What should I get Mom to replace her VCR?
December 5, 2005

Submitted by: Damon, via e-mail
I'm shopping for my mom, who's not all that tech savvy, and I want to get her a replacement for her old VCR. Do you have any suggestions for VCR replacements that are easy to use?

David Katzmaier, senior editor
You have a couple of choices, which depend on what she wants to do. If she wants to mainly record TV and erase an episode after she's done, get her a DVR. Our quick guide offers some advice on which one to pick, but if you just want the one that's easiest to use, classic TiVo is the best choice.


Lite-On LVC-9006 If your mom actually likes to save the TV programs she records, or if she has a lot of home movies and doesn't yet own a DVD player, she may prefer a DVD recorder instead. Among basic units we like the Panasonic DMR-ES20S and the Lite-On LVW-5005--both are simple enough to use. If she still has a lot of VHS tapes that she wants to convert to DVD (imagine the space she'll save!), a DVD/VHS recorder might be a better choice. The Lite-On LVC-9006 and the GoVideo VR3930 are great budget bets, and either should be a cinch for Mom to operate.

Finally, if you really want to splurge, get her a combination hard disk/DVD recorder, which will allow her to record TV shows she wants, then burn anything she really likes to DVD. Even with all that functionality, the TiVo-based Humax DRT800 should take her all of 30 minutes to master.

• Editors' top DVD recorders
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