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Blu-ray today: how to record HDTV in 2005
David Katzmaier
David Katzmaier,
senior editor
Ever since the advent of high-definition television, recording full-blown HDTV has been problematic. Sure, you can watch high-def to your heart's content, but if you want to store programs to watch later or build an HDTV library of your favorite shows, you don't have many options. That's where Blu-ray and HD-DVD, the two warring next-generation recordable disc formats, come in. Each promises the ability to record HDTV to a disc that looks just like a DVD or a CD, and each will be available in recording units with similar capabilities to today's standard-definition DVD recorders. Unfortunately, non-PC-based (a.k.a. set-top) Blu-ray and HD-DVD recorders won't hit the market until 2006, and even then, prices are expected to exceed $1,000 for the first-generation units. So what's a HDTV pack rat to do right now? The only non-PC-based archive solution today is D-VHS, which uses videocassettes to record high-def content. You can also use a cable or satellite high-def DVR, or record a lower-resolution or downconverted version of an HDTV program to a standard DVD recorder.

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Product name HM-DH5U Digital VHS HDTV Recorder
HM-DH5U Digital VHS HDTV Recorder
Sony DHG-HDD500
Sony DHG-HDD500
DirecTV HD DVR (HD TiVo)
DirecTV HD DVR (HD TiVo)
Dish Networks DVR 942 HD
Dish Networks DVR 942 HD
Panasonic DMR-ES10S (silver)
Panasonic DMR-ES10S (silver)






Review date February 18, 2005 January 13, 2005 January 19, 2005 May 16, 2005 April 28, 2005






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Review summary CNET editor's take CNET editor's take If you're a DirecTV viewer who just can't live without the TiVo interface and can settle for its operational caveats, the aging DirecTV HR10-250 HD TiVo is a worthwhile DVR option. If you can't wait for MPEG-4 but simply must have an HD DVR now, you could do a lot worse than the feature-packed Dish Player-DVR 942. Panasonic's entry-level DMR-ES10 DVD recorder offers excellent recording quality but falls short when it comes to editing features.






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Basic Specs
  • VHS , D-VHS , S-VHS , S-VHS ET
• Limited warranty
• Labor , Parts
• 24 events / 1 year

Full specifications
• 400 hour(s)
• Universal remote control

Full specifications
• DIRECTV
• Yes
• Remote control

Full specifications
• 180 hour(s)
• DISH network
• Universal remote control

Full specifications
• 24bit / 192kHz
• DVD+R , DVD-RW , DVD-RAM , DVD-R
• Silver
• 7.9 lbs
• Stereo
• 10bit / 54MHz
• DVD recorder
• Universal remote control
• Tabletop
• DVD+R , CD , Video CD , CD-RW , DVD-RW , CD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RAM , DVD-Audio , DVD-R

Full specifications