Instead of relying on software, this $200 iRecord PMR100 moves video content — broadcast or prerecorded media — directly from the source to an iPod, PS3 or even a USB thumb drive. It's got S-Video and RCA A/V jacks, so all the transfers are in analog, along with a USB jack for thumb drives or connecting to a PC (for firmware upgrades, mainly). iRecord records in real-time using H.264 compression.

My question was: how does iRecord get by Macrovision copy protection, standard on many DVDs? The rep said there's software in the box that decodes the protection but he was rather vague (or uninformed) about it. But since it records in analog, he says it's legal. I'm pretty sure he's wrong — the MPAA is pretty strict about DVD copying, even for your own personal use and even in analog. I hope they have good lawyers.