Toshiba DVR660 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a Samsung digital TV (1080p), and with my new Toshiba DVR660 and an HDMI cable, I can turn HD programming into sharp DVD's that appear to match my 1080p picture pixel for pixel. (In actuality, the DVR660 records it to 480p and then upconverts it back to 1080p.) By the way, I get all my programming from a portable antenna, and the DVD recorder has an excellent HD tuner.
The VCR is adequate, giving me the same picture quality as the SONY which preceeded it. After seeing how easy it was to make a DVD recording, and how fabulous the results, I realized that I would never make a VCR recording again. It did an excellent job dubbing a VCR tape to a DVD.
Although I am not a computer programmer like the "Man from Happy Rock", who found it so difficult to use, I found that the machine was not so difficult to use at all, as long as you followed the instructions. One of the major complaints from Mr. Happy Rock was that the machine turns itself off after you use the "set timer" button. My brother, who IS a computer programmer, said that his Magnavox also turns itself off when you use the "set timer" function and that they all do this. He also said it took him 2 years to master his Magnavox!
I did have a couple questions the first day, and I called the Toshiba telephone number given for DVD recorders. My call was answered by a real person with an American accent within 30 seconds. She answered all my questions easily.
Before I purchased this recorder, I spent hours reading and re-reading the reviews for like products made by Sony, Samsung, Panisonic, JVC, Philips, etc. All the other products seemed to have fatal flaws, so I made the decision for Toshiba. I'm glad I did.

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DVD Recorder/VCR Combo with 1080p Upconversion with Built-in Digital Tuner

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LG RC897T Multi-Format DVD Recorder and VCR Combo with Digital Tuner Review

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(More customer reviews)As a satisfied owner of an LG HDTV, I bought this DVD/VCR combo recorder fully expecting to be likewise happy with the quality of the images produced by another LG product. Unfortunately, I had to box it up for return the same day I got it. The problem with the product is one that I hadn't anticipated, but which further very specifically-targeted reading online revealed as a known problem with LG's DVD recorders. That problem is what various message-boarders and bloggers call "image over-processing". Translate that as "too much anti-aliasing" (image-smoothing) or "too much blur". And it was not just on the recorded images. For the minute you switch from the LG TV's internal tuner to the LG recorder's internal tuner, there's an instant layer of "smoothing" that is pronounced enough to be distracting. ...I am talking, depending on your threshold of sensitivity to such things, a potential headache-inducing level of fuzziness.
If you purchase this product hoping to use it to archive your family videos, no way it can do them justice. If you plan to use it as a down and dirty digital era VCR, grabbing episodes of shows you intend to record over once you watch them a single time, it is really not quite servicable for that. All this keeps pulling me back to one head-shaker of a question: What were the people at LG thinking? At nearly three hundred bucks, the quality of the LG RC897T is a major disappointment.

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Panasonic DIGA DMR-EZ475VK - DVD recorder/ VCR combo - black Review

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(More customer reviews)What makes this different from the DMR-EZ47V model? Only the inclusion of an HDMI cable. This is my third Panasonic DVD-type recorder and none of them have had major failings.
Don't believe the Amazon reports of a bad digital tuner as it just isn't true. The secret to good terrestrial digital reception is the right antenna. If you have that, you get great channels. Albeit, not in high def. But this is not a high def recorder. I didn't bother with the analog channels as I receive them all digitally, and then some.
I recommend the stand alone Phillips "Silver Sensor" antenna or clone. Don't waste money on the Terk models as they look nicer but don't do the job as well. Analog transmission is going away so you won't need rabbit ears. If the "Silver Sensor" doesn't work, you are just in a bad location. Mine works great through a 5-900 MHz 3-way splitter.
With my old GoVideo DVD/VCR combo I had 8 cables running from the back of the unit to the TV. 3 component cables & 2 audio. Plus 1 yellow composite and 2 more audio just to play VHS. 8 cables replaced by 1 (ONE) HDMI. Both formats play through HDMI.
With the HDMI upconversion turned on your DVD and VHS pictures can display at 480i/p, 720p, 1080i/p, or just select auto. While the difference in the picture is noticeable, especially with VHS, don't expect miracles. The best upconversion in the world can only simulate HD, it can't create information not in the original. For true HD movie experience we still need blu-ray. I have one and it is awesome.
If the HDMI on your TV supports Viera the Panasonic remote control can control limited functions of your TV. No more manual programming of the remote to work with your TV! The smart features means your player will automatically turn off when you turn the TV off. However, my Vizio doesn't support Viera so it doesn't work via HDMI. Pages 68 - 69 in the manual allows programming of the remote via the buttons.
As you can see in the product description this player supports a wide variety of discs. One long awaited favorite is the ability to record to DVD +/- R Dual Layer. DVD-RAM is great because playback supports 1.3x playback by pressing [play] a second time. Press [play] again to return to normal speed. Now you can record your favorite programs in digital quality (Analog only to VHS.), skip commercials, and watch them faster on DVD-RAM. The upconversion means you almost don't miss the HD airing. Plus you have the ability to cross copy VHS to DVD and vice verser, providing copy protection is not an issue.
One of my favorite features missing on this unit is "shorten segment". It easily allowed cutting out commercials, yet leave a single video file. Alternately, "divide program" allows cutting around the commercials, then you may delete them. It's a bit more time consuming and leaves you with a fragmented video file. This will not affect play back as it simply jumps to the next video block. However, the "combine chapters" function only works with "chapters" you create, and doesn't combine the segments of cut pieces.
Thus I must agree it is a bit more complex to use, and you will need to spend some time with the manual and even cross reference some pages. It is time well spent as it is nothing you won't learn with repeated use. It's not rocket science. You'll be a pro in no time.
While I wish this had a hard drive and recorded in HD, I can't ding the product because that is not the design intent. Maybe next years model. I'm very picky in what I like and I am VERY happy with this player.
This is a great way to give that old 4:3 analog TV a digital tuner and keep it around a few more years. Plus you could receive more digital channels than analog! But only HDMI supports upconversion. Even with some short comings such as the standard definiton digital tuner, this player does it all and does it extremely well.
My two biggest gripes which make me wish I never sold my analog GoVideo combo. Finalized DVD-R will NOT copy to VHS. Only unfinalized DVD-R will copy providing the material is not copy protected. I can no longer copy a couple of regular DVD's to tape. Maybe there are tweaks to be found. But my need to copy to tape isn't as great as was my desire to do so. Cest la vie.
For more on this product download the manual and firmware updates at the Panasonic website.

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