Buying a DVD Recorder

A few years back, I purchased a Pioneer DVD recorder for my home PC. I enjoyed burning a handful of videos onto disc (home movies), but I haven\’t really gotten much use from the unit. Incompatibility problems, buggy drivers and other obstacles have made it a bit less attractive then when I first purchased it.

I\’ve had my eyes on a DVD recorder for my home theater ever since that time, pining for the day that I would be able to burn all my home video tapes from their antiquated format to the glorious 4.7GB DVD disc.

What I typically do when seeking to make a major purchase is to do my homework first. That\’s one thing I LOVE about the Internet. I rarely make an impulse buy for electronic gear. I want to make sure I am getting the right item at the right price.

So began the search for a DVD recorder. Over the past couple months I had browser the web for the latest gizmos. I educated myself on the difference between DVD-R, DVD-RAM and DVD+R formats. I read reviews, compared prices and even went to several stores to see them up close and personal. After all that, I still didn\’t know what to buy. It wasn\’t that I didn\’t see some very attractive product. Rather, the best product seemed to be a bit pricey for what I wanted it to do. So, I refused to buy until I knew what I wanted without a doubt.

Since I already have a TIVO, I did not require a unit with a hard drive built in. I knew that I would be transferring dozens of videos from VHS, so it would need to have RCA inputs. I also have a digital video camera, so a firewire port was also a must. Other bells and whistles including editing features and mp3 and video CD capability, among other things.

It was my visit to Ultimate Electronics last week that sealed my fate. As I looked at the units they had in stock , the $700 Sony DVD-RW unit seemed very appealing. But I just couldn\’t bring myself to spend that much for a unit that would be selling for $200 in a two years. At that time I decided that I was going to look for a unit that I would not regret paying for in two years time. And during that two years, it would allow me to burn DVDs to my heart\’s content, and allow me to purchase a unit with all the bells and whistles once they were more reasonably priced.

It was there I finally saw the Pioneer DVR-310 up close and personal. This unit matched my criteria and was priced at $499. I asked the Ultimate Electronics rep if I could use his computer to look up reviews on Amazon. He said sure, and I found the item sold online for $349! I asked if they price-matched and I was told no. Guess who didn\’t buy from Ultimate Electronics? (Incidentally, I have NEVER liked that store. Best Buy has always had greater appeal to me.)

Home I went with no unit, knowing I could buy it cheaper from Amazon. But the search did not end there. I found the unit for $299 at eCost.com. With immediate shipping available for $6.95, I bought it without hesitating.

I\’ve had the Pioneer 310 for almost a week now and have been VERY pleased with its performance. There is a bit of a learning curve, but I crossed it after burning my first disc. In fact, I have burned four discs now, each one of them burning flawlessly on the first try. I have yet to use some of the more advanced editing functions, but even if I did nothing more with it than I am now, my money was well-spent.

And they lived happily ever after…