October 17, 2006 > Give the gift of preserving memories for the upcoming holiday season

Milpitas (PRNewswire), October 10_What's one of the hottest gifts to give for the upcoming holiday season? The DVD recorder. What is a DVD recorder? A DVD recorder looks and functions just like the DVD player, but it adds the ability to easily record home video and television content onto DVD disks.

The two things required for a consumer product to really become popular are ease-of-use and affordability. Easy-to-use DVD recorders are now available at a range of affordable prices, from about $100 for basic DVD recorder models to about $300 for combination DVD recorders.

Tips on choosing the right DVD recorder.

There are a variety of DVD recorders available with different features at different prices. One of the best ways to choose the right one is to think about how it will be used. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Will it be used for transferring VHS tapes?
Select a DVD recorder with a built-in VCR deck. This is the easiest way to transfer precious memories from old, fragile VHS tapes to DVD disks.
A VHS tape is inserted into one side of the DVD recorder, a blank DVD disk into the other side, and then the record button is pushed to create a DVD. An example of a VCR-DVD recorder combo product like this is the LG Electronics RC199H VCR/DVD recorder. It retails for less than $300.

2. Will it be connected to an HDTV (high definition TV)?
Select a DVD recorder that has an HDMI interface. HDMI is a special digital interface that provides a digital-to-digital connection between the DVD recorder's output signal and the HDTV, enabling a higher-quality picture. An example of a DVD recorder with an HDMI interface is the Philips DVDR3400 progressive-scan multi-format DVD recorder which sells for about $170.

3. Is superior video quality important?
Select a DVD recorder that displays the DVFX(TM) logo. Developed by LSI, a Silicon Valley-based storage and consumer technology company, the DVFX logo represents high-quality video, which is enabled by special video processing technologies. An example of a DVD recorder with DVFX video processing and the HDMI interface is the LG Electronics DR1F9H progressive-scan multi-format DVD recorder which sells for about $225.

4. Will it be used to convert home movies on camcorder tapes to DVDs?
Select a DVD recorder that has an IEEE-1394 Firewire interface. IEEE-1394 is the standard interface on digital camcorders and provides the highest quality when transferring camcorder video to DVDs. An example of a DVD recorder that has the IEEE-1394 interface is the Philips DVDR3390 DVD player/recorder which sells for under $140.

5. Is ease-of-use the most important feature?
Select a DVD recorder that includes the YesDVD(TM) authoring capability. YesDVD is special technology developed by YesVideo, a Silicon Valley-based company focused on high-quality video transferring services. DVD recorders with YesDVD can automatically create menus and break a video into chapters, making it easy to access the DVD's content. All this is done automatically, with the touch of a single button on the DVD recorder's remote control. An example of a DVD recorder with YesDVD is the Polaroid DRM-2001G DVD Recorder. It includes an 80 GB hard drive and sells for about $225.

All prices listed are based on suggested retail prices. More information is available at www.lsi.com.