DVD Stand-Alone Recorder that also connects to PC?

[mannye]

Hi!

I have been looking for any brand DVD recorder that will also hook up directly to my PC so I can download my Avid Xpress or Premier projects right onto it.

I only have enough in my budet for one or the other, so I can't afford to get both a PC DVD-R and a SA DVD recorder/player. I have seen a firewire port on the front of many (Cyberhome, Apex, and Coby) recorders and wondered if they can be used to download my home-videos via the output on my PC.

Any info will be appreciated. ALSO...under 200 bucks would be nice too...but if it is a one-box solution...up to 250 is doable. (Is doable a word?)

[robguy]

The standalone DVD recorder wasn't really designed to hook to a computer. There really isn't any need. The firewire port you see is for dubbing from a digital video camera straight onto a dvd.

If you have a dvd burner on your PC, you can build your presentation, et al, on to a blank DVD, and it'll play in your regular dvd player. Processing your files first on the PC gives you the advantage of getting your edits precisely as you want them (an Achilles heel for standalone recorders).

So, if you want to just put your presentation, et al, on a dvd, I shouldn't think you would need a standalone recorder at all if your PC has a dvd burner and authoring programs.

If you don't have a PC dvd burner, you'll discover that buying a PC burner is a whole lot cheaper than buying a standalone recorder. (I have both).