I have been using a Sanyo DRW-500 DVD recorder for several years now. I know that a lot of people have had trouble with this old thing, but I am rather attached to it after all the hours I have recorded on it and all the timer settings I have placed. It doesn't have any bells and whistles on it, but how many of us basic models do?
Anyway - I understand about the usual time that is found with recording modes: HQ = 1 hour, SP = 2 hours, etc. With the Sanyo I can get 1:28 in HQ, 2:28 in SP, etc. This has been great for slop time with timer settings, the few extra minutes on some movies {2:01, 2:04}. We bought a cheap, cheap, cheap CyberHome DVD recorder that will only, absolutely record 1 hour at HQ, 2 hours at SP - not even 1 minute over will it go. Can anyone explain this to me? Do other brands of DVD recorders record the way the Sanyo does? I need to buy a new recorder soon - do I just take my chances with a brand or is there a way I can tell about the recording modes? Is this something called compression ratio and can I figure this out for different brands? Will the discs I have recorded on the old Sanyo play on other brands - does disc speed come into this?
I know I've listed a lot of questions, but I would like to understand this before buying something cheap and wrong or expensive and wrong. Thanks from a newbie

Yes it sounds like a deliberate restriction on the record time of the Cyberhome, since other recorders will give you at least a few minutes over the standard 1hr, 2 hr etc.

The DVD-Video modes of a recorder allow the user to decide whether to go for the best possible picture quality, or select a lesser degree of quality while gaining more recording time. Irrespective of the selected recording mode, all recordings have to be DVD-Video compatible and be played on a DVD-Video player.

The standard recording modes are:

HQ - High Quality (1 hour per side)
720 x 576 pixels - 9.72 Mbit/sec VBR

SP - Standard Play (2 hours per side)
720 x 576 pixels - 5.07 Mbit/sec VBR

LP - Long Play (3 hours per side)
360 x 576 pixels - 3.38 Mbit/sec VBR

EP - Extended Play (4 hours per side)
360 x 576 pixels - 2.54 Mbit/sec VBR

EP+ - Extended Play Plus (6 hours per side)
360 x 576 pixels - 1.70 Mbit/sec VBR

M8 - 8 Hour Mode (8 hours per side)
352 x 288 pixels - 1.27 Mbit/sec VBR

These values are for PAL recordings, NTSC has a vertical resolution of 480 lines instead of 576.

However some recorders offer a 'fit-to-space' facility, where the recorder calculates the space on the disc, looks at the program record time, and adjusts the recording compression to give you the best quality.


I'll transfer this thread to the DVD Recorder and Home Entertainment forum, where there will probably be more specific help...

Thank you imkidd57. Your help is appreciated. I've been looking around for answers and info and cdfreaks is the best - most organized, easiest to figure out, etc. No, really ! I'm an old {or "classic" as I prefer, as old sounds as if it's pointing to me} movie freak, not a technology freak, so when I can figure out a site it's good news to me. {A little sucking up to the moderators can't hurt ?!?} Thanks again.