A DVD burner, on the other hand, refers to a unit that is either an external add-on or internal DVD drive for a PC or MAC (like a CDR/RW drive) that can record video, but can also read and write computer data and store it on a blank DVD disc. DVD Burners used in this manner are also sometimes referred to as DVD Writers.
On the other hand, standalone DVD recorders have no ability to read or write computer data. Also, in order to record video and audio onto a PC-DVD burner the user must input the video to the computer's hard drive using Firewire, USB, or S-Video through a video card and then copy the resultant files from the hard drive onto a blank DVD disk, whereas a standalone DVD recorder can record from video sources in real time, direct to a blank DVD.
Standalone DVD recorders cannot be used to connect to a computer for recording of data files and can only record video from analog video inputs and, on most DVD recorders, from a digital camcorder via an iLink (Firewire, IEEE1394) input. Standalone DVD recorders typically do not come with drivers that are required to interact directly with a PC. However, it may be possible that some PC video editing software may allow for the exporting of standard DVD video files made on a PC to certain standalone DVD recorders through a PC's and DVD recorder's firewire interface, but, in this rare instance, you need to consult your software and DVD recorder operating manual or tech support for specific details. If no information is available on this, with regards to a specific DVD recorder, the assumption would be that the DVD recorder in question is not capable of this type of operation.
