Jesse Skeen
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 1999
- Messages
- 5,037
My Philips DVR985, which I've had for about 4 years, has died on me the 2nd time. It first quit working after I'd had it for 2 years, having trouble reading and writing discs until it eventually just said "NO DISC" to everything put in it. I sent it to their service place in Kentucky and paid about $200 to have them fix it, which involved replacing the laser. 2 years after that, it's got the same problem and with new machines costing about that much I'm just going to replace it, hopefully with something that can do a little bit more.
The things I use it for can be classified as light to moderate use, which is why I'm disgusted at this machine's short lifespan- I didn't use it for playback at all, just recording, and I don't record any TV shows, just transfer old tapes and discs. Most of the stuff I've put online was transferred with the Philips machine. Sometimes I'd use it several hours a day, other times it could sit for weeks unused. I was pleased with it when it worked, but once the problems start it turns into a doorstop.
I've been going nuts searching for a replacement. I don't want to buy another Philips, even if their stuff has improved since then, because the 985 ended up being notorious for failing and many say the company should have done a recall or something to compensate those who bought one. Not only did I waste my money buying it, but I wasted more paying them to fix it just to have it break again. I don't really want a Sony either since I've had some bad luck with their stuff and I'm angry at their Sony Pictures division for reissuing several movies on DVD with the widescreen transfers removed, but if it turns out they make the best recorder I'll buy it anyways. I'd also rather not get one with a built-in VCR since all the ones I've seen are half-assed models compared to the VCRs I've got, but I'll take one of those too if the DVD section is the best and not available any other way.
I've looked at a few machines and it turns out several lack an essential function- the ability to put chapter marks wherever you want them, on +RW discs. I was all set to buy a new Panasonic model, but it turns out that it can only set chapters on DVD-RAM discs- on +RWs it just automatically puts chapters every 5 minutes, which is extremely stupid, and you can't change it. I looked at an RCA, and it wouldn't let you set chapters at all- either the stupid every-5-minutes thing or none at all. On the Philips, you could add and erase chapter stops as you wished, then when it was the way you wanted it you 'finalized' it to make the chapters recognizable by all DVD players. Afterwards I usually copied the disc on the computer to a non-rewritable disc since they are supposed to last longer. I have an authoring program that lets you set chapters also, but it's a lot easier to do it on the recorder from my experience.
Another problem I've found is some recorders have NO S-Video inputs! That's just inexcusable. Even though most of the stuff I transfer is old, I've transferred some home videos from Hi8 and from my experience laserdiscs look better transferred with S-Video too. Another issue that's not as big a deal but still annoying is some only have coaxial audio outputs, no optical. I've only got one coaxial input on my receiver, and I don't want to have to switch it.
Good-quality recording and chapter setting on DVD+RW discs is really all I need it to do, though it would be fun to have one that does a little more too as long as I'm replacing my old one. My friend's Panasonic has a digital TV tuner built-in which lets you watch it downconverted to lo-def (I don't have an HDTV yet anyways) with 5.1 sound, though it goes to 2-channel if you record it to DVD. That's enough to stop me from recording TV with it, but since I still have an analog TV it would be nice to have a digital tuner just for the hell of it since the separate DTV tuners you can get right now are too expensive. I know some recorders like the Polaroid, which I'm trying out now but not sure if I'm going to keep, output live TV as 2-channel PCM, so I'd like to know which output it as Dolby 5.1 besides the Panasonics since those won't let me set chapters. (Again, I know there aren't any that can RECORD TV in 5.1, but I just want to be able to watch it live.)
I'm trying out the Polaroid right now and it is pretty neat, but it seems kind of cheaply made, my older player doesn't seem to like its discs (it had no problem with ones from the Philips) and its DTV tuner only outputs 2-channel sound even when watching it live. If I can find something better then it's going back. (If I end up buying something online, I'd better be SURE I'll like it since it's harder to return things that way.)
I'll send some cool stuff in the mail to anyone who helps me find the right machine that fits my needs!
By the way, what the heck are the USB ports on DVD machines for? I tried hooking up my computer's external hard drive to the Polaroid machine, thinking I'd be able to play audio and video files from it on my TV, and it didn't even recognize the drive.
The things I use it for can be classified as light to moderate use, which is why I'm disgusted at this machine's short lifespan- I didn't use it for playback at all, just recording, and I don't record any TV shows, just transfer old tapes and discs. Most of the stuff I've put online was transferred with the Philips machine. Sometimes I'd use it several hours a day, other times it could sit for weeks unused. I was pleased with it when it worked, but once the problems start it turns into a doorstop.
I've been going nuts searching for a replacement. I don't want to buy another Philips, even if their stuff has improved since then, because the 985 ended up being notorious for failing and many say the company should have done a recall or something to compensate those who bought one. Not only did I waste my money buying it, but I wasted more paying them to fix it just to have it break again. I don't really want a Sony either since I've had some bad luck with their stuff and I'm angry at their Sony Pictures division for reissuing several movies on DVD with the widescreen transfers removed, but if it turns out they make the best recorder I'll buy it anyways. I'd also rather not get one with a built-in VCR since all the ones I've seen are half-assed models compared to the VCRs I've got, but I'll take one of those too if the DVD section is the best and not available any other way.
I've looked at a few machines and it turns out several lack an essential function- the ability to put chapter marks wherever you want them, on +RW discs. I was all set to buy a new Panasonic model, but it turns out that it can only set chapters on DVD-RAM discs- on +RWs it just automatically puts chapters every 5 minutes, which is extremely stupid, and you can't change it. I looked at an RCA, and it wouldn't let you set chapters at all- either the stupid every-5-minutes thing or none at all. On the Philips, you could add and erase chapter stops as you wished, then when it was the way you wanted it you 'finalized' it to make the chapters recognizable by all DVD players. Afterwards I usually copied the disc on the computer to a non-rewritable disc since they are supposed to last longer. I have an authoring program that lets you set chapters also, but it's a lot easier to do it on the recorder from my experience.
Another problem I've found is some recorders have NO S-Video inputs! That's just inexcusable. Even though most of the stuff I transfer is old, I've transferred some home videos from Hi8 and from my experience laserdiscs look better transferred with S-Video too. Another issue that's not as big a deal but still annoying is some only have coaxial audio outputs, no optical. I've only got one coaxial input on my receiver, and I don't want to have to switch it.
Good-quality recording and chapter setting on DVD+RW discs is really all I need it to do, though it would be fun to have one that does a little more too as long as I'm replacing my old one. My friend's Panasonic has a digital TV tuner built-in which lets you watch it downconverted to lo-def (I don't have an HDTV yet anyways) with 5.1 sound, though it goes to 2-channel if you record it to DVD. That's enough to stop me from recording TV with it, but since I still have an analog TV it would be nice to have a digital tuner just for the hell of it since the separate DTV tuners you can get right now are too expensive. I know some recorders like the Polaroid, which I'm trying out now but not sure if I'm going to keep, output live TV as 2-channel PCM, so I'd like to know which output it as Dolby 5.1 besides the Panasonics since those won't let me set chapters. (Again, I know there aren't any that can RECORD TV in 5.1, but I just want to be able to watch it live.)
I'm trying out the Polaroid right now and it is pretty neat, but it seems kind of cheaply made, my older player doesn't seem to like its discs (it had no problem with ones from the Philips) and its DTV tuner only outputs 2-channel sound even when watching it live. If I can find something better then it's going back. (If I end up buying something online, I'd better be SURE I'll like it since it's harder to return things that way.)
I'll send some cool stuff in the mail to anyone who helps me find the right machine that fits my needs!
By the way, what the heck are the USB ports on DVD machines for? I tried hooking up my computer's external hard drive to the Polaroid machine, thinking I'd be able to play audio and video files from it on my TV, and it didn't even recognize the drive.
