A DVD VCR recorder may, at first sight, seem like an ugly combo of old technology with new. However, there are many advantages to be had from a DVD VCR recorder, also known as DVD VHS recorder or DVD VCR combo recorder.

The first and most obvious advantage is that it provides an easy way to copy your old VHS tapes to DVD and thus preserve them for much longer than they would last on a VHS tape. Just stick the tap and blank DVD into the machine, press a button and, bingo, you're ropey old VHS tapes can be consigned to the trash, to be replaced by a shiny, new DVD disc.

Saving space is another advantage of having a DVD VCR recorder. Many people like to keep hold of old VHS tapes for all sorts of reasons, but having a DVD recorder and a VCR takes up space, plug sockets, and adds to the jungle of wires behind the TV.

However, it's not all good news. A DVD VCR recorder has one distinct disadvantage over having two separate units and its one that affects every area where technology combines multiple functions into one device. Put simply, if your VCR breaks, you've lost your DVD recorder to. And vice versa. Whereas, if you had separate VHS and DVD machines, when one breaks and you need to send it off to be repaired, you still have the other.

If this potential problem doesn't put you off, and you decide a DVD VHS recorder is right for you, there are a number of things you should look out for. If possible go for a device which records to DVD-RAM as well as DVD-R or DVD+R. This allows you to timeshift your DVD recording, meaning you can watch the start of a program while still recording the end of it, or pause and rewind live TV. Timeshifting is incredibly useful and will change the way you watch TV.

You should also look for a device which plays back DVDs using progressive scan. This means that rather than splitting each frame into two fields and displaying each one alternately, the entire frame is shown on screen at the same time. This improves the quality of the picture when watching DVD players.

If you have lots of VHS tapes that you want to carry on watching or want to record to DVD, it's possible that a DVD VCR recorder could be right for you.

Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner, a site which aims to cut through the confusion surrounding HDTV and provide surfers with up to date, accurate and easy to read information on HDTV.