DVD Recorder Player
A DVD recorder/player is just the thing you need if you want to record your favorite TV shows, sports games, or movies and don't want to pay a monthly fee for a digital video recorder service.
Back in the age of VHS tapes recording was widespread. Once the DVD format became the norm at-home television recording had all but died out and been forgotten by the average consumer. It didn't help that most DVD players didn't (and still don't) have a record function and services like TiVo eventually became the norm in most households. But TiVo isn't free, and neither is any other DVR service. Recording your own DVDs with a DVD recorder/player is almost free, but not quite.
Finding one can be difficult, especially at department stores or even some electronics stores. Recording your own DVDs has a stigma surrounding it that VHS recording never quite got from movie production and distributing companies. DVDs burst onto the scene as piracy really boomed -- and DVDs might have been part of the reason for that boom. For that reason, DVD recording is not something you hear about every day, even if you just want to record your home movies from VHS to DVD.
Several models of DVD recorder players are VHS and DVD compatible for the sole purpose of recording VHS movies onto DVD, which is very useful if you have a large quantity of home movies or if you have a VHS collection that you just don't want to lose to deterioration. VHS tapes do not last forever, mainly because the tape inside the casing deteriorates, but partially because VHS players are outdated and are getting hard to find.
Almost all commercially available models that can both play and record DVDs are high quality, mostly due to the fact that they are a sort of specialty item. Reputable manufacturers do make them and they can be found at several sites online and some electronics stores. These types of players and records are also getting cheaper by the year, just like DVD players. The difference is that they can be much more expensive than standalone DVD players themselves. Luckily the prices of blank DVD-R and DVD-RW discs are getting progressively cheaper, especially now that Blu-Ray is making its way to becoming the standard.
As a one time investment, a high quality DVD recorder player is a good buy, especially if you want to record programs for free or copy your old VHS tapes. They have their definite uses and they will stay on the market for a while, but hunting down one that is worth your money can be a hassle. A little hassle for a lot of convenience is always worth the effort.