Philips HDRW720

April 11th, 2005 | by Dennis Barker

Evaluation

The beauty of the HDRW720 DVD recorder is that it's a perfect replacement for your aging VCR.  It acts just like a VCR, but instead of fooling around with VHS tapes that degrade over time, a single DVD+RW disc can be used and erased hundreds (if not thousands) of times.  By adding PVR functionality to record your favorite shows, it's the perfect medium to store transient TV shows.  It also makes recording your favorite shows a snap.  Simply press the Guide/TV button on the remote to pull up the TV GuidePlus+ program listing.  Using the centrally-located navigation or arrow keys, scroll over to the program that you want to record, and press the red button on the remote.  By the same token, you can press the Timer button and program your recorder manually.  Simply key in the date, on/off times, and channel.  You just have to remember to set the record quality via the SYSTEM-MENU.  While you can set up recordings manually, it's much easier to use TV GuidePlus+.  And, with the pressing of one button, you can send any one of your pre-recorded shows directly to disk.  It could not be easier to keep all of those episodes of 24 and ALIAS for repeated viewings later.

On top of that, the 720 includes a front-panel i.Link connector, making it very easy to attach your digital camcorder.  Not every DVD recorder includes this type of connectivity.  Virtually all DV, Mini DV and DVD camcorders today include i.Link connectors that facilitate sharing your memories with friends and family.  It's a single slim cable that easily attaches to the front panel of the HDRW720.  You can set up a Table of Contents, edit scenes, re-arrange scenes, and delete poor taping.  Once you have your latest and greatest family epic arranged like Cecil B. DeMille, put a DVD+R disc into recorder, sending those images from your camcorder to the DVD+R disc.  Even I could do it. 

Conclusion

If you've been thinking about replacing your aging VCR, and have been thinking about a DVD recorder, look no further than the Philips HDRW720.  It includes all of the most desirable features required in a “state-of-the-art” DVD recorder today, and it adds PVR capability to make recording of your favorite shows a snap.  What more could you ask for?