| A DVD recorder (or, colloquially, a DVD | | | | DVD recorders from notable brands are |
| burner) is an optical disc recorder that | | | | selling for $150 USD and L69 or less, |
| records video onto blank writable DVD | | | | with even lower "street prices". Early |
| media. Such devices are available as | | | | units supported only DVD-RAM and DVD-R |
| either installable drives for computers | | | | discs, but the most recent units can |
| or as standalone components for use in | | | | record to all major formats DVD-R, |
| studios or home theater systems. | | | | DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, and DVD+R DL. |
| Technical information | | | | Some models now include hard disc-based |
| Originally, DVD recorders supported one | | | | digital video recorders (DVRs) to |
| of three standards: DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and | | | | improve ease of use. Standalone DVD |
| DVD+RW, none of which are directly | | | | recorders generally have basic DVD |
| compatible. As a general rule, however, | | | | authoring software built in; however, |
| most current drives support both the + | | | | the appearance of the finished DVD is |
| and - standards, while few support the | | | | very basic and usually completely under |
| DVD-RAM standard, which is not directly | | | | the control of the unit. |
| compatible with standard DVD readers. | | | | Some believe that DVD recorders will |
| Recording speed is generally denoted in | | | | supersede the videocassette recorder |
| values of X (similar to CD-ROM usage), | | | | (VCR), while others believe that they |
| where 1X in DVD usage is equal to 1.321 | | | | will remain specialty items as digital |
| MB/s, roughly equivalent to a 9X CD-ROM. | | | | video moves to network distribution. |
| In practice, this is largely an issue | | | | DVD recorders have several technical |
| confined to computer-based DVD | | | | advantages over VCRs, including: |
| recorders, since standalone units | | | | Superior video and audio quality |
| generally record in real time, that is, | | | | Easy-to-handle and smaller form-factor |
| 1X speed. | | | | disc media |
| DVD recorders use a laser (usually 650 | | | | Random access to video chapters without |
| nm red) to read and write DVDs. The | | | | rewinding or fast-forwarding |
| reading laser is usually not stronger | | | | Onscreen multilingual subtitles and |
| than 5 mW, while the writing laser is | | | | labeling not available on VCRs |
| considerably more powerful. The faster | | | | Reduced playback wear and tear |
| the writing speed is rated, the stronger | | | | High-quality digital copying, with |
| the laser is. DVD burner lasers often | | | | little or no generation loss |
| peak at about 100 mW in CW (225 mW | | | | Improved editing, at least on rewritable |
| pulsed). Some laser hobbyists have | | | | media |
| discovered ways to extract the laser | | | | Playlisting |
| diode from DVD burners. | | | | No risk of accidentally recording over |
| Computer-based DVD drives | | | | existing content or unexpectedly running |
| DVD recorder drives have become standard | | | | out of space during recording |
| equipment in many, though not all, | | | | Easy to find recordings due to chapter |
| computer systems currently on the | | | | menus |
| market, after being initially | | | | However, an inconvenience exists in |
| popularized by the Pioneer/Apple | | | | which DVDs recorded with DVD recorders |
| SuperDrive; aftermarket drives as of | | | | must be finalized to view in other DVD |
| late 2006 can be US$50 or less. DVD | | | | players. (This disadvantage does not |
| recorder drives can be used in | | | | apply to DVD-RAM discs, which require no |
| conjunction with DVD authoring software | | | | finalization due to their 'random |
| to create DVDs near or equal to | | | | access' nature.) Also, the |
| commercial quality, and are also widely | | | | implementation of MPEG-2 compression |
| used for data backup and exchange. As a | | | | used on most standalone DVD recorders is |
| general rule, computer-based DVD | | | | required to compress the picture data in |
| recorders can also handle CD-R and CD-RW | | | | real time, producing results that may |
| media; in fact, a number of standalone | | | | not be up to the standard of |
| DVD recorders actually use drives | | | | professionally rendered DVD video, which |
| designed for computers. | | | | can take days to compress. |
| Most such devices are designed with | | | | A number of manufacturers have combined |
| parallel ATA interfaces; however, | | | | DVD recorders with hard disc-based |
| external drives using USB 2.0 or IEEE | | | | digital video recorders, allowing for |
| 1394 are also widely available. | | | | simple recording to large fixed disks, |
| DVD recorder drives are required to | | | | and the ability to spool these |
| respect DVD region codes when reading a | | | | recordings off the DVD at a later date. |
| disc, but do not impose a region code on | | | | 8cm miniDVDs are widely used on some |
| written discs unless the code has | | | | digital camcorders, primarily those |
| specifically been written into the | | | | meant for a consumer market ("point and |
| disc's content. | | | | shoot"); such discs are usually playable |
| DVD duplication systems are generally | | | | on a full-sized DVD player, but may not |
| built out of stacks of these drives, | | | | record on a full-sized DVD recorder |
| connected through a computer-based | | | | system. Though popular for their |
| backplane. | | | | convenience (in the manner of VHS-C), |
| Standalone DVD recorders | | | | DVD camcorders are not considered |
| When the standalone DVD recorder first | | | | suitable for more than casual use due to |
| appeared on the Japanese consumer market | | | | the much higher level of compression |
| in 1999, these early units were very | | | | used compared to MiniDV and the |
| expensive, costing between $2500 and | | | | difficulty of editing MPEG-2 video |
| $4000 USD. However, as of early 2006, | | | | |