The Best DVD Recorders of 2024

Robert Silva has extensive experience in consumer electronics and home theater product sales and sales supervision; he has written about audio, video, and home theater topics since 1998. Robert has articles published on HBO.com and Dishinfo.com plus has made appearances on the YouTube series Home Theater Geeks.

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In This Article

In This Article

Folks still want DVD recorders, but they aren't as plentiful as they used to be. Here are the models we think are the best of what is left, but remember that you might need to get used as they're hard to come by.

Many manufacturers are no longer making new DVD recorders for the U.S. market. Some listed units may be officially discontinued but may still be available at local retailers or third-party sources, such as eBay.

Best Overall

Toshiba DR430 DVD Recorder with HDMI Output

• Quick read time
• Easy to use; includes a detailed manual

• Pricey
• No built-in TV tuner or SD card slot
  
• Unfriendly remote

The Toshiba DR430 is a budget-priced DVD recorder with convenient features. It offers DVD-R/-RW and +R/+RW format recording with Auto Finalization, a front-panel DV input for connecting digital camcorders, and HDMI output with 1080p upscaling.

The DR430 can also play MP3 CDs, as well as standard audio CDs. However, the DR-430 does not have a built-in tuner, so it is necessary to use an external cable or satellite box to record television programs.

If you subscribe to cable or satellite, use a box, and have an HDTV to access the 430's 1080p upscaling video output capability, this DVD recorder might be a good match for your entertainment setup.

Best Entry-Level (Used-Only)

Panasonic DMR-EZ28K

• High-quality recordings
• Built-in tuner
  

• Discontinued
• No eject button on the remote

The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K is an excellent entry-level DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner. This allows the reception and recording of over-the-air digital TV signals, which replaced analog signals, effective June 12, 2009.

In addition to an ATSC tuner, the DMR-EZ28K is compatible with most DVD recording formats, a DV input for recording from digital camcorders, and 1080p upscaling via HDMI output. Another bonus is Panasonic's enhanced playback quality on discs recorded using the four-hour LP mode.

This DVD recorder has been officially discontinued but may still be available via clearance outlets or third parties.

Runner-Up (Used-Only)

Panasonic DMR-EA18K DVD Recorder

• Multi-format playback
• USB and SD card support

• Discontinued
• No TV tuner
• Remote lacks an eject button

The Panasonic DMR-EA18K is an entry-level DVD recorder that requires an external tuner, such as a cable box, satellite box, or DTV converter box, to receive and record television programming.

However, the DMR-EA18K does include compatibility with most DVD recording formats, a DV input for recording from digital camcorders, USB, and SD card slot for digital still image playback, both progressive scan component video outputs, and 1080p upscaling via its HDMI output.

Another bonus is Panasonic's enhanced playback quality on discs recorded using the four-hour LP mode. The EA18K can also play DivX files.

This DVD recorder has been officially discontinued but may still be available via clearance outlets or third parties.

What to Look for in a DVD Recorder

Price

Oddly enough, this outdated technology is often costly in online marketplaces. That's due to their waning relevance. However, you can still find reasonable deals, so compare prices before buying if budget concerns you.

Design

Since DVD recorders are on their way out, their designs haven't been a priority for manufacturers. As such, they tend to be clunkier than newer technology out there. Still, most are slim enough to stow away in a drawer until you need it.

Additional features

At their most basic, DVD recorders can replace a VCR, but newer models have several neat features that offer distinct advantages. For example, some have multiple tuners, which allow you to record multiple channels simultaneously (one to the DVD and one to the hard drive). Other DVD recorders have Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, though it's important to note that this doesn't mean they can support streaming content like Netflix.

While this largely depends on the size of the Movie file you're burning, in some cases, you can fit as many as five movies on a single DVD-R. However, it's important to note that when burning a DVD, you only get the MKV file and not the additional bonus content, subtitles, or commentary tracks. It is possible to include these features when burning a DVD, but everything you add wastes space that could be used for more movie files.

Several recordable DVD formats are all slightly different. The two most common formats are DVD-R and DVD-RW, with the key differences being that DVD-RW can be erased and re-written, whereas DVD-R can only be written and finalized once.

The most significant difference between these two formats is storage space. A standard DVD can hold around 4.7 GB of data, compared to a whopping 50 GB of space on Blu-Ray. The extra space means that Blu-Rays can accommodate higher resolution footage, up to 1080p, as opposed to DVDs that typically support 480p.