I see sometimes that people turn their noses up at copies of DVDR's made on a standalone, why is this? If I already have a copy of a DVDR will a standalone just make an exact copy?

It should. I think the only reasons why standalone copiers are kind of turned away is because they are about 2 times more expensive then a good PC DVD Burner and you cannot do data applications on a standalone. All in all standalones are an easier solution (although I think you will need to pick up some kind of Macrovision removal for backing up original discs). If it's been put to DVD-R then it has already been decrypted so it should be a straight burn.

No it wont.
For a kick off standalones can not record 5.1 or DTS etc. 2nd menus dont get coppied so you end up with an ugly generic menu with a clumsy butt ugly typed (if user can be bothered) interface. 3rd they are not anywhere near as compatible as a good PC encoded DVD (user dependant I suppose though) 4th unless you use then in 1hr mode the resolution drops off. 2hr mode if mem seves me correct drops to 352x480 then 4 hr mode is (again going from fading memory here) worse still and 6 hr mode is nigh on no better than a VCD.
It's lazy but its convenient, but it's no substitute for a good PC encoded effort

danman i think cobra1 is actually talking about a 1:1 standalone dvd writer, and not a standalone dvd recorder, like the panasonic E50's etc.....

I don't know much about the standalone dvd recorders, but I imagine if you have one of these, along with a PC DVD Writer, it could make some things very easy - vhs/tv to DVD-R. right? but still not worth the price, prolly cheaper stuff you can get for your pc, i dunno.?

Well for a standalone recorder it is exactly as danman said. For a standalone copier/duplicator the copy would of course be the same as the original.

So basically if I've got a load of DVDR's to copy and I want to free my computer I should buy a standalone and the copies will be exact?

Did you read the replies?

Seems there is confusion between 1:1 Duplicators and a stanalone. A standalone implies a set top recorder along the lines of a VCR. These suffer from all the afflictions I mentioned in my post. A duplicator is a reader and a writer as you would find in a PC that will make a copy as if for instance you selected "copy" in software such as stomp RNM albeit without all the other PC gubbins and O/S to worry about.

Horror thanks for your input but as far as I'm aware nobody "turns their noses up" at copies done on a DUPLICATOR as cobra sugested... however a Standalone IS regarded by some/most as inferior therefor I was probably right in asuming cobra meant standalone NOT duplicator. I myself use duplicators but I would not pee on a Stanalone.

A standalone like the Panasonic converts a dvd digital to analog then to digital again, they do NOT produce a perfect copy, no.....

A standalone dvd duplicator would but they are $$$$.

Plus, the OP has to link us to some product so we can figure out what he wants to talk about.

A "standalone" IS worth the money if you create a number of movies with a dv camcorder.I found converting,and editing these much easier with my Sony RDR-GX7.It is also very nice to capture PBS videos to dvd,rather than VHS.Quality is far better than with video tape.But as stated,it isn't that great for making dvd copies.A "duplicator" is what you want for that.Yes,a standalone "DUPLICATOR" will make an exact copy,and free your pc!

jeepers that answered my previous questions. How do Duplicators work? Without the PC how does it use software?