Philips DVDR985 DVD Recorder

I starting thinking about transferring my VHS tapes to Disc back in the year 2000. I started looking into the availability of consumer disc recorders starting at Radio Shack. I was told that those available would cost in the thousands of dollars. I had never used the Ebay website back then, but I received a sales catalog from AAFES(Army & Air Force Exchange Service) and saw a Philips DVDR985 advertised for almost $900. This device would record on DVD+R/+RW only and play various CD's and DVD's so I invested in one.
After receiving my new toy, everything was working fine until several months of recording on both DVD+R/+RW's. Then it just quit recording on the DVD+R's, but was ok recording to the +RW's. I sent it to the nearest service center. They had it for about 5-weeks. Then I called to check on its status. They said that they had found the problem and the unit(under warranty)would have to be replaced. So they arranged for a replacement from the factory(or warehouse).
When I received the replacement it worked fine until sometime in 2004. It too, would no longer record on DVD+R discs. I continued recording on the +RWs until sometime in 2005, when I started experiencing problems recording on different manufactured discs. After putting up with intermittent Disc Errors for some time, I decided to go on Ebay and see what they were going for. I found one fairly reasonable, but its recording ability was questionable. I found out for sure when I received it....Disc Errors, just like mine. Then around June I saw another one on Ebay that showed promise. The seller stated he had recorded on +Rs but had not tried +RWs. So I took a chance and bought it. I was very please when I connected it and recorded on both +R/+RWs. It has continued to work great so far now that we are in 2007. However, I have two bad units, one records once in awhile without disc errors, but with errors most of the time. The other, I completely gave up on. I did a lot of recording on my first two new ones. Perhaps that is the problem....extensive use. I have always treated all my TV's and other electronic equipment with tender loving care. I will end this rating blurb by saying it is a good product when it's working, but then again you can say that about most products. I am currently in the process of upgrading my TV and attached products to the latest HDMI (HD)technology. I will keep the DVDR985 as long as it works, but will also go with a DVD-R/-RW recorder. You just don't see many +R/+RW recorders anymore, though Philips continues that product line. I believe the DVD-R/-RW recording will be around for a long time and out weigh the pluses(+).