I had to buy a new Pioneer DVDr recorder as my older one broke. Although I am in the USA, I had to get the international version, which I had an earlier one.
The model is DVR 560H-K and is black.

I mostly use it to record onto the HD cable programming...mostly Turner Classic Movies channel. I have my Times Warner cable box plugged into Line 2 input and it records fine.

My problem is that EASY TIMER menu. I usually set up recording times for the entire month, but with this TIMER, once I enter the start and end times and press YES it sets the timer, but then if I do another timer program, I can do the same...so far, no problem...but if I make a mistake or want to review my upcoming timer recording and scroll to the area where they should be, there is nothing to indicate that there is a timer setting in that location. Although if I try to do another timer recording there, it will say a program is already set up!

Isn't there a way to review all the set timer records? How do I erase an upcoming timer recording. There must be some way to see a list of upcoming timer recordings.

I really miss that additional timer menu on previous Pioneers that allow you to title an upcoming recording and easily erase it.

Also, I hate the 24 hour clock. Is there a way to make it a 12 hour am, pm clock or is that gone now too?

Thanks....

Unfortunately there are multiple versions of the Pioneer global models, not all are the same and some are less suited to North America than others. This is the first I've heard of a black global 560 version, the version people have been reporting to me is silver and has the "normal" timer recording screen. Because of these happy reports I had the impression importers had finally woken up and stopped selling the "wrong" model, but I guess you never know.

Does yours have the big black multipin "SCART" connectors on the back? These look like old computer connectors, and their presence on a Pioneer usually means it was designed for the generic European market which long ago agreed on a common "electronic TV guide" interface for setting the timer. This guide-driven timer only functions in PAL countries because it relies on PAL broadcasts for the guide data, when the recorder is set to operate in NTSC countries like US/Canada you lose access to to the full timer and are stuck with the more limited "EZ Timer" backup programmer. If this is the type of model you have, timer recording can be very very difficult: this is the primary reason to avoid a Pioneer global model in favor of the now hard-to-get Canadian versions. The "more-suitable" global versions and the Canadian versions bring up a full normal timer-setting screen when you press the TIMER REC button on the remote. Or, by going into the home menu first, and selecting Timer Recording submenu, you can choose from among "Timer Rec" (normal default), "VCR+", "EZ Timer" and "Auto Start" (satellite activated) recording options. These options will be different on some global versions, with "Guide+" replacing "Timer Recording" as the default, etc.

A few members I was in touch with a year ago reported various levels of success in gaining full "Guide+" timer access by switching the recorder into PAL mode. Depending on your specific television, it will either display the PAL "Guide+" interface perfectly or you will see a jittery green or black-and-white version of it, or in some cases you'll see nothing. (Inexpensive brands of flat-panel TVs like Olevia and Insignia usually auto-sense PAL signals and display them correctly, but older CRT televisions or name-brand LCDs like Sony do not.) If you can see the Guide+ menu, follow the instruction manual tips for telling it you live in a country with no guide broadcasts. Once this is done, you should be able to use its manual timer options to set multiple daily and weekly timer programs. Read the instruction book carefully: these details are spread out in unrelated pages. After setting the timer you can switch the recorder back to NTSC mode for normal use, the timer programs will remain active until they expire or you change them.

Again, there are several variations of each Pioneer global recorder and they are all confusingly labeled as model "DVR-560H", so its impossible to tell with any certainty what options you might have or what tricks you might need to know. Those who think they might want a global Pioneer need to shop very carefully to be sure they get the "right" one for North America. The best version for US/Canada is silver-colored, does NOT have the big European SCART connectors on the back panel, and does NOT have a "Guide+" button on the remote or any mention of it as a feature printed on the front panel of the recorder or its carton. It is so hard to tell these units apart even the importers don't know what they're selling half the time, if you aren't absolutely certain confirm you can return for full refund if things don't work out.

(The typical followup question here is usually, "what about the similar global Panasonic EH-57 and EH-67?" The answer is Panasonic sensibly makes only one version of these, and they have no issues with NTSC timer access. So if you have no previous brand preference, the Panasonics are a safe "no-brainer" choice. The Pioneers have certain advantages for tech-savvy users who play a lot with editing and in-between FR recording speeds, making them worth the aggravation for some buyers. While harder to get, the Canadian-spec Pioneers and the "copycat" Sony Canada RDR-HX780 are much easier to understand and operate since they are NTSC-only. The PAL-oriented timer in some of the Pio global variations is a problem.)

Does that "auto-start" feature actually work when using US tuners, and do all international Pio models have it?

I'm just wondering - I don't think I'd be able to use it myself, as my satellite tuner (Dish) uses a non-defeatable screen saver, and I hear that those things being on all the time make that feature unusable.

It depends on the satellite box: some report success, some don't. Also kinda depends on how much you watch tv: the Pio auto-sense feature assumes the satellite decoder will always be off unless a timer recording activates it, the Pio detects the box video output turning on and starts recording, stopping when the satellite box turns off again. Most people are gonna probably be watching TV at some point in the day, as soon as you power on the decoder box the Pio will sense it and start recording, so the utility of the auto-start feature is subject to lot of variables. Obviously it won't do to leave the recorder on Auto-Start constantly, I suppose if you think ahead and only set the Auto Start feature when you won't be home it could be workable?

The screen saver is on even when the tuner is off.

Thanks CitiBear and the others who have answered. Yes, I have that black model I got from World Gift Center. And yes, it has those SCART inputs that I don't need.

I didn't know about the variations within the same model, but I suspected this. About a month ago, I ordered this model and DID get the silver version. And the little time I had with it, I seem to remember it had an option for a 12 hour clock and the better timer, but the unit was flawed and the DVD portion wouldn't play any DVDs or burn any DVD-r, so I sent it back for a fix or a new unit. It is still back there, so I will insist they send me either that one fixed or another silver model.

I went ahead an ordered another unit, which I assumed would be the same, but it turned out to be the black unit with the lack of things I needed for America use. As I think I said, I don't need the inbulit tuner, so I will make sure they replace it with a silver model and not a black one.

Thanks so much for answering me....
John