Am I missing something? Blu-Ray recorders. (1 Viewer)

[Bryan^H]

What happened to the great promise of the stand alone Blu-Ray recorders I heard were on the way....about 5 years ago?
Apparently two of the biggest names in electronics(Panasonic, and Sony) launched these devices many years ago in both Japan, and the UK. Not sure what happened. Did they flop? well obviously they didn't do what the market demanded because they never saw the light of day in the U.S.
[VIDEO]http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gcUbeD_3hk[/VIDEO]
I think it would be absolutely fantastic to record HD materiel off TV, but as it satnds it is pretty limited. One JVC model is in fact available but rather steep($2,500). I want the calvary to come charging in(other manufacturers) to lower the prices on these beautiful machines.
[VIDEO]http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Z3Ie8jvrw[/VIDEO]
^ This video is from 2007 ^
Lets face it the DVD recorder market is all but dead(Maganavox and Toshiba are currently the main manufacturers) and they are mighty cheap in every regard. Sony, and Panasonic jumped ship a few years back. The chances of buying a high end dvd recorder no longer exist. That is why a Blu-Ray recoder would be the next logical step in fancy new hardware.
Are we destined for a non physical media future? I hope not.

 

[Bryan^H]

Just curious if any insiders, or tech savvy members have an answer or opinion.
Thanks.

 

[Keith Paynter]

There are a couple of domestic standalone BD-R recorders from Tascam and Panasonic:
Tascam BD-R2000: http://tascam.com/product/bd-r2000/ (approx $2300)
JVC SR-HD1500US: http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/tech_desc.jsp?model_id=MDL101893&feature_id=02 (approx $2300)
These are pro grade commercial machines, so don't go looking at Best Buy...check out pro musical instrument or video outlets...

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Lets face it the DVD recorder market is all but dead(Maganavox and Toshiba are currently the main manufacturers) and they are mighty cheap in every regard. Sony, and Panasonic jumped ship a few years back. The chances of buying a high end dvd recorder no longer exist. That is why a Blu-Ray recoder would be the next logical step in fancy new hardware.
Are we destined for a non physical media future? I hope not.

If you don't mind buying a machine intended for the PAL market (i.e. no built-in NTSC tuner, but you can record NTSC or PAL from the inputs), you can still get Panasonic HDD recorders from the likes of J&R Music. I bought an "open box" one 1-2 years ago from them at a nice discount and didn't care whether it had a tuner or not, as the reason I wanted it was the ability to record into PAL format (to back up my old PAL VHS tapes).
Unlike my much-loved Pioneer HDD recorder, this Panasonic has an HDMI output and works much the same as earlier US-sold Panasonic machines, with the added abilities to choose NTSC or PAL as the recording system and it can also record 16:9 widescreen video (if fed a true widescreen picture from the inputs), where the earlier US machines could only do 4:3. So, I was able to make true, widescreen (non-letterboxed) copies of a family member's wedding video that I recorded on my DV camcorder just a few months before.
Is the requirement of an ATSC tuner still the reason that US manufacturers aren't making HDD models these days?
HDD DVD recorders aren't quite dead yet, but of course, they're getting there.

 

[Bryan^H]

So if I order the latest Panasonic model, what can I expect for functionality? External recordings from other Blu-Ray players, cramming a lot of s-dvd content on one Blu disc? I accept the fact that the U.S. will never have the Panasonic or Sony models(acceptable budget players..not $1,200) and that is both a mystery, and a shame. But my desperation for getting one has reached it's limit, and I'm ready to own one if for any other reason than for a basic dvd recorder and all region dvd player.