5 comments about Toshiba D-R550 1080p Upconverting Div-X Certified DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner.

1. the toshiba d-r550 ruined 6 discs in less than 30 days by making them unrecordable. it also made clunking sounds recording and playing back recorded discs. this problem also occurred in their analog dvd recorder.



2. Good: Upconverted DVDs look good. Four fast forward/back speeds.
   Bad: A little slow to load DVDs. Menus are not intuitive.



3. I bought this DVD-R for two reasons. The first reason was to add a DVD Recorder to my entertainment system to be able to archive things that I wanted to keep longer from my DVR, and the second reason was to add DiVX playback functionality to my entertainment system.
   
   This unit does both of these things very well.
   
   I must admit that I attempted to burn an SD copy of a Blu-ray movie by utilizing the analog (composite) outputs on the Blu-ray to no avail. As soon as the Blu-ray became the active source feed the DVD recorder stopped recording. If you changed the input source to, say, the cable box the DVD recorder would automatically continue recording. My point is just that if you are hoping to copy an SD back-up of your Blu-ray discs it probably won't work due to a very high level of copy-protection.
   
   One other thing that might be considered a "con" is that the menu system is a bit convoluted. Naming a disc after you've recorded it, but before you've finalized it can be a bit tricky since you only have a remote control to do it with.
   
   Bottom line is that if I still needed to buy a DVD recorder and a DiVX player I would definitely buy this unit again. I paid $130 for mine and I probably wouldn't pay much more than that, though... certainly not above $150.
   
   It's a good product that does a good job. I'm satisfied with my purchase.



4. So far so good! Product has been easy to use and has provided quality recordings. Takes time at end of disk to write/finalize. Just need to plan accordingly when doing programming.



5. I was in the market for a DVD recorder to replace my Magnavox which was killed by lightning. My old recorder was one year old and in that year I have come to realize several things:
   1. If you look at the reviews; it seems all units, all manufacturer's have their problem.
   2. The main problem is the consumer's buying and writing the unfavorable reviews. These units are not as simple as operating a VCR. This is new technology and it requires that you read the manual or at least the quick start guide.
   3. DVD recorders are basically computers focused against a single task. As such, things happen. the computing world is not perfect. Out of 100 discs recorded, I had a problem with 1 and it could have been the media or my own error.
   4. There seems to be only a few companies manufacturing DVD recorders and they brand them differently. The file menu and choices for this unit are very similar to the Magnavox. Plus this unit will finalize my old discs for play on any DVD player.
   
   With that in mind, let's talk about the Toshiba D-R550. It performs as advertised, it records DVD's and also plays multiple formats including Divx.
   
   The menu is easy to understand and timer record is what you expect until you reach the quality setting. Should you record on the highest setting? Dunno, disc's are cheap and I encourage you to try all but the poorest setting. For me, the 6 hour option works well for cable TV recording. After all, this is not a HD recorder and if it were the only true HD to be recorded is over the air. Cable HD is not true HD. Recording HD movies is not possible so my question is why would you record a the highest setting? Oh yeah, discs are cheap and organization may be easier.
   
   Overall, I am very satisfied with this recorder especially when you consider the price.
   
   Don't forget to finalize your disc if you plan on viewing it on a normal DVD player.

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-ES15S DVD Recorder with DV Input.

1. Panasonic DMR-ES15S DVD. I bought this DVD Recorder to replace my Phillips DVD recorder which gave me enless problems.I bought this product based on the good review customers gave it. The set up was easy and the recording is excellent. This product is much, much better than the Phillips I discarded. Tyrone.



2. My first Panasonic DVD recorder was the DMR-30. I was able to record over 2000 DVDs before it died. The editing feature was also good. My second DVD recorder was this model. It unfortunately did not last half as long before breaking. It also had an editing feature. When I tried to buy another Panasonic DVD recorder I found that all of the current models had no editing mode which makes it worthless if you want to eliminate commercials from a recording. So I bought another recorder that was the same model as my old one at a greatly reduced price. I only gave it 4 stars because it does not have what it needs to record programs when that February 2009 eliminates analog broadcasts. I am hoping that it will work with my cable which is digital. I also gave it 4 stars because I don't know how long it will last. Using the features may seem daunting but once you figure out how to do it, it is really easy. This comes from a very technically challenged female.



3. I bought this hunk a junk 1yr and 13 days ago. When I first bought it I thought I would really put it to use. Turns out that I barely used it at all. I bought a PS3 about the same time and watch HD movies more than anything. I used the panasonic to burn some shows on a RAM disc about 12 to 15 times. I rarely used it to watch movies. All together It maybe burned 20 shows and movies from tv and played about 10 movies. 13 DAYS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IT STOPPED READING THE DISCS!!! Now I know electronics fail now and then, thats not my problem. My problem is that Panaonic wont budge an inch on he 13 days over the warranty. I have DVD players that are 5 yrs. old and are still going strong. This thing was mildy used and took a dump. VERY DISAPPOINTED! I DO NOT RECOMMEND!



4. After transferring 600 VCR tapes to DVDs this machine can't wait for more work. The copies it produces are fantastic, 4 and 6 hour speeds will surprise you in a very good way. The ease of use is very friendly,and it doesn't matter what format you are playing back on this unit, it embraces them all happily.I bought another ES15S so as to have in reserve and to double up on copies of years of family made VHS tapes to share. It remains cool, a bit slow to open it's dvd drawer, but I will gladly wait another 10 seconds for what this machine does for my collection and playing bought or rented new DVD movies. Using component connections to my HD tv inproves the clarity and resolution at least 40% more, so playback is in the same league as recording. I have VCRs that are 24 years old made by Panasonic, with years of proper care and cleaning, they are feeding in HiFi to the ES15s which is proving again,Pansonics are made like tanks and the technology which goes into their products like the ES15s are in the same class and innovative progression as any high end elctronic manufacturers. Buy this machine,buy 2, it is a winner. Mike Kasten, Los Lunas New Mexico.



5. Panasonic DMR-ES15 has great features. But if the unit stops working
   after just a few months of use, then what good is that ? And I bought
   this unit brand new.
   
   If you're thinking of buying a Panasonic DVD recorder, do yourself a favor and search the internet for this "U61" error on Panasonic
   DVD recorders so you can get an idea of just how many people have
   experienced this problem. It appears it's only a matter of WHEN the
   DVD recorder will fail, not IF.
   
   I researched this unit, but having owned other Panasonic products
   in the past, I foolishly focused on it's features.

5 comments about Sony RDR-VXD655 VHS DVD Recorder Combo with Built In HD Tuner.

1. I haven't used all the features yet, so I cannot remark on its recording abilities. I had quite a time with the remote. It worked somewhat on analog tv, but when my plasma tv arrived a day later,I had difficulty using the remote. I finally called Sony (they were extremely helpful) and explained the problem.(remote would not work to turn on or off player and and I couldn't use system menu among other things) They showed me how to reprogram the remote and now all is good. Thanks Sony



2. Getting all the cables connected correctly along with the correct input setting for each device was not easy. I tried to record movies from the satellite receiver 3 times before having success. Once everything was connected and set correctly, the recorder combo was easy to operate.



3. I have not tried recording from TV, but I have converted VHS tapes to DVD with excellent results. I like the ease of operation & the recording options given. Overall a good buy for me.



4. Very impressed with the quality of the product and the resulting video picture quality. However, I find there to be a major problem with not being able to download video pictures from my camera and then making more copies for others in my dubbing machine. I also think it is unfair not to be able to record movies from the TV. I needed to know this before I made the decision on a new machine.



5. I bought this unit to extend the lives of both a 17 year-old TV set and my VHS collection. I watch only broadcast TV provided by rabbit ears. Since good reception is critical in my case, I evaluated this unit's tuner against a brand new Insignia NS-DXA1 DTV converter box purchased from Best Buy.
   
   While the DVD recorder and VCR portions of this unit appear to be top-notch, I simply could not get the ATSC tuner to receive even a majority of signals that I received in analog. One key problem: digital channels can be added *only* by a 5-10 minute auto-scanning process. Once the scan is done, digital stations can only be deleted, not added. That's fine if all your TV signals come from one direction; that is not the case in my area.
   
   Even putting aside the scanning limitation, this Sony's ATSC tuner is not the best available. Using the same antenna in the same location, the Insignia box can receive a number of channels where the Sony shows only a broken picture or nothing at all. The Insignia provides a full electronic program guide; Sony provides only child-lock based on program ratings. The Insignia has a signal-strength display that is very helpful for adjusting antenna position; Sony provides no such feedback.
   
   Other Positives:
   1) Provides a plethora of DVD recording modes to control the amount of compression used.
   2) Supports watching VHS while recording DVD from tuner, and vice-versa.
   3) Can record ATSC to VHS. Some competitive units cannot do this.
   4) There is no special "timer mode", a welcome change from most VCRs.
   
   Other Negatives:
   1) No mute button, even though other TV functions can be controlled.
   2) VHS tape cannot be moved to a specific time index.
   
   I would not recommend this unit for over-the-air use for anyone who has less-than-perfect analog reception or who needs to rotate their antenna (indoor or outdoor) at all. My unit is going back for a refund. Hopefully Sony's next design will pay more attention to the needs of those of us in antenna-land.

3 comments about Toshiba DVR610 1080p Upconverting Tunerless VHS DVD Recorder.

1. We bought this DVR player/recorder because a friend had purchased the same product a few months earlier and was very satisfied with it. Likewise, we are too. Good product for the price.



2. I am really enjoying this product. It plays all my DVD's. It plays divx/xvid, and it's really no hassle to record your VHS to DVD. It's is an excellent DVD recorder for the price. I haven't tried recording live TV, but I don't have a cable box either.



3. I bought this unit to convert old family VHS tapes to DVD. Many of the old VHS tapes had been converted from family and friends 16mm and 8mm dating to the 1950s and 1960's.
   
   The original conversion process often left noise or garbled video for the first few seconds of the tape.
   I couldn't get the D-VR610 VCR to DVD dubbing to work by following the VCR to DVD dubbing (copy) procedure given in the owners manual. Most of the time the video display would just turn blue with no message or indicator of what was wrong. Sometime a blinking red dot would appear but no recording to the DVD occurred. Sometime a small red circle with a slash through it would appear for a few seconds and the disappear.
   
   The owners manual gave no indication of what this problem may be.
   I called Toshiba tech support and found that when the D-VR610 detects garbage video and noise at the beginning of a VHS tape it assumes that it is potentially a copyrighted tape and will not copy nor will it display a message that states the reason it is not copying.
   
   The Toshiba tech suggested approach was to copy the old VHS tape (beginning after the noise) to a new VHS tape and use the new VHS tape to make the DVD. This will be a major hassle with our many hours of old converted VHS tape. I'll find another way.

5 comments about Samsung DVD-VR357 Tunerless DVD Recorder and VCR Combo.

1. Have had this machine for a couple of months and had good experience with recording from our cable DVR and in copying from old VHS tapes. However, the main problem was in learning what DVD blank discs are compatible. I tried DVD-Rs, which worked but didn't suit our separate player. DVD+Rs did, so that was OK. But a package of 16X discs I bought was rejected by the recorder with an instanteously flashed message that was unreadable. Samsung support said use 8X or less. Tried 8X. Also rejected. Back to 4X and they continue to work OK. However, can only find DVD+RWs in 4X. No DVD+Rs apparently anywhere. Samsung said the 1-16Xs now available should work. Not so. Rejected also. Apparently newer speeds not provided for on this machine



2. For people who would like to record from those TV stations that normally will not allow a recording (you know the ones - HBO, Starz, Cinemax etc) this is the DVD recorder for you.
   Whether it is live or from my DVR this recorder will burn programs from those stations that other recorders will not without a problem. I had a Philips DVD Recorder for about 24 hours until I found that it would not record from Cinemax or Starz. So, I returned it and went with this one and have not looked back. So far I have made a number of recordings and it's still going strong.
   The playback works fine, espacilly using the HDMI cables to my HDTV. The XP quality of the programs it very close to the original High definition broadcast and SP is nothing to sniff at either.



3. I purchased the Samsung DVD-VR357 so that I could transfer old video tapes to DVD's. The first thing that I noticed when I received the unit is that they don't recommend using DVD+R disks. They recommend DVD-R. My old DVD players work best with DVD+R disks.
   
   I would have lived with that, however, when I connected the Samsung unit to my new Phillips 42" LCD flat screen TV via the HDMI port, it did not work. They provide a component interface which worked find, but I want my components connected via one of the 3 HDMI ports that Phillips provides. So I returned the unit and purchased a Toshiba D-VR610KU. It worked well.
   
   One key difference between the Samsung unit and the Toshiba unit is that the Samsung unit upconverts to 1080i. The Toshiba unit upconverts to 1080p. I know that normally the Phillips LCD handles both 1080i and 1080p. I use Verizon FIOS cable service and their high definition signal is 1080i. Therefore, I deduced that the Samsung was the culprit of the incompatibility.



4. Here's how you copy a VCR tape to DVD -R.
   
   1. Put the VCR tape in and get it (stopped) at your starting position.
   2. Put a blank DVD in the machine.
   3. Press the "View DVD" button (at top of remote)
   4. Select "Rec Speed" button at bottom of remote (1hr, 2hrs, 4hrs or 6hrs)
   5. IMPORTANT: Press "View VCR" button (at top of remote)
   6. Press the red "To DVD" button
   7. VCR starts to play and DVD recording begins - (Note: You will not see any record light).
   8. When you get to ending point Press STOP
   9. Wait a few seconds for processing to end (see on screen Wait message)
   10. Press the "View DVD" button (at top of remote)
   11. Press Remote's "MENU" button
   12. Select DISC MANAGER Press ENTER
   13. Select DISC FINALIZE Press ENTER
   
   That's it - you're done!
   
   S - VIDEO INPUT
   The S Video Input must be set in the settings menu if you want to use it.
   
   AUTO CHAPTER
   Contrary to other reports here, the Auto Chapter option DOES work - it creates "Chapters" every 5 minutes. However, it does not create any kind of Chapter Menu - the DVD simply responds to the Next/Previous Chapter buttons on any DVD player's remote.
   
   RECONDITIONED UNITS
   I bought one of the Reconditioned units here on Amazon for less than 85 bucks and it looked brand new.
   
   EXCELLENT QUALITY...
   DVD results look even better than the original tape - don't ask me how they do it(!)
   
   Highly recommended!



5. This product is great and the refurbed unit purchased was perfect. No cosmetic problems, worked 100%. Seller was outstanding as well. $100 delivered is an outstanding deal. Up-convert and optical sound connections to a 1080P plasma and 7.1 sound system make SD DVDs work very very well. I purchased this unit to archive old camcorder VHS and 8mm tapes. This process is flawless and simple. Insert media, push one button, finalize disk and do the next one. Use DVD-R disks for the easiest approach. Some reviewers have left negative comments regarding the title creation capabilities of this machine. They need to be reminded that this is not a full-up editing program for a Mac or PC. It has no keyboard! IF you want to do serious editing, buy an analog converter ($150), a burner and the right software for your computer. If you want to save those old camcorder tapes to DVD for your grand kids, this is your choice. It will also do dual layer DVDs as a bonus. Others have commented on the remote. Give me a break. It's the same remote that comes with Samsung's high end Plasmas. If you want a great up-convert DVD player/burner with every known interface that also plays and records VHS tapes and dubs tape to DVD (or the DVD to Tape) with a single button push, buy this unit now - before the referbed units are all gone.

2 comments about Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner.

1. I waited for the release of this new model (end of March) and it was WELL WORTH IT! Setup was easy and the ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital/analog tuner produces a clean, crisp, 3D-like picture on my analog TV from over-the-air broadcasts. We were blown away by the HD-like quality! I use an outdoor antenna and bought this mainly for the digital conversion and recording of TV shows. Recording quality is awesome, even recording in LP (4hr) mode produces DVD quality video with perhaps a hint of fuzziness on the edges of numbers/letters. I will use this mode most of the time because of the quality and 4hr record time. SP (2hr) gives superb quality all around. It's hooked up to my 36" Toshiba TV with a component video cable for best pic quality and I am using optical cable for audio to my home theater amp. It does have HDMI for those with HD TVs. Power up takes a few seconds if there is a disc in the tray as it scans/loads it. Formatting is very quick. I use DVD -RW's but it can do DVD +RW as well. When changing digital channels there is a 1-2 second delay but I can live with that. Only con is with the remote. The lettering should be done in bright-white to make it easier to read in low to moderate lighting conditions. Because of this I would give the whole package a 4.5. Highly recommended this product and think it's one of the best on the market to date.



2. I just got my Toshiba DR560 and as far as DVRs are concerned it's OK. Watching TV with it, the picture doesn't seem to be as good as my analog Panasonic 80H DVR. However, that might not be a fair comment because I don't have the Toshiba hooked directly into my TV which doesn't support HDMI. And since my TV's inputs are already taken up by my satellite receiver and my Panasonic DVR, I had to hook up my Toshiba's outputs into the Panasonic.
   
   One disappointment, however, is that my Toshiba won't pick up digital channels from my Comcast Basic Cable Service. So if you're buying this DVR in hopes of getting free HD channels from cable, it probably won't work. But I'm sure it can pick up Over-the-Air HD signals using an external antenna. I will try that next, however, I live pretty far from the stations so I don't expect to pick up more than a few channels.
   
   By the way, the comment in the review by "S. Naglic" that he is using "optical cable for audio to my home theater amp" really puzzles me. There is no optical output on the Toshiba DVR. There is a coaxial digital audio output jack to connect to amps with Dolby DTS, however. I think this is what he might mean, but it is not an "optical" connection.
   
   Anyway, this is a good DVR for the money.

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner.

1. Luckily I did not buy this from Amazon, because my wife would have no part of it and demanded I take it back to the local store. After using it for a few days I feel like I have been a pre-beta tester of buggy machine firmware. Here are a few of my issues in order of annoyance...
   
   1) Switching channels with the up/down keys ranges from slow to pathetically slow. Switching between analog channels takes about a second. Switching from an analog to HD channel takes of order five seconds. When switching from analog to HD channel, for instance from 15 to 16.1 HD, you will first see the 16.1 HD on the channel number display, then you may see 2.1 HD which is the last HD channel you were looking at. Then it goes back and finally shows you the picture for 16.1 (if you are patient and don't press any buttons while it is doing this).
   
   2) If you are impatient switching from analog 15 to 16.1 HD and happen to press the up channel button while the tuner is displaying the 2.1 HD channel number you may find yourself looking at channel 3. An impatient channel surfer like my wife may never know that there are channels above the second HD channel, and will spend almost the whole night looking at a blank screen.
   
   3) It hung and require a power off restart playing it's first DVD movie.
   
   4) If there is a DVD in the drive on power up it will start playing it, and if the menu's on that DVD do not allow button pressing you are stuck watching the anti-piracy message and the like. Pressing the eject button at this time led to an "internal error" that required the unit to restart with it's lengthy error checking mode (roughly 5 minutes of zero's across the screen).
   
   Going on seems a bit of overkill - and I did not have the chance to try out all the functions... The picture was phenominal though - this was my first try at HD TV, but as CNN recently pointed out the HD broadcast channels tend to broadcast black sidebars when they as usual broadcast 4:3 content over their widescreen HD electronics, and this box does not know that the black should not be displayed, leaving a tiny 4:3 image in a sea of black screen. The zoom is useful, but it is well hidden in a submenu and has only one setting, on or off. The single zoom ratio appears to turn 16:9 into 4:3 with the sides cropped off - the picture quality appears to suffer.
   
   When and if Panasonic provides a firmware upgrade and adds a more useful zoom feature, perhaps one that remembers it's setting for each channel as some of the $49 set-top boxes do this may become a fine product. I am not sure there are any great alternatives out there. My receiver does not have HDMI switching, so I need a box that outputs all the TV signals over the HDMI output, which is not guaranteed in today's offerings from other companies.
   
   One curious fact is that this item is no longer stocked or carried on the website of my favorite electronics chain (I think it was a few weeks back). On the Panasonic website it is listed as being available in June.



2. ...and we've owned three different brands in the last 5 years.
   
   This machine plays ANYTHING we throw at it (stuff recorded on two other DVD recorders---a year-old Liteon model, and a four-year old phillips dvdr75 which died two years ago!): dvd+r, dvd+rw, dvd-r, dvd-rw). Of course, retail DVDs look great too.
   
   It has an awesome ATSC tuner (auto-set-up worked and found all channels), and receives dozens of HD channels here in the Los Angeles area. Timer function works great---no faiulures.
   
   We've had it for about two months, and made over 65 recordings---not a single "coaster" ever.
   
   We use the HDMI output (this machine comes with its own HDMI cable--a real value).
   
   The XP (1 hour speed) looks very clean, the SP is very good, and the EP (6 hour) is a little pixelated, but not terribly.
   
   We've copied DVDs to VHS, and I've made direct VHS recordings---all look as good as one would expect VHS to look.
   
   I think We'll buy another DMR-EZ48, so that when this one wears out, we'll be assured of complete compatibility and interoperability of all my discs.



3. Had this unit for about 4 months, never had a problem with it. Slow on the startup, but records great.



4. Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner
   
   I was looking for a VHS/DVD combo unit to replace an older Sanyo combo unit.
   
   After searching around, discovered the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK. It was a toss-up between it and a Sony RDR-VXD655. The Panasonic was a little less
   expensive and more readily available in my area - Detroit.
   
   The DMR-EZ48VK seemed to have all the bells & whistles required: VHS & DVD recording, dubbing, USB port, SD card port, NTSC & ATSC tuning.
   
   I recall other reviewers noting the instructions were difficult, but wasn't dissuaded. They were right, however. It was even worse for my wife and two kids who were totally frustrated with the machine.
   
   I managed to work through all the various functionalities, but there were
   some annoying issues that came up.
   
   1. The only way to view the current time on the display was when the unit was turned off.
   2. During DVD playback, a DVD icon box kept appearing in the upper right area of the TV screen every couple of minutes.
   3. Every once in awhile the tuner would go screwy. After entering the desired channel on the remote, more of the same digits entered would appear on the display. In order to get to the actual channel I wanted, I
   had to shut the unit down and try again.
   4. Forget about channel surfing. There is too much of a lag between pushing the + channel key and the channel actually appearing. If you press the + key three times in a row for example, to go up three channels, the unit seemed to get 'confused' and stop at the 2nd channel up. This seems to me like a software/firmware issue.
   5. If a channel was selected by the numeric keys, the channel icon box
   would appear showing the channel selected, but then show another channel,
   then go back to the original channel selected. Again, seems like a software/firmware issue.
   
   When the unit was working reasonably, the sound was good and picture quality was very good.
   
   After three weeks, I gave up on the unit and returned it to Target.
   
   It seems the combo units with digital tuners are a bit too new to be buying right now. Perhaps in another 6 months, before the Feb 2009 digital station deadline, will be the time to look for other units on the market.
   
   While well intentioned, I think Panasonic jumped the gun in order to put
   something in the market, rather than putting through rigid testing and
   quality controls.



5. I purchased this mainly to transfer home movies. Unfortunately, Panasonic has decided that it knows better than you do. They have programmed the machine to divide recordings whenever a break in the video occurs. This means that your two-hour home video is going to be automatically divided into about 16 parts and there is no option to disable it. Each division causes a loss in the beginning of the next part.
   
   You will have to plug a separate VCR into the unit to be certain of uninterrupted recording. Of course, you might as well buy any DVD recorder if you are going to do that and pay much less. The DVD recording quality is good - as good as just about any other recorder.
   
   Too bad: Panasonic built a good concept, but they forgot to give the consumer the freedom to decide how to record.

5 comments about Dazzle DVD Recorder.

1. I recently purchased this item. I just got it in the mail today. The video playback quality is so bad you can't even see what you recorded. When I opened the package one of the discs were cracked too. I do not reccomend purchasing this item. Go for something a little more expensive, because if you buy this, you are just throwing your money away.



2. I got the Dazzle to convert several home movies from S-VHS to DVD. The Dazzle was very simple to connect and start capturing. The software that came with the device was not as nice. The direct-to-disk works well, but you can only capture one movie to the disk and it closes it. It would be nice if you could leave the DVD open and burn multiple movies to it. The Pinnacle Quick Start is okay, but it requires several patches to run on Vista, where it still doesn't behave well.



3. Pinnacle's Dazzle DVD Recorder product is pretty good. It captures video just fine from a DVR (the only way I've tried it). However, their software consistently messes up the output captured on HD. The audio, IF present, is out of synch with the video. Pinnacle's tech support is limited in their knowledge of this problem. The version 10.0 MUST be upgraded to version 10.8 before it will work with Vista. While the upgrade s/w is available on their website, it is very difficult to find out which s/w to download and install on your PC, and in which order. It took me 2 eight-hour days to get it right, and then recording from a DVR simply never did work right.



4. Problem with loading program. Had to get online driver to make it work. Still can't figure how to use the advanced and bonus feature CDs. Would have been better had there been written instructions. But it does work for copying VHS to DVD. Apparantly doesn't copy DVD to DVD so have to make copies off the VHS



5. The main reason I got the Dazzle DVD recorder was to copy my VHS tapes to DVD. Mostly I have instructional videos and a few old videos from a trip. So far, I guess the Dazzle is doing what it says it does, but not without causing a lot of frustration first. I had problems installing both the Instant DVD Recorder software, and Pinnacle Studio. Instant DVD froze twice, and I had to restart the computer both times. Pinnacle Studio also froze twice. The 2nd time I was trying to install it froze when it appeared to be almost finished, it said it was configuring the software. After about 10 minutes I had to ctrl alt delete and close it. But it must have finished installing cause it was on my computer and working.
   
   The first thing I tried to do with it was try using Studio to edit some mini DV home movies that I want to put on DVD. My camcorder instructions say it can be connected to the computer with a USB cable, but Pinnacle Studio couldn't detect the camcorder and says it must be connected with a firewire cable. I don't have one of those, so I went looking for the S-video cable to hook it up through the Dazzle. Tore the house apart looking for it, but couldn't find it, so I can't comment on how well it works with that. I decided to try VHS to DVD using Studio. The video it recorded was choppy and the sound was garbled. I thought maybe the VHS tape was bad, so I tried a different one. Same as the first.
   
   I couldn't figure out what the problem was with Pinnacle Studio, so I tried the Instant DVD software to do the transfer. I recorded 5 minutes of a VHS tape (I didn't want to waste my time if it was going to be garbled too), it recorded fine.
   
   So it seems after finally getting the software installed it does the bare minimum I wanted out of it, record VHS to DVD, but it seems I won't be doing any editing with the software.

No comments about Samsung DVD-VR375 Tunerless 1080p Up-Converting VHS Combo DVD Recorder.

5 comments about Toshiba DR410 1080p Upconverting Tunerless DVD Recorder.

1. This is an impressive upconverting player and a good recorder with automatic finalizing. But the consumer should be aware that the instruction manual is 100 pages, the remote is poorly laid out and illegible in dim light, and the claim about Regza compatibility may be exaggerated (important to me since I'm using it with a Regza HDTV). The player permits the user to provide the proper settings--480, 720, 1080i,1080p--which, moreover, are illuminated on the face panel. If you have an HDTV capable of 1080p, be sure to set the progressive scan rate in the recorder's menu system. At the same time, be realistic about what to expect. Like numerous other reviewers of "upconverting" DVD players, I notice very little difference in picture quality whether I'm using this Toshiba model with HDMI connection or a 4-year-old "cheap" Sylvania player with component cables (resolution seems equally sharp with both). No doubt the improvement becomes more noticeable as the size of the screen increases (though there's something to be said for counterclaims that the processing of non-HD discs occurs in your HD television set regardless of the converting/up-scaling or non-converting player providing the source signal).
   
   My Sony DVD player remote operates my Sony television set and includes a volume control. The Toshiba remote not only excludes the volume control but something as basic as the off button is a mere stump in a forest of surrounding buttons on this player's user-unfriendly remote. Toshiba TV remotes, on the other hand, are generally of high quality and include DVD player control, but make sure yours is compatible with this player. Finally, the Toshiba, like the Sony, is wired with a copyguard sensor. So far the copyright protection seems to be less sensitive and more forgiving than Sony's (unlike Sony, Toshiba doesn't produce and market its own movies and commercial audio recordings).
   
   This may be the least expensive DVD recorder available, and the workmanship, apart from the shabby labeling of the remote, strikes me as solid (just be aware that the machine is double the thickness and weight of many upconverting player-only machines).
   
   [Update: This Toshiba model gets high marks for playing difficult discs. I have a scuffed copy of "Oklahoma" that repeatedly freezes and gets rejected by a new Sony upscaler as well as a Mac Superdrive. To my surprise, it played without a hitch in this Toshiba.]



2. Gets 'er done!
   This has a lot of features that probably I will never use. But I have a whole bunch of VHS tapes that I want to copy to dvd, because they take up so much room.
   The remote control that comes with it has a lot of buttons but hey, you will use every one of them!
   I think it's a great machine.



3. In my ignorance, I did not understand the meaning of "tunerless" . I have cable TV and thought it would be fine but you must have some sort of box. It was easy to set up but took me awhile to understand why it did not work.



4. This just plugged right in and worked fine without any fuss. I am certainly satisfied and impressed so far.
   
   I'm just curious, what does the 1 star reviewer think the word "tunerless" means? Other, that is, than what it says? I do not think that reviewer's evaluation should compromise the high level of the other ratings because of that reviewer's ignorance or oblivion.



5. I used this tunerless DVD recorder to convert my small collection of VHS home movies to DVD+R discs. It took several weeks, and the recorder did the dubbing smoothly and glitch-free. If you are using composite cables from VCR to DVD recorder, try not to use the cables that come in the box. I saw a slight but noticeable improvement in picture quality when I upgraded from the superthin video cable provided with the unit to a General Electric shielded cable I purchased from Target several years ago.
   
   Well though it may record, the D-R410 is not perfect. If a large part of your viewing diet consists of material recorded with video cameras (e.g., TV programs on DVD, music videos, and concerts), playback on this unit will not yield good results in progressive-scan mode at 480p: you'll see distracting video artifacts such as uneven edges on diagonal lines. Moreover, the motor makes a ticking sound that some people might find annoying. Because of these issues, I wouldn't consider this recorder a bang for the buck.
   
   Nevertheless, if you have a collection of videotapes that you'd like to convert to shiny plastic and the tapes aren't copyright-protected, this is an inexpensive, disposable machine that will effectively do the job.