Audio Video News

The veritable VCR is headed for obsolescence. Not neccessarily today nor tomorrow, but eventually. Its departure will be hastened by digital devices like Philips' new DVDR1000, a DVD recorder that made its official bow in June at the IFA 2001 Consumer Electronics show in Berlin.

"This recorder makes it easy for consumers to create their own digital-quality video recordings which can then be played back on the vast majority of existing DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM drives in PCs," said Didier Juin, Vice President and General Manager for Philips' DVD+RW business. "We are very pleased that we have taken the route to develop a DVD recorder that is build on the successful DVD format."

The new recorder is said to offer users extreme simplicity: just pop in a recordable DVD, select your video source, and press the "record" button. Thanks to a variable bit-rate technique, Philips provides four levels of recording quality, which can be mixed on any disc as users wish. The best level ("High Quality") provides one hour of "studio master quality" video. Standard Play yields two hours of DVD-Video quality; Long Play is said to offer three hours of "better than S-VHS" quality. Extended Play puts four hours of video on a single disc at better than VHS quality.

In playback, all quality levels are compatible with normal DVD players, according to Philips. The DVDR1000 allows direct or edited dubs from camcorders, as well as regular TV programming. Easy editing allows users to assemble their favorite scenes and access them in a way not possible with videotape.

Philips also claims that with "the appropriate software package" the recorded disc can be used in the DVD+RW drive for "enhanced editing functionality like adding text, dubbing audio, making transitions and adding local content." DVD+RW discs do not need to be formatted or finalized, but can be recorded and played back immediately, according to a company press release.