Toshiba RD-XS54 (250 GB) DVD Recorder / HDD Recorder

Pros: HDMI, good Video quality, Net Navi feature
Cons: Only 1 video stream, 5 second delay when streaming video, can be annoying.

The only reason to buy this DVD recorder is for the Net-Navi feature that all other electronics companies have overlooked. I purchased one for my school library to store educational programs on the hard drive and then play them back whenever. You ...

Pros: Super simple to record a cable show airing in the next 8 hours.
Cons: Not flexible enough.

I've used the previous two Toshiba hard drive equipped DVD Recorders, the 160GB and the 80GB, and loved those two. But this one.... I suppose it's fantastic for the basic home user who wants to record cable shows and not plan more than 8 hours ahead--certainly not more than 30 hours ahead. I'm a media specialist and I already know what shows, what channels and what times I want to record for the next two weeks, so this machine is a terrible match for me. Maybe part of the problem is my cable provider, who doesn't list program details more than about 30 hours ahead. But if there's a way to bypass the Tivo-esque features of this unit and simply tell it "Sunday, 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m, channel 103," then I haven't discovered it. Instead you have to use the TV Guide listings and find the show you want recorded. It can be really cumbersome to find it and impossible on my system if it's not within the next 30 hours or so.