I bought a DVD recorder for $100, its much more user friendly than a VCR and I no longer have a need for one.
Quality-wise, the picture can't be beat, but I have had a devil of a time finding DVD-Rs and RWs that play in all the DVD drives I have. Only Sony brand recordables do the job, and they're a heckuva lot more expensive than the shrink-wrapped no-names on a spool.