So I finally found a recorder that seemed like what I was looking for, and it's working out really well so far.
It is the Panasonic DMR-EZ27K.
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Video/DVD-Recorders-Players/DVD-Recorders/model.DMR-EZ27K_11002_7000000000000005702It's got a digital tuner which is perfect for setting up a scheduler and timed recordings...essentially we like to record a few television shows that are on in prime-time when we're not home. It's been really great for that...mostly due to the DVD-RAM compatibility. I bought one DVD-RAM disc and can record up to 6 hours of content, and then can just erase and re-use it. Pretty sweet!
It also has 1080p upconversion for playback of DVD's, which makes for good playback as well.
It has a boatload of other features too, many of which I haven't really gotten into yet. It's got DIVX compatibility, as well as a SD card slot. My hope is that in the future I can dump a DIVX-encoded file onto a SD card and pop it into the Panasonic.
I've only found a couple things that I don't like about it so far.
-The tuner, while good, could provide a bit better quality picture.
-The DVD playback navigation menus are a bit funky, and just took a little getting used to.
Overall, this device has been everything I've wanted it to be...it acts just like your old VCR with recording, and does a good job with the playback.
I bought it from Circuit City a couple months ago. With some coupons, it came out to about $150. I know there are some cheaper ones out there, but the reliability w/DVD recorders in general seems really poor at this point, so I was willing to pay a bit more for what I hope will be a machine that lasts for years.