DVD or VCR or combo?

[Queen of the Beach]

Can you tell I'm already in the holiday shopping mode? heehee
We already have a DVD player. Now I am looking to buy a new VCR. ( I know that's old school.) But it's for my parents and they use it to program and record their favorite shows.
I want to know if those DVD combo VCRs are a good buy. Or should I just get them a regular VCR. Is there a diff?

[patlo]

Can you tell I'm already in the holiday shopping mode? heehee
We already have a DVD player. Now I am looking to buy a new VCR. ( I know that's old school.) But it's for my parents and they use it to program and record their favorite shows.
I want to know if those DVD combo VCRs are a good buy. Or should I just get them a regular VCR. Is there a diff?
If it were me i'd get a regualr vcr. Over time, the heads in a vcr get dirty or break and then you'll be left with a dvd player attached to a broken vcr. Or it could be the other way around.

Also consider the future. When the dvd format becomes obsolete or new dvd formats come out, you may want to get rid or your old dvd player and buy one that is compatible with the new formats. Having a separate dvd player means you don't have to chuck your vcr as well.

[Mok]

Can you tell I'm already in the holiday shopping mode? heehee
We already have a DVD player. Now I am looking to buy a new VCR. ( I know that's old school.) But it's for my parents and they use it to program and record their favorite shows.
I want to know if those DVD combo VCRs are a good buy. Or should I just get them a regular VCR. Is there a diff?
i'd get seperate, cheaper and easily replacable :)

[Queen of the Beach]

Thanks for the advice guys. ;) Oh and is there one particular brand of VCR that you recommend?

[patlo]

Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Sharp are all good brands. I chose sony because my television was sony as well so some of the buttons on the vcr remote worked with my tv.

[EDSGolf]

I got the combo last year...........and now reading all of your points, DOH!!!

[Mok]

I got the combo last year...........and now reading all of your points, DOH!!!
heh...sell it on ebay haha :) but if it works for you just use it until it breaks :)

[babychai]

what about DVD Recorders or PVR's?
same functions as VCR
no more bulky video tapes... :D

[patlo]

what about DVD Recorders or PVR's?
same functions as VCR
no more bulky video tapes... :D
PVR's are wicked! I loved mine when i had it. You could pause, rewind, fastforward live tv! Anytime i missed something i just rewind it. Don't want to watch the commercials... i just fastforward it. It was wicked.

DVD recorders i don't know too much about. So you could be watching tv and then start recording it straight to dvd while you watched? Is it reliable? Can the dvd recorder reliably burn live tv feeds? I have no idea...i haven't looked into these things that much.

[Mok]

what about DVD Recorders or PVR's?
same functions as VCR
no more bulky video tapes... :D
what does PVR stand for? what is it?

[patlo]

what does PVR stand for? what is it?
PVR= Personal Video Recorder.

It's basically the samething as a tivo. A set top box with a hard drive inside that lets you record tv. You can get a pvr for rogers digital or bell expressvu. I don't think they have it for regular cable tv though.