DVD/VCR Combination Players

1. DVD/VCR Combo (The Player)

This is a playback-only device. It is designed to be the end of the line for your movies.

• The VCR Side: It can play VHS tapes. In most basic combos, it cannot record TV shows onto a tape because it lacks a tuner.
• The DVD Side: It can play DVDs. It has no laser capable of "burning" or writing data to a disc.
• The "Wall": There is no internal communication between the two sides. You cannot move a video from the tape to the disc or vice versa. It’s simply two players sharing a power cord.

2. DVD/VCR Recorder (The Dubber)

This is a high-end machine designed for content creation and archival. It is significantly more complex and was much more expensive when new.

• The "Burner": The DVD side is a DVD Recorder (DVD-R/RW). It uses a high-powered laser to physically etch data onto blank discs.
• Internal Dubbing: This is the killer feature. These units have an internal bridge that allows you to "Dub" or copy a VHS tape directly onto a DVD (and sometimes vice versa) at the touch of a button.
• Inputs/Outputs: These units have "Video In" ports on the front and back so you can plug in an old camcorder to record those tapes onto a DVD or VHS.