A Blu-ray disc recorder and a VHS video tape machine may seem unlikely bedfellows, but that hasn't stopped Panasonic from wrapping them up together in the same box for the DMR-BR630V. The 630V can write BDRs at six times speed, has digital and analogue tuners, new second-gen MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoder chips as well as all the standard HDMI and analogue connections and Panasonic's Viera link for device interconnectivity. It also records to DVD. There's even a 320GB hard drive inside, capable of recording video and later letting you dub it onto BDR or VHS. You'll have to wait until October 1st for its Japanese release, though, if you're absolutely desperate to get your collection of low-res, blurry Friends VHS tapes safely transferred onto spiffy high-res BDRs. And it'll cost you around US$1,450 for the privilege. [AVWatch]

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