Can I use a DVD recorder as an HDTV recorder?
HDTV Recorder Hub
Many people wonder whether it’s possible for a DVD recorder to function as an HDTV recorder. The short answer is no, not really. Commercial DVD formats are not the same as HDTV formats; in fact the largest resolution a DVD can display is 480p (compare this to the lowest HDTV resolution, 720p, which I talk about in my first HDTV recorder. post).
Some DVD recorders and DVD players can do what is called “upscaling” for use with HDTVs. But this is really just a gimmick; the DVD will play the picture back at the same pixel count, but without carrying any of the actual high-definition information that makes that picture look so crisp.
There are some DVD recorders that are capable of receiving digital or HDTV signals, but they’re the exception rather than the norm. Additionally, while they can receive the HDTV signals, they aren’t capable of actually recording them. These are called HDTV tuners, or Integrated HD Tuners, or DVD recorders with ATSC tuners. All these phrases mean the same thing. Though it the DVD recorder can receive an HD signal, the recording will be downscaled to standard definition for DVDs, which is 480p.
So then what CAN record – and play back – recordings at HDTV resolution? Presently, the only HDTV recorder are those offered by TIVO and cable or satellite companies – or D-VHS VCRs, which were made primarily by JVC but may not be in production anymore. At least in the United States. Blu-Ray recording technology has the capacity to be a HDTV recorder, but there are no plans to market Blu-Ray HDTV recorders in the U.S. market at present.