If you are looking for an HD DVD recorder, or a DVD recorder with hard drive built into the machine, there are a couple of main features and facets of your new device that you want to keep in mind when looking to purchase your product.

First and foremost, the HD DVD recorder is the modern answer to the VCR of the past, and prices are falling very quickly so these devices are now more affordable than ever.

Technically, DVD recorders can support three different types of formats, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. Generally speaking, the last two types are most common and allow for discs to be written over if the user desires to do so.

More recently, variations on these format types have allowed specific recorders to write to all kind of different disc types, so be sure to keep that in mind when purchasing your discs and your recorder.

As with anything that involves a hard drive, size truly does matter. Depending on how often and the quantity of which you will be recording material to your disc will really determine how much memory you want.

Currently, prices for HD DVD recorders with built in hard drives can be as low as $120, but can push upwards of $400 when these drives get larger and have a greater capacity of faster writing abilities.

However, the biggest change in recent times to HD DVD recorders is the addition of HDTV tuners that can come with the device. This has made the devices even more valuable, and sometimes can increase the price by hundreds of dollars. So if you already have an HD tuner with your cable or satellite packages, don’t shell out money for something you already possess!

Additionally, if you are looking to burn old VHS movies or other media to your DVD recorder with hard drive, be sure that your device actually has a VHS slot! Some companies have decided to do away with that part of the device and replace it with other video ports or tuners, so be sure to read the specs and details of your device before purchasing.

While other devices do exist that can support even newer media types such as Blu-ray, those devices are still very young in their product lives and are prone to overheating, software bugs, and often do not support VHS. Therefore, with prices being lower than ever, HD DVD recorders are a great buy for saving media from various sources.