Which DVD/VHS Recorder/player - help I'm confused...

[MaggieW]

Our 17 year old video player/recorder has died and it's time to embrace new technology...we are looking for a DVD/VHS recorder/player. Went to Dixons on Sat but the assistant just confused us and I don't think really knew much. What does the -R -RW +R +RW mean? How easy is it to transfer from VHS tape to DVD, which is what we'd want to do with our existing VHS's. Also want to be able to record regular prog's and reuse DVDs. Is hard drive better - how easy to delete? Can we get hard drive and use recordable DVDs? We have Freeview already so don't need it built in or perhaps we do? Any recommendations/advice very gratefully received. We went to buy a new TV around 5 years ago and found the various formats and changing techology overwhelming...ended up buying a second hand one from Radio Rentals which has been great. Feel even more overwhelmed this time!!! Please help!

bump

Maggie, know what you mean, it's so confusing, bring back Betamax.
On friends' evangelical advice, we have just ordered a PVR, which records off telly straight onto a hard disc. Then we're plugging in a DVD player. Neither of these are very expensive.
We did have a recordable DVD which was a poor investment, cost a bundle and very tricky to use/record off telly. Then we got burgled... hence this new package. Friends say it is the future and very simple to operate.

R means you can record on it once
RW means you can record on it over and over, like a video tape.
i don't know what the + and - are though.

Right, +R and -R are abit like beta and VHS as in they are two different formats, both have their pros and cons. The -R will record anywhere it can on the disc filling up any free space but the +R records in blocks, so if you recorded 2 seperate programmes and deleted the first then that space can only be filled by something of the same length or shorter. IYSWIM

R = record once and RW = Rewriteable.

Also I think you are better with hard drive one and record anything onto the hard drive then if you want to keep it put it onto DVD. Probably best to borrow a Video to record across your old videos.

Bakedpotato, what does pvr stand for please? Also can you record a different channel to the one you are watching with that system?

personal video recorders
With a twin tuner you can watch one channel and record another.