danpass wrote:As it turns out, I was mistaken on the brand. The unit we have is a Pioneer
DVR-533H. It is listed on their web site in their "older models" section. The only DVR that they list in their current products is the DVR-640H.
Thanks for the update. I like the DVR-640H-S much better than the Panasonic version. The manual is quite a bit less cryptic as well. The problem may be in locating a new one. It may have to be an online purchase as their dealer finder locates no one for my area.
danpass wrote:I did get a really good price on our 533H, because it was a display/floor model and they no longer had the box it came in. However, they had not even plugged it in yet and was in new condition.
danpass wrote:If you look at online discussions about Pioneer DVR's, you'll see a lot of discussion about the TV Guide download feature not working properly. We're not affected by this problem since we can't use it and don't need it. We just manually program the dates and times for recordings. I'll bet that if you were willing to buy a used DVR, you could probably find someone online, wanting to get rid of theirs, because of the above mentioned problem.
I would much prefer a new unit with warranty, even if it's a display model. You're right about the TV Guide feature, no need for that in this situation.
danpass wrote:You asked about what they call their editing function. I don't think they have any special name for it. When you navigate to a recording, you have the option of going into an editing mode. The only editing that I've done with it is to trim the beginning and ending of recordings and insert chapter markers. More can be done, like inserting titles and menus, but it tends to be pretty inflexible and cumbersome. When I've wanted to get fancy, I've copied the recording to DVD and loaded it up on my computer and done it there.
I downloaded the Pioneer and Panasonic manuals, and oddly enough the editing function is called "Editing". Who would have thought it didn't have a catchy name? I'm only interested in trimming the beginning and end of broadcasts so I am not anticipating needing fancy functions.
I've read all the comments on this thread and have come to the conclusion that getting a DVD Recorder without a DVR, either on a computer or built-in, could be a way to have new coasters and spend a lot of time trying to catch rebroadcasts. I can see the advantage of the DVR as it could be programmed to record all broadcasts, then cluster them onto DVD media and start building a library of similar talks. It seems feasible that with a large enough HDD in the DVR section, one could hold a year's broadcasts on HDD and burn as needed. I'm not sure that's practical as electronics can and do fail, so it may be wise to burn them as they are recorded so you don't lose them.
I imagine if one were so inclined they could get a printer that could print on DVD printable media or a Brother P-Touch and label these so they could be easily read and located.
I don't seem to be finding a lot of DVR/DVD Recorder combinations. So far, I've only been able to find the Panasonic and the Pioneer. Is there a good place to "shop" for these online?
Thanks for all the information!
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