Just in @ Walmart RCA DRC8052N for $149.87! Records DVD-R/RW+R/RW! Has DV, S-Video & AV IN on front panel! Plays DivX and maybe records DivX (DIVX VIDEO COMPRESSION ALLOWS MORE INFORMATION TO BE STORED ON A DVD)?!?! HDMI with HD up conversion! I googled the 8052 and got almost nothing?? Is this a model that's made just for Walmart? This appears to be a new model but I don't know if this is produced under a different brand? I'm trying to find a site with the owners manual! Below is some more info off a vendor's website.

* records from tv, camcorder or other video devices using dvd+r/rw or dvd-r/rw discs
* hdmi with hd up-conversion
* divx video compression allows more information to be stored on a dvd
* disc library with live preview stores a database of titles the user has recorded, making it easy to access previously recorded programs
* divx-certified plays back divx 5, 4, 3 & divx vod video content in compliance with divx-certified technical requirements
* front a/v input jacks
* interactive user interface
* includes remote

I'm skeptical of the DivX recording capability. But it would be nice.

bobkart,
Google DRC8052N and go to some of those websites. I know RCA is not known for it's quality, but this looks promising. Doesn't this mean it records in DivX: * divx video compression allows more information to be stored on a dvd?? This was right off a vendor's website.

I have this Player, I bought it because of its ability to play Divx and record on +-R, +-RW. I had a Toshiba DR5 before this but it used to hang a lot if I try to play some divx files, also Toshiba DR5 does not recognise +RW disks.

The RCA8052N is exactly like DR5, with the same menus and same options, I believe both these units are made by the same company, except 8052N also allows you to record on +RW and can play back those.

So far I am happy with it. It does 480p,720p,10180i over HDMI, no 480i over HDMI. I have not tried the component yet.

Doesn't this mean it records in DivX: * divx video compression allows more information to be stored on a dvd?? This was right off a vendor's website.That's my point, it doesn't mean they record DivX, it's just a statement of fact, as if they said MP3 files take up less space than WAV files, it doesn't mean they can record MP3 files.

waiting 485,
Does it record or just play DivX? Does it have any kind FR (Flex Recording) like a Panasonic? What are the record modes?
Thanks!!

bobkart,
I'm fairly sure your correct on the DivX. I went to the Toshiba site while the DR5 seems to be different in alot of ways from the 8052 it only plays DivX. One thing I'm interested in is the DAC in the DR4 it's a 24 bit and in the DR5 it's a 10 bit. That seems to be a huge difference? I've read that the Toshiba's have one of the best TBC going, but I wonder how much difference there is between a 24 bit and 10 bit. The only thing I have to judge by is I have a Liteon 5005 with a 8 bit and a ES-10 with a 12 bit nad there is a big difference!

I would have to guess that the 24-bit part is in reference to the audio portion of the DVD content, DVD-Audio signals are typically encoded with a 96KHz/24-bit LPCM encoding (or sometimes 192KHz). I've never heard of more than 12-bit video information encoding.

waiting 485,
Does it record or just play DivX? Does it have any kind FR (Flex Recording) like a Panasonic? What are the record modes?
Thanks!!


I have not tried recording DivX, no it does not have any kind of Flex Recording, the recording options are XP( HQ 1hr ) to SLP ( Low Quality 6 hr). Couple of things which I didn't like in Toshiba and don't like in RCA also.

Does not allow you to resume the disk from last position after you turn off the recorder ( even if you have not removed the disk ). You will always have to fast forward to the position. I also have a Cyberhome 1600MU recorder and that one keep the last position of DVD even if you removed it from the player.

The loading time for normal DVD is considerably longer ( around 20 sec.)

Picky about DivX play, some time it will freeze and then no button on Remote or on DVD player will work, I always have to remove the plug and start it again.


If you want more details about DR5 , Crutchfield (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-52giVGBVR71/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=69800&id=detailed_info&i=052DR5#Tab) has a manual on their site.

According to a csr at RCA this isn't an upconverter dvd player. When I told him it said it was on the box, he put me on hold again. Several minutes later he came back and said, "yes it is." He also told me it would send the upconverted signal through the component outputs, but I'm not too sure I trust him. Can anyone confirm, for sure, that it sends the upconverted signal through the componets. I don't have an available HDMI input.

I've had the DRC8052N for about a week. My thoughts are mostly positive:
- Waiting485, mine does save and resume from the spot you turned off the recorder when playing back a disk. Could there be a firmware revision from when you got yours to when I bought mine?
- The HDMI upconversion looks very good; better than the HDMI output from a Samsung DVD-R135, Toshiba SD-4980, and JSI upconverting player (from Sears, I can't remember the model number). On those other player, HDMI out looked worse than from my 6 or 7 year old JVC DVD Changer; the RCA HDMI output looks much better than the picture from the JVC (colors are more vibrant and the picture looks clearer/sharper).
- I've burned a few discks using the direct recording and the timer recording. The timer recording is easy enough to use - easier than the Samsung, not quite as simple as the Panny (might be because I've used a Panny for the past two years, so I'm used to those menu commands). I haven't had any coasters and the burned disks work in all of the players that I've tried them in (this was a major problem that I encountered with the Samsung DVD-R135 and DVD-R120; disks burnt on those machines would freeze other players at each chapter marker).
- Burned disk quality of 1 hour looks exactly like the original. 2 hour looks close to the original (you really have to look hard to see any differences). I didn't check any of the other modes.
- I agree witht he comment on load times - seems a bit excessive to load a disk when first inserted or when the player is turned on, but that's not a deal breaker for me.
- I wish it worked with DVD-RAM, but again, not a deal breaker.
- I've yet to try the DV input; after I get some DV this summer, I'll be sure to try it out.
- I can only find very little info on this player (nothing on RCA or Thomson's sites). It's not even listed as an option when registering your product online with RCA, which is weird. My only fear with that is if RCA isn't "claiming" it, who provides periodic updates like firmware? I'm wondering if RCA had someone else make this for them solely for Walmart?

Overall it has exceeded my expectations. It seems like a good entry level recorder for the price.

One other comment. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the DVD recorder, my TV or some HDMI to DVI hiccup, but when I first turn on the DVD Recorder, it usually takes a little time to get the 1080i sync right. EVen though the DRC8052N says it's outputting at 1080i, my TV (Hitachi 46F500) says it is receiving a 480p signal via DVI. After I go back through the HDMI output options back to 1080i, it syncs up with no problems.

does it recognize and playback high-def Divx?

No idea. I've never done anything in DIVX, so I can't comment on how well it handles any DIVX playback. If you give me instructions on how to easily test whether it will playback hi-def divx, I'd be happy to try it out.

I tried this unit out for a few days. It's a great deal. The menu and chipset seem to be identical to the Cyberhome 1600 machine that used to be popular on here (the ZU version that is, meaning Zoran Chipset). I did not open the unit to verify the chipset though. The only difference with this machine from the Cyberhome is this machine "officially" supports DVD+/- R/W (the Cyberhome only claimed +R/W), plays DIVX, and of course has HDMI Upconversion.

The price of $149 from Wal-Mart is awesome. And of course Wally World has an excellent (read "easy") return policy.

Why is there no mention of this product on the RCA website?
I am seriously considering getting one instead of the panasonic S97 that I was planning on. Any thoughts or known comparisons would be appreciated.

I just bought and plugged in my new DRC8052N. I am running both HDMI and Component video, and I have digital coax running for audio. My TV only has DVI input (no HDMI). So, I have an HDMI to DVI adapter, and I can see video from both the DVI and Component input on my TV. However, when I go into the DRC8052N setup menu to change the digital audio output from PCM to Raw, the option is locked on PCM and will not allow me to change. Therefore, I cannot get 5.1 sound via my Onkyo receiver. Anyone who has one already, please help.

I've been toying with the idea of picking one of these up. It's a toss up between this and the Panasonic E25. I have decided that HDMI is a must, I am simply not happy with the way 480p looks on my 37" LCD.

I was hoping those of you who posted earlier on this thread could give an update on their machines, because as you guessed it, there still isn't a lot of information out there on this unit.

Thanks

C

This is my first post.

Normally I would not have bought RCA equipment, especially at WalMart, but after lots of research it really did seem to be a good deal. I needed HDMI, and this is an inexpensive way to get it. So I bought one.

Background:
I've got an Oppo OPDV971H paired with an Infocus SP 4805, and I calibrate using the GetGray disc. This system is a really good value for the money, and well-authored discs (Criterion Collection, Superbit) really shine. The only television service I have is OTA HDTV via a Samsung SIR-T451. I bought the DVD recorder to record broadcasts. Since the rest of my system uses digital video, and DVD recording naturally has to take analog, I realized there was going to be a relative loss in quality. Also, component inputs don't seem to be available on reasonably-priced units, so I decided to go "cheap."

Testing the recorder:
So far my experience has been positive, even though I've only recorded about 1.5 hours. 2-hour mode (SP) reveals significant compression artifacts on my 102-inch-diagonal screen, but I think I'm sensitive to that. 1-hour (HQ) mode shows no noticeable artifacts. I wonder if this thing does dual-layer? I'll have to check.

The remote is poor. Buttons are small and the plastic feels cheap. Button layout seems haphazard. And all DVD recorders need a finalize button. Seriously.

The interface is poor. Some simple options are nested too far down in menus. The worst problem is that it's slow! Button-presses take forever to respond. You have to be patient.

One nice thing is that on-the fly recording is very simple and responsive. Press "record" and it fires right up, "stop" and it's done.

PQ is fair to good for a unit in this price range, I think. Color accuracy and saturation are the weak points. I noticed somewhat of an improvement when I played a burned disc in the Oppo. You don't even have to finalize! I love Oppo :)

In this case, I'm willing to accept the shortcomings common in an inexpensive player, so the positives outweight the negatives. I doubt I would have chosen it if it didn't have HDMI.

Just a quick note:

(The following is simply a statement of fact and is not meant to be accusatory. Please form your own opinion.)

The first of these units that I purchased at you-know-where appeared to be a repackaged demo unit! There were fingerprints on the front, finish chipped off the connectors, and the glued-on cardboard feature list that they put on demos. I looked for a replacement at that store, but they all had a "previously opened" look. Ball point pen marks along the length of the packing tape, etc. Out of about 10 total units in 2 different stores, only one appeared to be new. Further inspection shows that it probably is, thank goodness.

Please do yourself a favor and make sure that any electronics you buy are properly sealed and new! Especially this product at this store.

Again, this is just my account of what happened to me, and not intended to be defamatory. I've tried to keep it informative and keep the emotion out of it.

I picked up this model on my way home from work tonight. Set up was easy, and the menus and navigation is much easier than on the Polaroid (w/HD) that I returned. I have to admit, I am going to miss having a HD, but to be honest, I don't see myself doing much editing of DVDs in the future. I really only need a setup that would be similar to a VCR.

I don't have an HDMI cable yet, so I am running from my Dish Network 811 box (via S-video) to the RCA, and from there to my 37"LCD via component. I'm not real overly crazy about the signal that is sent via S-video, but I don't imagine there is anything else I can do. The image over component is a bit better than the Polaroid was (over component). I am going to connect this via HDMI as soon as my shipment from monoprice comes in.

Just after a few hours of testing, I can tell I am going to like this unit if the image gets better via HDMI. For $150, I think it's a great deal so far.

BTW: Theycallmelooopy, my unit appeared to be new, but it did have the cardboard cutout attached to the top, folded against the unit. The box appeared to be intact and I didn't have any marks or blemishes on the unit.

This evening I made an hour-long disc and finalized it on Sony DVD+RW media and my PC won't recognize it. I'm not sure why. I'm going to try a Fuji DVD+RW and then without finalizing.

Chris: That's weird. The second one I got didn't have the cardboard thing and was obviously packed more neatly. Hmm.

Does anyone know if this unit comes with the foul language filter. The web site says that it does but it is not on the box anywhere. I have the RCA HDMI upconvert player (bought it yesterday) and it does a good job of upconverting the DVDs I checked. It also comes with the foul language filter and also came w/ an HDMI cable for $79.00 from Wally World.

I am thinking about returning it and getting this unit instead.

What has been your experience recording off the air and cable or satellite programs?

Also, does this unit also come w/ the HDMI cable?

Thanks for the help.

Does anyone know if this unit comes with the foul language filter. The web site says that it does but it is not on the box anywhere. I have the RCA HDMI upconvert player (bought it yesterday) and it does a good job of upconverting the DVDs I checked. It also comes with the foul language filter and also came w/ an HDMI cable for $79.00 from Wally World.

I am thinking about returning it and getting this unit instead.

What has been your experience recording off the air and cable or satellite programs?

Also, does this unit also come w/ the HDMI cable?

Thanks for the help.

I just bought one two days ago. Here are my initial impressions:

In regards to the foul language filter: I don't know for sure, I haven't looked. I do know there is some kind of lock that you put on it for ratings (password protected).

In regards to HDMI cable: No, it does not come with an HDMI cable. Isn't that strange? The Walmart RCA upconverting player ($79) has one, but the RCA upconverting recorder does not come with it. You can buy one at monoprice for less than $6 though.

In regards to picture quality: Playing a commercial DVD is fine. Probably the same as the upconverting player you have now. I am not happy with the way SD is recorded and played back (even in high quality mode) on my LCD TV. However, I'm not using an optimal connection right now-- I'm connected via component (waiting for my HDMI from monoprice) and I can let you know once it arrives. If you have a CRT, I'm sure it would be much different for you. It may simply be an artifact of my LCD because the Polaroid HDD recorder I had before this (also a walmart purchase - no comments) looked horrible as well (again going through component).

The menus etc, are all straight foward and if I can get this recording issue straightened out for my LCD I will be very happy with my purchase. For $150, I don't see how you could go wrong for an upconverting DVD recorder.

RCA DVD recorder just reviewed a few months ago in Home Theater or Perfect Vision. This recorder got a very good review by the magazine but it was a RCA 8060N instead of this 8052N you are talking about.

But with the way company's number things then the 8060N reviewed in the magazine should be the better unit. Doing a Froogle search shows the 8060N to be $15-25 more expensive. Wonder what the difference is?

I bought the 8060 from woot.com for $130+$5. It has been offered more than once.
It is only +, so I don't know of RCA's naming.
It works well. I've burned 15 disks, so far. Wish it had component/HDI input.


RCA DVD Recorder with HDMI and HD Upconversion DRC8060N
One day's experience with 6/5/06 Woot scheduled 6/12 arrived 6/9.

The good:

HDMI and component output, Toslink output
Universal remote works well
(my Lite-On 5101 is very difficult to control and is getting worse.)
Commercial skip (recording to +RW probably) done by making chapters and
hiding the ones with commercials. Worked great on Toy Story 2.
Skip ahead and back.
Logs up to 400 titles, each recording on the disk counts--I need more.
Program titles and description in Info, sometimes.
Recording speed has default but is asked for on each manual record.
Menus look good.

The bad:

No HDMI nor component input, no Toslink input
The HDMI feed-thru picture is limited by the source resolution.
Remote is generic for Echostar so changes all in sight.
No time display on front panel during record so no quick timing, maybe.
Basically records only +R and +RW.
Commercial skip recording does not do 5 minute markers also.
Logs only written disk, not viewed. Should allow delete any entry.
Progressive (use for HDMI/component out)
or interlace (use for composite/S-video)
but not both, uses back-panel slide switch.
No title thumbnail display -- may have missed that. To capture the
title frame: menu, play, pause on picture, info, edit on right, change.

Finding out:

Chapter skip/back is the channel up/down button when viewing (CH+/CH-).
Both DVD recorders read the +R disk, my Sony 5.1 Dreamthing is troubled.
I use SP (2 hour) below 123 minutes, a combination of SP and LP (3 hour)
up to say 150 minutes, and LP for up to 184 or so. The longer record
times have crummier resolution. First they half the vertical and then
they take from the horizontal. Dual rates are 2 recordings.

-Ken

The good:

Toslink output

The bad:

No HDMI nor component input, no Toslink input
Progressive (use for HDMI/component out)
or interlace (use for composite/S-video)
but not both, uses back-panel slide switch.
-Ken


Hmm.... the DRC8052N may not have a toslink output. I have digital coax, so I can't recall if there was an optical out. I'll have to check. As far as the bad.... Now I'm wondering if the DRC8052N will do both interlaced and progressive at the same time. I need that because SD through component on mine looks horrible. And I don't think it has a back panel slide switch. This could be a deal breaker for me. I'm waiting on some cables, as soon as I know I'll post my results here. Anybody else know?

Chris

Hmm.... the DRC8052N may not have a toslink output. I have digital coax, so I can't recall if there was an optical out. I'll have to check. As far as the bad.... Now I'm wondering if the DRC8052N will do both interlaced and progressive at the same time. I need that because SD through component on mine looks horrible. And I don't think it has a back panel slide switch. This could be a deal breaker for me. I'm waiting on some cables, as soon as I know I'll post my results here. Anybody else know?

Chris


This 8052N and 8060N recorders are obviously different but what are the exact differences? I suspect the 8060N is the more advanced of the two since it has a higher model "number". The 8060N got a very good review in a recent HT magazine.

I just bought and plugged in my new DRC8052N. I am running both HDMI and Component video, and I have digital coax running for audio. My TV only has DVI input (no HDMI). So, I have an HDMI to DVI adapter, and I can see video from both the DVI and Component input on my TV. However, when I go into the DRC8052N setup menu to change the digital audio output from PCM to Raw, the option is locked on PCM and will not allow me to change. Therefore, I cannot get 5.1 sound via my Onkyo receiver. Anyone who has one already, please help.
Hello jchamb,
You can only change the audio output from PCM to Ram when you are in stop mode & not in the playing mode.

According to RCA's website the DRC8052N has TV Guardian built in, but I cannot confirm this anywhere else on the internet nor on the box at my local Walmart.

From your experience using the DRC8052N does it have TV Guardian built it?

I've tried finding a pdf version of the manual on RCA's website, but their website is not very good.

Thanks,
Eric

A few minor additions to the good/bad list.

Good:
I am over 30 near 2-hour recordings with little problems other than a balking 4-way amplifier between my new Dish VIP622 and the DRC8060N. Some menus were tearing. Re-cabled and it seems to work, today.

Bad:
You have to enter the disk name, the title name, and the title snapshot from different menus. That means you can have multiple titles and still a disk name, good I guess. I have not checked which is displayed on the other recorder and players.
Well, you don't have to do enter all 3, if you want New DVD+R, date and time but sometimes the current show or the following, and the first frame, maybe.
Had one hang up that required pulling the plug.
It does not allow access to disc menus until it gets a recording. I thought it did before.
I would like to not enter the title into its index where I had to make it in 2 parts.
Just remember to change to commercial skip before recording. I missed on one.

-Ken

Does the RCA DRC8052N at Wal-Mart have the "Commercial Advance" system?

"Commercial Advance" is a system that automatically marks off the commercials & then on playback skips over them.

I don't want to confuse anyone because this is not where you mark the commercials off yourself & then they are hidden on playback or when playing back a dvd you use a "Commercial Skip" button to fast forward through the commercials.

The "Commercial Advance" system is a truely automatic system where you do nothing except maybe to it "ON" or "OFF" in a menu & nothing else & the commercials are marked & skipped automatically on playback.

Does the RCA DRC8052N at Wal-Mart have the "Commercial Advance" system?

"Commercial Advance" is a system that automatically marks off the commercials & then on playback skips over them.

I don't want to confuse anyone because this is not where you mark the commercials off yourself & then they are hidden on playback or when playing back a dvd you use a "Commercial Skip" button to fast forward through the commercials.

The "Commercial Advance" system is a truely automatic system where you do nothing except maybe to it "ON" or "OFF" in a menu & nothing else & the commercials are marked & skipped automatically on playback.

Thats what I keep asking-- What on earth is the difference between the 8060N and the 8052N ??? The RCA website is useless in answering this. The 8060N does have that Commercial Advance feature and it worked well in the review from either Perfect Vision or Home Theater that I read in ~ March issue. But RCA's website says the 8052N has this Foul Language Filter thingie which would be nice in watching PG-13 and even some PG movies with the 6 y/o child. So the question is whether the 8052N also has the Commercial Advance feature.

I don't have an HDMI cable yet, so I am running from my Dish Network 811 box (via S-video) to the RCA, and from there to my 37"LCD via component. I'm not real overly crazy about the signal that is sent via S-video, but I don't imagine there is anything else I can do. The image over component is a bit better than the Polaroid was (over component). I am going to connect this via HDMI as soon as my shipment from monoprice comes in.




Ok, now I'm connected via HDMI. I have to say that improved the image quality of SD coming through the DVDR incredibly. Before I was hooked up to my LCD via component, and the SD image was very poor. (However, the recordings I made looked fine on a standard CRT.) Now the image on my LCD via HDMI is very good and I see very little to no degredation in the signal compared to the standard SD signal on HDTV.

Don't know where this post went last night but will try again. I called RCA to get info on difference between 8052N and 8060N. The rep on the phone had no earthly idea and I told him the 8052N had the Foul Language Filter and the 8060N had the Commercial Advance feature. But I wanted to know if both features were on both DVD recorders. Was put on hold for 10 minutes and the gy tells me:

8052N has the Foul Language Filter but no Commercial Advance.

8060N has the Commercial Advance but not the Foul Language feature.

He didn't sound real confident in this and said he couldn't find any other differences. Maybe someone who has bought either of these units can confirm or refute this.

I would like both features. The Foul Language Filter would be nice in watching PG 13 movies with young kids where an occasional burst of profanity occurs. But the Commercial Advance feature automatically skips commercials when recording so this is usefull also.

I called RCA to get info on difference between 8052N and 8060N..
It looks as if you may be correct on the diff. but look at this RCA webpage (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/Cultures/en-US/ModelDetail.html?PCI=DVD+Recorders&ProductID=DRC8060N) on the 8060N, where you can download the specs and manual. You can use the Search engine on that page to get info. on the 8052N also..."from the horses mouth," so to speak.

There is a $50 diff. in price between the two on Newegg.com ($139 vs. 189), so there's at least that much diff. somewhere?

It looks as if you may be correct on the diff. but look at this RCA webpage (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/Cultures/en-US/ModelDetail.html?PCI=DVD+Recorders&ProductID=DRC8060N) on the 8060N, where you can download the specs and manual. You can use the Search engine on that page to get info. on the 8052N also..."from the horses mouth," so to speak.

There is a $50 diff. in price between the two on Newegg.com ($139 vs. 189), so there's at least that much diff. somewhere?


Can you get any info on the 8052N ???

On RCA's web site I can download the PDF for the 8060N and I do not see the Foul Language Filer feature. But all can get on the 8052N is a basic page on RCA's website that gives only a snippet about this 8052N player. Are you finding the PDF of it also? If the 8052N had the Commercial Advance feature that the 8060N has then I would buy it today!

Here's the best info. available. (http://www.pricerunner.com/sound-and-vision/vision/dvd-players/642333/details)

Here's the best info. available. (http://www.pricerunner.com/sound-and-vision/vision/dvd-players/642333/details)

That stil doesn't really give the features of the 8052N like Foul Language Filter or Commercial Advance nor does it distinguish it from the 8060N.

Does anyone have either of these two to tell us some details?

The RCA number to talk to a human is 800-311-9263. I might try again and see if I can get someone else who can do a really good breakdown on the differences between the 8060N and the 8052N. The 8060N is about $35 more expensive everywhere I look.

TNVOL, If you call RCA ask where you can download the Owners Manual for the 8052N then maybe you'll be able to tell the difference.

You could even ask them to mail you a DVD Recorder Catalog if there still having them made?

The older RCA Catalog's were great for breaking down exactly what features were available on models.

TNVOL, If you call RCA ask where you can download the Owners Manual for the 8052N then maybe you'll be able to tell the difference.

You could even ask them to mail you a DVD Recorder Catalog if there still having them made?

The older RCA Catalog's were great for breaking down exactly what features were available on models.

I will try that. I did see a review recently in Sound and Vision magazine which gave the Commercial Advance feature some kudo's for working well. Here is the web link to that article: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1138&page_number=4

What I would like to hear is whether the Foul Language Filter on the 8052N works well. If so then it might fit my and some others needs. I have a 6 y/o and it is amazing how many PG-13 and PG movies are just fine for 98%o f the movie but then out of the blue there is a stream of GD's spit out that I would just assume the 6y/o didn't hear. Batman Begins and The Fantastic 4 are two movies that come to mind that did this.

Of course the best thing would be for the 8052N to have BOTH features above. I am fairly certain the 8060N only has the Commercial Advance since I have seen the review and also can download its user manual from the RCA site.

TNVOL,
I haven't tried the TV Guardian feature on my 8052, but I do have experience using this on a different DVD player (I think it was a Sylvania). While the feature worked reasonably well for movies already in the database, it only came with a trial and the software built into the player. To use the feature long-term, you had t pay a monthly fee (which I think is now a one-time fee). You can get more info here: http://tvguardian.com/gshell.php

I bought mine today... In fact i did not notice the model # as i got mixed up with 8060N being offered for the same price in SAMS CLUB but its available online only for the same price as the 8052N (Walmart Exlcusive)

But 8060N can record on DualLayer Discs.... Check out page 2 in this Spec sheet from RCA

http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/NR/rdonlyres/73F9D8A4-810A-413F-82D4-F3B9B3786585/0/DRC8060N.pdf

Just in case anyone is interested to get one from Sams Club here is the link

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=330696

This model is only available online...

For those of you who have the RCA 8060N do you ever have problems where it will not allow you to watch a comercial disk complaining about "This Player is incompatible with the region markings of this disk (blue screen)" . This is on a disk that is clearly marked region 1. I usually rent disks from netflix and do not have problems but this is the second time I came up on a disk that is setting off this error. What gives? I'm connected via HDMi if that makes a difference or not.
Now I'm leaning toward replacing this with the 8052n since that model has same basic features but also records on to DVD - RW . Also I'm not to hapy with the way the unit heats up even when its in stand by. Does the new units have this problem?

I just ordered the 8052N instead of the 8060N. Just thought the Foul Language Filter would be better for me (with a 6 y/o child) than the Commercial Advance the 8060N has. I am still holding out a smidgen of hope that the 8052N has this feature but the RCA site has virtually NO details on the 8052N. No manual and no specs on their web site.

ok update to my post above. Is the 8060n region free out of the factory? I got a region error on a region one disk by paramont (failure to launch title). after reading on web I read somewhere that paramount has a higher level of security on their new disks that prevents play in non region specific players. so this could explain my freak error. any one else?

TNVOL,
I looked through my 8052n's manual the other day for you and couldn't find any mention of commercial advance; however I couldn't find any info on how to turn on the TV Guardian feature even though the website says it has this feature.

gwave,
The 8052 doesn't get overly hot. This is something that I am always worried about with electronics (past experiences), so I do the touch test several times after buying and installing a new device.

I purchased a 8052N last week. Everything is good until I notice that when I watch the TV from the DVD recorder, the video and audio is out of sync. The video will be 1 or 2 seconds delay. When I record the TV and play it back, the video will be fine. Same problem when I tried the input signal from AV1 and DV connection. Anyone have this problem? I post the problem on RCA website support page 3 days ago. Haven't get any answer yet.

Is it my unit or what?

The tuner in the 8052N is not that great. i have a digital splitter from Cablevision and the STB does a good job of the regular analog channels but the RCA gave me crummy images.

any ideas>

I purchased a 8052N last week. Everything is good until I notice that when I watch the TV from the DVD recorder, the video and audio is out of sync. The video will be 1 or 2 seconds delay. When I record the TV and play it back, the video will be fine. Same problem when I tried the input signal from AV1 and DV connection. Anyone have this problem? I post the problem on RCA website support page 3 days ago. Haven't get any answer yet.


I have noticed this problem as well, but only when I am upconverting incoming SD analog audio/video from whatever source to 720p via the HDMI output. If I "upconvert" to 480p or 1080i, the problem seems to go away.

Also, (this may have been asked before...), does anyone know what the max "resolution" output by the component video jacks? 480p? more?

Thanks,
Fuzz

TNVOL,
I looked through my 8052n's manual the other day for you and couldn't find any mention of commercial advance; however I couldn't find any info on how to turn on the TV Guardian feature even though the website says it has this feature.

gwave,
The 8052 doesn't get overly hot. This is something that I am always worried about with electronics (past experiences), so I do the touch test several times after buying and installing a new device.


I went ahead and bought the 8052N over the 8060N because I valued the TV Guardian feature more than Commercial Advance with a 6 y/o watching some PG and occasional PG-13 movies. I went ahead and ordered from Wally World web site and got the unit in yesterday. About midnight last night I open the box and look at the Owners Manual. I looked and looked and looked but not one single word about this TV Guardian feature! So does this 8052N have the TV Guardian Foul Language Filter or not???

The RCA web site says precious little about the 8052N but what little it does say is that it has TV Guardian. But the owners manual says nothing. Will try to hook it up this weekend and see but can anyone confirm if this feature is there or not?

I would say to take a look in the Menu System because I would think there must be some way to turn it "ON" or "OFF" because I doubt it would be just set to "ON" all the time.

But it is hard to believe that the Owners Manual has nothing on it.

If you can't find anything about it I would call Wal-Mart & see what they have to say.

The one thing I like about the 8060N is that the actual burner can be swapped for any standard size computer optical drive - I read this in some comments made about this model in Videohelp. I would swap the existing burner for an NEC (I have always found these very flexible as far as media brands) and see what happens! Maybe it will increase the number of recordable formats.
I was originally looking for a DVD recorder with VCR Plus+ (Philips 615). I haven't used this feature for many years and hopefully it has improved. The 8060N doesn't have this. Do you think it should be a deciding factor?
One feature I do like is the USB in port. I recently tried out the Philips 5960 with this port connected to a hard drive and it was very useful!
One more confusing statement is about recording Dual Layer disks. Newegg.com lists this as a recordable format but I read through the PDF manual and couldn't see any mention of them. Newegg.com are promoting the 8060N this weekend with free shipping and the $30 rebate so I guess I will to decide very soon....Philips or RCA? Thanks for any comments.

One more confusing statement is about recording Dual Layer disks. Newegg.com lists this as a recordable format but I read through the PDF manual and couldn't see any mention of them.
The Pioneer 53x/63x series DVRs can record on DL discs but there is no mention of that in its manual either. If you see a reliable source that says it does record DL, you're probably OK. (The DL ability was only mentioned in a CNET review for the Pio.)

Squeasel, According to the 2nd page of the official RCA spec sheet (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/NR/rdonlyres/73F9D8A4-810A-413F-82D4-F3B9B3786585/0/DRC8060N.pdf), the 8060n does support DVD+R Dual Layer.

TNVOL,
After you had asked about TV Guardinan, I looked through my 8052N's manual and couldn't find any reference to it. I also checked through the menus last night after I finalized a disk, and I couldn't find any way to turn it on or off. You may want to call RCA.

Squeasel, According to the 2nd page of the official RCA spec sheet (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/NR/rdonlyres/73F9D8A4-810A-413F-82D4-F3B9B3786585/0/DRC8060N.pdf), the 8060n does support DVD+R Dual Layer.

TNVOL,
After you had asked about TV Guardinan, I looked through my 8052N's manual and couldn't find any reference to it. I also checked through the menus last night after I finalized a disk, and I couldn't find any way to turn it on or off. You may want to call RCA.

Well, if you can't find it in the menu list on the actual recorder then I am not sure I want to go to the trouble of hooking mine up. That is the main reason I got it. The RCA web site says it has the TV Guardian feature. But I went, last night, to TV Guardians web site and they list RCA as a user of their product but I did not see the 8052N listed as a unit that has this feature. I know its not in the Owners Manual and if it is actually present then you should be able to turn it on and off via the Menu's setup. So if you can't find it then its likely not there. I think Wally World is going to get a return product. Here is the RCA # to talk to a human in India (800-311-9263). Last time I tried to do this I was trying to get the difference between the 8052N and the 8060N. The rep had no clue and came back about 10 minutes later and said the 8052N had the TV Guardian feature and the 8060N had the Commercial Advance feature. What gives?

Squeasel, According to the 2nd page of the official RCA spec sheet (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/NR/rdonlyres/73F9D8A4-810A-413F-82D4-F3B9B3786585/0/DRC8060N.pdf), the 8060n does support DVD+R Dual Layer.

TNVOL,
After you had asked about TV Guardinan, I looked through my 8052N's manual and couldn't find any reference to it. I also checked through the menus last night after I finalized a disk, and I couldn't find any way to turn it on or off. You may want to call RCA.

I went ahead and hooked mine up to see if I could simply find ANY indication that the TV guardian feature is present. I found NO indication in the setup menus and there is not one word in the Owners manual on it. Only way to know for sure is to go to a specific spot on a DVD where you know there is cursing and see if it is "built in" and "on" all the time. But if that is the case then I am not sure I want the feature. If it is there it needs to be able to be turned off for adult watching.

So I then called RCA and the rep could just read off the Web site promo. I told her the deal and she said she would go check on it and get back to me in a day or two. I also emailed TV Guardian and asked if they could check to see if the 8052N had this feature.

Squeasel, According to the 2nd page of the official RCA spec sheet (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/NR/rdonlyres/73F9D8A4-810A-413F-82D4-F3B9B3786585/0/DRC8060N.pdf), the 8060n does support DVD+R Dual Layer.

Mcamden, thank you for the link. I checked the 68 page PDF 'User Guide' using the Adobe reader search option and it didn't come up with anything so I can only assume that this guide was written many moons before the manufacturer said "lets try a dual layer disk just in case in works"!
After carrying out way too much research I have decided on one thing - buy the DVD recorder from a retail outlet with a good/easy return policy. I never realized just how many people had to return their recorders because they were faulty etc. Newegg.com may have a good price but they never want to see it again once it is out of the door! So I think it will have to be Walmart and maybe Target if they allow 90 days. Are there any other retailers anyone can recommend? Thanks.

I sawthis recorder at Walmart. Looked kind of cheep on the outside. I'm starting to lean toward the Samsung DVD-R135. Has the same features as the RCA but looks more solid plus Samsung has a better rep. Any one see any good reviews on the Samsung?

I went ahead and hooked mine up to see if I could simply find ANY indication that the TV guardian feature is present. I found NO indication in the setup menus and there is not one word in the Owners manual on it. Only way to know for sure is to go to a specific spot on a DVD where you know there is cursing and see if it is "built in" and "on" all the time. But if that is the case then I am not sure I want the feature. If it is there it needs to be able to be turned off for adult watching.

So I then called RCA and the rep could just read off the Web site promo. I told her the deal and she said she would go check on it and get back to me in a day or two. I also emailed TV Guardian and asked if they could check to see if the 8052N had this feature.
Here's a web page (http://watermark.promocan.com/LineNames.htm?CD=11284&PG=6&NPP=8) that lists several RCAs and their features. The 8052N is the fifth one down. The four units above the 8052N all list TV Guardian, but no mention of it for the 8052N.

I think it's very possible it doesn't have the TV Guardian.

I did see two separate TV Guardian boxes (http://www.dvo.com/tvguardian.html?CID=g_TVG_BTV-Guardian&gclid=CLKZx4zh84UCFSiNFQodTm8EuQ) for one-time fee of $59 and $69. That might be a better solution since you can use it with any TV, VCR or recorder in your house...or place it in-line to serve multiple devices!

Apparently, for it to work, a program must broadcast the Closed Caption (CC) audio channel, which is what it reads to blank out the words you don't want to be heard.

I sawthis recorder at Walmart. Looked kind of cheep on the outside. I'm starting to lean toward the Samsung DVD-R135. Has the same features as the RCA but looks more solid plus Samsung has a better rep. Any one see any good reviews on the Samsung?

Seriously? To each their own, I guess. I own one, so I might be a bit biased here, but if anything I think it is put together nicely. Feels heavy and the black and chrome finish is nice IMO. Nicer than the Phillips and Polaroid units. The remote isn't great, but it is better than that other units that I've seen.

1. I'm in marketing and I've been told by more than three vendors that Walmart/SAMS is so big they get their own models built by many mfgs. This is probably the problem with finding more info on this 8052N unit?
2. I wish just one company would bring back true support and not someone who I know more about the product by following this website than they do!!
3. For anyone out there who owns a 8060N, does the DL disc record straight through from layer 1 to layer 2 or is there a pause/or is this possible? The new Panasonics will use DL but you can only record one layer at at time.
Thanks!

Here's a web page (http://watermark.promocan.com/LineNames.htm?CD=11284&PG=6&NPP=8) that lists several RCAs and their features. The 8052N is the fifth one down. The four units above the 8052N all list TV Guardian, but no mention of it for the 8052N.

I think it's very possible it doesn't have the TV Guardian.

I did see two separate TV Guardian boxes (http://www.dvo.com/tvguardian.html?CID=g_TVG_BTV-Guardian&gclid=CLKZx4zh84UCFSiNFQodTm8EuQ) for one-time fee of $59 and $69. That might be a better solution since you can use it with any TV, VCR or recorder in your house...or place it in-line to serve multiple devices!

Apparently, for it to work, a program must broadcast the Closed Caption (CC) audio channel, which is what it reads to blank out the words you don't want to be heard.

Does anyone actually have a RCA DVD player that has the TV Guardian feature? On the RCA web site it looks like most do, including their portable DVD player. The TV Guardian web site also list a bunch of RCA players that have this (but no mention of the 8052N). But what I would like to know from someone who has the TV Guardian feature is a) Does the Owners Manual discuss this feature and b) Do the setup menu's on the DVD player itself have a menu where this can be turned ON/OFF.

The 8052N has nary a word in the Owners Manual or in the Setup Menu's. So IF it is there then it is ON all the time? If I had a DVD where I knew I could test it then I would.

Gwave,
I bought the Sammy DVD-R135 back in May. The video quality of the upconversion over HDMI was pretty bad (looked worse than the progressive scan from my six year old JVC multi-changer). Also, I had trouble with some of the discs that I burned (wouldn't play back in other players). I next tried a Samsung DVD-R120 (was on sale at our local Sam's for $65 - has now dropped to $40); again I had problems playing those back in other players. I've been using a Panny DMR ES30V for a couple of years and never had playback problems in any of our players, so I blame the Sammy for my problems. I next picked up the RCA 8052 on ebay and haven't had any issues with it. The upconversion over HDMI is pretty good, and the recording is reliable. There are some things that I would change, but overall, it was worth the $100 I paid for it.

Gwave,
I bought the Sammy DVD-R135 back in May. The video quality of the upconversion over HDMI was pretty bad (looked worse than the progressive scan from my six year old JVC multi-changer). Also, I had trouble with some of the discs that I burned (wouldn't play back in other players). I next tried a Samsung DVD-R120 (was on sale at our local Sam's for $65 - has now dropped to $40); again I had problems playing those back in other players. I've been using a Panny DMR ES30V for a couple of years and never had playback problems in any of our players, so I blame the Sammy for my problems. I next picked up the RCA 8052 on ebay and haven't had any issues with it. The upconversion over HDMI is pretty good, and the recording is reliable. There are some things that I would change, but overall, it was worth the $100 I paid for it.
Thanks for the info. I guess I'll look else where. Any one else know of a good recorder that has HDMI and Divx playback (or record perhaps). For those who had the 8060n and now this one 8052n, which one do you like better? I'm thinking of swaping out of my 8060n due to heat problem and fact that on two discs (over a period of time) I got a region error on a region 1 disk. Also I would like to record on +/- R disks (dual format).

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll look else where. Any one else know of a good recorder that has HDMI and Divx playback (or record perhaps). For those who had the 8060n and now this one 8052n, which one do you like better? I'm thinking of swaping out of my 8060n due to heat problem and fact that on two discs (over a period of time) I got a region error on a region 1 disk. Also I would like to record on +/- R disks (dual format).

In my view the 8060N is a better unit. it can not only record on +/- but also on Dual Layer Discs. Agreed that there has been heat problems reported but i still feel 8060 has more to offer than the 8052.

The other units that you can look at are Philips & Liteon http://us.liteonit.com/us/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=25&Itemid=119

http://www.store.philips.com/b2c_redesign/b2c/productdetail.do?productguid=4191CF55A596009600000000828BD47 24352730660B0015200000000828BD4B5&productarea=4191CF55A596009600000000828BD472&scenario=catalog&shop=DIRECT

I would stay away from cyberhome as they have removed all recorders from their website.

I just saw the LG DR1H9F one is on sale @ BB and it also has a $10 MIR (LG Website only, expires 7/8/06). This not only does Divx but HDMI to 1080i, it also has a Multi-region Mod available on videohelp.com

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7726758&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat13900050019&id=1141762726820

MIR http://us.lge.com/product/audio_video/pdf/10_DR1F9H_Rebate.pdf

In my view the 8060N is a better unit. it can not only record on +/- but also on Dual Layer Discs. Agreed that there has been heat problems reported but i still feel 8060 has more to offer than the 8052.

I just saw the LG DR1H9F one is on sale @ BB and it also has a $10 MIR (LG Website only, expires 7/8/06). This not only does Divx but HDMI to 1080i, it also has a Multi-region Mod available on videohelp.com

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7726758&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat13900050019&id=1141762726820

MIR http://us.lge.com/product/audio_video/pdf/10_DR1F9H_Rebate.pdf
I'm diggin the specs on the LG. Are these units dependable and of good quality?
Also are you sure the 8060n does -R/-RW disks? I tried using some and it didn't take them.

I'm diggin the specs on the LG. Are these units dependable and of good quality?
Also are you sure the 8060n does -R/-RW disks? I tried using some and it didn't take them.

hmmm... Doh!.. My bad.. they dont take - discs...

at this point LG seems to be the best bet. i think they are a decent enough company and make good DVD Drives for PCs.

OR if you wanna sacrifice HDMI upconversion, BB also has a Philips on sale for 169 and so does CC for $8 less

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7686079&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat13900050019&id=1134703758492

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/howToGetItTab.do?c=1&zip=08837&oid=149063&userClick=STORE_PICKUP&showMoreStores=false&originURLEncoded=#tabs

hmmm. I guess having an hdmi input on my tv I really should pair it up with an hdmi dvd player/recorder. I hope this lg plays nicely with wide screen format disks.

hmmm. I guess having an hdmi input on my tv I really should pair it up with an hdmi dvd player/recorder. I hope this lg plays nicely with wide screen format disks.

The only reason i am leaning towards LG is the Region Mod. otherwise the philips is a better deal as it also offers HDMI output, but no upconversion (Strange)

well if you want cables this is best place to go, i bought one and it is really good than being scalped by BB or CC

http://www.monoprice.com/home/?CartID=&style=

I just saw the LG DR1H9F one is on sale @ BB and it also has a $10 MIR (LG Website only, expires 7/8/06). This not only does Divx but HDMI to 1080i, it also has a Multi-region Mod

Thanks so much for posting this rebate. I'm thinking of getting this unit but still undecided between it, the Samsung DVDR-145 and the RCA 8060n. I have a Samsung vcr that has been pretty reliable, but I have no experience with their recorders. One thing I like about the DVDR-145 is that it has a satellite receiver control to change channels. The feature I like about the RCA 8060n is the commercial advance. I have this on my Samsung vcr and it works pretty well. However, I have read some reviews where people say the commerical advance in the RCA 8060n will suddenly stop working. I think overall the LG DR1F9H has the most features I'm looking for:

Records to multi-format
Records to DVD Ram
Will play DivX
Upconverts using HDMI connection
Has S video in and out (I had bought a Lite On that didn't have S video and ended up returning it)

I basically want to record tv shows and movies from HBO, and possibly record some older VHS tapes that I own. Right now I have an older crt tv, but want to eventually get an LCD or plasma.

Anyway, thanks again. Any advice for this very confused newbie would be much appreciated :)

Thanks so much for posting this rebate. I'm thinking of getting this unit but still undecided between it, the Samsung DVDR-145 and the RCA 8060n. I have a Samsung vcr that has been pretty reliable, but I have no experience with their recorders. One thing I like about the DVDR-145 is that it has a satellite receiver control to change channels. The feature I like about the RCA 8060n is the commercial advance. I have this on my Samsung vcr and it works pretty well. However, I have read some reviews where people say the commerical advance in the RCA 8060n will suddenly stop working. I think overall the LG DR1F9H has the most features I'm looking for:

Records to multi-format
Records to DVD Ram
Will play DivX
Upconverts using HDMI connection
Has S video in and out (I had bought a Lite On that didn't have S video and ended up returning it)

I basically want to record tv shows and movies from HBO, and possibly record some older VHS tapes that I own. Right now I have an older crt tv, but want to eventually get an LCD or plasma.

Anyway, thanks again. Any advice for this very confused newbie would be much appreciated :)

The specs on the Samsung DVDr-145 are very simular to the LG. Its a tough call other then which one does a better job at doing what the specs say. Somewhere above someone said the Samsung dvdr-135 did not live up to expectations of pq so might want to consider that if this model shares simular hardware. I do like the fact that it has a cable box control which gives it a slight edge over the LG.
I have the 8060n and its really a no thrills DVDR that tends to warm up even when in stand by. So I'm thinking of swaping it for somethin better. I noticed that some DVD disk still have black bars on the horizontal edges even in widescreen mode and there is no stretch mode. I use zoom but that is not the way to go. I hope the other players handle this better. Not all widescreen discs are true 16:9 so this will happen more often then not so the player should do something about it.

The specs on the Samsung DVDr-145 are very simular to the LG. Its a tough call other then which one does a better job at doing what the specs say. Somewhere above someone said the Samsung dvdr-135 did not live up to expectations of pq so might want to consider that if this model shares simular hardware. I do like the fact that it has a cable box control which gives it a slight edge over the LG.
I have the 8060n and its really a no thrills DVDR that tends to warm up even when in stand by. So I'm thinking of swaping it for somethin better. I noticed that some DVD disk still have black bars on the horizontal edges even in widescreen mode and there is no stretch mode. I use zoom but that is not the way to go. I hope the other players handle this better. Not all widescreen discs are true 16:9 so this will happen more often then not so the player should do something about it.

Thanks for your reply, Gwave. I really appreciate your input. I'm leaning towards the LG. Another reason being is their customer support/service seems to be better than Samsung and RCA. Too bad it doesn't have the commercial advance or set top box controller. I guess you can't have everything :D

It does NOT and mean does NOT have the TV Guardian feature that the RCA web site and the RCA customer service reps say it has.

I bought this until from Walmart beause I valued the TV Guardian feature more than the Commercial Advance feature of the 8060N. But when I got the 8052N there was nary a word about TV Guardian in either the Owners Manual or the DVD Setup Menu. I emailed TV Guardian and they did not have the 8052N as having this feature. I called RCA Customer Service once again a week ago and they said they would research it and get back to me in 2 days (this was 8 days ago).

So I listened to Hellboy DVD and marked ehwre there were curse words on another DVD player. I then went to these areas on the RCA 8052N to see if the TV Guardain was "built in" and it isn't. So the 8052N doesn't have this feature built in nor does it mention TV Guardain in the Owners manual or the Setup Menu of the 8052N.

So RCA's website is lying about this and their customer service reps are too stupid about their own equipment. It also doesn't have Commercial Advance like the 8060Nos IMO the 8060N is the better unit afterall. I took my 8052N back to Wally World for a refund. Bad RCA!!!!

This is why I come to boards like this for info because you can never tell if products specs are right especially on "New" models because at the time they printed up the info it was usually correct but then the bean counters or whatever made some changes & that's why most specs have a disclaimer on them saying that they were correct at the time of printing but can change at anytime.

From what I've seen on Companies Websites all they seem to do is copy the first run Printed Spec. Sheets & it takes them forever to correct the Website if there were any chances to the product.

Who knows maybe RCA came in with a price that Wal-Mart din't like so they took off the Guardian to meet the price that Wal-mart would pay but the specs. on paper never got changed?

RCA has upgraded their page on the 8052. New info (no mention of DVD Guardian, the foul language filter) on the unit is there. They have also posted the instruction manual and spec sheet). Here's the link. (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/en-US/modeldetail.html?ProductID=DRC8052)

Update. Ok so I went ahead an exchanged my rca 8060N for another one that looked like it had newer firmware. It did have 5.16. What I noticed different about this one is the menu system is slightly better and it records to DVD-RW which the other one did not. Also I was able to play a movie DVD fine that on my old 8060N was giving me a Region Error. So the new one seems to have improved. Also it does not get as hot as the old one did. So I guess they improved on it. Will I keep it rather then get the LG? Time will tell.

I have been considering getting the DRC8052N, but was wondering if anyone could tell me for sure if the dvdr has an analog tuner, or a digital tuner? I have a nice Sanyo HDTV with both analog and digital tuners, and I am wanting to make sure that I get a dvdr that recieves digital tv signals, not that analog signals that it stores in digital format. if the DCR8052N doesn't recieve digital signals, would appreciate any input that anyone could give me about other brands/models of dvdr that would do what i am needing. Thank you.

WarmShadow

I don't believe there are any DVD Recorders out today that have digital tuners.

I have been considering getting the DRC8052N, but was wondering if anyone could tell me for sure if the dvdr has an analog tuner, or a digital tuner? I have a nice Sanyo HDTV with both analog and digital tuners, and I am wanting to make sure that I get a dvdr that recieves digital tv signals, not that analog signals that it stores in digital format. if the DCR8052N doesn't recieve digital signals, would appreciate any input that anyone could give me about other brands/models of dvdr that would do what i am needing. Thank you.

WarmShadow
The only DVR with ATSC and NTSC tuners I've found is an LG unit that I don't think has a DVD recorder, just a HDD.

Here's a link (see links towards bottom of page for more info.) (http://www.hometheatermag.com/hdtvsattuners/704lg/)

Back to the RCA:

For those folks who have this unit: I attempted to record a 3 hour show the other night on NBC (ok, I admit it, it was the Miami Vice special).......

Anyway, I had set the recording mode to 3-hr and manually hit record at the start of the show. Lo-and-behold when I went back to check the disc (it was previously empty) it only got the first hour. Why would this be?

I went ahead and purchased the RCA DRC8052N after reading the reviews of its picture quality in this forum. I hooked it up through the HDMI cable set it for highest setting and was not impressed at all with the picture quality. Am I doing something wrong? Do I have to turn on upconverting or turn off something else? My old progressive scan via component actually looks better. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Woot.com is featuring this player at the moment. Advertised price is 129.

I want to add a caveat that I personally haven't used woot yet. I've heard of others who have.

This player sure seems like it has a really consumer-friendly set of features.

My hope is that all the clever readers on AVS find out the codes for region unlock and user override controls.

I went ahead and purchased the RCA DRC8052N after reading the reviews of its picture quality in this forum. I hooked it up through the HDMI cable set it for highest setting and was not impressed at all with the picture quality. Am I doing something wrong? Do I have to turn on upconverting or turn off something else? My old progressive scan via component actually looks better. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


You do have to hit the upconverting button on the RCA remote BUT your TV might have a better scaler than the RCA does. I found that I get a better picture from DVD's using plain ole 480p and letting the TV upconvert to 1080p wiht the internal scaler.

There was a review in Perfect Vision (I think) about 2 months ago and only 1-2 DVD players out of about 20 reviewed, showed a better picture with HDMI upconverting to 1080i. All the others had the best picture with 480p via Component Cables.

So in my personal experience and in a professional review, the HDMI upconversion isn't worth it and actually is worse in most cases.

Let me say I recommend upconverting to get this best quality picture from any source. Which this unit gives you.
I find this DVD recorder gives you a lot for your money.
The only problem I'm having is the unit Freezing while setting up to playing a divx files.
But only with divx files.
I'll have several files on a DVD-RW and I go to the Title screen and its seems to happen if I pick a file and don't let it preview first. But then again it could happen from moving around on that screen to fast.
This is my 2nd unit having the same problem.
Anyone have any ideas?
Other than that the picture is amazing comming from this unit. :(

Let me say I recommend upconverting to get this best quality picture from any source. Which this unit gives you.
I find this DVD recorder gives you a lot for your money.
The only problem I'm having is the unit Freezing while setting up to playing a divx files.
But only with divx files.
I'll have several files on a DVD-RW and I go to the Title screen and its seems to happen if I pick a file and don't let it preview first. But then again it could happen from moving around on that screen to fast.
This is my 2nd unit having the same problem.
Anyone have any ideas?
Other than that the picture is amazing comming from this unit. :(
To bad RCA makes junk!!!!

I bought the recorder over a month ago..had tried a couple of other brands from Best Buy both by Toshiba and was not happy with the HDMI conversion PQ on either one.

The RCA version is quite good and have been well pleased. Only drawback so far is yes it only has a coaxial connection for Dolby Digital and not an optical..they commented on the load time but for me the only time it is slow is when you initialy turn it on..as far as after it is on and you hit play it is fine and for 140 bucks it isnt a bad recorder considering Divix and upconversion.

One other issue I am having is some of my burned DVD's playback I have freeze ups usally the last 30 minutes of the movie...anyone else having this issue and if so is there a firmware upgrade to correct it?

how do you do upscaling of 1080i signal on rca8060n? I tried the zoom button but it just zooms the picture.

The only problem I'm having is the unit Freezing while setting up to playing a divx files.
But only with divx files.
I'll have several files on a DVD-RW and I go to the Tile screen and its seems to happen if I pick a file and don't let it preview first. But then again it could happen from moving around on that screen to fast.
This is my 2nd unit having the same problem.
Anyone have any ideas?
Try the same divx file on a CD?

The only DVR with ATSC and NTSC tuners I've found is an LG unit that I don't think has a DVD recorder, just a HDD.

Here's a link (see links towards bottom of page for more info.) (http://www.hometheatermag.com/hdtvsattuners/704lg/)Don't forget the 2 Sony units.

Upscaling comes from the connection!

The best conection is the HDMI which will upscale to 1080i but keep in mind the PQ will still be determined by the source i.e. quality of the recording of the DVD.

Upscaling comes from the connection!

The best conection is the HDMI which will upscale to 1080i but keep in mind the PQ will still be determined by the source i.e. quality of the recording of the DVD.An HDMI connection doesn't upscale, in this case the DVD Player/Recorder does that, then sends the result over HDMI, which is delivered to the display just as it gets it. An HDMI connection is just a cable, with no ability to change the video characteristics (such as resolution) as it goes through.

Anyone know where I can get/purchase a replacement remote for my new DRC-8052N?

Found this in the model 8060 User's guide at the back under Accessories:

Remote Control (RCR615DCM1)
part number 261387; $23.10

How to Order
To place an order by phone, have your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover Card ready and call the toll-free number listed below.
Use this number only to place an order for accessory items.
1-800-338-0376

I think I learned that if you connect the 8060n via HDMI the other outputs stop working. So you can't have it put out to more then one TV or a slingbox as I was planning to do until I found out its a no go. Unless I missed something.

Yes, I have just received this DRC8052N as a birthday gift, and currently have it hooked up to a Westinghouse 32" LCD HD-Ready TV (the old LTV-32w1) using an HDMI-DVI cable (from Philips). Now, the problem that I have with this, is that even though it records from the cable box, and plays back those DVDs just fine. However, I have it that, if I were to play any commercial, Hollywood DVD, the sound will play, but the screen will flicker and sometimes lose the signal, even at the 720p and 1080i signals. I'm quite sure that the Westinghouse DVI is HDCP compliant whilst having that HDMI-DVI connection. Was there any way to set region codes, or other types of programming for the DVD playing feature regarding commercial DVDs at all? Don't tell me that RCA's trying to pull another Sony on me.

I purchased an RCA DRC8052N DVD recorder appx 2 months ago. One annoying problem is that periodically, it locks up and won't respond to any commands, whether its from the remote or whether I push the buttons on the recorder itself. The only solution is to unplug it. Of course, then I have to reprogram everything again. The issue that is giving me the most grief, and which I am looking for help with, is that periodically it jumps off the channel and records snow. I have to stop recording, go to setup, arrow down to "tv channel", and it immediately goes back to the station I was supposed to be recording. This happens about once a week, at random times. I record all news programs (AM, noon, 5pm, 11pm) every day of the week. There's no pattern to which day or which time this happens. Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong?

$89.99 +$5 s/h on woot today (11/01)


No, not spamming the site - thinking of buying one and was looking for info on how good/bad it is and came across this thread. Thought I"d pass along the deal info

This would be my first/only recorder and I plan to use it only for keeping copies of things already recored on my DVR. Given that intended use, can anyone see a reason not to purchase it?

Thanks for all the info posted previously

K

yea, I saw that woot deal and I almost bit... I'm not sure if I will or not. reviews etc around the net don't look too favorable... but honestly they don't look favorable for most dvd recorders that I've looked at. info from people that own one would be awesome

When I posted earlier, I hadn't noticed that the Woot deal is for a reman'd unit. I think I'm gonna pass as I get a uneasy fealing about the reliability of those types of things

When I posted earlier, I hadn't noticed that the Woot deal is for a reman'd unit. I think I'm gonna pass as I get a uneasy fealing about the reliability of those types of things
Never mind this unit is a piece of junk when new(IMHO)!!! :eek:

I've had the exact opposite experience. I've had mine for over 5 months now. Not a single problem.....

I've had the exact opposite experience. I've had mine for over 5 months now. Not a single problem.....
You ever try to play a DVD full of Divx files? :eek:

http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/rcaav06/Audiovideo/ProductDownloads/DRC8052N_SS.pdf

Says it comes with hdmi cable AND supports DTS audio. ?????

Mine did not come with an HDMI cable. I have mine hoooked up to a secondary system with an older Pioneer DD 5.1 receiver (doesn't support DTS). However I am 99% sure I recall seeing a "DTS" logo on the top of the unit.

And Olevia37HD, no I can't say I tried any Divx files on the mahcine. I take it, it didn't work for you?

Let me say I recommend upconverting to get this best quality picture from any source. Which this unit gives you.
I find this DVD recorder gives you a lot for your money.
The only problem I'm having is the unit Freezing while setting up to playing a divx files.
But only with divx files.
I'll have several files on a DVD-RW and I go to the Title screen and its seems to happen if I pick a file and don't let it preview first. But then again it could happen from moving around on that screen to fast.
This is my 2nd unit having the same problem.
Anyone have any ideas?
Other than that the picture is amazing comming from this unit. :(
Junk and not worth the trouble.

It DOES support DTS audio (if you have a DTS enabled receiver).

Does this output digital optical audio out while selecting hdmi hookup? Some dvd hdmi players disable optical out when in hdmi mode.

You ever try to play a DVD full of Divx files? :eek:
Have you tried the same Divx files on a CD?

Have you tried the same Divx files on a CD?
No. Does it say it only plays Divix files on CD? :confused:
But I did tried the same DVD Divix Disc on a SAMSUNG DVD-R135, which didn't have a problem with it.
Did I say how much of a piece of junk the DRC8052N is and you should avoid at all cost!!!!
If you looking for a player that does what its advertises try the SAMSUNG DVD-R135.

No. Does it say it only plays Divix files on CD? :confused:
But I did tried the same DVD Divix Disc on a SAMSUNG DVD-R135, which didn't have a problem with it.
The Pio 640 manual says it plays DivX files on CD-R/RW, but nothing mentioned re: it also playing on DVDs. Might be the same on your recorder?

Also or instead, you might try changing the filename to .AVI since, according to Wikipedia, DivX "format is simply the AVI file format by another name."

The Pio 640 manual says it plays DivX files on CD-R/RW, but nothing mentioned re: it also playing on DVDs. Might be the same on your recorder?

Also or instead, you might try changing the filename to .AVI since, according to Wikipedia, DivX "format is simply the AVI file format by another name."
And why would I want to do all of that? :confused:
Remember the SAMSUNG playes the original Divix DVD.
Infact out of all the players I tried from BB & Wallyworld the RCA was the only Divix player that had a problem.
I'm glad most stores have a 30 or 90 day lease. I'm working on one now, for the Philips DVDR3390. Which will go back. The remote sucks and no ff or rew with Divix files.

And why would I want to do all of that? :confused:.
You're right...no reason whatsoever.

OK, I just picked up the DRC8052NC for $99 and it included a HDMI cable in the box. I was basically looking for something to archive my Moxi box recordings to DVD until an affordable Hi Def DVD Recorder is available. I'm thinking this will be the perfect unit to fill the gap.

I never record anything over 2 hours (so SP setting should be good), I really wanted HDMI upconvert (this upconverts the DVDs and the other AV input sources as well) Then of course, I needed DVD record. I didn't really need Divx, but I'll get around to testing that too at some point.

I'll let you know my results/impressions as I try all the different features.

My TV has a DV output that can control some DVR's to start to record things from the TV's control. Does anyone know if this unit has the ability to be a slave to the TV for recording?

I purchased the RCA DRC8052NC a few weeks ago to act as a simple VCR replacement. The unit played fine and the cable pass-through worked. What it wouldn't do was record TV in anything but fuzzy black and white. Also... when scanning for cable channels, they all show up in the same fuzzy black and white. I tried different wiring configurations but could not solve the problem. I also can't seem to set this up to be able to change channels on the TV using the DVDR. Customer service could only suggest unplugging it for 30 mins and trying again.

I have it connected to a Zenith Z42PX2D plasma.

I returned it for a new one today but have the same problem - i am at a loss. A little help please. Thnx.

jg

I purchased the RCA DRC8052NC a few weeks ago to act as a simple VCR replacement. The unit played fine and the cable pass-through worked. What it wouldn't do was record TV in anything but fuzzy black and white. Also... when scanning for cable channels, they all show up in the same fuzzy black and white. I tried different wiring configurations but could not solve the problem.

I have it connected to a Zenith Z42PX2D plasma.

I returned it for a new one today but have the same problem - i am at a loss. A little help please. Thnx.

jg

A B&W fuzzy image via s-video can happen if the cable is bad. I've had this happen to me.

A B&W fuzzy image via s-video can happen if the cable is bad. I've had this happen to me.

I should have mentioned that the same cable set-up works fine with my other DVDR.

Current wiring:
Coax in from wall
Coax out to TV
Component video and RCA audio

I also tried the HDMI and experienced no change.

Update #1 on testing.

- I recorded a nice HD nature program to my Moxi.
- Then I told my Moxi to only play it back in 480i
- While this was playing I recorded it to the DVD via S-video cable
- Then I played it back on a std def DVD player which looked GREAT!
- Next I played it back again on the DVD recorder, upconverting to 1080i and it looked pretty darn good!

SO, I'm definitely keep this recorder...

Hey, greenjt... I just tried that with mine and have the same results that you are experiencing.

I wasn't really planning on using the built-in tuner, so that isn't a make or break feature for me.

I will try however to see if I can correct it and let you know. It seems like it is set to the wrong type of catv signal. Basically on most TVs, when you set them up to autoscan channels it asks you to choose 1 of a couple of different types of catv signals and if you select the wrong one you get the b&w symptoms. I noticed that when you set this unit to autoscan, it doesn't have any choices for catv type.

$98.87 at Mid-Michigan Walmarts.

$98.87 at Mid-Michigan Walmarts.
Make sure it's not final sale. :eek:

Make sure it's not final sale. :eek:


Is ANY sale at Walmart final? :D

FYI... If your into the JP1 Remote thing... I just uploaded a RM file for this DVD Recorder to the hifi-remote website. If you need the address, let me know, I'm not yet able to post URLs...

I bought this cheap recorder at 126 CAD and its performance is below passing mark.
First, its tv turner is not that great-its analog resolution is worse than the tv turner so analog recording is little bit below passing grade. Therefore, I would give it 45 mark out 100. Also, it can't record DTV program off OTA though someone insists it can do through AV input- I can only recorded voice only.
Does someone know this model can do recording on DTV and Double-layers disc ?
Thanx guys :p

Definitely no Dual Layer support. And... no, not DTV to this recorder. If your referring to my post, I temporarily output DTV in 480i so I could record it to this DVD recorder and then play that formerly "DTV only program" on a std TV DVD player (looked great)... or on this DVD player upconverted to 1080i (looked good).

Definitely no Dual Layer support. And... no, not DTV to this recorder. If your referring to my post, I temporarily output DTV in 480i so I could record it to this DVD recorder and then play that formerly "DTV only program" on a std TV DVD player (looked great)... or on this DVD player upconverted to 1080i (looked good).

I am a green horn in electronic stuff so can u give me the detail of how to put DTV program in 480i; I couldn't figure it out how would i be able to change DTV signal since its format is assigned by the station not us. :p

Well... in my case, the Moxi supports outputs 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i. If all resolutions are checked, it automatically chooses the most appropriate one. The trick is, when you want to record it to DVD, uncheck all but 480i... that way it will down-convert everything to that resolution and send it out over the S-video connector.

Your milage may very.

I'm not sure if this is possible or not, but I am trying to make backup copies of a few of my DVD's that I have had to buy several times already. Pulp Fiction is one since my wife likes to watch it at least once every two weeks or so. I have had to replace it three times due to wear and tear. I was hoping to be able to make backup copies of this and a few others, but when I try to record on my RCA DRC8052N is says that it is copy protected and will not let me proceed. Any ideas on a way around this? Thank you very much!

Sorry, I don't believe that any DVD recorder will copy the protected DVDs.

I'm not sure if this is possible or not, but I am trying to make backup copies of a few of my DVD's that I have had to buy several times already. Pulp Fiction is one since my wife likes to watch it at least once every two weeks or so. I have had to replace it three times due to wear and tear. I was hoping to be able to make backup copies of this and a few others, but when I try to record on my RCA DRC8052N is says that it is copy protected and will not let me proceed. Any ideas on a way around this? Thank you very much!

You need a video filter. Search under Grex or Sima. These are a few examples. Placed between your source and DVDR you will find the desired goal.

You need a video filter. Search under Grex or Sima. These are a few examples. Placed between your source and DVDR you will find the desired goal.

Thanks alot bro!!! I will pick one up.

Thanks alot bro!!! I will pick one up.



If it works, inform us right away pls

I got the DRC8052NC at walmart for $98.
Did some searching for the differences between the 8052N and 8060N. Found the manuals for both, see next post.

Can't post urls until 5 posts error ..... this is my 5th...

Found the manuals on the RCA site; the 8060N seems like it's the older model that's discontinued.
www.rcaaudiovideo.com/rcaav06/Audiovideo/ProductDownloads/DRC8052N_IB.pdf
www.rcaaudiovideo.com/NR/rdonlyres/0B1D0362-86CC-450C-877E-AF0344217C1C/0/DRC8060_IB.pdf

The 8052NC runs ok, but takes 25 seconds to boot-up?
Mike

You are correct. Look at the date at the end of the manuals. 2006 for the DRC8052N, and 2005 for the DRC8060.

The delay is common for DVD recorders. They are similar to computers in that respect.

I bought an RCA DRC8052N last night from Walmart. I thought it was a great deal for a recorder/player. I brought it home, set it up (through a Sony Wega TV and Scientific Atlanta Cable box. Menu features were a little challenging, but I got used to it and recorded a 2hr movie off of my TV onto a Sony DVD-RW disk. I had trouble with stopping the recording, but thought it may have something to do with me not knowing all of the remote buttons yet. I turned off the TV and RCA and went to bed. Woke up this morning excited to play with it some more and my cable box was off. I never turn my cable box off, so that was wierd. I turned on the TV and the cable box and tried to turn on the RCA (the important word being tried). It wouldn't come on. I unplugged it and replugged it. I held the button in for 10 seconds (recommended by the manual). Nothing worked. It's dead! Now I don't know if I want to replace it with another of the same kind or if I just want to buy the Phillips DVDR 3390 for about $40 more. I've read mostly bad reviews online about the RCA until I got to this forum. I haven't found anything on the Phillps online good or bad.

Bummer raemoore3, guess you got a dud.
There's lots of defective units by RCA. Walmart will take it back, so try again.
One thing to note about this model, it's tuner is weak and only Mono. If your using a STB, it's no prob, but don't bother with it's tuner, it's lousy.
The DVD drive is also picky on media.
Sony's 16x DVD+R don't work well, hangs on rec pausing.
Sony's 8x DVD+R MIJ work fine, but Japan discs are hard to find nowadays.
Haven't tried DVD+RWs yet.
One positive is that it runs fairly cool after hours of recording.

Mike

OK, I just picked up the DRC8052NC for $99 and it included a HDMI cable in the box. I was basically looking for something to archive my Moxi box recordings to DVD until an affordable Hi Def DVD Recorder is available. I'm thinking this will be the perfect unit to fill the gap.

I never record anything over 2 hours (so SP setting should be good), I really wanted HDMI upconvert (this upconverts the DVDs and the other AV input sources as well) Then of course, I needed DVD record. I didn't really need Divx, but I'll get around to testing that too at some point.

I'll let you know my results/impressions as I try all the different features.

I have a few questions regarding the above, but first some background:

I saw this advertised at WalMart for $99 this weekend. I have already put together a pretty nice system out of good but inexpensive components:

Akai 4273M 42" plasma monitor - 1024x768, 10000:1 contrast ratio, LG panel
Samsung DTB-H260F ATSC tuner for OTA HD
Samsung HD850 upconverting DVD player
Dish 625 DVR SD satellite receiver
JVC RX-D412B A/V receiver
Yamaha NS-AP2600 5.1 speaker set
Universal Remote Control, Inc.'s R5 universal remote control

The ability to upconvert DVD's I already have via the Samsung HD850. The JVC RX-D412B upconverts the Dish s-video SD signal to 480P and puts it out over HDMI, and it switches the ATSC tuner and DVD players HDMI outputs to the same HDMI cable running from the receiver to my plasma. I can't say I am blown away by the upconverted Dish SD signal, but is is better than native s-video to the set, and the colors seem richer, so I was planning to just leave it all alone.

But, in doing some experimentation, I hooked up the s-video outut from the DTB-H260F tuner to the s-video input on my pasma, and was surprised to see that 16:9 ratio transmissions were displayed full screen, and in pretty nice resolution (480i? - not sure). I don't know much about s-video, but as I always associated it with 4:3 TVs, I assumed it was limited to that format. I guess I was expecting a clipped 4:3 picture out of the tuner's s-video, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Now, while I can record everything from Dish in 4:3 on the Dish 625 DVR, I got excited thinking about recording football, '24' and other stuff from the OTA tuner in 16:9, and possibly upconverting it. So my questions are the following, prompted by FishGuy72's comment and other things in this thread:

1) If I hook my H260F tuner's s-video output to the s-video input of the DRC8052NC, will it record the full screen, 16:9 format material that the direct connection to my plasma displayed, and can this be upconverted via the units upconversion capabilities to anything higher than the apparent 480 quality when played back?

2) If I hook the s-video output of my Dish 625 DVR up to the unit, does the DRC8052NC have the capability to, in real time, upconvert the s-video signal beyond the 480P upconversion that is done by my JVC RX-D412B and put it out over the HDMI connection? As mentioned, the JVC's s-video converted to HDMI 480P is better than native s-video, but not a lot.

3) Does the HDMI output from the DRC8052NC also carry the stereo audio from the units stereo inputs, i.e., are audio sources other than the soundtracks from DVDs available on the HDMI connection running to a receiver or TV, or do you need to run a separate RCA or COAX cable to your A/V receiver for those sound sources?

Any info is appreciated. One thing, based on available input jacks, seems clear - the unit won't ever process or pass through any external sound source that is better than stereo, so no external 5.1 etc. sound sources can be run into it. Too bad.

Well, I figured nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I bought one of these yesterday from WalMart because of the return policy and price. I have to say that, so far, I am pretty happy, especially when I consider the price and feature set. Here are a few of my initial impressions:

Pros:
Very good up conversion, real time, of my Dish receiver output hooked in via s-video to 720P and 1080i over HDMI, reasonably easy menu system, good upconversion of commercial DVDs to 720P and 1080i, HDMI output of all signals if desired, inexpensive, reasonable looks and build quality, low heat output.

Cons:
Limited inputs for audio (stereo RCA jacks only, no toslink or digital coax so you can't record or pass through 5.1 channel sound), slow to boot up, small and insubstantial remote with little buttons, no upconversion over component (which is documented in the manual and is probably due to our friends at the MPAA - wonder if anyone out there will figure out a hack...).

Overall, the upconversion of my Dish s-video output and ability to record incoming video is worth the price in my book, as long as the unit holds up. I sure see a lot of bad comments out there regarding RCA quality, though I have never personally had any issues.

Limited inputs for audio (stereo RCA jacks only, no toslink or digital coax so you can't record or pass through 5.1 channel sound), ...That's true of all DVD Recorders.

That's true of all DVD Recorders.

I didn't know that, as this is my first DVD recorder. It's too bad, for Dish (and probably DirectTV) subscribers, because some of the programming, even the SD I have, has higher quality sound occasionally that will basically be lost now. But, hey! I'll take the video upconversion all the time over more-than-stereo sound some of the time, to say nothing of the other functions of a DVD recorder, including (I'm hoping, though I haven't tried it yet) recording of the 16:9 480i output of my Samsung DTB-H260F tuner that comes out in parallel to the HDMI output. I plan to route this in through the recorder's other s-video jack. :) :)

You may want to check that your STB is outputting nonletterboxed 16:9 out the S-Video output. Many times we have someone come here to complain that their DVD Recorder is letterboxing 16:9 signals prior to recording them, when really the STB is letterboxing the signal. DVD Recorders do not letterbox incoming signals, they only do as DVD Players do which is to letterbox outgoing signals if they are flagged as 16:9 and you've told the player you have a 4:3 display connected.

bobkart - I've hooked the s-video out of the Samsung into the s-video in of my plasma monitor to test just that, and it fills the screen completely. To be honest, when I switch the input of the set back to the HDMI input on the set that the unit is hooked to as well, it looks astoundingly similar. It is a really nice picture considering it is 480i via s-viseo, though my set deinterlaces it to 480p, most likely.

I've hooked the s-video out of the Samsung into the s-video in of my plasma monitor to test just that, and it fills the screen completely.Ah yes I do see that now right above the post to which I replied.

To be honest, when I switch the input of the set back to the HDMI input on the set that the unit is hooked to as well, it looks astoundingly similar. It is a really nice picture considering it is 480i via s-viseo, though my set deinterlaces it to 480p, most likely.That's because your HDTV is upconverting the incoming 480i, not to 480p but to the native resolution of the display. Many people don't understand/realize this. So when you say the pictures are similar, any difference you see is due to (slight I would guess) differences in the quality of the upconverter in the HDTV and the upconverter in the DVD Recorder. This is one of the main points I try to make when people come here asking about upconverting DVD Recorders, that point being: All fixed-pixel (and many CRT-based) HDTVs will upconvert any SD signal they receive. Fixed-pixel HDTVs MUST do the upconversion, or the picture would only occupy a fraction of the display area, whereas CRT-based HDTV's can get away with not upconverting, by virtue of just having fewer scan lines. One of mine is a 30" CRT-based HDTV and it upconverts everything to 1080i prior to displaying it.

bobkart - I understand what you are saying.

I have to say, though, that having played around with various configurations of DVD players, upconverting or not, A/V receivers that claim to upconvert, etc. I can objectively say that this RCA has the best SD TV signal upconversion, but that is not quite as good as my Samsung HD850 for commercial DVD upconversion and playback (though not bad). I noticed a few artifacts when playing some of my DVDs, but I need to really put it throught its paces before I pass any overall judgement about its capabilites as a DVD player.

All of this is, of course, with my equipment, cables, monitor, A/V receiver, etc. and your mileage may vary. It's worth the price to me just for the improvement in the quality of my Dish output and ability to record 16:9 OTA pseudo-HD. If some side-by-side comparisons convince me my old DVD player is better, I can always hook it back up anyway, along with the RCA.

I have a 'hacked' DVD player that allows up to 1080i upconverted output over component, though the device was sold as HDCP compliant because it was sold with this capability enabled only over HDMI. I had purchased it before I went almost all HDMI with my current setup.

Does anyone know if the component output stream from such a device will still contain the Macrovision, etc., copy protection bits which would confuse my DVD recorder if I would manage to convert the component stream to s-video? That is, does anyone know if such a stream will still still contain the data that makes Macrovision and similar CP schemes be recognized by recording devices like the DRC8052N?

I'm guessing yes, i.e., that the stream will still be recognized as copy protected, but would welcome any feedback from folks who have actual experience...

If you are thinking of recording to a DVD Recorder from the Component Video output of your hacked DVD Player, the upconversion there won't help; you can only record 480i on any DVD Recorder. Not sure if this is where you were going with it.

If you are thinking of recording to a DVD Recorder from the Component Video output of your hacked DVD Player, the upconversion there won't help; you can only record 480i on any DVD Recorder. Not sure if this is where you were going with it.

Actually, I was wondering if the upconverted signal (originally designed to only be put out over HDMI and protected by HDCP) still contains the copy protection data. Don't care too much about the resolution. If I could make some decent copies for personal use of some commercial DVD's, it would be OK with me that they were only in 480i. I knew that would be the recorded resolution of a current gen DVD recorder based on this fact being the whole reason for BluRay, HD DVD, etc.

Actually, I was wondering if the upconverted signal (originally designed to only be put out over HDMI and protected by HDCP) still contains the copy protection data. Don't care too much about the resolution. If I could make some decent copies for personal use of some commercial DVD's, it would be OK with me that they were only in 480i. I knew that would be the recorded resolution of a current gen DVD recorder based on this fact being the whole reason for BluRay, HD DVD, etc.I think you are still missing the point. You can't record anything but 480i. DVD Recorders don't downconvert. The upconverted signal to which you refer is useless for purposes of recording on a DVD Recorder. DVD Recorders won't accept anything but 480i as their input.

And really, why upconvert only to downconvert. Just record in 480i, and upconvert on playback. The picture you get from that should be no different than the original upconversion of the source to the recording (assuming nothing is lost in the process of recording).

I think you are still missing the point. You can't record anything but 480i. DVD Recorders don't downconvert. The upconverted signal to which you refer is useless for purposes of recording on a DVD Recorder. DVD Recorders won't accept anything but 480i as their input.

And really, why upconvert only to downconvert. Just record in 480i, and upconvert on playback. The picture you get from that should be no different than the original upconversion of the source to the recording (assuming nothing is lost in the process of recording).

No, I completely understand the capabilities of the recorder. As I said in an earlier append:
...if I would manage to convert the component stream to s-video? That is, does anyone know if such a stream will still still contain the data that makes Macrovision and similar CP schemes be recognized by recording devices like the DRC8052N? I was, of course, implying the conversion to s-video would make it go back to 480i.

I am merely wondering if the upconversion process intended to put data out over HDMI and HDCP strips out copy protection scheme junk, since HDMI/HDCP is really intended to keep us all from doing high-quality copies and thus there is really no need for the macrovisvion, etc. junk in such a stream.

If so, upon down-conversion and input to a DVD recorder, I would be able to record copy protected stuff, right? I'm betting this won't work, but stranger things have happened, and I already have all the equipment and won't have to buy another piece of hardware (like a Grex box or similar) to strip out the copy protection stuff should I want to make some personal copies.

I totally agree that this would be a very roundabout process and would likely degrade the quality of the copy, but it might be fun to try and a reasonable copy is better than no copy if its free!

I was, of course, implying the conversion to s-video would make it go back to 480i.
...
I already have all the equipment and won't have to buy another piece of hardware (like a Grex box or similar) to strip out the copy protection stuff should I want to make some personal copies.
Okay I'm with you now. What you need to know now is that the cheapest way anyone around here has found to convert from Component Video to S-Video is ~$500. (Especially if you need downconversion.) Whereas one of those black boxes is maybe $50.

EDIT: There is the "Poor Man's Component-Video-to-S-Video Converter" thread in this Forum, in which a particular model of DVD Recorder is used for this purpose, but it will not downconvert.

bobkart - thanks for the info. I will check out the thread.

I didn't elaborate - and may have jumped the gun - when I said I had all the equipment to do this already. One of the pieces I have is a previous generation ATI graphics card in an old PC that has a component input and an s-video out. In looking at it again and digging through the docs, I'm not positive it will fit the bill. Though it does do s-video out, the input is a DVI variant that requires a proprietary adapter with component, composite and audio on one plug, which I remember having but can't find. I used to have the output of the s-video hooked to a TV, so I know it is 480i and would have worked.

Oh, well. I really don't want to have a noisy old PC beside my nice home theater cabinet anyway... If I find I really want to do commercial DVD personal copies, maybe I'll spend the $50+ on a copy protector removal device like you mentioned. I was never a big VHS movie taper, so don't anticipate a big change with DVDs. All the old home video is on VHS or camcorder tapes anyway, so that is my first priority to record onto DVD, and none of that is copy protected.

That graphics card MAY take Component Video and convert it to S-Video (possibly without even an Analog-to-Digital-to-Analog conversion), but I doubt it will take anything more than 480i in on the Component Video input. The kinds of devices that can take more than 480i analog video input are few and far between, and usually expensive.

I bought one of these things last week at walmart for $98. First thing I noticed was when connecting it to the direct cable analog line, and trying to "autoscan", all the channels were fuzzy and in black and white. Other people have mentioned this too. However, if you autoscanned it using the "antenna" mode, the first 13 channels were clear and in color, but the rest, obviously were not found. Then I changed to another cable line (I have two coming out of the wall, split in the basement). The other one worked fine! No fuzzy b/w picture when autoscanned in cable mode. So, a week goes by, and all is well. Suddenly, the cable picture is fuzzy again. Neither cable input works. Both cable inputs work just fine on other devices, like my 46" mitsubishi lcd, and my Tivo. So, it's not the cable. Gonna return it today. BTW, I did extensive testing using my split screen cababilities on my Mitsu tv, and the the upconverted cable picture via the HDMI on this unit is indeed better then the default 480i picture coming directly into my TV (but of course not in same league with hdtv ota signals.

I just purchased the only DRC8052 left at two local stores that didn't look like it had previously been opened. I wanted the HDMI capability so I could do all of my source video switching with the 1080P TV since my component connections were taken.

I'm still working out the issues with the COX SA8300HD using the S-video input to the DVD recorder. If I set the recorder to 720P or 1080i output then I get a full width image on the 16:9 TV even if the source is 4:3. The HDMI image quality is slightly better than the component input to the TV. Selecting the output to 4:3 or 16:9 doesn't seem to have any effect. Is there an HDMI handshaking going on that overrides the manual setting?

I had hopes of using the DVD recorder with the VCR record mode on the SA8300HD but never realized that the resolution in the VCR record mode is totally unacceptable. I'll be setting the SA8300HD to 480i or 480i wide to record and using the normal playback mode on the DVR.

Any suggestions for the new user? Thanks Ray

Suddenly, the cable picture is fuzzy again. Neither cable input works. Both cable inputs work just fine on other devices, like my 46" mitsubishi lcd, and my Tivo. So, it's not the cable. Gonna return it today. BTW, I did extensive testing using my split screen cababilities on my Mitsu tv, and the the upconverted cable picture via the HDMI on this unit is indeed better then the default 480i picture coming directly into my TV (but of course not in same league with hdtv ota signals.

Too bad about the tuner issues. I have my satellite receiver lashed up via its s-video and stereo audio outputs to this puppy on the AV1 input, so I am limited to upconverting or recording whatever that unit is currently tuned to from that source. I also hooked the OTA HDTV tuner's s-video and stereo audio up to the RCA's AV2 input and can record 16:9 aspect ratio shows in that manner. It is all, of course, recorded in 480i, but when played back, the upconversion circuitry kicks in and delivers a really nice 1080i signal back through my A/V receiver and to my plasma monitor.

I have to say, of three units I have had doing some sort of signal upconversion on s-video from my Dish receiver, this one is the best by far. I did have to spend a lot of time setting up a profile for my plasma monitor to accurately display the unit's output, though, to get the colors, etc. right. It seems to me that this RCA unit way oversaturates the colors on the AV inputs, and I needed to mess a little with the brightness, hue, sharpness and RGB balance as well. Once this was done, though, the colors are almost indistinguishable from what I get using the OTA HD tuner in side-by-side comparison, so I just use that profile whenever I view output from the RCA on my plasma, e.g., whenever I watch Dish channels.

By the way, I did hook the antenna passthru from my OTA HDTV tuner up to the RCA as well, just for grins, and wasn't overly impressed with this unit's ability to tune in OTA NTSC SD TV stations. Haven't gone back to check them lately, as this is an unused function for me, but maybe I will check to see if the previously locked-in stations have disappearwed and report back.

will the DVD only upconvert the signals coming in from the from a/v input ? what about the signals that I give to the a/v input on the back ?
I'm trying to connect the dish receiver to the dvd so I can get a 16:9 signal to the TV and hopefully a better picture as well. How would I accomplish that ? more so, Do I have to keep switching the input on the DVD player in order to get the sattelite channles ?

sonyxbr2 - both sets of A/V inputs (front and back, maybe digicam, don't know) can be upconverted, combined with the stereo audio in for the same set of jacks and output over the HDMI output (and only upconverted for the HDMI output - component etc. are limited to 480).

As to Dish signal to the TV in 16:9, unless you have Dish HD, all the SD Dish channels I have are 4:3, which if you convert to 16:9 by any means get stretched or cropped when displayed.

You do need to tell the RCA which input you want to upconvert and output, since it only has one output for all inputs (i.e., internal DVD player, Digicam, AV1, AV2, and internal TV/Cable tuner). I do this with macros on my Universal Remote R5, so I push one button and it does all the aspect ratio and signal source switching for all the involved components in my setup - the Dish receiver, the DVD player/recorder, the A/V receiver, the OTA HD receiver and the plasma HD monitor. It took some doing, but it all works pretty seamlessly now.

sonyxbr2 - both sets of A/V inputs (front and back, maybe digicam, don't know) can be upconverted, combined with the stereo audio in for the same set of jacks and output over the HDMI output (and only upconverted for the HDMI output - component etc. are limited to 480).

As to Dish signal to the TV in 16:9, unless you have Dish HD, all the SD Dish channels I have are 4:3, which if you convert to 16:9 by any means get stretched or cropped when displayed.

You do need to tell the RCA which input you want to upconvert and output, since it only has one output for all inputs (i.e., internal DVD player, Digicam, AV1, AV2, and internal TV/Cable tuner). I do this with macros on my Universal Remote R5, so I push one button and it does all the aspect ratio and signal source switching for all the involved components in my setup - the Dish receiver, the DVD player/recorder, the A/V receiver, the OTA HD receiver and the plasma HD monitor. It took some doing, but it all works pretty seamlessly now.
thnx for the input.
how do i tell rca which signal to upconvert ? didnt see that in the menu...

sonyxbr2 - whichever input you select from the little horizontal menu you get when you press the input button gets routed out the HDMI connection and, at least in the case of the DVD, AV1, and AV2 selections, gets upconverted.

The degree to which it gets upconverted (480, 720 or 1080) is selected by pressing the HDMI button.

sonyxbr2 - in rereading some of the previous posts, I wanted to clarify one thing, just in case I wasn't clear: whatever input you connect the Dish receiver's s-video out to, if you select that input once from the RCA's menu, and the RCA's HDMI is connected to your HDTV, you then control what channel is displayed on the HDTV by using the Dish remote (or a universal) to change channels. the RCA becomes sort of like an in-line filter performing upconversion on the current Dish channel you have selected. There is no more input altering needed to the RCA unless you want to use some other function (recording, DVD player, etc) which requires you to change input.

tadietz, thnx for the input.
now the front has an s-video input versus the back only has regular video input. i'm assuming using the front would yield better results. is that true ?
More over, it just occured to me that recording a movie using this recorder takes the whole 2 hours or so, but i'm sure a computer DVD burner would take much less time and I'm assuming that the quality would probably stay the same as the computer is simply taking the data and copying the data. is that not true ?

You can transfer the data from your STB to your PC?

tadietz, thnx for the input.
now the front has an s-video input versus the back only has regular video input. i'm assuming using the front would yield better results. is that true ?
More over, it just occured to me that recording a movie using this recorder takes the whole 2 hours or so, but i'm sure a computer DVD burner would take much less time and I'm assuming that the quality would probably stay the same as the computer is simply taking the data and copying the data. is that not true ?

Um...are we talking about the same device? Mine is the DRC8052N (see the manual here (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/rcaav06/Audiovideo/ProductDownloads/DRC8052N_IB.pdf)) which shows the AV1 set of inputs (with the box around them) having an s-video input. That is what I use for my Dish connection.

I'm not sure about your comment re:computer recording something faster unless you are referring to copying a DVD or some other source (say an mpeg file on your hard drive) that your computer has access to. If you are talking TV shows, these occur real time, of course, so both devices are limited to real-time, whatever length that happens to be.

Can this DRC8052N be used just as upconvert for s-video to component or HDMI out without having to record or playback a DVD at the same time? I was hoping to have satellite s-video output feed into this and just route output via the component or HDMI and use the upconvert circuitry to improve the picture as feeding my Directv satellite receiver s-video into my 46" Sony VVega produces lackluster picture.

The fact that it can record DVDs is icing on the cake!

Can this be done? It looks like it can by reading the posts here...any input is appreciated.

Thanks!

Can this DRC8052N be used just as upconvert for s-video to component or HDMI out without having to record or playback a DVD at the same time? I was hoping to have satellite s-video output feed into this and just route output via the component or HDMI and use the upconvert circuitry to improve the picture as feeding my Directv satellite receiver s-video into my 46" Sony VVega produces lackluster picture.

The fact that it can record DVDs is icing on the cake!

Can this be done? It looks like it can by reading the posts here...any input is appreciated.

Thanks!
Yes. That's what I do more often than anything else. It works great. I actually bought a second one for the 32" LCD I just got. Note that I had to mess with the settings a bit on my plasma to get accurate colors. I have a profile I use when watching satellite, and use "Normal" settings for all else (my plasma lets me create a user profile I can switch to). I can post them but they are likely only to be sort of a hint to others as all sets have differing scales and call the adjustable settings different things.

Hey thanks this sounds just what I was looking for. No need to post the settings I beleive it will probably change for each persons specific equipment configuration. Anything to improve the s-video signal to my hdtv will be great. Directv just doesnt have enough hdtv content for me to upgrade to their HD sat service and equipment, I get around 30 channels HDTV in my area over OTA while Directv can offer only around 14 or so. If I can feed the s-video through the DVD recorder and output the HDMI and upconvert the signal from the satellite and just get a better picture (I know it wont be perfect) thats pretty slick!

Hey thanks this sounds just what I was looking for. No need to post the settings I beleive it will probably change for each persons specific equipment configuration. Anything to improve the s-video signal to my hdtv will be great. Directv just doesnt have enough hdtv content for me to upgrade to their HD sat service and equipment, I get around 30 channels HDTV in my area over OTA while Directv can offer only around 14 or so. If I can feed the s-video through the DVD recorder and output the HDMI and upconvert the signal from the satellite and just get a better picture (I know it wont be perfect) thats pretty slick!
It sure makes a lot of improvement for me on my Dish output. I use the 1080i setting on the RCA, even though the monitor is 720p. It looks best on my setup.

I just picked up the DRC8052N at my local WalMart for $99 + tax. Seems like a decent enough unit; HOWEVER, it won't play any of my DVD-R discs of retail DVD's (ie, those ripped and burnt in my PC). The discs are recognized only as DVD-R format discs but the unit thinks they're blanks. DVD+R backup discs play just fine. Is this a known problem? Is it my unit only? Is there a fix?

Unit will be returned if this is an unsurmountable issue.

Thanks.

I just picked up the DRC8052N at my local WalMart for $99 + tax. Seems like a decent enough unit; HOWEVER, it won't play any of my DVD-R discs of retail DVD's (ie, those ripped and burnt in my PC). The discs are recognized only as DVD-R format discs but the unit thinks they're blanks. DVD+R backup discs play just fine. Is this a known problem? Is it my unit only? Is there a fix?

Unit will be returned if this is an unsurmountable issue.

Thanks.
did those dvd-r work on any other dvd ? chances are the dvd's werent finalized properly.

did those dvd-r work on any other dvd ? chances are the dvd's werent finalized properly.

Yes, they work on all other DVD players and also my Liteon 5005 DVD recorder. I've tried two brands of DVD-R that just won't play on the DRC8052N. My backups are all rip and burns done on my PC and used Nero to burn (as DVD video format)

that doenst seem right then. i'd suggest try getting another one. btw did it come with the HDMI cable ? the older units werent packaged with them. the new ones are. same price both at walmart.

that doenst seem right then. i'd suggest try getting another one. btw did it come with the HDMI cable ? the older units werent packaged with them. the new ones are. same price both at walmart.

Thanks for your replies!

It's a newer one...came with the HDMI cable. Also has the latest firmware (v23.3.N111). I'm burning another DVD-R disc but this time using CloneDVD2's write disc function to see if the problem is Nero.

This is really perplexing as I think the DRC8052N is a decent unit overall. :( I like the HDMI capabilty...I also like that is has an 8hr record capability (for CNN marathons).

agreed . it surely is a nice unit. especially for the price.
i'm still trying to figure out what the sony blu ray dvd and toshiba hd dvd do for the 1000 that this one wont do in terms of upconverting the reguar dvd's.

Well, CloneDVD2 made no difference...my DRC8052N still won't play the burned DVD-R. I also checked the disc status in Nero CD-DVD Speed 4.7.0.0 and it is 'closed' although the DRC8052N thinks it isn't. I guess the unit just doesn't like PC burned DVD-R media. I'll be returning it to Wally World. My search for a decent/cheap upconverting DVD recorder continues. BTW, I briefly had a 8060N that I also had to return; the 8060N ran scorching hot and its exhaust fan didn't work. Between the 8060N and the 8052N I've had two RCA units with one problem or another that are deal killers.

Well, CloneDVD2 made no difference...my DRC8052N still won't play the burned DVD-R. I also checked the disc status in Nero CD-DVD Speed 4.7.0.0 and it is 'closed' although the DRC8052N thinks it isn't. I guess the unit just doesn't like PC burned DVD-R media.

Today, before boxing the unit up for return, I tried more brands of DVD-R that I'd burned on my PC (DVD Backups of my movie collection). I found I the 8052N recognized 2 of 5 brands. I could understand if this were an older unit from a time when DVD players had trouble recognizing media but not a 2006 model that promotes itself to be compatible with DVD-R. This unit is too finicky. Buy it at your own risk knowing it is picky when it comes to media.

Does anyone have a link for the User Manual for this recorder. I would like to see it before considering it.
Thanks

The manual is here (http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/rcaav06/Audiovideo/ProductDownloads/DRC8052N_IB.pdf).

Question about the 8052 DVD editing capabilities. Reading through the manual it looks like you can configure chapters to auto-set every 5 mins/10 mins/etc. I didn't see any way to manually insert chapter references.

In addition to the DVD/TV upconverting, I was looking to use this to transfer DVI tapes from my camcorder to DVD. This would be most beneficial if I could set chapter markers for the purpose of editing (hiding unwanted segments). However, if the only chapters are at every 5 minute marker, that doesn't make it all that compelling.

Have I missed something in the manual?

The editing capabilities seem pretty basic, but I haven't used them extensively. I'll see what options there are in the Chapter Menu and report back at some point (can't guarantee when) and post about the capabilities to erase/combine/rename/set new chapters, etc. The manual is totally lacking in the info on this subject.

Well, the editing is pretty basic. You can set the chapter intervals based on time only, as has been stated, in increments as small as 5 minutes. In the chapter menu, you can combine any two adjacent chapters, i.e., create chapters in any increment of whatever time your chapter record length was set to. Or, you can combine everything into one big chapter. And, you can rename each chapter to whatever you want, and hide/unhide any chapters you want, and that is about it.

Doesn't seem to be any ability to arbitrarily assign chapters to a certain amount of recording time/content while you are viewing it or anything advanced like you get with a computer video editing package.

I just bought this at wal-mart because my old DVD player broke. After seeing that their only dvd players worth buying were aroudn 60-70 dollars i turned around and started browsing the dvd recorders. Picked up this DRC 8052N for $98!! I jumped on the deal, i have never owned a dvd recorder so hopefully this isn't too hard to get the hang of, and tips or pointers?

Sorry for the double post, but this is in response to Chaalie, I have been using Memorex DVD-R's and they seem to work great with this unit. What brands of DVD-R's should i steer clear of? Thanks!

Ummmmmm...........Memorex and Maxell......

Sorry for the double post, but this is in response to Chaalie, I have been using Memorex DVD-R's and they seem to work great with this unit. What brands of DVD-R's should i steer clear of? Thanks!

I had problems with Staples and Imation PC burned DVD-R. The unit would recoginize it was a DVD-R but thought they were blank when they weren't.

I would avoid Imation like the Plague. At this point I won't be using anything other than Verbatim MIT DVD-R and Taiyo Yuden MIJ DVD Blanks. I will use my MIJ Sonys that are TY manuf. as well.

Alright, i will be sure to avoid imation, i'll probably just stick to Memorex and Verbatim, those are the two I've always used..

I would avoid Imation like the Plague. At this point I won't be using anything other than Verbatim MIT DVD-R and Taiyo Yuden MIJ DVD Blanks. I will use my MIJ Sonys that are TY manuf. as well.

Blame the media all you want, however, I've never had a problem with Imation until I got the RCA 8052N. The unit, IMHO, is far too picky when it comes to media. Mine went back to Wally World. I'm still using a 3 year old Liteon with no media issues...the only problem with my Liteon is that the disc tray doesn't like to open on the 1st attempt. The RCA was a good price so I thought WTF I might as well get one. I was highly disappointed in the RCA.

With the new requirements that all devices with tuners have ATSC tuners, what is the likelihood we see a version of the 8052 with both ATSC and NTSC tuners?

Blame the media all you want, however, I've never had a problem with Imation until I got the RCA 8052N. The unit, IMHO, is far too picky when it comes to media. Mine went back to Wally World. I'm still using a 3 year old Liteon with no media issues...the only problem with my Liteon is that the disc tray doesn't like to open on the 1st attempt. The RCA was a good price so I thought WTF I might as well get one. I was highly disappointed in the RCA.

The RCA is doing you a favor by rejecting the Imation garbage prior to burning. ;)

The RCA is doing you a favor by rejecting the Imation garbage prior to burning. ;)

Everyone's a comedian :cool:

Let me make this as clear as possible.

I was not using the 8052 to record to DVD-R. I was using it to >>PLAY<< DVD-R that I had burned in my PC. These were backups of commercial DVD Movies. Since I have a large number of DVD-R of all brands that have been recorded in my PC and only 40% of them would be correctly recognized as having content and play in the 8052 I returned it to Wally World. These discs play just fine in the other 5 DVD players/recorders and 3 PC's I have in my house.

For recording on the 8052 I would only have used DVD+RW to make backups from my DirecTV Tivo (I'm not into hacking the Tivo to rip stuff off its hard drive). I had no problems with the 8052 recording to DVD+RW (Memorex and Ridata brands).

Coasters

How is this at finalizing dvds. Other units I have read about prduce alot of coasters (dvds that dont work). I am looking to replace my Cyberhome 1600 that just died.

it has an option at the end if u want to finalize. seemed to work fine but didnt try using the finalized dvd in another dvd so cann't say for sure.

I bought one of these things last week at walmart for $98. First thing I noticed was when connecting it to the direct cable analog line, and trying to "autoscan", all the channels were fuzzy and in black and white....However, if you autoscanned it using the "antenna" mode, the first 13 channels were clear and in color, but the rest, obviously were not found. Then I changed to another cable line (I have two coming out of the wall, split in the basement). The other one worked fine! No fuzzy b/w picture when autoscanned in cable mode. So, a week goes by, and all is well. Suddenly, the cable picture is fuzzy again. Neither cable input works.


I've been trying to see if anyone has a workaround for this issue. My recently purchased 8052 does the same. I'm going to run to RS today and get a coax signal amplifier to see if a stronger signal helps at all.

* Coax from wall
* Splitter sending signal to RCA DRC8052N and Tivo Series 2
* Tivo signal is fine
* RCA is B&W on "cable" and clear on "antenna" (though antenna only gives me a dozen TV stations

I picked one up today. It came with a HDMI cable.

Can anyone explain how the edit process works. Can I record a 1 hour TV show. Then go back and edit OUT the commercials?

Thanks

I experienced the same tuner problems as larrysherman and etrojan. The recorder only picked up half the cable channels with poor quality. Is this isolated or characteristic of this recorder-- a very poor tuner?

I've had a problem with the quality of the cable scanned channels with 8052 also. Since we only have basic analog cable service directly from the wall this is not an issue for us. All we get above 13 is public service and shopping channels. Although I have to admit that the NASA channel is neat sometimes but it is nothing I want to record and we get all our basic service channels if we don't turn the DVR on.

I've been wondering if it is possible that the signal from the cable service is overloading the tuner in which case maybe a signal attenuator rather than a signal booster might be the answer.

I'm not going to bother cheking because I'm happy with the 8052 output using antenna scan. It is just a thought in case someone wants to try an attenuator.

Wayne

I have two of these now, and one of them (the one I turn off and on a lot) doesn't seem to 'hold' the HDMI output resolution, even though the front panel display says it does.

The symptom I see is that when I have the unit acting as an SDTV signal upscaler (480i in over s-video - 1080i out on the HDMI), sometimes the SDTV on my plasma just doesn't look like it should, resolution-wise.

All I have to do to fix this is to use the HDMI button on the remote to cycle through all the lower resolutions and back to the 1080i setting, and all is well again.

This resolution-loss behavior doesn't seem to appear on the unit I use with my LCD HDTV. The unit hooked to this set is never turned off. It is set to the AV1 input and 1080i resolution and is on 24x7. Never gets hot and never has any issues.

Just thought I'd let you know in case any of you aren't seeing the great upscaling I find that this unit has when processing 480i SDTV in and setting the HDMI output to 1080i. You may need to cycle through the HDMI options to get it back in the groove.

I've been trying to see if anyone has a workaround for this issue. My recently purchased 8052 does the same. I'm going to run to RS today and get a coax signal amplifier to see if a stronger signal helps at all.

* Coax from wall
* Splitter sending signal to RCA DRC8052N and Tivo Series 2
* Tivo signal is fine
* RCA is B&W on "cable" and clear on "antenna" (though antenna only gives me a dozen TV stations


UPDATE: So I picked up a non-powered signal amplifier at RS, and it made the situation worse. Now instead of b&w pictures w/static after a "cable" scan, it loses almost all the signals. I'll swing back by RS and pick up a powered signal booster and an attenuator (as suggested above) to see which one MIGHT improve the situation.

Be careful. I sat on my remote the other night and unknowingly switched the HDMI select to 480i and also turned off the unit. When I turned it back on, there was no picture! I paniced for a few minutes. The front panel messages seemed to match the buttons I pushed, but no picture displayed on the set. I finally realized what was going on and reset it to a valid HDMI resolution. The 480i option is only there for the non-HDMI outputs, but they stuck it in the HDMI resolution rotation, which can lead to problems like the one I momentarily had.

I bought one of these today at WALMART for $98.87 plus tax in NC. Several stores were already out of stock and would not issue rainchecks. GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST.

It's also worth noting that Walmart doesn't offer any extended warranty coverage for this item. I used my Mastercard to recieve warranty manager benefits. Be sure to register your warranty with RCA within 10 days of your purchase to validate the warranty. Failing to register your warranty may not only void the RCA warranty but also the Mastercard Warranty Manager.

I bought one of these today only because I went to walmart to get a cheap HDMI out upconverting dvd player for my new HDTV. The basic RCA upconverting DVD player was $70 with an HDMI cable. This one was $98 seemed to offer the same thing as the other one but added the DVD recording abilities. I figured what the heck for that price I may as well get this so that in a few months I am not wanting a DVD recorded as well.

Problem I have now is I don't really get how I am going to use this thing to be honest.

My Hitachi has two HDMI inputs. I have my HD cable DVR box with HDMI out going to the TV. I am new to all of this stuff but this is suppose to be the ideal method for connecting and getting the best quality picture possible.

Well then I have this new DVD player / recorder with HDMI out. The issue is getting a signal in from the cable box. I can do coax from the cable box to the recorder and then I guess HDMI out to TV?

The issue I seem to have is that in order to get a nice clean channel to the DVD recorder I have to go out from the cable box, but when I do that and then scan the channels within the DVD recorder it only sees one channel which is 4. I can change the channel which changes the channel on the cable box.

I really just dont get the best way to take advantage of this thing. Any thoughts or ideas?

What is the preferred media for this recorder?????

People keep talking about how finicky it is about media and I wanna buy some DVD's in bulk and I wanna go ahead and get some stuff that is known to work well in this recorder.

If this is the wrong place for a post on the 8060, I apologize. After nearly a year of flawlessness, I think it has bit the dust unless there is something I am missing. The last couple times I have tried to record a movie, everything looks correct except there is nothing on the disc. The red light designating "record" is on and the display shows the 'wheel' turning. When I go to finalize the disc, the "bar" is blank like nothing has been recorded. I tried a recorded dvd and it won't play it either. Time for a new one? Any recommendations?
Thanks, Bear

UPDATE: So I picked up a non-powered signal amplifier at RS, and it made the situation worse. Now instead of b&w pictures w/static after a "cable" scan, it loses almost all the signals. I'll swing back by RS and pick up a powered signal booster and an attenuator (as suggested above) to see which one MIGHT improve the situation.

Any updates yet?

Any updates yet?

Not yet. Haven't made it back to RS to return the passive "amplifier" and pick up a powered one.

I bought one of these today only because I went to walmart to get a cheap HDMI out upconverting dvd player for my new HDTV. The basic RCA upconverting DVD player was $70 with an HDMI cable. This one was $98 seemed to offer the same thing as the other one but added the DVD recording abilities. I figured what the heck for that price I may as well get this so that in a few months I am not wanting a DVD recorded as well.

Problem I have now is I don't really get how I am going to use this thing to be honest.

My Hitachi has two HDMI inputs. I have my HD cable DVR box with HDMI out going to the TV. I am new to all of this stuff but this is suppose to be the ideal method for connecting and getting the best quality picture possible.

Well then I have this new DVD player / recorder with HDMI out. The issue is getting a signal in from the cable box. I can do coax from the cable box to the recorder and then I guess HDMI out to TV?

The issue I seem to have is that in order to get a nice clean channel to the DVD recorder I have to go out from the cable box, but when I do that and then scan the channels within the DVD recorder it only sees one channel which is 4. I can change the channel which changes the channel on the cable box.

I really just dont get the best way to take advantage of this thing. Any thoughts or ideas?
I have a Dish system which has multiple outputs available on the tuner, and I use the s-video and stereo audio to feed the RCA. I could use the composite outputs as well, but s-video delivers beter quality. Whatever I have the receiver tuned to on the satellite/cable box is what is output over the composite/s-video outputs and what will be recorder on the unit's recorder.

Can anyone help with the editing process. Can commercials be cut out?

Woot_dot_com, $85 shipped, today only.

Woot_dot_com, $85 shipped, today only.
yeah, I was looking at that (hence me being in this thread, researching). I want one, but with all the tuner issues I'm reading about, I think I'll have to pass (I would need to use this a tuner on my TV, as it has no coaxial input and I am getting rid of my cable box).


Any updates etrojan?

I'm a newbie to this forum I just purchased an RCA DRC8052N yesterday, but it didn't have the remote with it, can someone tell me where I can buy the remote

Here's one place. Click here. (http://www.remotes.com/remotes/servlet/rs?a=gmi&uid=11757154120310&smodel=DRC8052N&brand_pn=RCA_DRC8052N)

Just to confirm as mentioned earlier in the thread, the TV tuner does not record shows in stereo?

This is a deal breaker for me. I was considering this or the RC8030N (w/80 g HDD) but now I wonder if either has a stereo tuner. :confused:

Anyone know if this player will output DD/DTS through the coaxial while sending the video out through HDMI?

Anyone know if this player will output DD/DTS through the coaxial while sending the video out through HDMI?

It does. :) (You do have to put the audio output in RAW format though. )

I can't say the same for fiber, but coax and HDMI work. Sound over HDMI doesn't seem to work though, but it doesn't suprise me.

Got mine off Woot for $85, and like it so far. It doesn't like starting up in 1080i, but cycling through fixes the problem.

For Divx, I got it to work the first time. In addition to the directions on Videohelp (under avi2divx) using the latest version of TmpegEnc, the Divx codec, and Lame, it works great.

Cheap for an upconverting dvd player with hdmi out, and plays divx. I'll dabble in recording sometime when the PVR doesn't satisfy my needs.

yeah, I was looking at that (hence me being in this thread, researching). I want one, but with all the tuner issues I'm reading about, I think I'll have to pass (I would need to use this a tuner on my TV, as it has no coaxial input and I am getting rid of my cable box).

Any updates etrojan?


As a matter of fact, yes.

COMPLETE SUCCESS!!! Although the solution cost half what the box itself cost.

I picked up the "1-to-4 Bi-Directional Cable-TV Amplifier" at Radio Shack (tiny url dot com/3b22k2) for $50. It has 1 coax input, a gain control and 4 coax outputs. There is a 1-to1 amplifier for $30, if you don't need four coax feeds.

Fed my cable coax into the input, fed one output to the 8052n, one to the TIVO box, and one to a second TV in proximity. VOILA! Tuner picked up all the analog cable signals clean and clear. I haven't verified that it picked up every single channel, but at quick glance it's at least 90% of them, and I haven't seen a bad signal yet.

I haven't monkeyed with the gain at all, so I don't know if it would improve the signal even more. TV from the 8052n over HDMI looks a heckuva lot cleaner than TV from the TIVO box over S-Video (as one would expect). Next step is to feed the TIVO into the 8052N, so it can benefit from the upconversion over HDMI. (But then I need to reprogram the Harmony remote to set the right TV input and RCA input when I choose "Watch TiVO".

WARNING: Radio Shack also has non-powered "signal amplifiers" that don't do squat. If you don't have to plug it in, it probably won't work for the 8052n

I have an 8052N and there are bad horizontal lines in the picture when I use the built -in tuner. Anyone have a fix for this? if not, I'm looking for another unit, but I can't find an up-converting unit that outputs 1080i out the component jacks like this one does. In fact I'm hard pressed to find another one that does everything that this one does. Any ideas?

>>outputs 1080i out the component jacks like this one does

Hate to tell you, but the best is 480p on the components.
Also the tuner is junk, so use an external tuner thru the S-vid or return the unit.
PS: Walmart no longer sells this model, so keep your receipts.

Can commercials be edited out of an hour long tv show with this recorder?

<<Hate to tell you, but the best is 480p on the components. >>

Well, I really got lucky then. My TV has component 1080i only, it was made in 2000 when HDMI wasn't even around. This unit DOES do all the scan rates and resolutions out the component jack. It just takes a bit for it to sync up. I know because the TV verifies the resolution. That's why I want this one fixed or find another one. I need 1080i component and 720P component (for my projector), and this unit does both.

>>outputs 1080i out the component jacks like this one does

Hate to tell you, but the best is 480p on the components.
Also the tuner is junk, so use an external tuner thru the S-vid or return the unit.
PS: Walmart no longer sells this model, so keep your receipts.


The tuner isn't entirely junk, but it is really weak. Radio Shack has powered signal amplifiers that will boost the signal enough that the reception looks pretty good. $30 for one line; $50 for a 4-way. See my note above.

I purchased the one line powered signal amplifier today at Radio Shack and now the RCA 8052 finds all my stations when it is set on cable and they all come in clearly. this is the best 29.99 that i ever spent at Radio Shack.

Does anyone know how to enter the service menu on this machine? Mine is quite good except the colors tint is way off. I can adjust it on the TV, but my JVC 40" LCD does not remember setting via input, so the colors are off again when I go to watch the DishNetwork HDTV receiver directly.

Any ideas?

Does anyone know how to reset the RCR615 DAM1/RCR616 DCM1?
I can not get it to control my Player again. I had reset it a year ago and lost the steps to reset it.

Thanks

I bought this unit literally a year ago....but just recently decided to try burning some content off of my D* Tivo unit that I've accumulated over the years.

One question: The "Express Recording" feature---does it only go up to 150 minutes? I have many recordings of classic NFL/NCAA/MLB content...that are obviously longer than 150 minutes---but it seems that the unit only "express records" with button punches up to 150 minutes----and then goes back to either 0 or 30 minutes (can't remember which).

Am I correct in this understanding---because I have to make sure I'm near the DVR when a 3 hour or 4 hour recording ends---so I can "stop" recording so I don't pick up any extraneous content that I don't want recorded.

Thanks