You’ve finally figured out how to program your VCR and spent years amassing a VHS collection worthy of attention from Guinness, so why start over with a DVD recorder? Well, you can record your favorite shows, sports and home movies in crisp digital format, they’re easy to use, and there are several types of  DVD recorders available, so you’re sure to find one that suits your home theater needs. Here’s a rundown on what to look for when you take the leap into this technology.

DVD Recorder Perks          

At first glance, many DVD recorders appear to be similar, if not the same. Heck, they all record to DVD … so what’s the big deal?

• Digital quality: Think about the difference between burning music to CD and recording to cassette. There’s a big difference in quality, and it’s because CDs are digital, while tapes are analog. The same holds true when recording to DVD instead of VHS. Disc quality won’t fade or otherwise deteriorate, which often occurs during VHS recording and repeated playback.

• Progressive-scan playback: Just like DVD players, most recorders feature a progressive-scan output, which ensures that you can enjoy your DVDs in enhanced-definition (480p) format. To do this, all you need is to hook up a progressive-scan DVD player to a digital TV via a component video, DVI or HDMI input.

• One-touch recording: Yep, it’s as easy as it sounds. Most DVD recorders have this feature, which means you can record to DVD with the simple touch of a button. How simple is that?

• Editing features: One of the big perks of DVDs is that it’s an easy-to-access format. You can jump to a chapter or episode without relying on the fast forward button. Well, most DVD recorders also allow you to insert the same kind of features into your homemade DVDs. Organizing and accessing TV shows and home movies has never been easier.

• Multi-format playback: Just like most DVD players, most DVD recorders can play back a variety of formats, including CDs, MP3s, JPEGs and more.

• User-friendly: Have you ever accidentally recorded over a program you meant to save on a blank VHS tape? With DVD recording, you can put this worry to rest. Recordable DVD players automatically seek out empty space on discs, ensuring you won’t record over the climax of the “American Idol” season finale.

• Convenience: Compact DVDs are much easier to store and organize than bulky VHS tapes. So no matter how many seasons of “The Simpsons” you record, you’ll have no trouble storing them.                           

Advanced DVD Recorders

The features above can generally be found—in some form or another—on most DVD recorders out there. But what truly makes a DVD recorders stand out? Here are some choices if you’re building the ultimate home theater system:

• DVD recorder/VCR: Perfect for those of us not ready to abandon our VHS collection, these hybrid models can play virtually any video you throw their way, plus you can record from VHS to DVD, or vice versa.

• DVD recorder/DVR: A DVD recorder/DVR is ideal for anyone who’s serious about recording to DVD. The big upside here is that you can record to the built-in digital recorder before deciding if they’re DVD worthy.

 Recording Formats      

Of the five primary DVD recordable formats available—DVD-R, DVD+R,  DVD+RW, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM—only DVD-R and DVD+R are not rewritable. While DVD-R and DVD+R may only be recorded on until full one time, the other formats can be recorded over thousands of times.

In the case of these five formats, these single-sided DVDs have a capacity of 4.7GB, which allows them to store up to four hours of video with picture quality ranging from excellent (DVD) to good (VHS). There are also dual-layer (DL) discs available that can hold twice as much information, too.