DVD recorders: How we test DVD recorders

Line of dvd recorders ready for testing

Tough lab tests find the Which? Best Buys

DVD recorder picture quality

Our five viewing experts watch a series of movie clips and test patterns on pre-recorded and self-recorded discs to check motion, resolution and colour accuracy.

Recordings are made mainly in standard-play (SP) mode – this fits two hours of recordings on one DVD. We check recordings in three and four-hour modes, too.

The HDD (hard disk drive) on a combination unit should make recordings of the same quality as the DVD – but we make sure nothing has gone awry and check HDD in standard play, too. 

Which? DVD recorder tests

Ergonomic experts test the ease of use

If there’s a VCR on board, we’ll also check this. After watching some 400 scenes, we are ready to pick our Best Buy DVD recorders.

Ease of use

We assess each DVD recorder using various everyday scenarios, ranging from installation and simple playback to the ease of making and editing recordings.

The usefulness of the instructions, basic playing features, remote control and front-panel layout, plus advanced features, are all judged by our two ergonomic experts.

Total test score and Best Buys

Once we have all our test results in, we evaluate the data to determine the total test score for each DVD recorder. This is based on the following:

  • Picture/sound    60%
  • Ease of use       20%
  • Features           10%
  • Power use        10%

Those models that score 71% or over are awarded Best Buy status.

Which? works for you