Toshiba RD-XS32SU DVD Recorder / HDD Recorder

... what more can you say. This DVDR sets itself apart from most other DVDRs because of this feature. Before we get started, this is not a DVDR for those who get easily frustrated also this was my first DVDR so here's a review from a newbie:

Major Features:
- Plays DVD, CD, VCD, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA, and MP3 media
- Progressive-scan player that records over 100 hours on its 80 GB hard drive; FireWire camcorder interface
- Multiple front and rear S-video and composite inputs and outputs
- Dolby Digital and DTS compatible 3D virtual surround sound
- Measures 16.93 x 3.07 x 12.64 inches (W x H x D)

Setup:
Everything is pretty well documented. Just make sure to read the docs before you get started. Relatively easy. I have a very basic setup. My TV is older and doesn't have an output. So here's my config. Cable to DVDR to VCR to TV in a daisy chain fashion. Not the ideal setup but works for my purposes. The instructions were easy to read, but lacked how to set up my particular configuration. One thing that concerned me was the label that said something along the lines of "Please wash hands after handling cords. Toxic." I only have to set it up once so I'll cross my fingers.

When you first turn on your DVDR there is a setup screen. It's easy to navigate, but the remote has alot squeezed into it, so it's easy to get confused. The DVDR has alot of bells and whistles therefore plenty of buttons to go with it.
This is the same for everything that you do. There are so many buttons that in the beginning you might forget which button does what even though it's clearly written. It's taken me about a month to get used to the remote.

The recording quality is very good from Cable to the HDD and DVD. However, with any recording from VHS to another medium, the quality is not that great. (I blame the actual quality of the tape and the cheap VCR I have.) One of the great features is being able to select the recording quality. For VHS to DVD it's only marginally better, but I'll take marginally over not better at all in this particular case.

Recording tv shows is easy with VCR , and programs better than any VCR I've ever used.

Editing takes sometime to get used to. After the second video I felt like a pro because all I did was the basic record-divide-burn, but didn't do things like the editing titles, chapters, creating multiple playlists, splicing and dicing from different titles and chapters... Once the recordings involved all of that, things got a little more frustrating. 5 recordings later I was much more comfortable with using the system and it's many features.

Being a novice, what I really liked was the ability to make a copy of a recording on the HDD. So I could edit away and if i made any mistakes that I felt were really bad, I could delete the whole thing and start over by creating another copy.

I also liked the fact that you could use DVD-RAM cds as well. It basically allows me to use the DVD-RAM cd like the build in HDD up until I finalize the DVD.

Everything else was clear and simple. (Key to "simple" is the "EASY NAVI" button)

Overall, this DVDR was a great purchase even though it was somewhat frustrating to learn at certain times. In the end, I felt like I got exactly what was advertised.