DVD Recorders > with MP3 Playback DVD Recorders > with Show View

Advantages: Hard Disk recording, time shifting, 8hr recording on dvdr, firewire input
Disadvantages: can't record directly to dvdr, 5min chapters, can't adjust timeshift buffer

...the firmware first from the Philips website. You will have to play it from the beginning or select chapters. The chapters are automatically inserted at 5 min intervals, again a feature which cannot be adjusted but only turned off completely. From the same menu you can Name recordings, delete or protect them from deletion and transfer them to a dvdr/rw. The dvdr 3300h accepts the +/- r/rw formats and also +r DL. You can select various recording qualities ...
...new firmware/software fixes from the Philips website. Support there looks quite good but don't expect a speedy reply to any email you send. I am currently have my recorder hooked up to my security cameras. The timeshift buffer is very valuable here because if anything happens you can just rewind and save the bit you want while it continues to record. Apart from the useless features, the recorder performs well enough and the quality is great. I ... Read review

Advantages: Guide+ (when it works), big hard drive, HD upscaling
Disadvantages: poor DVD burning, slow interface, regulary locks up and recordings fail

...complete loss of guide info and timer setups on increasingly regular basis. Philips were pretty good at sorting problems during warranty period, but now simply suggest to me that unit is beyond repair and better to buy new one. Perhaps it is better NOT to buy Philips in future! ... Read review

Advantages: Big HD, HDMI, DIVX
Disadvantages: Can't copy DIVX to HD ,won't play mpegs off dvd or cd.

I spent a long time looking for a DVD recorder that had a built in hard drive and could also play back divx files. As it turned out there are few options. It boiled down to this and several LG models which i learnt could not fast forward and rewind divx which made them useless to me. Even though this was the only unit that met my requirements im very pleased with it. First i'll talk about connections. It has 2 Scart sockets both of which are RGB ...
...critisiscm with connections is that the unit doesn't pass through RGB when the recorder is switched off or in standby. The unit needs to be on to pass it through. Picture quality is excellent, im connected through an RGB Scart so aren't seeing the picture in all its glory but its cetainly very good. Divx/Xvid playback is also excellent, the picture quality is very good, far better than my old Divx dvd player. I have lots of 20 min divx TV episodes ... Read review

Advantages: No one
Disadvantages: Doesn't work

...also have Video recorder from SONY and I can see very clearly the difference of quality in reading the same tape on both equipments. Nearly impossible to transfer Tape to DVD , SONY copy protection system is not working properly (even with my own video it says that it is write protected). The only think I succeed to record was a film from the TV, that works good... but it's not for that I bought this DVD. Also I didn't anyway to turn this DVD ... Read review

Advantages: Good quality unit, top quality recording, versatile with blank media
Disadvantages: Badly designed remote, can be slow to respond when starting up

...The main feature with this Philips one was the flexibility of media it can record onto, it can record (and play) DVD+ and - R and RW, which means you can pretty much stick any writable DVD into it and it will allow you to record onto it. The unit was very simple to setup and has a good range of connections, including component inputs on the front to allow you to connect camcorders or component cables from games consoles into the DVD recorder. The ...
...out and RF loop sockets. The unit is particularly brilliant as it allows you to connect any external TV boxes, i.e. Sky or Freeview into the DVD recorder first and then use one scart cable into the television. Even when the DVD recorder is turned off, it will allow the freeview/sky loop to continue into the television, no need to have 2 scarts into your TV, I found this particularly useful as I can now have audio out into my subwoofer hi-fi (for ... Read review