I want to transfer some VHS tapes to DVDs and edit the rubish out of them. I assume that a combi unit will create a DVD disc from a VHS tape on one of these units but will I be able to bung the DVD disc into a computer to edit?

Sure you can, but you will need some editing software. Depending on what you need to do with the DVD-video, either an authoring tool or a dedicated editing tool or maybe both. Ulead software is good for newbies and a great value. Most editing software will import video directly from DVD disc.

Some folks prefer to use DVD-RAM discs for transferring video from set-top to PC, but that is a little bit more involved on the editing end. Still it would be good to get a set-top box that supports RAM, so you have options. Likewise you'd want a PC drive than read RAM.