I want one of these !!!
Not quite the first of these (Panasonic’s DMR-E150V claims that title), but Sharp has announced a video recorder that puts VHS, DVD, and a hard disk in the same box, along with a satellite decoder. The hard disk is moderately sized, at 80GB versus the 400GB at which Sharp’s VCR-less flagship model maxes out, but it’ll still store 100 hours of programming if you compromise a little on the quality. You can record freely between the three units with no restrictions, too, unlike some VCR/DVD recorders we’ve heard of, so anything worth saving can be burned or taped for posterity. (No, this does not extend to zapping the copy protection on commercial DVDs.) It’s also possible to record two programs at once, either both to the hard drive, or one to DVD and the other to tape. Out July 1 in Japan; should be priced around Y95,000 ($875).
