5 comments about Panasonic DMR-EZ27K Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder with ATSC Tuner.

1. This is a replacement for an earlier version, a DMR ES 20 that I wore out, very heavy user. A couple of new features improve it for my viewing habits, and some bugs in the earlier version seem to have been eliminated, but unfortunately so was one of my favorite features, the ability to monitor what you are recording in split screen while watching a different selection or earlier portion of the recording at the same time - a sad loss to me, I really liked that feature and regret its loss. But aside from that, overall I am very pleased with it.
   I use it mostly to timeshift tv shows and to keep and edit some for sharing with friends who do not have access to them otherwise (like when I got mentioned on a national cable news show for a contribution - HAVE to send that to family and friends).
   Right off the bat, use DVD-RAM discs. In the older model I had it came with a sample DVD-RAM which got me hooked on them, far more versatile and useful than regular dvd formats and is the media this review is based on. Don't know why they did not include a complimentary disc with this product. They can be tricky to find but can be purchased from Panasonic's website for the same or less as store price using coupon code in owner's manual.
   Picture and sound quality are fine to me but what I really like is the versatility. I especially like the 1.3X playback feature, watching recorded shows at 130% normal speed without screwing up the sound by raising its pitch. In other words, seeing a 1 hour program in about 32 minutes (including the commercial skip feature to jump over ads), that is sweet. This even works while recording the same program which is a new feature in that it lets you use the timer recording and come in during the middle of the program and start watching it and perhaps catch up to it before it is over. Lets you see more in the same amount of time and has me hooked to the point when I am watching live tv I keep wanting to ramp it up to the 1.3x speed but can't. Makes regular conversation seem a bit S L O W on some shows, especially newscasts.
   The DVD-RAM discs let you erase ANY portion of them and you regain that space/time for immediate reuse, whereas with the regular -/+ RW you can only regain space/time if you erase the latest part recorded. With DVD-RAM discs you can also place your own chapter marks where you want, and erase individual chapters, in other words, you can erase the ads from a tv show or movie which is very pleasant, and or mark where you left off if your viewing is interrupted.
   Programming the timer recording is pretty straightforward and easy and has nice titling ability for recording.
   One really minor thing I found annoying is a nag screen when using +/- R/RW discs asking if you want to finalize them before ejecting. That is kind of handy the first couple of times you use them, but once you are familiar with the device, I find it very annoying.
   Have yet to find any bugs which really surprised me. Read the reviews of other DVD-RAM recorders and hear all sorts of problems about not
   being able to read discs and locking up. Have had none of that and I am not using anything like new discs. My DVD-RAM discs are well used, I just clean them once in awhile and keep them in sleeves or jewel cases when not in use and no problems.
   Very happy with this machine.



2. It's working great, only a little bit slow when turn it on, just be patient.



3. Problems right out of the box in December, 2007. Froze up during certain aspects of operation. Had to reset and reprogram unit to get it to work. Same problems persisted. (Being that this is my first dvd recorder, and was trying to learn and understand how to operate the unit, this was all very confusing and frustrating.) Tech Support sent firmware. Ran firmware and unit worked well for 4 months, or so. Then, unit dropped all digital TV channels. Analog channels fine. Reset unit and reprogram several times over a couple of days before channel scan finally gave me digital channels back. Turned unit off, then immediately back on and digital channels gone, again. Tech Sup sent second firmware. Ran firmware to no avail. Four days later, was getting ready to unhook unit and pack up to send to repair depot. Suddenly and magically, channel scan gave me digital channels back. Been working fine for a week, now. Decided not to send unit in for repair at this time. Self Healing? Intermittent problem? I have been aware of Panasonic's electronics since early 70's--they have always enjoyed a reputation for excellence. This unit changes all of that in my mind. This unit has design and engineering flaws and it should never have been put on the market in its present condition. Although I got a marked down or discounted (great) price on the unit, and although I really enjoy some of the features of this unit, it is not worth all of the headaches--I have no hair left. I have lost considerable amounts of my time due to malfunction. I am disappointed and I recommend you choose a different brand. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because when it is working properly, I really enjoy it.



4. Unlike the Sony, LG and Samsung DVD recorders I tried, this one actually works right every single time when burning dual layer discs. Those other units could only burn about 5% of the dual layer DVD's I used, where as the Panasonic has yet to have a failure. Picture quality is good, plenty of input and output options and the fact that it works every time is a major plus. Highly recommended!



5. This item records well, but the menus take a couple of seconds to come up, and they're not well-organized when they do. The entire unit takes 15-20 seconds to power up and accept commands from the remote (say you're turning it on, then trying to view the DVD menu on a disc you've recorded), and like many DVD recorders, it will refuse to copy a manufacturer's original VHS. So if you want to turn those old VHS copies of your favorite Hollywood movies into DVDs, you don't want this recorder. Honestly, this is a stupid function, and if I would have known about it, I would have purchased a different brand that didn't infringe on my legal right to make a backup copy of a movie I already own. I haven't tried to record from HBO or anything like that, but recordings from PBS, SciFi, History Channel, and a few other cable channels have come out fine.
   
   It's not a bad recorder, but there's plenty of room for improvement.

2 comments about Sylvania DVR-90VG Progressive Scan DVD Recorder/VCR Combo.

1. I didn't purchase this through Amazon but my experience may be valuable to anyone thinking of buying it. I bought this solely to convert my family VHS tapes (created with my VideoCam) to DVD. It did a good job for the first ten tapes. Then every single tape after that gave me an error that said I was trying to copy commercially protected tapes. I couldn't convert anymore family tapes. I called the Sylvania help desk but they were helpless. I returned the unit and ordered another one, hoping I had a defective unit. I got the new unit and the convert failed on the first tape. Not only that, any tape I tried to play was unviewable, the tapes flickered constantly. The same tapes played fine on my other VCR player.
   
   This unit apparently has some kind of bug in its design and also a problem in its tape playback. Do not purchase it if you are looking to convert your VHS tapes to DVD.



2. I didn't buy mine through Amazon, but I want to take every opportunity to warn people away from the rip-off that is this piece of junk. Like the other reviewer, we began converting VHS tapes to DVDs. We at least got further along than the he/she did, but it eventually stopped recognizing blank DVDs. Well, we thought, at least we still have the DVD player functionality. Wrong. The machine now refuses to play any commercial DVD with copy protection (read: 99% of them).
   
   If you're driving along the I-5 near San Diego sometime soon and you see one of these fly out of a car window, honk and say "hello."

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-ES20S DVD Recorder Silver.

1. I bought this unit late in 2005. I really put it to heavy use, converting my VHS library, and burning a lot of other stuff to DVD. Before it finally broke down, it began to make audible noises whenever it was powered up, it also began to freeze up often, and had to be rebooted. A couple of days ago, it threw an error, after failing to read a previously burned DVD. It froze up, and had to be rebooted. After restarting, I now get a fuzzy split screen image, instead of my normal satellite TV images. It appears the units primary video outputs have been fried. This unit has some good features like ease of use, and "flexible recording". This allows you to automatically record programs over 2hrs., at the best mode, on a single DVD. If you're looking for a heavy use DVD recording unit, this is not the one!



2. Worked great for the first few months. Then random freezes started popping up. Now it freezes every 5 minutes while recording to DVD-RAM or DVD-RW. I now save every 2 to 3 minutes while transferring video from my camcorder.
   
   Picture quality, even on the component outputs, was poor from day 1. So I record on this, then play on my Toshiba SD9200.
   
   Panasonic has some great products, this is definitely not one of them. In fact, today I visited their website to check for firmware updates for this model, and saw that the webpage is a mess too. I select the DMR-ES20.EXE file for download, and after accepting the Lic agreement, am provided the DMR-E100.EXE for download !!!! That is scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as support goes Panasonic..wake up !!



3. I have had this for over year now. I just love it. I wouldn't know what to do with out it now. I have recorded so many tv shows & movies with it. I have recorded every one of my favorite TV shows, so when I go to the lake where my travel trailer is set up I can catch up on my shows at night or when its raining. It is easy to use & set up. You do have to buy the right kind of dvds (DVD-R) so you can finalze & use on the other dvds.



4. It is my opinion one star is really about two too many but they made me do it. I have two of these Panasonic crazy makers. An ES-20 and an ES-10. I've fought with both of them and missed numerous recordings over the last two and three years respectively. The absolute worst part is when they pretend to be recording and then crash at the end of the program. I bought the ES-20 when the ES-10 died and was sent it off for repair. I guess that equates to shooting myself in both feet. They have both been nothing but trouble. They are extremely tempermental. In fact, the ES-10 just quit recognizing the DVDRAM, grunts, groans displays self check, and refuses to open. Bottom line, I think this week I'm either going Tivo or Cable DVR. Maybe I can use these "dvd recorders" as wheel chocks.



5. We had this product long enough for the warranty to expire, which is about the same time it stopped working, except for the clock. We missed a lot of shows because this thing would randomly malfunction, sometimes working great, sometimes freezing up completely so that the only way to reset it was to unplug and start over. I've had good experience with Panasonic in the past, so this was an unpleasant surprise. Luckily, our credit card covered the purchase so now we can buy another product, from another company of course.
   
   This market is way too competitive for low quality mess like this. Don't waste your money.

5 comments about SONY® - DVD RECORDER/VCR - RDR-VX525 ( Home Electronics - DVD Players ).

1. I have mixed feelings after having purchased this DVD Combo this summer. Some DVDs play flawlessly, but others skip so badly they aren't viewable. Also, sometimes it's impossible to shut off subtitles. Even when going through the DVD menu, the subtitles will still play. You must click options on the player remote and shut it off that way. Several cases...the movie Spygame with Redford and Pitt. Skips and jumps through the hole flick, subtitles cannot be shut off at all. You can actually hear the DVD player head or something internal buzzing trying to do error correction. Transformers..first viewing was flawless. Now it skips towards the end of the movie. Last night wathced Talladega Nights, first 3/4 movie was fine. Got to last 30 minutes or so and and it started skipping. May wind up sending it in for repair. Spygame played flawlessly on my previous DVD only Panasonic.



2. My first test run of this item was copying an old VHS movie (out-of-print and unavailable on DVD) to DVD. I went through the process twice. Both times everything seemed to go well as far as there being no error messages displayed during the process, and everything going according to instructions. But both DVDs were blank or unreadable afterward (I tried on several DVD players, and on computers). It's going back.



3. Ok so it doesn't copy old vhs movies because of copyright issues. I was expecting that. but after 6 tries, I finally got an old vhs of some tv shows to record onto DVD-R disks. The manual is overwhelming and does a rotten job of walking you through a sample recording. So I finally figured out that I needed to Finalize the DVD, but guess what? the DVD was only usable (fully) on the sony unit. It would play on my laptop, but no chapters, I had 360 as one big chapter, plus the time index was only up to the 24 minutes. so chapter 18, at the 24 minute mark, was for minutes 24-360. Apparently the timer thing is busted on the sony recorder as well. because I had same 24 minute marker as the last chapter on it as well.
   
   The dvd wouldn't even play at all on a regular, DVD player hooked up to my TV.
   
   I want my weekend of frustration back.



4. I received this as a gift, it WILL NOT RECORD ANYTHING from my satellite receiver, says "copy protected" I planned on using this to record programs I could not watch becaude I was working. A dvd PLAYER would do all this product can do for a LOT less $$$.



5. I have just gotten this dvd player to replace an other of mine. Guess what???? I am taking it back. It will not play other DVD's that I have recorded on my other recorder, and oh yes they have been finalized and they will play with no problem on other dvd players. On the Sony, they will not play. One may play for a moment and then the picture will hang up and sound will stop a few seconds later. Just can't get any of the DVD's recorded to play.

5 comments about Sony VRDMC3 DVDirect DVD Recorder.

1. Since i can't give it less than a single star...if this was a letter grade i'd give it an F minus!!!
   
   Right now i'm in my SEVENTH hour trying to record my cousin's wedding video for his widow, one of the only moving image recordings she has of him...so you can understand why she's reluctant to give it out to one of the photo stores in the neighbourhood.
   
   RIGHT NOW the PAUSE light is on although the RECORDING time meter is still running, and when i tried to view it on my computer on previous recordings i got no picture, although when i went to Roxio there was 4.4 gigs on the disc!
   
   Of course, when you go to the Sony site it's IMPOSSIBLE to get any tech support, and i can't blame it all on the Vista since it doesn't play on the regular DVD player...so it looks like Sony is no longer the premier name in electronics:(



2. I own this Sony VRD-MC3 for about a year now, and it performs better than my expectation. At first I used it mainly as an independent DVD recorder without connect it to a PC. After the internal (in my PC) DVD burner started to trash many new recordable DVDs, I connected the Sony VRD-MC3 to the PC and windows XP detected it without any problem. It has not failed me so far including all DVDs that the internal DVD burner failed before. Now if I want to use it with a PC, I just go to the menu and set it to PC mode; and if not I just set it to no PC. This device is more than an external DVD burner, it can be use even without connect to a PC which many reviews already mention.
   
   The Nero 7 come with it was a bonus for me. I wanted to buy a software package similar to Nero, and found that it is already included with this burner. The software at the time cost about $xx which is already included for free. Before install Nero, I first created a restore point in XP (I do this before any installation that I am not sure of...). After installed the included copy of Nero 7 the system seemed to work fine, I did not notice any problem. I have the option of upgrade Nero 7 to a newer version for free. I took the option and upgraded. For some reason, XP become very un-responsive after the upgrade. Without spending time to find out why, I un-installed Nero and restore XP back to the pre-installation restore point. I then re-install the included copy of Nero 7 and do a few tests. This copy of Nero 7 has been working fine for me since. I have been using it for about a year now.
   
   I think the Sony VRD-MC3 and the included Nero 7 price is very reasonable.



3. Easy to use. got good shipping. have already converted 1/2 our old vhs tapes to dvd and will then edit for content.



4. Product does a great shop recording from my vcr tapes. So glad I purchased it.



5. This unit did not work for me. I mean it did nothing at all. Would NOT recomend to others. I am sending it back. Did NOT work as advertised.Very disapointed. thanks SONY.

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-EZ17K DVD Recorder with ATSC Tuner Black.

1. I have been a loyal Panasonic user for decades. I bought this product in the expectation I could replace my DVD player, HD tuner and VCR. I am sadly disappointed. The unit is frustratingly bad in user functionality. Setting functions, changing channels, even powering on or off are painfully glacial. You have to wait a long time for it to power up and read the disc before you operate the unit. If you switch channels too fast it gets confused as to what channel it is on; the unit display will show one channel yet the TV displays another. The HD tuner is only 480p. The unit has unexpectedly hung to where you have to unplug the unit to reset it. If I could return this unit I would, but the Amazon affiliate supplier will not take it back. This is an extremely poor engineered product from Panasonic. It should be avoided.
   
   UPDATE
   
   This unit continued to have problems. I shipped it back to Panasonic for service. They replaced the digital board and fully tested it. Two weeks after getting it back it started to exhibit other problems including dropping the received signal and stopping in the middle of recording. Again, this is a poorly designed unit and should be avoided.
   
   UPDATE II
   
   Problems continued. I sent the unit back to Panasonic a second time. Within hours of receiving the unit it back it started to exhibit other problems. The product design is flawed.



2. I love the Panasonic DMR-EZ17K DVD recorder. I was able to set it up without any problem (I am technically challenged) and record my home movies from my Hi 8 cassette tapes to the DVDs. I was able to do 11 years worth, onto approximately 32 DVDs, within two weeks, working on them at night and on weekends. It was everything I hoped it would be!



3. I just had to write a review to counter some of the bad reviews out there. This item is not without its' quirks, as many people have noted, but it's great at what it does. And what it does is make great recordings. When I got fed up with DirecTV and dropped the service, I bought two of these recorders to record programs off air. They are a little slow changing channels, and they did give me a few problems when I first got them, but after an initial breaking in period, they've worked great! I record almost exclusively on DVD Ram and I've found it to be a very versatile medium, with superior editing functions. It's true, it's tuner will only output 480p signals, but I mainly want it to catch programs I can't watch and to archive some shows I'd like to keep. BTW, you can record on DVD Ram thousands of times! Probably the only drawback I have on my units is the clock. For some reason it takes forever to set (about 20 min). All in all, I think most people buying this recorder will be very pleased, but be forewarned, it might have to be reset once in a while and it can be slow. It just depends on what you use it for. It's LP/4 hour mode is really good. I'd hardily recommend the DMR-EZ17K to anyone.



4. I have had this for awhile. When it works, it works well, but they way they have the circuitry set up, it checks the disc before ejecting, which can make the player lockup and you can't get the disc out.
   I ended up throwing mine away and buying a different brand.
   Be forwarned, not a reliable product.



5. This is my second Panasonic DVD recorder and I have not been disappointed (my first Panasonic DVD recorder is several years old and still works well). I'm sure there are things that could have been better, or additions that would help it become a top of the line recorder, but if that's what you want, then buy a top of the line recorder. This is a very good recorder that does everything most of us need it to do. I have not used some of the options, such as being able to watch a show from the beginning while you are still recording it, but from reading other reviews, it seems to be a nice option. So if you are looking for an inexpensive recorder that works well and is fairly customer-friendly, the buy this one.

5 comments about Lite-On LVW-5115GHC+ DVD Recorder with TV Tuner.

1. i bought this dvd recorder on 121705, and now, it will not write any dvd's i buy.... don't buy it....... it is a waste of money!!!!



2. I have wanted a DVD recorder for a long while now. I bought one about 1-1/2 year ago and was VERY disappointed with it. What I wanted was a recorder that was almost as simple to operate as a VCR. I thought I would give it another try with the Lite-On LVW-5115GHC. I am glad I did!
   
   This DVD recorder has features galore, but is VERY simple to use. So far it has worked FLAWLESSLY. I use a variety of DVD's and DVD-RW's. All have been the + (plus) DVD's (ie DVD+R, DVD+RW) and have had no problems.
   
   All recording modes, except the 6-hour SLP mode, are VERY good. Use the 6-hour mode if you must, but the quality is low, as expected.
   
   The only drawback I see is that there is no RF modulator in the DVD unit. Yes, there is a TV tuner and "pass-through" 75-ohm cable connection, but to see DVD's you must use the composite (RCA connectores, Red, White, Yellow) cable. This means if you don't have composite inputs on your TV, you will have to have an RF modulator. Not a big problem and is easily dismissed when looking at the big picture!
   
   The "big picture" is an inexpensive DVD recorder that works great. Another feature I really LOVE is that this player will play DivX format video. I can just take a disk from the computer and drop it in the player and it looks great!
   
   I am courious on how this unit lasts. I am sure thrilled with it now. I hope it lasts a while. Time will tell.
   
   Randy
   
   UPDATE: I originally bought this in November of 2006. It is now late March 2007 and it is still working great.



3. This is the first negative view I have written. Normally I am very positive and give companies the benefit of the doubt. However, I have very little positive to say about dealing with Lite-on. The original and replacement products were both unreliable. The pleasant voice at customer service said what I wanted to hear, but no action resulted. When they finally sent me a replacement machine it didn't work correctly either. On that replacement box I noticed a sticker that said "Non-saleable. Product defective." It went on to state how it had been returned because it wasn't working. I would NEVER buy one of their products again.



4. I owned 2 Similar Products from GoVideo and they would not respond to any Commands. After a few momths the Drawers would not open. Last year I decided to buy thus product. What a mistake. It would come on all by itself every few hours and eventually also froze the drawer. I saw a low price deal and decied to buy another and contact LiteOn for Support on the first one. The 2nd one turned out to be another piece of trash, also turning on a dozen times a day. LiteOn has not responded to any emails or Phone calls for assistance.
   
   I notized that the LiteOn and GoVideo are Identical in most respects. They have the same exact Face Plates and for all practical purposes are the same. GoVideo also never responded to any requests for assistance.
   
   I since bought a Sony Model and so far no problems with it. My Recomendation. Avoid it like the plague.



5. I have owned this DVD recorder for over a year now and I can say that I am quite pleased with it. It is a great value for the money and records my shows flawlessly on DVD. The user interface is decent and the DivX playback is a definitive plus - also the fact that the region code can easily be disabled, enabling me to play my European DVDs was very positive. I've noticed that quite a few people on here have trouble with their unit - UPGRADE YOUR FIRMWARE (call tech support if you don't know how), it solved every problem I had initially with the unit. For the price the unit is great!

5 comments about Sony RDR-GX355 Tunerless DVD Recorder.

1. I bought this right after Thanksgiving and it lasted all the way til 5 days past the return period! Now giving error "no disc" messages. Wasted an hour with customer service (1/2 hr on hold), then was told I can mail it to Texas (at my expense) for them to replace or repair. I've had it five weeks and then am to lose it for proabably two? Hello? On top of everything, it stopped recording on the night I was performing on a national broadcast--adding insult to injury. Am hoping Best Buy will take it back under their extended Christmas return policy. They're usually pretty good--at least SOMEBODY stands behind their products!



2. Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT DVD "player" and I bought it to replace a DVD player so I am kind of happy (expected more). BUT it is virtually useless as a recorder for what most of us want a recorder for and that is what we used a VHS for. We are not pirates, we want to keep a show for later viewing, "at our leisure". Technology is supposed to make our lives better, not handcuff us. This unit has such an aggressive copy guard don't expect to be able to record many, if any, shows from premium cable channels to watch at a future time. I have multiple series 3 Tivo HDs that I use for doing that, but if I wanted to archive a show and record it to this unit, I CAN'T, shame on you Sony! I was a BIG Sony fan, every TV, VCR and DVD player I own is Sony. Well that time is gone and since this purchase and because of this issue my technology dollars are going elsewhere!



3. NEVER,and I mean never, order a refurbished DVD recorder from Sony. Just got mine last week. 2 very big problem. First, when I opened the manual I discovered it was a copy of a copy of a copy. The quick start guide was unreabable. The large booklet was a little better. It took only 2 of us to read it. The worst thing was the remote control. It was the wrong one. The only thing it would do was turn it off and on, and open the tray. I could not get any signal whatever to the tv. Trying to read the manual I discovered I needed to set the input line source. But, you guessed it, that needed to be done with the remote. After 2 days I called Sony customer service. The first lady I talked to said the book was not available, and she didn't think the remote was availabe. She sent me to another person, who got mad and hung up on me. I called again and another person said she needed to take the info and send me another remote and book, but I couldn't get for another 10 days. I told he to forget it and I wanted to send the unit back. She sent me to another person in some other country who said I had to pay to send it back. ( I think, hard to understand). I told her no, you messed up the order, you pay the shipping. Got sent to anothet person who said I needed to get a E-number, and said to call the nex day because they were busy. Called the next day and requested an E-number. He said he coudn't do that. He needed to hear the entire story again. Half way thru the story, he got mad and hung up. Called again and got a person who spoke english. He took the info and gave me an E-number. Got sent to another person who wanted to know the reason why I wanted to send it back. Then and only then did I get an ok to send it back.
   This may be a fine DVD Recorder, but I never found out. Sony is the very worst company to buy anything from. Do not expect any customer support. None of the people I talked to could care less.



4. picture freezes Sony knows it and has no time to help folks who bought the junk



5. Unfortunatly this is a giant step backwards for Sony. I could care less about copy protection, I just want a recorder that will actually record to then create a dual layer DVD that can then be finalized and played. Every disc I used was rendered unreadable once the recording was finished. I will look to the competition for something actually useable.

No comments about JVC DRMV79B Tunerless 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder VCR Combo.

5 comments about Sony RDR-GXD455 Single Deck DVD Recorder with Built In HD Tuner.

1. Hey the title tells the story dose it not? When you you first look at the deck it seems to be designed well. But of course to well, it will not record your old VHS theatrical movies because Sony has the protection written into it. Also it runs about as slow as a computer from the early 90's. I did get it to record old television recordings I have. Qaulity was decent but the unit failed to operate within three days of starting to begin my transfer process and now I'm returning it.



2. Excellent recorder.I found easiest to set up and use compared
   to other recorders. It's no wonder Sony is the
   Rolls Royce of Home Electronics. I also own a Sony Bravia LCD TV



3. At first I was hesitant to purchase this DVD recorder because of all the bad reviews on AMAZON. In the end I decided to trust the name brand instead of the reviewers and I'm glad I did! This is a superior product. I haven't had any problems so far and I find this unit easy to use in spite of the time it takes to set it up.
   
   I have used this unit to record both analog and digital TV as well as old home videos and gotten great results. The digital tuner performs better than the one in my HP LCD HDTV. I have not encountered any copyright protection problems or experienced any of the other issues that previous reviewers have complained about.
   
   This unit was purchased to replace my SONY RDR-GX315 which cost about $350. For just over $200, the RDR-GXD455 is an excellent choice. The ability to record HD broadcasts coupled with SONY reliabilty cannot be beat!



4. I intended to replace my VCR's with DVD recorders to be able to record HD programs. So I ran some experiments with the intent of finding what DVD speed matched the VCR at low and high speeds. But this Sony recorder was so bad that I never got that far. First I tuned both units and also the television to the same analog channel (from antenna). Before I even got as far as recording, I compared the images from (1) the TV tuner, (2) the Sony DVD recorder, and (3) the JVC VCR. The VCR was very close to the TV direct, but the image from the DVD recorder was definitely not as crisp as either of the others. With such a poor source it was difficult to evaluate the recorded images. Thinking the problem was with the DVD's inferior tuner, I then repeated the test using a recording from a digital camcorder. This time the deficiency with the Sony DVD recorder was even worse. The whole purpose of changing from tape to DVD is quality, and with this unit it's definitely not there.



5. Was hoping this to be the best of DVD recorders but forget it because remote buttons are so small some require a pen to hit them & the unit doesn't respond especially during title list and sent unit back from frustration so maybe you won't have this trouble but Sony usually produce higher quality or maybe somebody else made this one & they put there name on it - I bought from Crutchfield and great customer service to return unit!!