My first post should probably have justfied why I was looking for member experience about units with integrated conversion to record NTSC to PAL. In a nutshell, the summary descriptions by vendors and manufacturers alike of NTSC/PAL recorders are more promotion than fact.
Thanks for the tip on the Protron, but the DVR-100 recorder does not have integrated conversion: the spec at Sam's Stores says "Records a NTSC input signal to PAL DVD with the use of the CMD-1500 or CMD-850 video converter."
The descriptions are misleading at best and deceptive at worst since just about everything googled has been a crossover NTSC/PAL player which records like-like and has no conversion capability of NTSC to PAL. e.g. "The DVD made on this model will be all regions you can play it on any DVD player in the World, even on PAL DVD players." but then comes the kicker that "The unit only records in NTSC from an NTSC signal." Another gotcha is that some recorders say "Must be played back on a multi-system TV."
Even on expensive units like the $500 plus Panasonics et al the descriptions will say:
Records PAL to PAL
Records NTSC to NTSC
Records PAL to NTSC with the use of a video converter
Records NTSC to PAL with the use of a video converter
Finding a machine that has integrated NTSC/PAL recording seems like a wild goose chase.
Thank you all