Yamaha DRX-2 DVD Recorder
July 2004Yamaha DRX-2 DVD Recorder
$599
Progressive scan DVD player
Plays all DVD recordable formats except DVD-RAM
Plays MP3 CD and CD-RW/-R discs
Six recording modes including special
audio recording settings
www.yamaha.com/yec
By Joe Paone
My litmus test with DVD recorders revolves around ease of use. I've used plenty of them, and I'm beyond feeling gee-whiz awestruck by the technology. Now I put myself in the shoes of the less technically savvy consumer and wonder what he or she would make of such a component.
I do this because of persistent anecdotes I hear from retailers and even manufacturers that DVD recorders are returned by customers more often than other A/V products. A concurrent slice of conventional wisdom is that DVD recorders haven't carved out a niche for themselves in the face of hard drive-based TiVo video recorders and the DVR knock offs built into a growing number of cable boxes that most people are recording TV onto. Even camcorder users are bypassing component DVD recorders and transferring their home movies directly to PCs with DVD burners, where editing tools are generally better than those on DVD recorders anyway.
The problem is that so many component DVD recorders seem to have been engineered for obsessive techies, and not for the general public. They are exceptionally confusing to use and include too many features for the user to be confused about. But I'm not ready to give up on DVD recorders yet. Prices are coming down quickly—a recent trip to RadioShack found two $249 models. Like progressive scan, DVD-Audio and SACD playback capability before it, DVD recording looks to become a $20 premium feature of standard DVD players over the next two years. As long as they get a little friendlier.
On that front, the Yamaha DRX-2 DVD Recorder is a step in the wrong direction. Unlike mass-market brands like Panasonic, Philips and RCA, Yamaha traditionally appeals to a slightly more discriminating buyer who might be a little more comfortable with the ins and outs of DVD recorders.
True to its image, the Yamaha recorder comes in the stately black cabinet typical of the brand's audio products. But underneath the skin, what you actually find is a Philips DVDR75 recorder, with all of that brand's strengths and weaknesses.
If you haven't used a Philips or read my review in our October 2003 issue, the user interface is almost entirely icon-based and not all that intuitive to navigate. I found myself pressing lots of buttons that led to nowhere while wading through icons. While the confusion goes away with some usage under your belt (and a thorough reading of the manual), the somewhat forbidding user interface of the product is a striking reminder of this category's complexity.
When you get down to the essence of a DVD recorder, though, this product performs the important functions of recording TV shows and camcorder content to DVD+RW and DVD+R discs very well.
The DRX-2's connections are typical for this category. On the front, behind a door, are camcorder connections: Inputs for S-video, composite A/V, and FireWire (no USB, however). On the back, for connections to a TV, a VCR, a receiver or other devices, there are RF in/out, coaxial and—unlike the Philips recorder—optical digital audio outs, and two sets of inputs and outputs for S-Video, composite and component.
Besides optical digital out, there's one other key difference between the DRX-2 and the Philips that also reflects Yamaha's fine audio heritage—a two-hour linear PCM audio recording mode for much better sound on recorded DVDs than other recorders can provide.
Other features include six recording modes and the ability to record up to six hours on one disc; fit to space recording, which automatically calculates the best recording bit rate to use given the amount of space left on the disc; index picture screen, which shows the first scenes of recorded segments for easy disc navigation; and the ability to add chapter markers.
While the DRX-2 is set up well for transferring camcorder tapes to DVD, it isn't inviting for TV recording. There's no program guide or scheduler beyond the rudimentary VCR Plus+, and there's no IR blaster to help those who must use a cable box to change channels.
The bottom line is that the DRX-2 is loaded with features, but comes up short in terms of ease of use.
