory cards, so you'll be able to create your own 'slide show' of images from your digital camera and copy the pictures to DVD for permanent storage.

Record without tapes or DVDs, using a Hard Drive recorder
You can select a DVD recorder that has a hard drive built in, allowing you record hundreds of hours of TV onto the hard drive and view at leisure without recording to removable discs - so you won't need to lose any of your favourite programmes while on holiday. You can edit the prgrammes later (for example, remove the adverts) then record to DVD for long term storage. You can also use this facility for editing home video movies.

BRAND FEATURES

We currently stock both Sony and Panasonic DVD recorders, which we believe offer the very best value for your money. Below you will find some of the features that these brands offer, depending on the model you select. We offer Sony and Panasonic at the lowest possible prices, but don't offer any 'cheap' brands, as we do not believe they measure up to the quality and durability standards of these top names, even though the specs and prices may seem appealing. Remember the old saying, "To buy cheap is to buy twice!"

SONY -

NOTE - See individual models in the range for specifications, some models do not include all features mentioned here. Information copyright Sony.

Sony’s Recording range offers the consumer even more while maintaining the brand’s commitment to high picture quality and ease of use. Depending on model, some feature improved picture technologies and dual RW/R format compatibility (Recording and playback of both DVD+RW/-RW and DVD+R/-R)and i.LINK DV editing technology.

Intelligent
Sophisticated graphical user interface is easy to use and recording is simply a matter of pressing one button. Both products feature simultaneous record and playback as well as the chasing play feature, so you can watch your DVDs while recording and skip scenes to catch up with real time. Timer recording options and the ability to download titles from teletext onto titles lists that are comfortably displayed with thumbnail images make recording and accessing your content simple. Easily create your own DVDs using your own camcorder footage. Sony’s i.LINK technology turns the recorder into an editing machine when a compatible camcorder is plugged in. You can transfer all of your home video footage to DVD with one touch of a button. If you want to create an edited DVD, all you need to do is to select scenes on your camcorder; “Program Edit” function will control the camcorder and automatically record the selected scenes– it couldn’t be easier. With “Advanced Program Editing”, the previous Program Edit is remembered, and reproduces the same DVDs, as many as you want.

High Quality Recordings
When designing its new IQ Recording range, Sony made sure that quality was built into each processing phase of creating a DVD. Time Base Correction, Pre Frame Noise Reduction and Pre Video Equaliser technologies are employed to reduce jitter and noise before the encoding process even begins. Then, the content is encoded using VBR MPEG encoding to maximise image clarity. During post-processing, Frame Noise Reduction, Block Noise Reduction, and Video Equaliser come together to create rich, balanced images and to minimise picture interference caused by background artefacts and distortion. Sony’s proprietary Precision Cinema Progressive technology, which incorporates Pixel-by-Pixel I/P Conversion and V-edge Compensation technologies to augment and balance video elements. In the final post-processing stage, Sony makes use of a 12bit/108MHz D/A Converter to further ensure exceptional picture quality. Moreover,some models are dual RW/R compatible, which lets you share DVDs with friends and family without the usual compatibility problems.

Sony has pioneered a new field in home digital recording with the launch of its new IQ Recording range of DVD recorders. “I” refers to the range’s intelligent, easy-to-use controls and “Q” stands for high-quality DVD recordings that only Sony technology can provide. The high-end models in the range not only offer high-capacity hard disk drive storage, but also longer video recording time at a much higher picture quality level. With massive hard disk drive capacities of up to 250GB, you can store hundreds of hours of recordings (up to 325 hours). Dual RW/R compatibility (Recording and playback of both DVD+RW/-RW and DVD+R/-R) ensures that sharing DVDs with friends and family is hassle-free. All in all, IQ Recording is the “must have” digital recording solution to replace the VCR. “High quality recordings and simple controls are what consumers want from a DVD recorder,” stated John Anderson, Director, Sony Home Audio Video Europe. “It was Sony’s unique technology combined with incredible ease of use that led to the European Imaging and Sound Association to name our flagship RDR-HX1000 the European Digital Video Recorder of the Year 2004-2005.”

Intelligent
With IQ Recording, you can record, playback, store and edit TV and home movie footage quickly and easily. It has never been easier to get create your own DVDs – perfect for would-be filmmakers. Sony’s i.LINK technology lets you plug in a compatible camcorder and, with one touch of a button, transfer your camcorder footage to the HDD or DVD. You can also select scenes on your camcorder and then record your selection automatically to DVD and HDD. When transferring HDD recorded content to DVD, you can select the best way of dubbing for your ideal recording. High Speed Dubbing allows you to make copy quickly (up to 24x speed) without any picture quality degradation. Rec. Mode Conversion Dubbing allows you to change the recording quality to archive the long time recorded title in one disc. Moreover, both models are dual RW/R compatible, which lets you share DVDs with friends and family without the usual compatibility problems. You can simultaneously record and playback from both the HDD and DVD, as well as utilise the chasing play feature that allows you to watch while you record and even skip scenes to catch up with real time. Timer recording options and the ability to download titles from teletext onto titles lists that are comfortably displayed with thumbnail images make recording and accessing your content simple.

High Quality Recordings
Sony lets you create high-quality DVDs by making sure that our recorders recreate the video source signals as accurately as possible. By recording on the hard disk drive at a rate of 15Mbps, you can achieve recordings at a higher quality level than DVD discs. Then, by using Dynamic Variable Bit Rate (VBR) dubbing to a DVD disc, superior quality DVD recordings are obtained, as quick and complex motion images are captured more precisely. Two-Pass Encoding Technology used by commercial production companies to author pre-recorded DVDs has been adapted for HX900 and HX1000’s Dynamic VBR Dubbing. High technologies not only in the encoding process, but also in the pre-/post-encoding processes. In pre-encoding stage, Time Base Correction, Pre Frame Noise Reduction and Pre Video Equaliser technologies are employed. In post-encoding stage, Frame Noise Reduction, Block Noise Reduction, and Video Equaliser are employed to create rich, balanced images and to minimise picture interference. Sony’s proprietary Precision Cinema Progressive technology, which incorporates Pixel-by-Pixel I/P Conversion and V-edge Compensation technologies to augment and balance video elements Sony also makes use of a 12bit/108MHz D/A Converter to further ensure exceptional picture quality.

PANASONIC -

NOTE - See individual models in the range for specifications, some models do not include all features mentioned here. Information copyright Panasonic.

The Panasonic range of DVD recorders offers features enabling easy recording and playback. Using DVD-RAM technology allows them to provide additional benefits such as chasing playback or simultaneous recording and playback. When recording, it's not necessary to locate space on the disc (DVD-RAM or DVD-R), As long as sufficient space is available the recorder will automatically locate and use it. Some models also has a built-in hard disk giving up to 52 hours of recording time in EP mode. The super fast 22.16 Mbps data transfer enables a variety of exciting functions. For instance with Chasing Playback - if you arrive home half way through a program that's being recorded you now don't have to wait until it finishes to watch it - watch it from the beginning while the recording continues. With the Time Slip Button you can even start playing back scenes recorded just 30 seconds before. Simultaneous Recording and Playback allows you to record one program while you're watching another. So you could for example, record this weeks episode of a TV series while watching last weeks - all on the same disc or Hard Disc of suitably equipped recorders, at the same time.

Auto Renewal and Relief Recording
The Auto Renewal Function will automatically record your favourite show every day or every week onto the hard disk. The most recent episode will be recorded right over the previous one, unless it's being played back, then it will record the new episode onto a different section. Relief Recording prevents recordings being cut-off because the disc is full. If there's not enough space then relief recording starts on the hard disk.

Direct Navigator
Want to know what's on the disc? - with DVD Navigator you can display the list of recorded programmes on the TV screen. You can view or erase the programmes by clicking on them.

Playlist Playback
This feature enables you to select scenes among those recorded on a disc and rearrange them into any order you please. You can even edit the playlist that you already created which will appear in seamless transitions between scenes. Up to 99 playlists can be created and up to 999 scenes can be registered at any one time.

DV Input Terminal
Record images from a Digital Video Camera onto a DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc, or onto a hard disk. DV auto record automatically creates a playlist of your scenes allowing easy editing (hard disk or RAM only).

JPEG Photo Data Storage Viewer
The PC card slot and the SD card slots on the some recorders make it easy to copy images from a digital still camera to a DVD RAM disc or hard disk where appropriate. Image files can be organised into folders, albums created and viewed on a TV.

1.3 Times Playback
Some models have a quick playback feature allowing recordings to be viewed at 1.3 times normal speed. The sound is adjusted to remain audible whilst staying in sync with the visual image.

Partial Delete and Recording
Unwanted portions of a programme can be deleted from the disc or hard drive. This frees up space, which is then added to the total capacity allowing new recordings to be made.

High Picture Quality Hybrid VCR
This combines real-time VBR (Variable Bit Rate) and visibility modulation technology to enable long recording time with exceptionally high quality images. With Real Time VBR, MPEG2 advanced data compression is used to record images. Depending on the complexity of a scene, real time VBR controls the rate of MPEG2 compression to enable more efficient recording. Visibility Modulation Technology is an original Panasonic invention, which discerns the human range of attention and converts the information into a digital signal. The result is the use of the most effective data during recording to assure high quality images. The Picture Quality Improvement Function used during recording from an analogue source (i.e. a VCR) uses TBC and Y/C separation technology along with noise reduction systems to produce surprisingly clear results even when recording from old tapes.
4-Mode Recording + FR Mode Recording enables you to select the optimum recording time with the best picture taking into account the remaining space on a disc.