DVR/DVD Recorder combos - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Anthony33 · 08-18-2006, 05:33 PM

Can anyone here recommend a good DVR/DVD Recorder combo? And if I get a DVR, is there some kind of subscription or monthly charge required?

poppus · 08-18-2006, 11:07 PM

Check-out the Panasonics. I haven't been inclined to look into what's new, but the DMR-E85 I bought just over two years ago is easily the best electronics purchase I've ever made. It has the features I'd been waiting years for, ever since the first TiVos. (Till what I "needed" came on the market, I was content to stick with 2-3 VCRs, which still see some use.)

In fact, I've probably had too much fun with it just because it's so easy to record things now, as opposed to hunting for a tape with enough free space, cuing-up tapes, making sure the VCR is off for a timer recording, etc. That's my two cents...

Anthony33 · 08-19-2006, 03:59 AM

Okay thanks. A few other questions. Can I find that model in an electronics store or only online? Is there a monthly charge for using a DVR? When you record with the DVR, does it have to be on the channel you want to record or can you watch a show on a different channel while it's recording, like we used to be able to do with VCRs?

poppus · 08-19-2006, 08:48 AM

Some electronics stores carry the Panasonics, but you'll probably get a better deal from Amazon. When I bought mine in June 2004, Circuit City and Best Buy were charging $699. Amazon was $533.

No monthly fees. The E85 has TiVo-like functionality, but there's no phone connection or subscription required. The E85's TV Guide listings have not been consistent the last few months here, but they worked for a while.

"When you record with the DVR, does it have to be on the channel you want to record or can you watch a show on a different channel while it's recording, like we used to be able to do with VCRs?"

Depends how you have it set-up and what you want to record. (I can only speak about the E85, which has one tuner.) If you're talking about watching something via your cablebox or TV tuner while the DVR is recording something else (via raw cable input), that's a matter of cables/splitters.

Is there an unprocessed signal coming out of the E85 also? No. (There's nothing like a TV/VCR button.) I use the L3 input on the E85 for my box-processed cable signal (RCA cables from the cable box to L3), and the E85 tuner (coax input) for my regular recordings of networks and non-digital cable channels.

08-18-2006, 05:33 PM	#1
Anthony33 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 12, 2002 Posts: 408	DVR/DVD Recorder combos Can anyone here recommend a good DVR/DVD Recorder combo? And if I get a DVR, is there some kind of subscription or monthly charge required?

08-18-2006, 11:07 PM	#2
poppus Handwashing Consultant Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 13, 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 25	DVR/DVD recorder recommendation Check-out the Panasonics. I haven't been inclined to look into what's new, but the DMR-E85 I bought just over two years ago is easily the best electronics purchase I've ever made. It has the features I'd been waiting years for, ever since the first TiVos. (Till what I "needed" came on the market, I was content to stick with 2-3 VCRs, which still see some use.) In fact, I've probably had too much fun with it just because it's so easy to record things now, as opposed to hunting for a tape with enough free space, cuing-up tapes, making sure the VCR is off for a timer recording, etc. That's my two cents...

08-19-2006, 08:48 AM	#4
poppus Handwashing Consultant Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 13, 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 25	DVR details Some electronics stores carry the Panasonics, but you'll probably get a better deal from Amazon. When I bought mine in June 2004, Circuit City and Best Buy were charging $699. Amazon was $533. No monthly fees. The E85 has TiVo-like functionality, but there's no phone connection or subscription required. The E85's TV Guide listings have not been consistent the last few months here, but they worked for a while. "When you record with the DVR, does it have to be on the channel you want to record or can you watch a show on a different channel while it's recording, like we used to be able to do with VCRs?" Depends how you have it set-up and what you want to record. (I can only speak about the E85, which has one tuner.) If you're talking about watching something via your cablebox or TV tuner while the DVR is recording something else (via raw cable input), that's a matter of cables/splitters. Is there an unprocessed signal coming out of the E85 also? No. (There's nothing like a TV/VCR button.) I use the L3 input on the E85 for my box-processed cable signal (RCA cables from the cable box to L3), and the E85 tuner (coax input) for my regular recordings of networks and non-digital cable channels.

08-19-2006, 03:59 AM	#3
Anthony33 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 12, 2002 Posts: 408	Okay thanks. A few other questions. Can I find that model in an electronics store or only online? Is there a monthly charge for using a DVR? When you record with the DVR, does it have to be on the channel you want to record or can you watch a show on a different channel while it's recording, like we used to be able to do with VCRs?