If you're like me, and video tapes with post-it notes on are driving you mad, buy one of these RIGHT NOW !!

The Toshiba RD-XS30 DVD Recorder is an absolute godsend: set it to record with no messing around looking for space on tapes; find your recordings quickly and easily using the thumbnail views; delete them when your finished.

If you want to keep them, dump them to DVD-R - you can even edit out the irritating adverts.

Bit late with your supper but your program is starting? Set the thing recording and start watching from the beginning when you wish with chase play.

You can even record something new onto the HDD, while your watching something else on the HDD.

In short, I don't know what I did without it.

I received my Toshiba RD-XS30 DVD Recorder today and it is certainly well worth the money. I managed to aquire the machine for 478 pounds and that included virtually next day delivery. You could pay up to 600 pounds, so shop around.

Now to the machine. Mine came in Silver, but I am sure you can get a black finish one as well. It looks rather like the old Video Recorders. I like this as it makes it easy to record programs without fiddling around with the remote. Also if you lose the remote control it doesn't mean that all is lost!!!

On the back you have 2 RF Sockets for RF in and OUt. 2 Scart Sockets. Composite Video and Audio Sockets. In short everything you need to connect your TV or Sat/Cable Box to the unit.

The machine includes a 4.7 Gb type 2 DVD Ram DIsk. Not only that but even if it didn't you can at least see the quality of the recording using the buit in 60 gig hard drive. The Manual however says to use the Hard Drive sparingly, as it can easily fail. So its best to use only DVD Ram or DVD -R disks. Remember these are different to +R so you should only use -R.

I just tried a 9.4 GB disk from Ridata. The disk did not work on side B. In fact the disk said it could not be formatted and stopped at 30%. The best way to get around this is to go to setup and management settings and then do a PHYSICAL FORMAT AND NOT A LOGICAL ONE. This then makes the disk useable for Toshiba DVD Recorders. I hope it works although the 9.4G ones from Ritek are pretty cheap compared to Toshibas Own and Panasonic.

Now this unit is state of the art. It includes a full editing suite so you can merge your programs together, cut out adverts and generally make a film out of your programs. Another amazing feature is the ability to skip between CHapters, think of a book, these are the segments of your program. A chapter can be say an episode and a Title would be the full program of Episodes. In other words a Chapter would be like in a book and a Title would be the book.

You can then edit out Chapters. Add Chapter names cut and splice bits out of each chapters and generally polish up the finished product. You can then copy to Hard Drive, or if already on Hard Drive to DVD-R or Ram disk. The copying can be high speed or dub, if you are reducing the rate of the program.

The Manual explains step by step how to do this. There are no long winded pages that go on and on. The Manual explains each step with picture illustrations.

Programming the DVD Recorder is as easy as putting in the start and end time. You don't even have to know the bit rate or any complicated settings, just choose SP or LP. If you are familar with those on a Video Recorder you should have no problems with this unit. A display tells you in simple terms how many mins would be on your DVD or Hard Drive if you use such and such a setting. The higher the bit rate the less you can fit on a DVD. I have fitted over 4 hours at LP Mode and that is fine and TV Quality.

So far I have been just getting to grips with the basic features. Be warned however. Protect you programs using the menu, otherwise like me you may delete a program. My Wife is going to kill me as I have deleted her precious charmed
:-( To avoid this you can easily protect the programs from accidently erasure.

A brilliant feature is rate conversion. I just discovered this. So you can condense programs from the hard drive so they will fit on a DVD -R. For example a DVD holds only 120 mins of Video Data. Now the programs you want to transfer over could be over 240 mins. Well with LP you can save 240 mins on one DVD-R. Basically it records your high quality programs, ie SP as LP. I got a full 25 spindle of DVD -Rs for 12.99.

Another brilliant feature is the fact you can set it to test the writing to DVD-R without actually writing it. If there are any errors it will give you the option to quit. This means that your DVD-R disks will not be unusable.

I had to go through lots of reviews to find the Toshiba and I am glad that I did. It was around 100 pounds more than other makes I looked at, but the quality is superb.

Oh another plus is that if you have any fault within a year. Toshiba will come to your door and replace the unit with a new one. This of course is only if its not you fault. But never the less that is service :-)

Latest News is that DVD -Rs recorded with this unit did not play on my other DVD Player. So be warned. I think this is true of other DVD Recorders as well. The disk however is prestine quality on the Tosh. The Disks I tried were Datawrite 1-4x. These are pretty cheap and yet work well. Maybe better disks will play on more players??

Other news is that as I experiment with my DVD Recorder it gets easier and easier and I find more features. I have effortlessley transfered over all my old home movies to DVD-R. I have even sent my British Shows to my friend in America as well as home footage.

Only one gripe is the lack of a camcorder input. But you can easily do this though a scart.

Steve