Tivo is worth the nominal subscription IMHO. We have DirecTV with Tivo and I believe the extra charge is about $5 per month. WELL worth it -- especially if programming VCRs is difficult for you (it is darn annoying to us and we don;t do it anymore since getting the Tivo). OF course, once we found how great they were, we got a 2nd one for the back of the house. Tivo is the easiest thing in the world to use, though I must say that the company has done a POOR job in the advertising department - they have never been able to adequately communicate what it really is and does. Do you have an on screen program guide with your current cable system? If so, then imagine being able to go to the guide, see a program listed that you like and hit "select." That is all there is to recording with Tivo. Under select, you can even tell it to record just this once, or every day or week when the program is on. There is another button (big and you cannot miss it) that you push when you want to veiw the menu of programs you have recorded. You scroll up and down and then hit select to play what you want. There is no comparison between the concept of Tivo and a VCR. Very different animals. L

blue: I also have a Panasonic DVD Recorder, a combo unit with a VCR. You can record basically anything EXCEPT commercial videotapes, most often they are copy-protected. Likewise, you usually cannot make a copy of a commercial DVD to a VHS tape. However, you can record whatever signal comes into the unit (cable for instance) on either format. The tricky part is the format of the disks: +R, -R, etc. Difference machines take different formats, the Panasonic takes several, the different formats have somewhat different procedures. I've posted on this topic in the past, you might try a search.

Thanks, Joe! Good old Circuit City. The guy made it sound like it would be a miracle if I got any reception at all through an antenna. Here's Amazon's description of a Panasonic unit. Does it sound like it can accommodate an antenna connection? The CC guy said it would, but I'd like to be sure. Thank you! Product Description The DMR-EZ47 offers high image quality in both recording and playback, easy operation, and improved networking capabilities. It comes equipped with the HDMI terminal, which allows easy, single-cable connection to compatible equipment. The DMR-EZ47 also offers Panasonic's proprietary VIERA Link functions for linked operation of other AV devices, and these functions are now even more convenient. It is now possible to control an optional DIGA recorder, when connected to a Panasonic VIERA TV, using VIERA's remote control unit. This provides convenient control over frequently used functions by using only VIERA's remote. By pressing the VIERA Link button on the remote, a DIGA menu screen can be accessed directly from the VIERA Link menu screen, to make recording settings or play a DVD. By combining intelligent i/p Conversion and 1080p Up-Conversion technologies, DIGA's 1080p technology renders high-resolution 1080p images from DVD movies and TV broadcasts to compatible TVs. The Accutune high-precision analog/digital tuner achieves stable signal reception even under poor signal conditions, such as when signals are reflected by surrounding buildings. The Accutune Digital Tuner is a high-performance hybrid tuner capable of receiving both digital and analog broadcasts. It uses a signal processor to effectively control noise and distortion, and its proprietary matching circuits allow it to transform and separate digital broadcasts into the appropriate digital or analog signals. With the built-in Digital Tuner, this will also allow you to record one digital broadcast program while watching a second program. The Tape input signal is automatically detected and optimized using Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) to provide an easy way to even more beautiful digital recordings from VHS tapes. Super Multi-Format Recording & Playback Digital Broadcast Capable - Built-in ATSC Tuner Automatic Program Information Acquisition Long Time

I would try switching off the DVD recorder, unplugging it from the electricity for 5-10 minutes, and taking off and reconnecting all of the cables between your TV and the cable box or whatever else you have connected to it. Once you're sure the connections are tight, plug it in again and switch it on and see if it's better. If it's not, it probably does not pay to fix this unit (if, in fact, you can find someone who'll touch it). At that point, your best bet would be to buy a DVD recorder with an actual name brand on it (Samsung, Pioneer, Sony, etc.) and realize that most stuff at Wally World is the price it is for a reason.