Out go the traditional VHS tape recorders. And in come the latest DVD recorders.
To assist consumers contemplating this change-over, the Consumer Council has published its first-ever comparative test report on 13 DVD recorders (from $1,280 to $5,990) and 4 DVD players ($980 to $1,280).
The test was conducted jointly in collaboration with the International Consumer Research and Testing.
Unlike analogue VHS tape, an obvious advantage of DVD recorders is that as the video recording is stored digitally, the picture quality will not be affected and deteriorate no matter how many times you watch it.
Using DVD discs as the storage media, one 4.7 GB DVD disc can hold, under the standard picture quality recording mode, about two hours of recording.
Amongst the 13 DVD recorders, eight are provided with hard disk storage with capacity ranging from 80 GB to 200 GB which, under the standard mode, can hold from 34 to 89 hours of video recording.
In the test, the DVD models were compared for their picture quality under different recording modes, sound quality, operational noise, error correction, convenience, standby and operating power consumption, versatility, etc.
The results showed that, in general, the picture quality and sound quality of the majority of the DVD recorder samples were rated favourably.
On picture quality under the standard quality recording mode, 12 out of the 13 DVD recorders scored 4 points or above on a scale of 5. Amongst them was one recorder awarded 5 points.
The picture quality improved progressively under the best quality recording mode - all 13 DVD recorders scored 4 points or above, with 10 awarded the top rating of 5 points.
On overall sound quality, 10 out of the 13 samples scored 4 points or above on a scale of 5.
Considerable variations, however, were found in performance in respect of error correction, convenience, power consumption and versatility.
For the environmentally-conscious, some samples were shown to perform rather poorly in standby power consumption - the recorder continues to run up electricity after being turned off by the use of remote control and left on standby mode.
Consumers are advised to turn off the main switch or disconnect it from the power socket if they do not intend to use the appliance for a long time.
As DVD recorders can possess different features, consumers are advised to choose with care the models that best suit their own needs and requirements.
For example, they will do well to check: if the product provides Chinese on-screen display (OSD) to ease operation; DV (also called iLink or IEEE1394) input for connection to digital camcorder; NICAM bilingual recording for language selection during playback; NTSC input for dubbing other video material.
Consumers are urged to consult the results of the test in this latest (December) issue of CHOICE.
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