1 comments about Samsung DVD-V9800 DVD/VCR Combo.

1. A friend recommended the Samsung, as he has had very good luck with them, so I started looking at reviews over the past month on both DVD/VCR Players and Recorders. I had wanted to convert all my VHS Tapes to DVD, and had initially wanted a DVD Recorder, but since you cannot copy Copyrighted Material, I decided to go for the Player Combo.
   
   Pros: The HDMI Interface is a must with my new Bravia T.V., and the Up-Conversion works great at 1080P. I also have a Sony Blu-Ray, but did not want to wear it out from watching just good old DVD's, besides it's a bit finicky at times and takes a long time to boot and load.
   
   Cons: The VCR only works with the Video Out (Composite), so you still have to run those old Red/White and Yellow wires to support the VCR. I had hoped I could use a single output, but the only commonality across the DVD and the VHS would be the Composite Output and I would have then lost the HDMI Capability and the Up-Conversion.
   
   Over-all, it allows me to have a single unit, and still watch my VHS Tapes, and also supports higher clarity with regular DVD's, providing better quality than my Older Progressive Scan DVD on my older Sony 57 Inch, as it only supports the lower 480p.

3 comments about Audiovox FPE1505DV 15" LCD TV with Built-in Progressive Scan DVD Player.

1. Thought I got a great deal on this unit for under $300 brand new at a local electronics-chain store. Setup the unit, everything seemed fine after a DVD test drive. I got the cable run and the TV quality was poor, but it was expected for this no frills system. Connected a set of headphones into the headphone jack and that was the end of it. No sound at all (either headphone or built-in speakers). The remote is also terrible...no range and you must be directly in front of the unit for it to respond. Audiovox support is of no help.



2. After 6 months of using this product I still enjoy the look of it and the quality of image, as well as the possibility of watching dvd, vcd, cable and antenna tv, and even listening to cds on it. It's true that the sound quality and volume are not great, but for a bedroom or kitchen tv the product does just fine. The remote isn't bad at all, lots of functions, settings angles, zoom, etc, all is there, in a card like format, light and it even comes with colors to help identify functions. I have played many dvd formats, including computer burnt stuff, most of them work here, which is a plus for this unit. Overall I'm happy with the product.



3. Great price but the changing channels on the remote control seems slow. Also the remote control strength seems to be very weak even after I changed the batteries. Also the uasability of changing channels is not great. I am using this in the kitchen and it does the job it is also nice to have the built in DVD player so I get to have a DVD player in my kitchen with out taking up more counter space. Also sometime the TV does not work and needs to be "rebooted" unplugged from the outlet.
   
   Bottom line is it is a good choice if you don't mind the inconviences and don't want to spend alot of money otherwise I would not recommend it.

5 comments about Sylvania DV220SL8 DVD / VCR Combo.

1. I bought this unit, and it is only for playing DVDs and VCR tapes. Sure, it WILL record...but not in any useful manner.
   
   There is no internal tuner. What this means is that you have to provide a line in from your tv or another source like a cable box. It does not, as most VCRs do, take a coaxial cable.
   
   To record, you have to set the tv to the channel you want. You can't change the channel on the tv, or the vcr will record the new channel instead.
   
   Also, there's no timer in the VCR. So you literally have to be standing there ready to hit RECORD when the show starts.
   
   The whole reason I have a VCR so I don't HAVE to be there when the show is on.
   
   I immediately boxed it back up, and it's going back. I'm giving it two stars only because I assume the DVD player works fine. I never even turned it on, so I don't know.



2. Oh My WORD!!! This unit is GARBAGE!! DOA!!!
   
   We just received this unit yesterday from Sears and
   It ate two video tapes. It shut off when we turned it on. It repeatedly ejected the tapes and made some weird noise{{UGGGH}}
   
   Now I have to pay to have it shipped back to Sears because there isn't a store in my area and customer service told me it would take WEEKS before they can have UPS come and pick the unit up!!
   
   At least if I would've purchased it from Amazon, it could've been easily returned at no cost to me.
   
   Like Judge Marilyn Milian loves to say 'The cheap comes out expensive'
   
   Don't be a sucker like me. AGAIN, DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!



3. We mostly liked this product for the first 3 1/2 months -- which cooresponds to the length of time it worked for us. I see others have experienced Sylvania Sudden Death Syndrome even sooner than we did. For the sake of the environment, avoid this product. It will just take up landfill space.
   
   Now to see if we can get my son's brand new DVD (Christmas gift from Grandma) out of the piece of junk before we have its body committed.



4. This player works well. I have two issues with it. 1.) the width is wider than 19" called out in the specs, not much wider, just enough to make it not fit in my entertainment center 19" opening. 2.) the remote is complicated, and not conventional. All works well, but you don't get what you don't pay for. I wanted an inexpensive unit as not to wear out the Sony DVD Recorder, and play VHS tapes. That is what I got, and I am happy with it.



5. Unhappy can't begin to describe my feelings towards this product. First, the dvd player died. It made a puttering noise after I took out a dvd I had just watched and that was the end. A few days later, the entire machine died. I couldn't turn it on and it ate a tape. Never will I buy Sylvania again.

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-EZ47V Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner.

1. Bought this product after returning a Toshiba unit. The VHS section of the Toshiba broke after 5 tapes were copied. I have been using the Panasonic since early April 2008. Have copied many movies from the satelite system with no problem. Transferred many VHS tapes to DVD and again no problem. The only thing that I don't like is you must use DVD-RAM to copy still pictures from a SD card to DVD. I would suggest this unit to anyone that wants a VHS DVD unit in one box and plans to transfer VHS tapes to DVD.



2. Overall, after 4 months of ownership, I regret buying the Panasonic DMR-EZ475V. While the quality of the recordings is VERY good, the machine is frustrating to operate. The response time is very SLOW when you press any of the commands. My biggest frustration is getting it to record at all. The instruction manual is laid out in a step by step format, but some of the steps are missing! Simple explanations are missing too. This leads to wasted time and effort due to the trial and error it takes to get the machine to function properly.
   I know Panasonic laid off many of their copywriters-BIG MISTAKE! I chose the Panasonic DMR-EZ475V for it's newer features. This player supports a wide variety of discs; has the ability to record to DVD +/- R Dual Layer DVD-RAM and DVD pictures can display at 480i/p, 720p, 1080i/p. Once you get used to it, it is a good recorder with some nice features. Panasonic needs to pay more attention to writing the manual though.



3. It's easy to connect to a hdmi plasma television ,it records hdtv over the air channels. The price for this reconditioned unit was a steal.



4. If you are looking for a good gift this will work. This player is awsome. It takes about a day to figure out but when you do its worth it. Keeps him occupied and happy which makes me happy. Thanks Panasonic for makeing such a quality product.



5. Not sure whether this is the same model or not, but this is the product it brought me to when I linked from my invoice.
   
   I purchased the "Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner" in October 2007. At that time, it was about $250 and Amazon was the retailer. I didn't start using it for tape transfer until some time in March 2008.
   
   I did not buy it for the HD tuner, so I can't speak to that. However, it has worked really well so far in transferring VHS tapes to DVD and also directly recording to DVD from cable. I use the rewritable DVDs for "time shifting" TV programs. I use the +R DVDs for permanent collections. Finalization process works well and the DVDs recorded on the Panasonic have worked on Toshiba and SONY DVD players.
   
   The only problem I've had is that sometimes it doesn't properly divide between programs/episodes when transferring from VHS. A few times it taped entirely through a 6-hour tape without dividing it into the 6 hour-long episodes. Other times, it failed on the divide and I had to restart it when I discovered it. For much of what I've done so far, I have actually monitored it and watched the programs as they were transfering. It was fun seeing the programs again and it allowed me to monitor the start and finish of each episode to ensure a smooth transition during the divide. I did a manual finalization at the end (instead of auto finalization), so I could edit the episode and disk names.
   
   I just hope it lasts long enough for me to transfer my very large VHS collection to DVD. Cross my fingers and hope I haven't jinxed it.

5 comments about Samsung DVD-V9700 Tunerless 1080i Upconverting DVD VHS Combo Player.

1. I purchased this unit to go along with a Samsung 46 inch 1080 LCD, for several reasons. 1 was to get the best performace Samsung recommened it for upconverting dvds, but the most important reason was that they claimed that the remote was completely compatable for the tv and dvd/vcr, totally not true the dvd player remote works with nothing on the tv except for volume, and the tv remote barely works with the most basic dvd functions. Keep in mind that both units were purchased at the same time and were created by Samsung. The worst part is that the dvd player skips and the movie freezes approxmately every 15 to 30 seconds on alot of movies, yet these movies work fine on all other dvd players.



2. Maybe I happened to get a "lemon", folks, but my unit was JUNK! Brand-new unit --- right outta the box as it was shipped to me from Sears --- yet it damaged (scratched and creased) the one tape I loaded into it, it balked (ground and squealed, scratched and creased the tape) wherever there was a slightly worn/damaged section of tape, whereas other VCRs sailed right on through those spots, no problem. And it didn't automatically reverse at the end of the tape, either --- it just sat there and ground and ground till it finally shut off, and then it wouldn't do a thing (rewind, fast-forward, play, etc.) till I actually ejected the cassette (and I saw that the end of the tape had been scratched and creased by the machine while it was sitting there grinding instead of automatically reversing and rewinding as it was supposed to) and then re-inserted it. I was actually afraid to try any more tapes in it for fear it would damage them, too! I took the unit back to Sears the next day.



3. This is the first of this type device that didn't last but just over a year. Very poor return on investment. The DVD would usually kick it out with message "cannot play disc, please remove." So I bought this to give the Playstation 2 a rest from playing DVDs but at least that always played them. I would not recommend this to anyone if you want one that lasts and plays DVDs for you. It now has completely stopped working, I think I bought this in January of 2007. Wow bummer.



4. I don't understand the issues you're all having with this combo unit. It works perfectly for me. Records DVDs from VHS, from Cable and from TiVo HD. Plays DVDs, CDs, Mp3s and VHS. With an HDTV, a TiVo-HD and a Surround-Sound Receiver hook-up was FAR from simple. But when I untied myself, everything works great. A quick note to the reviewer who could not record: make sure you "finish" the DVD if you want to watch it on any other player. I guess if I had to complain, it's just that the on-screen interface is just plain ugly and non-intuitive; especially when playing a music CD.



5. I have a Samsung 1080 HDTV. I bought this player because I thought I could use the same remote and an HDMI cable to merge the movie-watching experience. Unfortunately, the DVD player does not support HDMI in DD 5.1. This means that in order to get sound with HDMI video and DD, you have to have an optical output to a DD receiver/speaker system. Even at that point, the HDMI sound will only play from the DVD player to DD speakers. Also, the DVD/VCR conversion is not the best on the TV because the VCR can't play on the HDMI channel and has to have the feed through the AVI cables on a different source channel. This means that you have to use the TV remote, switch the source and audio, then go to the DVD/VCR remote, switch to VCR on that remote and use it to play. Forget consolidating remotes. Better yet, if you've got a Samsung TV, the two remotes look the same with similar buttons that have very different functions. Overall, the HDMI video signal is good. It has some trouble playing movies with poor quality and movies with light scratching (such as Blockbuster/Netflix rentals), but I guess that is the trade-off for a better signal from an upconvert.

5 comments about Philips DVP3340V DVD VCR Combo.

1. The unit seems to work fine but the seller sent it out with the operator's manual highlighted from a previous owner, no batteries for the remote and missing a cord.



2. The system is excellent! Discount Jungle is absolutely one of the best companies I have ever dealt with. They went out of their way to please me. Not only did they sell me quality merchandise, but they provided me customer support and courtesy above and beyond the norm. They give meaning to customer service. I will purchase any electronic equipment I need from them in the future.



3. I purchased this unit from Discount Jungle. When it arrived, I could not find a cable input/ouput jack on the back. When I called their customer service department, the man was less than helpful & told me that I would have to pay a reshelving fee if I were to return the item. After "haggling" with the "customer service" department, they did offer to forego this reshelving fee. This purchase was not worth the hassle & aggravation. I sent it to my daughter who has her own business & deals with electronics on a daily basis. Phillips is usually a good product. I think it was the supplier. I will not purchase electronics online again.



4. The delivery was very very fast, the quality of merchandise was great- only thing I didnt like was NO INVOICE was included



5. If you have an old tv without the red/white/yellow inputs, you will need an external rf modulator to use this combo unit. But nothing in the Phillips literature or website mentions this. Amazon sells rf modulators, and they should cost about $20. Also, if you have a Verizon FIOS cable box, you have to place the rf modulator between the cable box and the tv. I don't know about other cable boxes. I had gotten the impression from the FIOS install guy that the cable box had to be the last element before the tv. But I couldn't see the combo unit signal until I moved the modulator "upstream". It's something particular about this combo unit. I used to have a horribly messy setup with DVD player/RF modulator/VCR/cablebox/ancient TV, and it worked fine. Now I have cablebox/RF modulator(with new combo unit input)/ancient TV. All is finally good. (I keep the ancient tv instead of buying an expensive, delicate, easily scratched/stained, tippy new model because of a young child with heavy toys, sticky fingers, and magic markers.)

5 comments about Philips DVDR3545V/37 1080p Upscaling DVDR/VCR Combo with Built-In Tuner.

1. I'm very happy with this player. It's extremely easy to set up and use. It does a terrifc job of copying VHS tapes and converting them to DVD, even on an old analog TV. With the built-in Digital Tuner I will have no trouble playing it on a HD TV. Great telephone support/help from the Philips people if you need it.



2. This is a good box. It replaces a separate DVD player and vhs player,
   and can record dvd as well. It has a built-in digital tuner, and up-
   converts whatever it plays to the resolution of the tv. It has a digital
   output (HDMI) to go the tv.
   In my application, I use the tuner on the house antenna to get "free-from-air" digital broadcasts, while the cable input goes
   directly to the tv. I didn't realize how important the upconverting
   feature was until I saw it - it makes old media look .. better.
   In my copious spare time, I hope to convert vhs tapes I want to
   save to dvd - this box can do that offline, and unattended.
   good value for the money.



3. Found it difficult to operate at first. After doing some reading it became much easier to operate. I am quite happy with dubbing is easy and recording is a breeze. It does have its draw backs on recording and does not warn you that the program is unrecordable until it starts for a few seconds. All in all a nice product!



4. recorded our babies life onto disc from VHS using this machine . Can't play the discs we made on other any other DVD player. None!.... Can only play disc on this player! Waste of time! Poor design. very upsetting!



5. I was having problems coping from tape to DVD, the DVD would only play on their machine. I tried everything burned about 7 DVD's before I decide to call tech support which was very good. It turned out you can only use either Maxell or Philips DVD's. i when out purchase Maxell's and have no problems. Other then that the machine is great.

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-EZ37VK DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with ATSC Tuner Black.

1. This unit records VHS and DVDs from the TV or you can copy from one to the other. Playback is quiet and there's no annoying hum like some machines have. It's easy to operate (although I did find the set-up instructions confusing.) Programming scheduled recordings is simple and if you do make a mistake, a message pops up to tell you what's wrong.
   
   The buttons on the remote are clearly marked and easy to use. This is a reliable machine and I'm pleased it, but I recommend shopping around; it is priced much lower elsewhere.



2. I got this hoping to have my final component for the digital transition next year - a digital tuner in a VCR/DVD recording combo. With an ATSC tuner, I thought you could record digital programming to VHS tapes as well as to DVD. WRONG! You are only allowed to record analog stations to VHS tapes, which means VCR recording will be useless in 2009. It'll only be useful to play back previously recorded tapes.
   
   Other than this issue, the unit works fine. It's simple to use once you get the hang of it. Just keep the manual nearby at first.



3. (note: my interest= a DVD Recorder with a Built In tuner)
   3 EA. Panasonic DVD Recorders
   Somehow they don't last....the EZ37 lasted 1 month only then it froze up-i tried everything. My 2nd one lasted a little longer, about 3 months then it froze. My 1st one lasted about 9 months before freezing. Maybe its the economy but there doesn't seem to be that much interest in DVD Recorders for some reason, hence, its the make'em cheap & send them out attitude. I admit i didn't try Sony or Toshiba yet but from what i read from they're reviews its not really that earth-shattering too. Maybe i should try the cheap Phillips ones, who knows? maybe it'll last at least 1 year, ha.
   Now, If only that OPPO guys made a DVD Recorder with a built in tuner since their reviews are Always Fabulous.
   (i saw the OPPO dvd recorders here in Amazon but they Don't have one with a built in tuner, just a dvd recorder) Pretty soon gonna throw in the towel=so currently its back to using the Old-School VHS Recorder and IT WORKS PERRRFFFEEECCCTTT!!!.....that one, OVER SIX YEARS AND STILL RECORDING GOOD!!! Help!! I'm going BACKWARDS!!!



4. We got this particular brand because it had a digital tuner. We don't have cable and would have had to buy a converter box anyway.
   
   It's a very complex piece of machinery compared to a VCR and like a computer it can sometimes take a while to process different commands and occasionally has to be rebooted. The manual covers the basics but there a lot of ways you can do things wrong and they don't give you any on-screen messages to figure out why things aren't working the way you want. Plus, the terminology on the remote is not intuitive, so I always have to have the manual nearby (why is the button I use to watch my shows on DVDs called "Direct Access?").
   
   I definitely am liking the concept of digital recording over videotaping tv shows. It's easier to find the particular show you're interested in and there's not as much worry about accidentally recording over another show. My preference would have been getting a machine with a hard drive, but TiVo is the only real option and I don't want to pay a subscription fee.
   
   I'm old enough now to be flustered by new technology but now that I seem to be getting the hang of it, I'd say it was working out fine.



5. The DVD/VCR Recorder has performed excellently. With its many features it offers many useful items to get great recordings. I still have more to learn which will only improve its value.
   
   It has done everything it said it would do and what I needed it to do, plus more.
   
   The price for the (rebuilt with warranty) Panasonic DVD-VCR Recorder was real bargain. I paid 1/2 of what I would have paid at a retail store for the same item.
   
   Its integration with my Panasonic TV was easy and quite effective.
   
   Wonderful picture quality. Easy programming to record various channel at various times. Easy labeling of recorded programs.
   
   
   Very Pleased

5 comments about Toshiba SD-V295 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Player.

1. I purchased this DVD/VHS player for my foster daughter for Christmas.
   She is very happy with it.



2. I bought this to record programs from TV/Cable to watch later. You have to remember to set the Timer Record button and cannot watch TV until the show has been recorded. Or you can undo the Timer Record button, watch another program, them remember to set the Timer Record button when you are finished. Very inconvenient.
   You can, however, watch a DVD while your VCR is set in Record Mode/Prepare to Record Mode! Unfortunately this does not work well with me.



3. This has been the perfect solution for us. I needed to replace an older model VCR/DVD combo player that died and this has been a great replacement. Yes, there is no tuner, but we do not need one for playing DVD and VHS tapes on my daughters television. The packaging and all other info on this unit clearly states there is no tuner so I do not understand some folks confusion there. The remote works just fine no issues and playback quality has been wonderfull. It would be nice if the VHS and DVD could both be hooked up through S-video, but this is a minor issue and if you read the specs before purchasing you know this. All in all this has been a great unit for the inexpensive price. If all you need is something low tech to play your VHS tapes and DVDs on a non-HDTV then I would recommend this unit.



4. I haven't had this very long, so I can't comment on it's reliability, just it's function. It works fine as far as recording and playback of VHS tape, and the DVD is good. I esp. like the DVD feature that remembers where you left off viewing a DVD. When you power the unit up, it starts right where you stopped the DVD. Great for those 3 and 4 hour movies it takes 2 (or 3) days to watch. The function indicators for DVD or VCR are tiny little boxes on the unit, and are both the same color. I wish they would have just made them different colored lights, or 1 led for VCR and 2 for DVD or some such...of course you can tell which function you're on if the TV is on, but if you just want to eject a disk or tape, you have to be right in front of the player to see which function you've got. The remote control is the big problem with this otherwise nice deal. It's only 6" long and 2" wide, and the buttons are tiny, and the print by the buttons is microscopic. And you can see the labels for the DVD functions OK (barely), but for the VHS functions, they used a dark mustard colored print that is awful to try and see. You need to keep a flashlight handy, which (along with the tiny buttons) kind of takes away that "braille" method of getting used to your remote. Luckily, I had a larger remote from another Toshiba DVD player I own. It's cream colored (as opposed to black, like the new one) and has big, easy to read labels, but I still have to use the new one for the VCR. So why the tiny remote for this job-ee-do? I don't know. Also, on the remote, they put the REW and FWD buttons right in between the SKIP FWD and BACK buttons, so you try to go for the rewind or forward on a DVD, and end up skipping froward or back a whole scene! Very painful! And also, they put the SLOW button up and right, away from the other play buttons, NEXT TO THE OPEN/CLOSE button, so there's more potential fun. Remember, it's tuner-less, so you can't hook it up with your coaxial cable, it has to hook up directly to a cable or satellite box. You need one of those 3 lead cables, with two audio and one video, which, by the way the cheapskates don't provide with the unit, so don't forget to get one. Well, otherwise, it works well, is inexpensive, and is pretty.



5. I bought this through Amazon as a Mother's Day gift, drove clear across town once I got it, and set it up only to find out that the VCR side wouldn't work. It would load a tape, but not play it, fast forward, rewind, or anything. Toshiba's support phone number was entirely useless as it was just a recording saying to use the web. Not wanting the hassle of trying to return the item and being at least a little technically inclined, I got the courage to open the case and look inside hoping not to leave any evidence that would void the warranty. Once open it was clear that the unit was not fully engaging the tape to the tape head. A quick inspection showed that a bracket had been bounced out of place during shipment which was jamming the tape loading mechanism and so I was able to return it back to where it was supposed to be. That did the trick and the unit now works fine. Most anyone else would have had to return it or have it repaired.

5 comments about Sony SLV-D380P DVD/VCR Tunerless Progressive Scan DVD/VHS Combo Player.

1. This was the worse choice I ever made. Let me warn you, You do not want to purchase the Sony SLV-D380P Tunerless Progressive Scan DVD/VHS Combo Player.



2. This product was carefully packed, easily installed, and provides great viewing of our DVD's and videos.



3. I'm sorry I bought this piece of junk. Pre-recorded VHS tapes skip badly when played back on this machine.



4. I read with interest all the negative reviews. The unit works fine for me, but, in addition to my 1970's television, I have an RCA ANT1250 antenna, an INSIGNIA brand digital converter, and a NEXXTECH brand RF Modulator. I also had a problem with the ENTER key not working until I read in the booklet that the switch at the top of the remote has to be switched to DVD, not TV. One thing I really liked about this unit over the TOSHIBA that I was also auditioning was that the SONY has a wonderful VHS tracking device. I played a tape on the TOSHIBA and got all kinds of wavy lines and garbage. On the SONY, the taped played perfectly.



5. I can't reccomend any video recorders that don't bother to have a tuner in it. Why offer it if I can't record TV shows without a box?