• PC World
• »Storage
• »Hard Drives

You've already fallen hard for those seductive, shiny little platters--in fact, when you're given the choice, DVDs are all you ever use anymore to watch movies. So why should you settle for clunky old tape to record the latest episode of CSI? Today's DVD recorders pack features that your ancient VCR could only dream of. And believe it or not, they're now budget-friendly as well, thanks to a price drop of nearly 50 percent over the past year.

A DVD recorder has a lot more going for it than its little red Record button. For one thing, you'll be free of analog tape and its tangle of related hassles. No more tedious rewinding or fast-forwarding to get to the part you want to see: Chapter marks let you jump to your favorite scenes easily. Image quality is better than with VHS, and it never degrades over time: What you see, your kids will see. And gone are the choppy images you would see in VCRs whenever you resumed recording after a pause.

We tested two classes of recorders: those with hard drives, and those without. We also looked at an emerging class of recorders that combine a DVD recorder with either a VCR or a TiVo programming guide (see Specialty Combos,), inspected a device that straddles living-room and PC recording, and tried out the first models of high-capacity, high-definition recorders (see Hands-On HD Recording,). Meanwhile, for the latest trends in players (including portable units), check out the Play It section.

• Record It
• Play It
• DVD Recorders Without Hard Drives
• DVD Recorders With Hard Drives
• Specialty Combos
• Button to Button: Remote Control Face-Off
• Blue Laser Discs: Hands-On HD Recording
• Video Capture: A Recorder for Living Room and PC
• Tips and Tricks
• A DVD Recorder for Every Budget (chart)
• Innovative, Svelte Portable DVD Players (chart)