| With the quick demise of the old VHS Magnetic Tapes | | | | Standalone DVD recorders do not come with drivers |
| and more recent VCDs, DVD recording is becoming | | | | that connect directly to a PC. In some brands, it may |
| popular. DVD recorders work by 'burning/etching' via a | | | | be possible through PC video editing software that |
| laser to a blank DVD disk. Still, a DVD recorder | | | | allows for the exporting of standard DVD video files |
| resembles and functions very much like a VCR. | | | | made on a PC to the standalone DVD recorders using |
| All DVD recorders can record from any analog video | | | | firewire interface. |
| source. It can also record directly from digital | | | | Copying and Piracy Possibility in DVD Recorders |
| camcorders via an i-link input through Firewire and | | | | To check software piracy DVD recorders are |
| IEEE1394. DVD recorders are provided with AV inputs | | | | designed to detect the anti-copy signal on commercial |
| as well as onboard TV tuner for recording TV shows | | | | VHS tapes or DVDs. It will not start the recording and |
| directly. They come in different configurations: | | | | display an error message either on screen or on its |
| Standalone, DVD Recorder/VCR Combo or DVD | | | | front LED panel display. |
| Recorder/Hard Drive Combo units. | | | | On the other hand a DVD recorder can copy any |
| Unlike DVD Writers which comes as internal add on | | | | homemade camcorder videos or videos made from |
| card in a PC, the standalone DVD recorders cannot | | | | TV shows, copy Laserdiscs or any |
| read or write computer data. The great advantage of | | | | non-copy-protected video material. As it has a built in |
| a DVD Recorder over a DVD Writer is that in order to | | | | tuner for recording TV programs directly. The tuner is |
| record video and audio through a PC, the user has to | | | | programmed to record a series of programs on |
| save the video in the computer's hard-disk using | | | | different days and times, much like a VCR. |
| Firewire, USB, or S-Video using a video card and then | | | | Thus any antenna, cable or satellite set-top box with |
| copy the resultant files from the hard-disk onto a blank | | | | AV, RF or S-video outputs can be connected to any |
| DVD disk, whereas a DVD recorder can record from | | | | DVD recorder. But DVD recorders are not designed to |
| video sources in real time, directly to blank DVD. | | | | accept HDTV signals. |