I have a Sony VRD-VC10 got last year, the 20 adds a firewire input and will do DVD-r/rw in direct mode.
I works very well as a stand alone unit, you can do primitive editing by pressing pause on the VRD-VC20 let your source run then press record when you want copy to the dvd.
As long as you use the 1 hour mode or the 2 hour mode the qualiy will be as good as the source. I wish Sony would have use 4 hour mode instead of the that 6 houre mode, it is realy bad makes a DVD look like VHS.
I'm using mine to back up laser disks and movies from my dish PVR. I have made about 60 DVDs with it.
Don't forget it works with a PC also does a great job.
The unit is $234 at newegg. Have fun. John