DVD recorders: How to buy the best DVD recorder What is a DVD recorder?

A DVD recorder is a digital recording device used mainly for recording television programmes, though it can be used to transfer other footage (such as that from a camcorder) onto a DVD disc.

In standard definition, you can record two hours of programmes onto one disc.

Most DVD recorders include a built-in Freeview tuner and have an electronic programme guide (EPG) showing the following week’s TV listings. Using the EPG to select the TV programmes you want to record is easier than using a VCR.

PVRs are good for recording TV programmes easily

What type of DVD recorder is right for me?

If all you want to do is record TV programmes with minimal fuss, we’d recommend avoiding DVD recorders altogether and opting for a PVR (personal video recorder) that records to an internal hard drive 

For ease of use, PVRs are hard to beat, though they’re not suited to long-term archiving.

Read the Which? PVR reviews.

If you want record and archive TV for long-term storage, or you want to share recordings with family and friends, a DVD recorder is a better option.

However, you’ll only get two hours of good quality recording time per disc. You can extend the recording time using long-play settings to three or four hours, but image quality will suffer.

If you like the idea of buying a DVD recorder but want massive amounts of recording time too, consider a DVD recorder with a built-in hard disk drive.

These feature large internal hard disk drives like those you’d find on a PVR. Their storage capacities are huge – space to record more than 100 hours of programming is typical, and the largest can store 250 hours. You can also transfer any recording held onto a DVD for archiving purposes or for sharing recording with friends.

However, combination DVD/hard disk recorders generally only have a single digital tuner. This means that you can't record two digital programmes at the same time and you can only watch one programme and record another if you also own a digital TV with its own tuner.

They’re also generally more complicated to use than good standalone PVR. So if both a PVR and a DVD recorder are required, we would recommend buying two separate devices unless space is an issue.

Find the best standalone and combination DVD recorders in the Which? DVD recorder reviews.