Convergence in ultimate form …
Not quite the first of these (Panasonic’s DMR-E150V claims that title), but Sharp has announced a videorecorder that puts VHS, DVD, and a hard disk in the same box, along with a satellite decoder. The hard disk is moderately sized, at 80GB versus the 400GB at which Sharp’s VCR-less flagship model maxes out, but it’ll still store 100 hours of programming if you compromise a little on the quality. You can record freely between the three units with no restrictions, too, unlike some VCR/DVD recorders we’ve heard of, so anything worth saving can be burned or taped for posterity. (No, this does not extend to zapping the copy protection on commercial DVDs.);It’s also possible to record two programs at once, either both to the hard drive, or one to DVD and the other to tape. Out July 1 in Japan; should be priced around Y95,000 ($875).
[Via Engadget]
