LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, I LAID OUT A LOT OF MONEY FOR ONE OF THESE WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO MARKET. IT WORKED OK FOR A WHILE, BUT THEN (AS SEEMS TO BE THE PATTERN) IT TOOK ON A QUIRKY NATURE THAT CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE UNTIL THE MACHINE BECAME NEXT TO USELESS. MYSTERIOUS "DISC ERRORS" PREVENTED THE PLAYING OF DISCS THAT I KNEW TO BE PERFECTLY GOOD AND IT LOST THE ABILITY TO ERASE DVD-RW. TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS I REPLACED THIS PIECE OF JUNK WITH A PANASONIC DMR-E80H. THE PANASONIC IS FAR MORE CAPABLE WHEN IT COMES TO RECORDING DVD, PLUS IT HAS AN80GB HARD DRIVE, ALL FOR HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS LESS. IT IS TOO SOON TO SAY HOW RELIABILITY WILL BE, BUT IT ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT BE ANY WORSE THAN THE FAR MORE EXPENSIVE PHILIPS. SAVE YOUR MONEY!