You may be able to get a DVR with your cable box, but nothing comes close to being able to record shows and burn them to a DVD. So it makes sense that years-old DVD-recorders are going for as much as $1800 on Amazon.com and eBay. Consumers aren’t able to find boxes that can both record and burn shows without a monthly fee in stores anymore, so they’re turning to the Internet in hopes of finding a box with both a DVD burner and a built-in hard disk. Says cnet:
The answer is pretty simple–if you know the gritty details of consumer electronics and a little economics. The whole phenomenon is actually easily explained by one simple fact: almost* nobody makes DVD-recorders with built-in hard drives anymore. Just a few years ago, plenty of manufacturers made DVD-recorders with built-in hard drives, but if you walk into a Best Buy or Circuit City today you probably won’t find a single unit.
Popular models include the Panasonic DMR-EH75V and Philips DVDR3575H37. If you have one collecting dust in your living room, I suggest throwing it up on Amazon and selling it. Think of the sweet 42-inch LCD TV you can buy with the profits you make. The demand is here; take advantage of it.