Sony RDR-VX555 DVD Recorder / VCR Combo

Pros: Not too hard for a geek to operate
Cons: Freezes or hangs during playback of about 10% of commercial DVDs I've tried

I purchased the RDR-VX555 to replace my years old Sony VCR and planned to primarily copy some VHS to DVD as well as record programs from my DVR. It does these functions OK. However, I expected that this would also replace my older DVD Player (DVP NS50P) ...

Pros: Easy to use interface for copying between DVD and Video and Video to DVD.
Cons: Not as straightforward as the interface made it seem.

I bought the Sony RDR-VX555 with the intent of archiving a lot of family VHS tapes onto DVD. At the store, the interface for doing so seemed quite elegant, straightforward and downright simple - one button. Looked safe enough to even hand it over to my ...