Review on 📺 High-Performance Magnavox MDR535 HDD and DVD Recorder with SD Digital Tuner, 500GB Storage (Black) by Dragan Nelson

Pro: easy setup; Easy dubbing; Powerful digital tuner; Upscaling up to 1080p. Cons: no remote backlight; Unable to record in HD; No integration with channel guide; No network between devices or internet; Skip function (both program and view). IMPROVEMENTS: Ability to use multiple tuners; HD recording; network skills; Integrated channeling; backlit remote control; Larger hard drive; Improved skip functions. VIEW DEVICES: LG 37LG70; Panasonic TH-50PZ800U. I wanted to give this product 3.5 stars but the site wouldn't let me! I currently have two such devices and an MDR537 (1TB HD). I use them to record a few OTA shows and watch them on the HDTVs listed above. There is a mix of hard disk shows and writable R/W discs. The pros speak for themselves. On the other hand, I would like a channel guide integration to make recording shows easier. This is particularly useful when shows go off-air for a week or two, reducing unnecessary recording. There is a "SKIP" function in the timer programming menu, but this needs to be reset every week. Alternatively, if you forget to turn it off, you will miss the recording of the show. There is a separate skip function that I use when watching shows to skip sections I don't want to watch (the button is under the RETURN button on the remote). This is a great feature, but it is slow and sluggish when used to skip programs written to the R/W disc. Using this feature for programs recorded on HD works much better. These devices are in no way connected to each other or to the internet. It would be useful to be able to intertwine the viewing and writing capabilities of devices. I'm assuming this feature is similar to so-called "home" DVRs. A program recorded on a device in another room can be viewed on another device in another room. The device displays a great HD picture but cannot record HD broadcasts in any form or way. This feature is very desirable. A backlit remote and big HD are the only other features I'd like to see. A bigger HD, especially if it's an SSD, would be very desirable. These devices are well built and very reliable, especially when compared to the LG RC897T that I owned. I had no issues with the functionality or reliability of these devices. LG devices were problematic from day one and were replaced by Magnavox devices. The MDR537 worked so well and was so reliable that I decided to buy these two additional units!