The DRW 101 Compacks DVD recorder is not among the best performers, but a fair trade for the price.
If you’re set to buy a Compacks DVD recorder you can find the DRW 101 model exclusively at Woolworth. It is not currently available, but may be soon.
Until then, perhaps you’d like to learn more about it:
- This product is (or used to be) available only in UK;
- It’s cheap. A new deck will cost around ₤170 and a refurbished one merely ₤60;
- It burns only DVD+R/RW media;
- Won’t playback media recorded in the DVD-R/RW format;
- It playbacks CD-R/RW, commercial DVDs, supports MPG and JPG files;
- Needs a SCART to RCA cable to connect with your TV box;
- It doesn’t perform a “Pause Recording” function;
- Available outputs: Component, Composite and S-video;
- Available inputs: Composite and S-video;
- Available upgrades: on the Compacks’ website, firmware upgrade and multi-region;
- Connection cables are not supplied; be sure to buy Scart to Composite or Scart to S-video adapters;
- Playback in “progressive scan” mode is good.
You can choose among five recording modes: HQ, SP, LP, EP, SLP.
On this unit you cannot apply any editing functions to your recordings. The DVD+R/RW discs need to be finalized in order to playback. Finalizing a DVD+R means that no more recordings can be added on it, whether there is free space left or not. A finalized DVD+RW can be re-recorded, but all the previous content will be lost.
Clearly, this machine is not mind-blowing and performs only the most basic functions of a DVD recorder. The firmware upgrade available on Compacks’ website has been often reported by users to mess up the machine’s functions.