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DVD recorders are undergoing a transformation, adding a digital ATSC tuner if it has a tuner as mandated by the FCC.
Technical informationOriginally, DVD recorders supported one of three standards: DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW, none of which are directly compatible. As a general rule, however, most current drives support both the + and - standards, while few support the DVD-RAM standard, which is not directly compatible with standard DVD readers. Recording speed is generally denoted in values of X (similar to CD-ROM usage), where 1X in DVD usage is equal to 1.321 MB/s, roughly equivalent to a 9X CD-ROM. In practice, this is largely an issue confined to computer-based DVD recorders, since standalone units generally record in real time, that is, 1X speed. DVD recorders use a laser (usually 650 nm red) to read and write DVDs. The reading laser is usually not stronger than 5 mW, while the writing laser is considerably more powerful. The faster the writing speed is rated, the stronger the laser is. DVD burner lasers often peak at about 100 mW in CW (225 mW pulsed). Some laser hobbyists have discovered ways to extract the laser diode from DVD burners.
Computer-based DVD drives
DVD recorder drives have become standard equipment in many, though not all, computer systems currently on the market, after being initially popularized by the Pioneer/Apple SuperDrive; aftermarket drives as of early 2007 can cost as little as $30. DVD recorder drives can be used in conjunction with DVD authoring software to create DVDs near or equal to commercial quality, and are also widely used for data backup and exchange. As a general rule, computer-based DVD recorders can also handle CD-R and CD-RW media; in fact, a number of standalone DVD recorders actually use drives designed for computers. Most internal drives are designed with parallel ATA interfaces, with serial ATA becoming more readily available. External drives almost always use USB 2.0 or IEEE 1394. DVD recorder drives are required to respect DVD region codes when reading a disc, but do not impose a region code on written discs unless the code has specifically been written into the disc's content. DVD duplication systems are generally built out of stacks of these drives, connected through a computer-based backplane.
Standalone DVD recordersWhen the standalone DVD recorder first appeared on the Japanese consumer market in 1999, these early units were very expensive, costing between $2500 and $4000 USD. However, as of early 2007, DVD recorders from notable brands are selling for US$200 or €150 and less, with even lower "street prices". Early units supported only DVD-RAM and DVD-R discs, but the more recent units can record to all major formats DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, and DVD+R DL. Some models now include hard disk-based digital video recorders (DVRs) to improve ease of use. Standalone DVD recorders generally have basic DVD authoring software built in; however, the appearance of the finished DVD is very basic and usually completely under the control of the unit.
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