Think I'm going to order one today, but before I do, two questions....

Will the chase play fuction work while the machine is Timer recording?

The reason I ask is because I bought the Phillips 3455H from Wal-Mart only to discover that the chase play did not work while timer recording...you have to wait until the show is over before you can start watching it from the beginning!

Also, I assume that you can watch one channel while recording another, using the TV tuner much like you can with a VCR? (I think this was asked already in this thread-but couldn't find it) I'm using analog cable with no 'box'.

RF

Yippee! I recorded the "My Fair Brady" 6 hours straight on the HDD by setting the timer. (Pio 640)
Have yet to see it. My first! (learning stage)
My question is-----If I watch only a couple hours of it and shut it off, the next time I want to watch some more, does it start from the beginning again or from where I left off?
If it starts at the beginning each time, how can I get it to start where I left off?

Also, am I going to have to sit for six hours of it to erase the commercials?
Have yet to learn how to do that, PLUS how to burn onto a Disc. (My next challenge)

Thanx,
Urlee

Urlee,

On the second part of your question, see page 72 for deleting a section (commercials). I just learned myself over the weekend on editing CaddyShack. Took me about 20 minutes to edit out the commercials. I did notice that i got quicker as i learned how to do it. You can nicely FF or RW to the correct points in the recording. And better yet, you can see a brief glimpse of how it will look before you can SAVE the Edits. Kind of cool.

Steve

Side Note (can anyone give me the link on how to Quote Messages?) My box cannot check mark it.

Urlee,

On the second part of your question, see page 72 for deleting a section (commercials). I just learned myself over the weekend on editing CaddyShack. Took me about 20 minutes to edit out the commercials. I did notice that i got quicker as i learned how to do it. You can nicely FF or RW to the correct points in the recording. And better yet, you can see a brief glimpse of how it will look before you can SAVE the Edits. Kind of cool.

Steve

Side Note (can anyone give me the link on how to Quote Messages?) My box cannot check mark it.
One way is to mouse click on the little QUOTE symbol in the bottom right of a message box.

Another way is to cut and paste the message, then, select(highlight) it all and click on the little quote icon at the right side of 2nd row of edit symbols (near top center of edit screen). It looks like a speech ballon...

try it ;)

Yippee! I recorded the "My Fair Brady" 6 hours straight on the HDD by setting the timer. (Pio 640)
Have yet to see it. My first! (learning stage)
My question is-----If I watch only a couple hours of it and shut it off, the next time I want to watch some more, does it start from the beginning again or from where I left off?
If it starts at the beginning each time, how can I get it to start where I left off?

Also, am I going to have to sit for six hours of it to erase the commercials?
Have yet to learn how to do that, PLUS how to burn onto a Disc. (My next challenge)

Thanx,
Urlee
When you press STOP one time only, the machine will show "Resume," which is a Pause in the VCR world. When you want to start playing again, the Disc Navigator will show that "Resume" word in the info about that recording. Pressing ENTER starts the show playing again from where you left off.

The Resume position is remembered 'till the cows come home.

When you are thru watching something and press STOP TWICE, the show will be back at the beginning in the Disc Navigator (start-over position).

When you get into the EDIT menus for deleting commercials, you will be able to SCAN at any speed to get to the next commercial, then fine tune with SCAN, PLAY, STEP forward/reverse, etc. if needed, to get to the right places you want to delete.

When you press STOP one time only, the machine will show "Resume," which is a Pause in the VCR world. When you want to start playing again, the Disc Navigator will show that "Resume" word in the info about that recording. Pressing ENTER starts the show playing again from where you left off.

The Resume position is remembered 'till the cows come home....and what's kind of cool is that the recorder will remember "resume" positions for every recording on the hard drive.

There's one thing about my Pioneer 633 that I found confusing and annoying, and I don't know if it applies to the 640 as well, but I'll mention it just in case it does. If you watch a complete show right to the end, the "resume" position is set to the end of the show. If you come along later and try to watch the show, you'll just get a blank screen because there's nothing left to play. This confused the heck out of me until I realized that it was because of the "resume" position. Pressing the "stop" button twice clears the resume position and allows you to play normally. Because of that I've learned to always hit the "stop" button twice after watching something unless I specifically want to resume viewing later.

Yippee! I recorded the "My Fair Brady" 6 hours straight on the HDD by setting the timer. (Pio 640)
Have yet to see it. My first! (learning stage)
My question is-----If I watch only a couple hours of it and shut it off, the next time I want to watch some more, does it start from the beginning again or from where I left off?
If it starts at the beginning each time, how can I get it to start where I left off?

Also, am I going to have to sit for six hours of it to erase the commercials?
Have yet to learn how to do that, PLUS how to burn onto a Disc. (My next challenge)

Thanx,
Urlee

The default in the 531 (and I assume the 640) is to leave playback in the RESUME state. If you press STOP twice it will toggle to Resume off.

The Pioneers have a great selection of playback speeds (forward and reverse) that make it easy to locate (edit/watch) places in a recording. In playback mode, pressing Scan forward/backward >>/<< toggles from, 1.5x, 2x, 3X, and 4X playback speeds. Note, the 1.5x speed also has audio. One of my favorites is the CM Skip button will toggle jump forward/backward in the recording 30sec, 60sec, 2,3,5,10 minutes.

These options along with pause and slow speed options can be combined to locate desired edit points etc. After inserting chapter breaks where desired, of course you can do chapter skips also.

A typical edit routine:
Overview...
1) Cut unwanted material off each end of the recording using Divide EDit feature.
2) Delete any commercials or other unwanted material using the Erase Section Edit option.
3) Place chapter markers at 10 minute intervals using Chapter Edit Edit feature.
4) Place Title thumbnail where you want it using Set Thumbnail Edit feature.
5) Verify/correct titles name using Title Name Edit feature.

6) Delete the two new short recordings created in step 1 above with the Erase option. Make sure you delete the right ones. I have never had a disk fragmentation problem on the Pioneer.
7) Copy the recording to DVD-R for keeping using Copy function from Home Menu.
8) Finalize the recorded DVD.

The Gendre function is only useful if you are going to keep MANY recording on your hard disk. I have no use for it myself.

Note: on the Editing commands discussed above. You may use the various playback buttons/options to locate edit point(s) in the recording and THEN use the Enter button to actually perform the desired edit command. In addition, most also have a confirmation screen to verify execution.

Editing is the hardest part, but once you've got it it will become second nature.

Suggestion... try editing on a non-critical recording first... ;)

Snagy-----
I have been reading that page, trying to make heads or tails of it but unless I turn the machine on, it was hard to do?

Wabjxo----
You are a "doll", Thank U!

Sean----
Also thank U for the valuable info.

Oldemanphil-----
To the rescue again with elaborate detailed instructions to follow.

I think I have enough ammunition to turn on my new toy and try it.
How can I thank you all?

Thanx again,
Urlee

Cut unwanted material off each end of the recording using Divide EDit feature.I'm a little curious as to why you would use "Divide" here rather than "Erase Section". I use "Erase Section" because it eliminates the need to go and delete extra titles that are created by "Divide".

The only time I use "Divide" is when I tape two shows back-to-back because I don't want to risk the cutover point for the two separate recordings occurring before the end of the first show or after the start of the second. Once I've got both shows recorded into one title, I use the "Divide" function to split them at a point of my choosing (and then use "Erase Section" to get rid of the excess).

I'm a little curious as to why you would use "Divide" here rather than "Erase Section". I use "Erase Section" because it eliminates the need to go and delete extra titles that are created by "Divide".

Most of what I record are commercial free movies, so I got started with divide befor I ever tried erase section.

You are correct, erase section works just as well. No big deal either way.

Divide is an excellant way to handle back-to-back programs.

Thanks for the Quote information. I now see what to click if i used Internet Explorer, however, i use Firefox and don't see the same quote symbol at the bottom right of the message.

Steve

I'm a little curious as to why you would use "Divide" here rather than "Erase Section". I use "Erase Section" because it eliminates the need to go and delete extra titles that are created by "Divide".

The only time I use "Divide" is when I tape two shows back-to-back because I don't want to risk the cutover point for the two separate recordings occurring before the end of the first show or after the start of the second. Once I've got both shows recorded into one title, I use the "Divide" function to split them at a point of my choosing (and then use "Erase Section" to get rid of the excess).

I think Oldemanphil is referring to Chapter edit- divide. After you divide the chapter which has the commercials, you can scan it to make sure it has what you want to delete, (none of the program), it previews for you and then you can delete it. Nice feature since you can see what you are deleting, then divide more chapters.

Think I'm going to order one today, but before I do, two questions....

Will the chase play fuction work while the machine is Timer recording?

The reason I ask is because I bought the Phillips 3455H from Wal-Mart only to discover that the chase play did not work while timer recording...you have to wait until the show is over before you can start watching it from the beginning!

Also, I assume that you can watch one channel while recording another, using the TV tuner much like you can with a VCR? (I think this was asked already in this thread-but couldn't find it) I'm using analog cable with no 'box'.

RFAssuming it is the same as the 633, (haven't received my 640 yet) yes, chase play works with timer recordings. I practically never watch live anymore and use timers all the time.

I'm on satellite, so I can't do this :(, but yes if you pass analog cable through the rf connections to your tv, you can use the tv's tuner to watch a different channel other than what is recording from the 640's tuner, just like a VCR.

I think Oldemanphil is referring to Chapter edit- divide. After you divide the chapter which has the commercials, you can scan it to make sure it has what you want to delete, (none of the program), it previews for you and then you can delete it. Nice feature since you can see what you are deleting, then divide more chapters.I don't really see the point of that either, I'm afraid. You can scan it just as easily from the "Erase section" menu, can't you? It's just as easy to find the end of the commercials using "Erase section" as "Chapter Divide" since they both use the same forward/reverse controls. If you use scan to advance or reverse to the edit point then you can see what material is going to be deleted, and once you choose the edit point you get a preview of what it's going to look like. Why go through all the extra edit steps?

I guess that if you're in the edit chapters menu anyway then it might be convenient, but I never use the edit chapters menu because chapter marks are automatically inserted at each point where I do "erase section" to delete the commercials. Maybe it's just one of these "six of one, half a dozen of the other" situations...

I don't really see the point of that either, I'm afraid. You can scan it just as easily from the "Erase section" menu, can't you? It's just as easy to find the end of the commercials using "Erase section" as "Chapter Divide" since they both use the same forward/reverse controls. If you use scan to advance or reverse to the edit point then you can see what material is going to be deleted, and once you choose the edit point you get a preview of what it's going to look like. Why go through all the extra edit steps?

I guess that if you're in the edit chapters menu anyway then it might be convenient, but I never use the edit chapters menu because chapter marks are automatically inserted at each point where I do "erase section" to delete the commercials. Maybe it's just one of these "six of one, half a dozen of the other" situations...

True, it does the same thing, I just feel more comfortable in the chapter mode. especially if I want to insert chapter marks other than commercail breaks. Nice to have a choice.

Richard Falco, yes, you can use chase play on a timer recording in progress on the 640. I do it all the time.

Oldmanphil, and others, I think the way I edit is simpler that what you, and others have mentioned here, because I only have to scan through the program once, and I don't have to come back to the editing screen so often. What I have learned to do is to start by doing a chapter edit. I put a chapter mark at the beginning of the program. I put a chapter mark at the beginning, and end, of each commercial segment, and then at the end of the program. While scanning, I keep my eyes open for a good thumbnail capture, and chapter mark one or two of those. Then, still in chapter edit mode, I highlight erase, and I delete the "chapters" that are the pre and post program bits, and the commercials. That leaves only the program left, broken into chapters at commercial breaks. Then I go to pick a thumbnail, skipping right to the pause mark(s) I inserted earlier, and enter the one I want. Then I burn. Easy as pie.

Richard Falco, yes, you can use chase play on a timer recording in progress on the 640. I do it all the time.

Oldmanphil, and others, I think the way I edit is simpler that what you, and others have mentioned here, because I only have to scan through the program once, and I don't have to come back to the editing screen so often. What I have learned to do is to start by doing a chapter edit. I put a chapter mark at the beginning of the program. I put a chapter mark at the beginning, and end, of each commercial segment, and then at the end of the program. While scanning, I keep my eyes open for a good thumbnail capture, and chapter mark one or two of those. Then, still in chapter edit mode, I highlight erase, and I delete the "chapters" that are the pre and post program bits, and the commercials. That leaves only the program left, broken into chapters at commercial breaks. Then I go to pick a thumbnail, skipping right to the pause mark(s) I inserted earlier, and enter the one I want. Then I burn. Easy as pie.

Same way I do, except maybe not in that order, you said it better than I did.

Thanks for the Quote information. I now see what to click if i used Internet Explorer, however, i use Firefox and don't see the same quote symbol at the bottom right of the message.

Steve

In Firefox, Tools-> Options-> Content-> Under load images, remove checkmark for the orginating web site only...

That fixed it for me.... ;)

Same way I do, except maybe not in that order, you said it better than I did.

Well, it is the order that makes the way I do it quicker. Almost everything is done from one screen, and without leaving it. By placing chapter marks, rather than deleting sections one at a time, and placing marks where you want the thumbnails, by scanning through the program beginning to end only once, then deleting the sections you don't want, which are already marked by chapter marks, all on one screen, you save a lot of back and forth time. I kind of evolved into doing it that way, and it's much easier than using the delete screen. Now, if the unit would only transfer titles, when you have them entered on the timer program... :rolleyes:

I gave up on trying to find a customized thumbnail for each of the many, many TV shows I tape. Now, for each TV series, I use a frame where the name of the show is displayed during the opening title sequence. It's always the same number of seconds before the first commercial, so it's very fast to do.

If I record a 6 hour long (continuance) TV movie, timer set, onto the HDD using SP, can that be burned onto DVD's (spacewise) or do I have to record in 2 hour long segments onto the HDD to burn like 2 hours each onto a DVD?

ThanX,
Urlee

I forgot to mention I would like to put it on a DVD-R? so it would play on my friend's DVD player hopefully?
And a Duel layer?

Urlee

If I record a 6 hour long (continuance) TV movie, timer set, onto the HDD using SP, can that be burned onto DVD's (spacewise) or do I have to record in 2 hour long segments onto the HDD to burn like 2 hours each onto a DVD?

ThanX,
Urlee
You could record the entire 360 min. (6 hours) to HDD, take out commercial breaks, making each hour ~40 min. or so, to equal ~240 min. of show. Then, you could either (1) divide that 240 min. into two 120 segments and record each segment to a DVD-R at SP...

OR you could get the entire 240 min. on a dual-layer disc?

OR you could record the 240 min. to ONE DVD-R at approp. MN speed or "Optimized" to fit on that DVD, if PQ was not terribly important?

You could record the entire 360 min. (6 hours) to HDD, take out commercial breaks, making each hour ~40 min. or so, to equal ~240 min. of show. Then, you could either (1) divide that 240 min. into two 120 segments and record each segment to a DVD-R at SP...

OR you could get the entire 240 min. on a dual-layer disc?

OR you could record the 240 min. to ONE DVD-R at approp. MN speed or "Optimized" to fit on that DVD, if PQ was not terribly important?

Thank U!

I will then set my timer to do it's thing and figure out how to Burn it when done, as long as it can be done one way or another.
I didn't read about the dividing and segment thing but will do so now. (hopefully it's in a language I can understand) :)

Urlee

Sorry, Urlee, I shouldn't have used the word "segment"...(that's a Polaroid term)...I should have said "Title." Look for "Dividing" one Title into several separate Titles.

When doing this, by the way, it's easier if you change the original title of the 360-min. show to what you want, then Divide, so each divided Title has the same name...keeping you from changing the divided Title names separately. Just add Pt 1, 2, etc. if needed.

I have experimented with many recording options between the 531 and 640. I am annoyed that the autotitle does not work for timer recordings as it is the most reliable recording method for me. This seems to be a glitch that could hopefully be adressed with a firmware update but it seems more of an oversight as it doesn't work on either models.
I'm anxiously awaiting my 640, but I'd like to clarify your comment on "autotitle" not working. I assume you mean that the timer program recorded does not automatically pick up a title (from TVGOS or the channel itself)?

I did read on pg 44 of the manual that you can input a title for each timer program, so I guess you just wanted it done automatically, instead of inputting it yourself when you set up the timer program...i.e., not that the "Set Title Name" feature doesn't work??? (crossing my fingers...and toes!)

Sorry, Urlee, I shouldn't have used the word "segment"...(that's a Polaroid term)...I should have said "Title." Look for "Dividing" one Title into several separate Titles.

When doing this, by the way, it's easier if you change the original title of the 360-min. show to what you want, then Divide, so each divided Title has the same name...keeping you from changing the divided Title names separately. Just add Pt 1, 2, etc. if needed.

wabjxo,
WOW! I tried reading about the Dividing etc. in the book and it is ALL greek to me!
I assume wherever you choose to divide, it puts a line there? Whatever that stands for? But how on earth, when it comes time to burn, do you get it to burn only ½ of it?
Course, me not ever burning yet, don't know what to expect.
Can a person buy a video showing what to do and where to go on this?
I am one who can't digest what's in a manual.

Urlee

wabjxo,
WOW! I tried reading about the Dividing etc. in the book and it is ALL greek to me!
I assume wherever you choose to divide, it puts a line there? Whatever that stands for? But how on earth, when it comes time to burn, do you get it to burn only ½ of it?
Course, me not ever burning yet, don't know what to expect.
Can a person buy a video showing what to do and where to go on this?
I am one who can't digest what's in a manual.

Urlee
I don't know if your machine will actually put a "line" where you mark the Divide point, but after you "select" that point, then press ENTER (or whatever the "yes" or "do-it" method is), you should see another title now created on the HDD. You can add Pt. 2 to that title, etc.

I don't know if your machine will actually put a "line" where you mark the Divide point, but after you "select" that point, then press ENTER (or whatever the "yes" or "do-it" method is), you should see another title now created on the HDD. You can add Pt. 2 to that title, etc.

Oh oh oh oh oh,
That rings a bell to makes sense to me.
Sorry about that line thing. I was experimenting on editing out commercials and figured the divide thing would be the same, leaving lines.
I sure will try it on a practice run on another recording I did so maybe the sun will shine after all?
Thank you, Thank you!
My show won't be done 'til 11PM tonight so I will work on it tomorrow.

Urlee

I'm anxiously awaiting my 640, but I'd like to clarify your comment on "autotitle" not working. I assume you mean that the timer program recorded does not automatically pick up a title (from TVGOS or the channel itself)?

I did read on pg 44 of the manual that you can input a title for each timer program, so I guess you just wanted it done automatically, instead of inputting it yourself when you set up the timer program...i.e., not that the "Set Title Name" feature doesn't work??? (crossing my fingers...and toes!)


Yes, you can enter a title on your timer recordings, but when the recording is made, into the HDD, it loses the title, it just has the date and channel as title. That does seem a design flaw to me, and I believe others have said that on the 633 the timer title you enter DOES show up on the HDD recording.

wabjxo,
WOW! I tried reading about the Dividing etc. in the book and it is ALL greek to me!
I assume wherever you choose to divide, it puts a line there? Whatever that stands for? But how on earth, when it comes time to burn, do you get it to burn only ½ of it?

Urlee

There are two different ways to divide, into "Titles," or "Chapters." If you want to do high speed copies, you will have to divide it into Titles, of two hours for single layer discs, or less than about 3 hours, 50 min. for double layer discs, IIRC. If you want more than one title to be copied on the same disc, you need to make a "copy list." You can find that listed in the manual's table of contents. You will make a list of the separate titles, like say, different episodes of a program, or different movies, and it will copy only that list onto the DVD, when you copy from "copy list.". If you want each title subdivided, that is what chapters are for. Either one, it will make a mark, or line, on the editing display, to show you where the separation is made. You can make a thumbnail for each title, but not for chapters. Titles show up on the menu, but chapters don't. With highspeed copy, all chapters of a title will be copied.

I'm anxiously awaiting my 640, but I'd like to clarify your comment on "autotitle" not working. I assume you mean that the timer program recorded does not automatically pick up a title (from TVGOS or the channel itself)?

I did read on pg 44 of the manual that you can input a title for each timer program, so I guess you just wanted it done automatically, instead of inputting it yourself when you set up the timer program...i.e., not that the "Set Title Name" feature doesn't work??? (crossing my fingers...and toes!)

To clarify: on p44 of the manual you can give a name to the timer recording but that title does not get transfered to the disc navigator screen once the recording has been completed. So for a one time recording, it is of limited value to do this. If you have several weekly recordings then it may be handy to have them labeled.

For a timer recording if you want a title on the disc navigator screen other than the generic one assigned with the date & input line, you must enter it again (see p70 in the manual) EDIT-Title Name.

What irks me is that if you manually record the show (which I almost never do) the title appears automatically on the disc navigator.

It is a terrible oversight IMO. If I were to design this machine I would have the user choose autotitle OR Set Title Name as an option on the Timer Recording Screen AND have that info transfered to the Disc Navigator.

Hi folks,

first time posting in here.


I have a DVR 640H-S for about 3 weeks now. It works perfectly if it wasn't of the auto-titling function not working with timers and the auto-start function not working because my digital cable receiver seems to always send signal to the DVR...

I just wanted to add that this machine DO play DivX burned on DVD media, which is not mentionned in the manual.

I burned about 3GB of video files (I didn't had more to burn) to a DVD+RW media with my BenQ DW1620 on a Windows XP PC, with bitsetting set to DVD-ROM.

I layed out the files directly on the DVD's root, no folders.

I used Nero with DVD/ISO setting, using joliet extension.

My Video files were converted by Handbrake on Mac OS X using the ffmpeg converter. Those files were MPEG4 compliant. Setting made to AVI files, MP3 sound 160Kbps, Video set to auto size to 200MB per episode. This gives me about 11 hours of simpsons episodes without commercials (23 minutes each) with quality near-digital cable.

I love that machine...

Oh and I forgot...

If you put DVD+RW media in the DVR-640H-S that were used in a PC and bitsetted to DVD-ROM, the DVR-640H-S will REFUSE to format them unless you change back the bitsetting to DVD+RW with your PC...

This might help some people to reuse disks previously used in a PC... Or you can change the bitsetting to DVD-ROM on DVD+RW media written by the DVR-640H-S to protect them from initializing by mistake!

:-)

Those are all great tips, thanks dcoulombe!

Just picked up a 640 yesterday and so far I love it. It starts up in just a few seconds (maybe 5) and seems to be faster to respond when recording manually. It is very quiet, (even quieter than my 633) and I like the new quick timer entry system which eliminates the possibility of messing up with am/pm. (I use satellite, and BTW auto-record doesn't work for my Starchoice 421 box either.) I haven't had it long enough yet, but my first impression is that SP recording quality may be a bit better too. And hurray, no EPG!

What I don't like as a 633 owner (I'll be sending it back soon as I accepted Pioneer's offer to replace it with a 640,) is the 640's remote for reasons already mentioned: silly inconvenient sliding door hiding buttons, missing buttons like Timer Record and Open/Close Tray, etc, and another oddity I just discovered:

The Channel Skip buttons don't work on finalized DVD's!? :(

It's not that the buttons don't work, because they double as left/right navigation and they work fine for that, plus I can channel skip anything that isn't finalized.

Interestingly, if I use the 633's remote I can channel skip fine whether finalized or not. This means the two remotes must send a different code for channel skip. (BTW: I'm using DVD-R)

Also BTW, all the 633 remote's buttons seem to work on the 640, including open/close, timer record etc that are missing on the 640 remote. I'm going to see if I can keep the 633 remote when I exchange units, and probably buy another one for the 2nd 640 because I'm accustomed to using channel skip.

AC - I would use a Harmony remote, then program the 640 into it, BUT also customize it by programming the open, skip, timer record, etc, buttons from the 633 into the Harmony's 640 config.

Here's a question regarding dual layer disc usage. If I record a 3 hour show at SP speed to the hard drive, can I then record it seemlessly to a DL disc? Will it show up properly as one title? Can I do this in highspeed HD->DVD mode? Real time? Both?

I am considering this unit as it is priced over 200 less than the Panny e55h in Canada. I think I might be able to live with lack of DV input and HDMI output after all. Panny does apparently have that double resolution LP mode though which is better than Pio's LP mode. Decisions.

Thanks for any input!

From what I've read in this Topic the answer is yes. And since it's no problem on the 633 (I've done it), I can believe it's no problem on the 640. Real-Time or High-Speed dubs from HDD to DVD-R DL work fine on the 633. The only caveat is that with a Real-Time dub you get the Title split at the Layer Transition. In High-Speed it's all one Title though.

Here's a question regarding dual layer disc usage. If I record a 3 hour show at SP speed to the hard drive, can I then record it seemlessly to a DL disc? Will it show up properly as one title? Can I do this in highspeed HD->DVD mode? Real time? Both?

ZZen:

As a test, I placed a DVD+R DL Disc in my Pioneer 640 and went through all the manual recording speeds and wrote down how much time I would get per speed with a DL disc.

If you are looking to use the SP speed (2 hours on a regular DVD) to record a 3 hour show on the HDD, yes...you can get it on a DL disc at that speed, but you can also raise the speed for even better quality. The SP mode on a DL disc will yield 3 hours & 43 minutes.

So why not use the speed that gives you 1 Hour & 40 Minutes on a regular DVD (56+ Hours on the HDD) which will yield 3 Hours & 6 Minutes on a DL DVD. That being speed MN 24 (SP Mode is MN 21, and the higher the "MN" number, the better the quality).

Then you could also High-Speed dub it as well, or Real-Time if you so desire.

I'm a little confused about the difference between setting the "Record mode/quailty to Auto" in a manual timer recording and setting "Optimized Recording" in the Initial Setup Menu. Both features seem to have to do with automatically setting the record mode/quality so that a recording fits on a single DVD.

There must be a difference between these two features but I missed what it is. Could it be that these features are redundant for manual timer recording but that the "Optimized Recording" feature is a universal setting for the next recording made by any method ? :confused:

Hey all!

Just got my DVR a couple of days ago, and I can say that I am very happy with it. Thanks to all the support on this forum!

My question for the day is about timer recordings...

I set up the manual timer for several recordings, all of which are "every Tuesday" or "every Thurdsay" type recordings. I was looking at the timer screen today and noticed that to the right of the title, it has "Until 8/15" or "Until "8/17" listed next to it. Does this mean that on 8/15 or 8/17 my every tuedsay or every thursday show will drop out, and I will have to reprogram?

Seems silly, but I can't figure out why it would be set up this way. I looks like record until date is about 30 days after the initial input of the timer...

Please help! Thanks!

RF

I think I've got it figured out now...the record until is the last date that can be recorded assuming all timer programs are recorded and not deleted from the HDD. After some experimenting I see that when you delete things from the HDD the record until date changes!

RF

Think I'm going to order one today, but before I do, two questions....

Will the chase play fuction work while the machine is Timer recording?


RF


I also shot Pioneer a e-mail with the same question before I posted here. Here is their response:

> > Thank you for contacting Pioneer Electronics, Inc.
>
> Will the "chase play" feature work while a timer recording is in process
> on model DVR-640H-S?
>
> From Phil: No, the chase play will not work when recording.
>
>
> Thank You,
>
> Phil
> Customer Service Representative
>



Glad I didn't believe them, or else I would not have ordered this model. Thanks for everyone's posts! Pioneer should thank you too, because they almost lost a sale!

RF

I've been looking at this Pioneer model as my first DVD recorder but I have a question about editing out things like commercials. All I'm used to is using the pause on my VCR, how is it different with a DVD recorder? I've read posts about creating chapters and I don't understand that. Whether I'm watching something live or making a copy from the HD to a DVD is it possible to simply use the pause button like on a VCR?

Whether I'm watching something live or making a copy from the HD to a DVD is it possible to simply use the pause button like on a VCR?

If you are recording "live" (directly to DVD), you can use the pause button exactly like a VCR. If you are dubbing from the HD, you have to do all your editing on the HD first, then burn the edited program to DVD.

I just bought the Pioneer 640H-S, and while I'm extremely pleased with it so far, I am disappointed that there is no way to adjust the aspect ratio for DVD playback. I realize that many people here would recommend the use of a separate DVD player for watching movies, but I was hoping to use the 640 for regular playback as well since it offers a variety of playback / memory settings.

While I have no problem with - and even prefer to watch - a video with a 16:9 ratio, I can't stomach a 2.25:1 ratio with the extra-wide bars, and usually adjust the ratio to the next (1.85:1) setting. Not including some form of aspect ratio adjustment (which even most $25 players have) is in my opinion a big oversight. Otherwise this is a a dynamite recorder!

All I'm used to is using the pause on my VCR, how is it different with a DVD recorder? I've read posts about creating chapters and I don't understand that. Whether I'm watching something live or making a copy from the HD to a DVD is it possible to simply use the pause button like on a VCR?Using the pause button live is possible, but like a VCR you have to pay attention and be really quick, otherwise you might miss the start of the commercials, or worse, the start of the show. A DVD recorder with hard drive lets you record the show complete and then go back, find the beginning and end of each commercial segment, and "snip" them out of the recording as if they were never there.

Chapters are like "bookmarks" in a movie. You can skip forward or backward to the next bookmark, much as most VCRs will let you skip forward or backward to the point at which a recording started or ended. But unlike a VCR where the bookmarks are fixed at the start of each recording, you can choose yourself exactly where to put each chapter in a hard drive recording. And if you edit out the commercials most recorders will put a chapter mark where the commercials were, so this gives you a handy way to skip to a major "act" within a recording.

ZZen:
I have a 640, and have done several HS dubs, HDD->DVD, with DL +R discs and can confirm what bobkart says is true on the 640 as well.

Title transfer -

Many of us have complained that when we enter a title on the timer record schedule, it isn't transfered to the HDD list, when recorded. Nor is a title, if one can be read by the machine from the channel selected, listed when doing a timer recording to HDD. Well, today I was dubbing from the HDD of my STB DVR, to the HDD of the 640. The STB goes to an A/V receiver, and to the 640 on the L3 input. When I checked the list of recorded HDD entries, the title was there! So, then I selected a channel that I knew carried title info, on the 640's tuner, and hit the record button. When I checked, the title for that program was on the HDD list as well. So, if you do a manual recording, you get the title on the list, automatically. But, if you do a timer recording, you don't. That doesn't make a lick of sense to me. Dumb, dumb, dumb! I guess I'll have to check out some of the other programmed record modes, to see if they show titles on the HDD recording list.

I realize that many people here would recommend the use of a separate DVD player for watching movies, but I was hoping to use the 640 for regular playback as well since it offers a variety of playback / memory settings.

I am one of those people myself. I look at it in the way that the less "playing" you do, other than to test what you just recorded before trying the recording out elsewhere, the better it is for the recorder. You will hear about people who have recorded 100's of DVD's on the Pioneer 640 without a problem and that number would probably be less if they also used the unit as their main player as well.

I don't know if the recording laser is more delicate or not (compared to the ones that read...or play...DVD's) but I do minimal playing in my Pioneer 640 as I don't want to over work it. Also DVD Players will typically have better features than the playing part of a recorder, like: Zoom, Slo-Motion, an "A/B" button to play back one scene over and over, Bookmarking ability and other things like that.

If players were not cheap, I wouldn't recommend it...but seeing as how a very good player can be bought for under $100 these days...save your recorder and buy a seperate player.

Otherwise this is a a dynamite recorder!

I couldn't have said it better myself...and leave it at just that, a Dynamite Recorder!

I've been looking at this Pioneer model as my first DVD recorder but I have a question about editing out things like commercials. All I'm used to is using the pause on my VCR, how is it different with a DVD recorder? I've read posts about creating chapters and I don't understand that. Whether I'm watching something live or making a copy from the HD to a DVD is it possible to simply use the pause button like on a VCR?

chafer444, I just switched from VCRs too. Believe me, a DVD recorder with a hard drive is WAY better. Don't be afraid to experiment, and read the manual over and over. You'll get the hang of it. You can make much more accurate recordings by using the HDD. Always record to the HDD first. Start a minute before your program is scheduled to start. Don't worry about commercials while recording. Let the recording run at least 30 seconds after the program ends. Here's a quick guide on how to edit in HDD, and dub to disc, at high speed. I suggest you record in Video Mode, SP, at least to start. Then, your DVDs will play on other players.

First, make sure HDD is selected, with the button on the upper right of the remote. The blue light should be on on the front of the 640.

Hit the Navigator button, to bring up a list of all the HDD recordings.

Use the up or down arrow button to highlight the HDD recording you want to edit.

Push the right > button to enter the edit mode.

Push down arrow, go to edit mode, hit enter.

Use the down arrow to go to "chapter edit." Hit enter. "Divide" should be highlighted.

Use the fast forward button to go to the start of the show, use the reverse, pause, and slow buttons to cue up the first frame of the show, on pause.

Hit "enter" button. This should place a chapter mark.

Now, use the down arrow to highlight "erase."

This will highlight the remaining program, because it is now the "last chapter." You don't want to erase it, you want to erase the clip before the program starts, so hit the left arrow button. It will highlight the tiny beginning segment. Then hit "Enter," and confirm.

With that bit deleted, hit the up arrow, to move back to "divide."

Now, fast forward to the first set of commercials. Insert a chapter mark at the start of them, and the end of them. Then, go to "Erase," just as before, and erase the commercial segment. Continue this process all the way through the program, and also clip off the non-program piece at the end.

While you are doing the above, look for a good still to use as a thumbnail for the show. Insert a chapter mark there too, so you can find it quickly later.

Now, back out of the chapter edit mode. Go to the set thumbnail mode. Use the chapter forward button to find your preset thumbnail pick. Enter it as a thumbnail.

Back out to the enter title mode, and enter the title.

Put a blank disc in the 640. Go back to the HDD title list, with the one you want to copy highlighted.

Under the sliding door on the remote, push the "One touch copy" button. It will start copying to disc, at high speed.

When that is done, you can then finalize the disc, or set the disc aside, to add more eps of the program later. With a little practice, you can do all that editing, and titling, in about 5 minutes. You can also save up eps of the program, and dump them all to disc at once, using the "Copy list" function, listed in the manual's TOC. After a while, you won't even need to read the manual while you do it, it will become quick and easy. Believe me, it's much better that holding your finger over the pause button!

For you kind people who take the time to write out the STEPS of what to do, words can not describe how much I appreciate it and how wonderful and valuable that is.

I am chugging away at learning the best I can and have to admit am surprising myself.

I have a question to ask?

Does a DVD-R ONLY give you 2 hours of SP or have you experienced that it may give 2 hours and some minutes? I have a recording of 2 hours and 4 minutes I want to burn.
Tried to trim it as much as I dare.

Thanks,
We are getting some thunder boomers that almost shake the house so I have to sign off.
Urlee

kjbawc and Sean, thanks for the information. As I was reading your step by step answer I was thinking this a bit involved. Then when you said it could be done in about 5 minutes I was like riiiiggghhhhtttt because all I'm used to is a VCR. But I'll take your word since you've been doing this for awhile. Someplace on this forum I read that the 640 manual can be downloaded from Pioneer's website as a pdf, I think I'll do that next.

I was also reading suplex's answer to tac7 and couldn't help but think it's a real shame to spend this much on a recorder, but it might be best to use something else to play your dvds on if you play a lot of them.

Does a DVD-R ONLY give you 2 hours of SP or have you experienced that it may give 2 hours and some minutes? I have a recording of 2 hours and 4 minutes I want to burn. Tried to trim it as much as I dare.Think of writing a DVD like writing in a notebook. The number of words you get on each page of a notebook varies a bit depending on how many big vs. little words you have, how many paragraphs you have, and so on. Similarly, the amount you get on a DVD depends on how much "information" needs to be recorded. Programs with less "information" (which could include programs that don't have very much movement or widescreen movies with black bars) will take less space on a DVD than programs (like sports, for example) that have lots of movement and detail.

When they tell you that SP mode is good for 2 hours, it's a conservative estimate - any program should give you at least that much time. But some programs will take less space, and so you will be able fit a longer program (2 hours and 5 or possiblly even 10 minutes).

The only way to be sure is to try. The machine will tell you if the program doesn't fit when you try to select it in the copy screens. It will then give you the choice to doing a "real-time" copy so that it can use a lower-quality speed setting and fit the whole thing on a disk, or you can just cancel if you don't want to do that.

Think of writing a DVD like writing in a notebook. The number of words you get on each page of a notebook varies a bit depending on how many big vs. little words you have, how many paragraphs you have, and so on. Similarly, the amount you get on a DVD depends on how much "information" needs to be recorded.

The machine will tell you if the program doesn't fit when you try to select it in the copy screens. It will then give you the choice to doing a "real-time" copy so that it can use a lower-quality speed setting and fit the whole thing on a disk, or you can just cancel if you don't want to do that.

Sean,
Beautiful explanation which I understood. Thank you!

Sorry, I did not copy anything on DVD yet and didn't know the machine would tell me. Gosh, That is unbelievable! It amazes me at what the 640DVR can and does do!
I love it so far!

Kjbawc,
I read your instructions above and have already done some commercial removal before but I used the Edit, Erase Section method on page 72 and not the Divide which would be a whole new ball game for me as I did not comprehend it. Seemed like it was almost the same way I did?

That is where I got the "lines" I was telling about in another post. :)
Those "lines" are the From & To marking points. I take it to mean the space inbetween was erased?

Urlee

I was also reading suplex's answer to tac7 and couldn't help but think it's a real shame to spend this much on a recorder, but it might be best to use something else to play your dvds on if you play a lot of them.

Hey Chafer444:

Did you think it's a shame to buy a recorder for the price of the Pioneer 640, and then not use it as a player? Was that what you were referring too?

Incase I might have confused my original explanation, what I basically meant was that for the money you pay to have the Pioneer 640 it would be awful to have it break down on you early due to "playing" wear and tear, where as a DVD Player is inexpensive enough that if you wind up going through a few of them over time, at least you have preserved your recorder and still have it working great.

The more you use your Pioneer, the more and more you will like all the things you can do with it, and if anything can be done to extend it's life...it simply can't hurt to do so.

I hope that you enjoy your unit as much as I am enjoying mine, and if any new questions ever come up...feel free to post them here and we'll get back to ya.

suplex

I have a question to ask?

Does a DVD-R ONLY give you 2 hours of SP or have you experienced that it may give 2 hours and some minutes? I have a recording of 2 hours and 4 minutes I want to burn.
Tried to trim it as much as I dare.

I know for sure you will get a little bit more. I have a chart that I made in Microsoft Excel and I need to add to it the EXACT time you get per speed setting on a Single layered DVD+/-R. That will be my next project.

All you have to do to be able to tell is place a blank DVD-R in the tray, close it...wait for it to load, then press the "Display" button (under the slider on the bottom of the remote) and it will tell you how much time you have on the HDD and the DVD for whatever you have your speed set too. After putting the blank disc in, press "Rec Mode" (again under the slider part) and that is where you can set your speed if it's not where you need it when you check by pressing "Display".

We are getting some thunder boomers that almost shake the house so I have to sign off.
Urlee

I have been getting those also, you want to get a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for your Computer so that you can safely shut it off in the event of a power outage.

Hey Chafer444:

Did you think it's a shame to buy a recorder for the price of the Pioneer 640, and then not use it as a player? Was that what you were referring too?

suplex

Yes that's what I was thinking. You have to remember I'm still thinking along the lines of using a VCR, so I used my Zenith for both recording and play back. It never occured to me that I might wear out the Pioneer by using it as a player too much.

This question is for anyone. I started going through the 640 manual and happened to notice Restrictions on Video Recording and CPRM, pg. 35. I just have regular cable and I wasn't planning on raiding the local Blockbuster to make a bunch of copies of recent movies. So I was curious if this causes many problems for anyone? The reason I ask is, when I was looking at reviews of other Pioneer models and I remember one guy's who had a lot of issues with the copyright protection. For some reason I want to say it was the 633.

Those "lines" are the From & To marking points. I take it to mean the space inbetween was erased?I take it that you are talking about the little vertical lines in the "bar graph" that shows where you are in the program as you're editing it? The "lines" basically mean a chapter mark, and when you remove a commercial a chapter mark is left where the removed material was. When you're playing the program you can use the ">>|" and "|<<" buttons to jump forward or backward to the next chapter mark.

Kjbawc,
I read your instructions above and have already done some commercial removal before but I used the Edit, Erase Section method on page 72 and not the Divide which would be a whole new ball game for me as I did not comprehend it. Seemed like it was almost the same way I did?

That is where I got the "lines" I was telling about in another post. :)
Those "lines" are the From & To marking points. I take it to mean the space inbetween was erased?

Urlee

Using the Erase section under edit IS similar, but if you do it all in the "Chapter Edit" screen, it is a lot quicker, because you stay on the same screen, and keep your place in the recording, as you move through it, making chapter marks, (the "lines" you refer to,) at the beginning, and end, of each section you want to erase. You don't keep getting bounced back to the HDD recording list screen, and having to return to the edit screen. Try it, you'll like it! It's easier, once you get the hang of it.

As to how much record time you get on a single layer disc, the one factor no one has mentioned, is that formatting takes storage space. Formatting means how many titles, and or chapters, in a recording, and whether or not you have thumbnails. So, if you have a movie that is a few minutes over 2 hours, don't insert any chapter marks, and you'll have a better shot at getting it all on the disc in SP. If you have only a little over two hours, but it is more than one title, and has chapter marks, like where commercials were removed, it is less likely to fit. But, the 640 will still tell you if it will all fit at the rec speed you have picked.

You don't keep getting bounced back to the HDD recording list screen, ...When I use Erase Section on my 633, I don't keep getting bounced back to the Disc Navigator.
As to how much record time you get on a single layer disc, the one factor no one has mentioned, is that formatting takes storage space. Formatting means how many titles, and or chapters, in a recording, and whether or not you have thumbnails. So, if you have a movie that is a few minutes over 2 hours, don't insert any chapter marks, and you'll have a better shot at getting it all on the disc in SP. If you have only a little over two hours, but it is more than one title, and has chapter marks, like where commercials were removed, it is less likely to fit. But, the 640 will still tell you if it will all fit at the rec speed you have picked.Yeah but Chapter Marks take up just a tiny bit of space on a DVD, (I believe) they are just an index into the video frames, probably a 32-bit number (4 bytes). Compare that to more than 1MB/s of video at maximum bitrate and you'd need an awful lot of Chapter Marks (way more than is allowed) to add up to even a fraction of a second's worth of video.

When I use Erase Section on my 633, I don't keep getting bounced back to the Disc Navigator.
I do, on the 640, every time I delete something from the "Erase" screen. That's why I do it all in chapter edit.



Yeah but Chapter Marks take up just a tiny bit of space on a DVD, (I believe) they are just an index into the video frames, probably a 32-bit number (4 bytes). Compare that to more than 1MB/s of video at maximum bitrate and you'd need an awful lot of Chapter Marks (way more than is allowed) to add up to even a fraction of a second's worth of video.

You caught me parroting something I'd read on this forum earlier. Obviously, a fraction of a second wouldn't matter. I'm guessing that separate titles take a little more. Surely, thumbnails, and the menu page take some as well. So, I guess the recorder must automatically save some space for finalizing, and not include in its count of recording time?

I guess I can go wild with the chapter marks at scene changes now, when I have the time. :D

That's a bizarre change from the 640 then.

I don't believe multiple Titles really consume much space either. Maybe a few KB extra for the file that holds the Title-specific information. Regarding the thumbnails, the menu page is just a still frame regardless of how many thumbnails it contains. Yeah it would a bit larger byte-wise if it had more thumbnails compared to just black where thumbnails were missing. Still I think we are just talking about a few KB difference, since even a fully uncompressed 24-bit RGB 720x480 frame is just under 1MB. But possibly there are several frames involved to show the different highlighting as you move the selection from one thumbnail to another. I suspect most DVD Recorders simply allow for some fairly generous "worst case" amount of space for the finalization stuff (menus,chapters), and always keep that space in reserve. So if that's true, skimping on use of that stuff probably won't affect how much material you can get on a disc, and even if it's not true, we're still likely only talking about under a second at maximum bitrate (that would be my guess).

That's a bizarre change from the 640 then.


I'll check it again, to confirm, when I go home tonight. I haven't used it since I first got the recorder, but found it annoying then. Perhaps I was making some kind of a mistake.

But, as I understand it, on the 633, when you enter a title on the Timer record program, it gets transfered to the HDD title list, when recorded. That is no longer the case on the 640. So, bizarre changes are possible, I guess.

Hey Chafer444:

Did you think it's a shame to buy a recorder for the price of the Pioneer 640, and then not use it as a player? Was that what you were referring too?

Incase I might have confused my original explanation, what I basically meant was that for the money you pay to have the Pioneer 640 it would be awful to have it break down on you early due to "playing" wear and tear, where as a DVD Player is inexpensive enough that if you wind up going through a few of them over time, at least you have preserved your recorder and still have it working great.

The more you use your Pioneer, the more and more you will like all the things you can do with it, and if anything can be done to extend it's life...it simply can't hurt to do so.

I hope that you enjoy your unit as much as I am enjoying mine, and if any new questions ever come up...feel free to post them here and we'll get back to ya.

suplex

Gosh Suplex,
My heart just sunk when I read that too because I bought the DVR to take the place of my VCR not thinking that it would not stand up to a lot of DVD playing?
I had the same thoughts of the paying big bucks thinking it would be a heavy duty? I can understand where you are coming from but---------Gee!

And YES! I love that machine when I learn something and know how to use it.
Bless you & others on this forum for what knowledge I am picking up to help me.
My boots were shaking but I burned my first DVD today. I didn't do it according to hoyle but my movie showed when I played it back!
One step further-----I tried it in my computer and got a picture too?
I know I didn't do something right cause I didn't understand some of what popped up for me to do (all those box like things in the end to pick? and what to do after you click one?) but it worked.
My computer said playing but a black screen showed until I went up to Play and clicked on Next! Walla! Yahoo!

Urlee

All you have to do to be able to tell is place a blank DVD-R in the tray, close it...wait for it to load, then press the "Display" button (under the slider on the bottom of the remote) and it will tell you how much time you have on the HDD and the DVD for whatever you have your speed set too. After putting the blank disc in, press "Rec Mode" (again under the slider part) and that is where you can set your speed if it's not where you need it when you check by pressing "Display".



I have been getting those also, you want to get a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for your Computer so that you can safely shut it off in the event of a power outage.

THANK you so much for the info.
Yes, I did get it to copy OK, the one that had 6 minutes extra, (I goofed and cut a 2&6 instead of 4&4) when I split the 2hr. & 8min. in half. :)

Yes, I started to look up a UPS to protect my 640DVR and TV, wondering what to get and where. I sorta ran when I saw the $$$$ on the one I asked someone on here about in a thread about them.

Urlee

I take it that you are talking about the little vertical lines in the "bar graph" that shows where you are in the program as you're editing it? The "lines" basically mean a chapter mark, and when you remove a commercial a chapter mark is left where the removed material was. When you're playing the program you can use the ">>|" and "|<<" buttons to jump forward or backward to the next chapter mark.

Gosh Sean,
Thank you for explaining that to me. Yes, Those are the lines.
That also helped in the fact that I was wondering what is meant by chapters?
So much to learn and try to figure out.
Thank you again.
Urlee

Yes, I started to look up a UPS to protect my 640DVR and TV, wondering what to get and where. I sorta ran when I saw the $$$$ on the one I asked someone on here about in a thread about them.Yeah but you don't have to get the $500 model, a $100 model will work okay.

When I use Erase Section on my 633, I don't keep getting bounced back to the Disc Navigator.


I don't get bounced back on the 640 either.

Urlee

I know I didn't do something right cause I didn't understand some of what popped up for me to do (all those box like things in the end to pick? and what to do after you click one?) but it worked.

Urlee


I believe you're talking about the different options for what the menu page will look like, on your DVD. They come up after you select "finalize." You use the arrows to pick one, and then hit Enter. It will show you what the page will look like, on your DVD. It asks you Yes, or No. No is highlighted, so you have to use the left arrow to highlight Yes, than hit Enter, and it will begin to finalize.

The different Menu page options offer 3, 4, 6, or 8 title spaces. The one with space for 8 titles will not show thumbnails, but the others do. If you only have one title on a disc, use the one with three, which is highlighted automatically, when the screen appears. If you have more titles than a single menu page will show, it will automatically create as many as you need.

Yeah but you don't have to get the $500 model, a $100 model will work okay.Or you could skip it. My 633 has gone through a couple of power outages in the last 9 months with no ill effects. And I've operated computer equipment in my home without a UPS for over 25 years without any problems. I would probably only buy a UPS if you had concerns about the quality of your power - for example if you have unusually frequent power outages or "brownouts".

Another reason might be if you want to continue to make recordings despite the power being out. Of course the cable would still have to be on assuming that is the source of what's being recorded. I've had at least one occasion where I was able to record straight through a power outage as if nothing happened.

Yes, I started to look up a UPS to protect my 640DVR and TV, wondering what to get and where. I sorta ran when I saw the $$$$ on the one I asked someone on here about in a thread about them.
Wal-Mart has a 200W APC (the best!) battery backup/surge suppressor that costs ~$40.

Your 640 has a good battery backup but the added surge suppression is a good reason to have the backup all by itself.

I think your 640 is very low wattage and most modern TVs are also pretty low, so 200W should be OK to keep them running for a short time if, for example, they're in a timer recording of your favorite soap and the "lurker" (every Soap has one!) is about to find out who slept with the villain last night

If you don't have your house protected by line suppressors from the power company or a surge supressing fuse box, a "UPS" is a cheap investment for people in "thunder-bumper" country...I've got all three!

Hi, just wanted to vent and give some info. I got a 541 model, which is a 160 G Hard disc version of the 640. I bought it in Singapore. One obvious difference that I gather from this forum is that the 640/541 here do have a DV (firewire ) input.

Some gripes I have (I have a 510 also which I am still using)

a) the menu's on the 541 compared to 510 are much more difficult to read (smaller fonts)
b) The remote is missing some buttons such as quick timer, disc history and chapter mark (Is there still a chapter mark function on the 640???)
c) Most annotying is : in the recording timer setup it doesn't show the channel names as it did with the 510. In the 510 I assigned names to each channel via the manual channel setup and on the 510 these names showed when selecting a channel to choose in the timer rec menus, NOW you can only select ch17/ch24 etc etc, very annoying when you have to remember each channel number.
d) also the disc navigator is in my opinion a step back from 510, before you could see moving thumbnails for 8 shows at a time, now a maximum of 4 shows, or 8 shownames but one thumbnail at a time.

other then then that, I love the PAL/NTSC recording functionality of the pio (at least here they can). it's an overall good recorder, specially the MN recording functionality. But I would have hoped they would have stayed with the older and better screens/menus/remote.

Erick

Or you could skip it. My 633 has gone through a couple of power outages in the last 9 months with no ill effects. And I've operated computer equipment in my home without a UPS for over 25 years without any problems. I would probably only buy a UPS if you had concerns about the quality of your power - for example if you have unusually frequent power outages or "brownouts".

Sean,
I do have surge protectors on everything and we just have an occasional outage when a transformer has to be replaced or something. (squirrels)
Once in awhile we have a "flicker" (on & off) just enought to make my digital clocks blink to be reset.

Urlee

[QUOTE=wabjxo]Wal-Mart has a 200W APC (the best!) battery backup/surge suppressor that costs ~$40.QUOTE]

Hey, That sounds GREAT! Thank you for the info!


Urlee

I believe you're talking about the different options for what the menu page will look like, on your DVD. They come up after you select "finalize." You use the arrows to pick one, and then hit Enter. It will show you what the page will look like, on your DVD. It asks you Yes, or No. No is highlighted, so you have to use the left arrow to highlight Yes, than hit Enter, and it will begin to finalize.

Kjbawc,
I wish I knew what, when, and where to give more to go by but I was so nervous and excited, it didn't register.
I think I am moving too fast and should read more on the how's.
One thing that showed up on the computer try out was that ribbon like film I picked, no name DVD? I had a name? Nothing shows up on my DVD?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/Title.jpg

By golly I got it to show here. YAY! Now maybe I can make sense in my explanations.

Also, what do U all use to identify your disks? I was using Sure Thing making labels but am getting scared at what I hear about them a no no?
What are the chances of them raising havoc?
I bought some CD markers but they don't work worth a darn! I happen to look and they are made by the same company of which tapes and discs I would NEVER by so I guess that figures?
I really would like to use the label way.
Urlee

For those of you who care:

Spike TV will be having a James Bond Marathon during the month of August. I figure it will be a great time to try out my recording and editing techiques on my Pioneer 640.

Steve

Also, what do U all use to identify your disks? I was using Sure Thing making labels but am getting scared at what I hear about them a no no?
Urlee

I use a Sharpie marker to write on the discs. Labelled discs don't play in some of my DVD players :)

If you get serious about labeling your DVDs, you might try one of the Epson CD/DVD printers such as R200,R220, etc. They print very nice, but the ink is expensive. I have learned that your ink will last longer if you never turn the printer off. The ink is not smearproof but lasts ok as long as your are careful handling them.

Sample of Time shifted movie from cable from my Pioneer 531H printed on R200.....

Also, what do U all use to identify your disks? I was using Sure Thing making labels but am getting scared at what I hear about them a no no?
What are the chances of them raising havoc?

I really would like to use the label way.
Urlee

You CAN use labels for your DVD's as long as they are NOT full face labels, but Hub labels instead. Everything you heard about having problems down the road with labels is correct, but not if you use Hub labels (that go over the little center stacking ring).

I use Hub labels (by SureThing) all the time, and have never had a problem with them.

Kjbawc,
I wish I knew what, when, and where to give more to go by but I was so nervous and excited, it didn't register.
I think I am moving too fast and should read more on the how's.
One thing that showed up on the computer try out was that ribbon like film I picked, no name DVD? I had a name? Nothing shows up on my DVD?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/Title.jpg

By golly I got it to show here. YAY! Now maybe I can make sense in my explanations.

Also, what do U all use to identify your disks? I was using Sure Thing making labels but am getting scared at what I hear about them a no no?
What are the chances of them raising havoc?
I bought some CD markers but they don't work worth a darn! I happen to look and they are made by the same company of which tapes and discs I would NEVER by so I guess that figures?
I really would like to use the label way.
Urlee


Yow! I've never seen a ribbon like that! I'm just guessing, but I think it looks like you didn't pick any menu page, at the beginning of the finalizing process. It looks like you have one title, and a LOT of chapters, if that is what the "c"s stand for. Also, there is no title entered for the DVD (Un), and none for the title of the program (titl). If you had entered those, perhaps they are lost if you don't select a menu page.

Yes, go slowly, read everything on the screen carefully, it usually has prompts, and the info you need. You might want to hit the "Help" button on the remote. Before you are going to do things, look them up in the manual, read them over, and put bookmarks in the manual at the appropriate points, so you can read it again quickly, while you have your screen up. Don't be afraid to take your time. The screens stay up quite a while, and you can bring them back, if you need to.

The manual really needs an index. It has important info on some operations scattered here and there, and not always listed in the TOC. I have written in a line here and there, in the TOC, listing some of the info I need, by page number and topic, as I run across it while reading the manual. I find that helps for quick reference. Highlighting can help too.

As to labeling, I have a 400 disc megachanger, whose manual claims that DVDs should have NO adhesive labels on them, so I haven't tried hub labels. Also, I wonder if hub labels might not have the problem that my VHS paper spine labels did, when on plastic sleeves. When it gets humid, the paper expands, and wrinkles, because the plastic it is on doesn't expand nearly as much. I just use a sharpie, on the lines provided on my Verbatim discs. I find that I often have to start the sharpie on a piece of paper, and go directly to the disc, to get it to write on the disc, but then it works fine.

Also, what do U all use to identify your disks? I was using Sure Thing making labels but am getting scared at what I hear about them a no no?For CDs the recording layer is protected by only a thin coat of laquer and the pre-printed label. These disks can easily be damaged if you try to write on them with a hard point (like a ball point pen) or if you use a felt tip marker that has a solvent base.

On DVDs, the recording layer is sandwiched between two layers of plastic that are equally thick, so they are much more robust. You shouldn't have any problems using a typical felt tip pen.

Printed labels can be problematic because at the speeds that DVDs spin the label can throw the disk out of balance.

Thank you all for your replies to my "SOS".

Oldemanphil,
How did you do that so the image doesn't use up the whole post like my attachment?
That was great!

Here is something that I don't know what it means? Picture shows better than I can explain.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/copyList.jpg
Create a copy list?
How do I know if there is a copy list stored in the computer?
What are they referring to?
What is the previous copy list?

Thanx,
Urlee

Create a copy list?
How do I know if there is a copy list stored in the computer?
What are they referring to?
What is the previous copy list?
The DVR remembers the last Copy List you might have created, so if you want to make another copy you're already set...no need to create a new one, just select "Continue...."

If you want to make a copy of a different program, you should select "Create New..." which will erase the previous Copy List...it remembers only one at a time.

The DVR remembers the last Copy List you might have created, so if you want to make another copy you're already set...no need to create a new one, just select "Continue...."

If you want to make a copy of a different program, you should select "Create New..." which will erase the previous Copy List...it remembers only one at a time.

I guess my problem is: I don't know what a copy list is nor do I understand how to create one. Or where?

Urlee :(

I guess my problem is: I don't know what a copy list is nor do I understand how to create one. Or where?

Urlee :(
I'll try to summarize where the Copy List fits in, but I've sent my 531 in for replacement, so will have to go stirctly from memory.

Altho' there are several ways to Copy, if you use the Home Menu > Copy method, the machine first asks which direction you want to copy (HDD > DVD or DVD > HDD).

Once you select the direction, then it asks if you want to use an Existing Copy List or Create a New Copy List. (Once you create your first Copy List, that one will be remembered 'till your next Copy job, so you could use the previously remembered Copy List or, as in most cases, Create a New Copy List).

If you select Create a New..., it will ask you to select which program(s)...one or more... from Disc Navigator. You highlight one program and press Enter, which places that program in the Copy List.

If you want to add more programs to copy, left-arrow back to Disc Navigator, select another program, press Enter, and another program will be added to your Copy List.

Once you have all the programs you want to copy in the Copy List, you right-arrow to the Next button in the right-hand action menu.

That brings up a menu that allows you to change Title, Edit, etc. each program in your Copy List. Any changes you make, such as erase commercials, change title, etc. are only made to the "virtual" copy in your Copy List...the original program still in Disc Navigator will not be changed.

Once ready to Copy, you select the Copy button (I think?), then select "Finalize" (if HDD > DVD copy) in the next menu, then ENTER to make the DVD copy and Finalize. (These last steps might have incorrect names...memory fading!?)

If there are errors above, I apologize in advance. Hopefully, you may be able to find your way (?) or someone can correct them for me???

I believe wabjxo covered it pretty well. I'll just add, to be clear, that you make a copy list in order to select more than one title from your HDD to copy to a disc, instead of just copying a single title, like you would with "one touch copy." Further, the titles you highlight will be copied in the order in which you highlight them. Since you haven't created a copy list yet, just highlight "enter new copy list," and it will prompt you on what to do. That, and the explanation from wabxo, ought to do it.

Thanks for the additional info, kjbawc.

One more thing, Urlee. I learned this on my first copy from HDD > DVD. Make sure you have a DVD in place and spun up (loaded) before selecting "Next"...in fact, it won't be "active" until the DVD is loaded, so you might think the process isn't working at first. I always loaded my DVD as first step.

Besides knowledge, you need patience when working in the DVD world! :)

Thanks for the additional info, kjbawc.

One more thing, Urlee. I learned this on my first copy from HDD > DVD. Make sure you have a DVD in place and spun up (loaded) before selecting "Next"...in fact, it won't be "active" until the DVD is loaded, so you might think the process isn't working at first. I always loaded my DVD as first step.

Besides knowledge, you need patience when working in the DVD world! :)

"LOL" wabjxo,
I must say, that is one thing I did right? By accident?

Let me see if I understand this right?
When I press the navigator button, it shows a list of all the movies I recorded to my HDD.
Is the copy list, the movies I picked from the navigator list that is going to get burned on the disc ONLY if I highlight and choose add, the ones I want?
Then the ones I chose, all get burned during copy?
But-------When it says continue using the previous copy list, is that the same list of titles, or of the movies I chose to burn before?

I will have to study (bless you) what you have posted to see if it will soak in.
Oooof, My mind is just not with it?
Put a new electronic machine in my hands and I can
become "dangerous!" :confused:

Urlee

"LOL" wabjxo,
I must say, that is one thing I did right? By accident?

Let me see if I understand this right?
When I press the navigator button, it shows a list of all the movies I recorded to my HDD.
Is the copy list, the movies I picked from the navigator list that is going to get burned on the disc ONLY if I highlight and choose add, the ones I want?
Then the ones I chose, all get burned during copy?


You're close. You have to start with the copy menu, and select "create new copy list." This brings up a list like Navigator does, but it accepts highlighting more than one, unlike the regular nav list. Then, the ones you choose become your "Copy List," and all get burned at once. The Navigator's list of everything on your HDD is NOT your copy list.



But-------When it says continue using the previous copy list, is that the same list of titles, or of the movies I chose to burn before?

Urlee

That is the "Copy List" of titles you chose to burn at once,when making your copy list. It won't hold more than one copy list. So, if you want to make more copies from the same copy list, you don't have to enter it again, it is stored until you delete it, or "Create new copy list." Also, if you delete one of those chosen titles from the Navigator, or edit any of them further, in any way, it will delete the copy list you made, automatically.

"Copy Lists" are used when you copy titles from the hard drive to a DVD using the "Home Menu" and then the "Copy" selection. During the screens you go through to select the titles you want to copy you're actually creating that copy list. The thing that's confusing is that none of the screens actually say "copy list", so it's not at all obvious that this is what you're doing.

Let's go through the process one step a time and see how it works... You press the "Home Menu" button and then choose the "Copy" option followed by the "HDD -> DVD" option. You might get a screen that asks you if you want to create a new copy list or use an existing one. Let's just assume that you didn't get that screen, or that you choose to create a new one. The next thing you see is a screen that lets you choose which titles to copy (it looks just like the "Disc Navigator" screen.)
This list of titles that you choose is the mysterious "copy list". What happens is that if you burn a DVD using some of those titles, the recorder remembers them and the next time you go to burn a DVD it will offer to let you use the same list again (the "use existing copy list" option). This is useful if you want to burn another DVD with the same titles on it because it saves you the step of having to choose them all again. I personally find that I rarely want to do that so I'm always using the "create new copy list" option.

If you delete one or more of the titles that you copied to a DVD and then later start a new copy operation, the recorder will realize that it no longer has the deleted titles and so it can't use the same list it did last time. In that case it won't offer you any copy list options, and you'll have to choose a new list of titles to copy. This is why you sometimes see the screen that offers you the options, and sometimes you don't.

You're close. You have to start with the copy menu, and select "create new copy list." This brings up a list like Navigator does, but it accepts highlighting more than one, unlike the regular nav list. Then, the ones you choose become your "Copy List," and all get burned at once. The Navigator's list of everything on your HDD is NOT your copy list.

Yes, That is what I meant, that while in the "Copy" mode, do my chosing.
Yay, I think I got it. (That scares me) "lol"


That is the "Copy List" of titles you chose to burn at once,when making your copy list. It won't hold more than one copy list. So, if you want to make more copies from the same copy list, you don't have to enter it again, it is stored until you delete it, or "Create new copy list." Also, if you delete one of those chosen titles from the Navigator, or edit any of them further, in any way, it will delete the copy list you made, automatically.

I think I understand now. I better read over and over so it sinks in and stays there. You can bet your boots this is a keeper to refer to.
Thank you soooooo much,
Urlee

"Copy Lists" are used when you copy titles from the hard drive to a DVD using the "Home Menu" and then the "Copy" selection. During the screens you go through to select the titles you want to copy you're actually creating that copy list. The thing that's confusing is that none of the screens actually say "copy list", so it's not at all obvious that this is what you're doing.

Let's go through the process one step a time and see how it works... You press the "Home Menu" button and then choose the "Copy" option followed by the "HDD -> DVD" option. You might get a screen that asks you if you want to create a new copy list or use an existing one. Let's just assume that you didn't get that screen, or that you choose to create a new one. The next thing you see is a screen that lets you choose which titles to copy (it looks just like the "Disc Navigator" screen.)
This list of titles that you choose is the mysterious "copy list". What happens is that if you burn a DVD using some of those titles, the recorder remembers them and the next time you go to burn a DVD it will offer to let you use the same list again (the "use existing copy list" option). This is useful if you want to burn another DVD with the same titles on it because it saves you the step of having to choose them all again. I personally find that I rarely want to do that so I'm always using the "create new copy list" option.

If you delete one or more of the titles that you copied to a DVD and then later start a new copy operation, the recorder will realize that it no longer has the deleted titles and so it can't use the same list it did last time. In that case it won't offer you any copy list options, and you'll have to choose a new list of titles to copy. This is why you sometimes see the screen that offers you the options, and sometimes you don't.

Hey Sean,
What can I say? THAT sure clinched it! (LUV YA)
It was written in my language, so clear to be able to get through my "thick" skull!
Between you, Wabjxo, and kjbawc, I have a "gold mine" of instructions now so I can better know what I am doing when come to burn again.
Wabjxo,
You also gave a superb explanation that now makes sense to me after going back and rereading it with the amunition I had acquired.
I am anxious to find something to save on a disc so I can go through this to see where to do what.
Thanks millions!

Grateful Urlee

ok, will try my first DVD recording from the HDD this weekend. I recorded a movie last night that after editing out the commercials is 125 minutes long. At SP mode, i would assume it will not fit as it is about 5 minutes too long. So i was thinking to try recording speed of MN20 which would give me about 130 minutes. Any thoughts from the Pro's here?

Thank you in advance,

Steve

You can always re-encode the movie real time using the auto mode if your recording don't fit on a DVD. Auto is great to re-encode a recording which is ready to be burnt, as you already trimmed it and removed commercials.

Personally, I usually go check the imdb/dot/com entry to see the real movie length, then set the manual recording quality to one step lower to the actual timing. For example, if the movie is 123 minutes long, I use the 130 minutes setting. I prefer to be on the safe side and lose a little bit of quality rather than having to recode in real time.

You can always re-encode the movie real time using the auto mode if your recording don't fit on a DVD. Auto is great to re-encode a recording which is ready to be burnt, as you already trimmed it and removed commercials.

Personally, I usually go check the imdb/dot/com entry to see the real movie length, then set the manual recording quality to one step lower to the actual timing. For example, if the movie is 123 minutes long, I use the 130 minutes setting. I prefer to be on the safe side and lose a little bit of quality rather than having to recode in real time.


I must have been lucky in cutting out the commercials, The time I show after editting is the same as what IMDB is showing. I do not know how lenient the 120 minutes of capacity is on a DVD, I know with CD's 80 minutes was always 80 minutes and a few seconds. I would assume that if I just used regular SP mode and it did not fit, it would be a wastes Disk (coaster?). When you mention Auto to re-encode, does that mean if it didn't fit, i could try again?

Steve

ok, will try my first DVD recording from the HDD this weekend. I recorded a movie last night that after editing out the commercials is 125 minutes long. At SP mode, i would assume it will not fit as it is about 5 minutes too long. So i was thinking to try recording speed of MN20 which would give me about 130 minutes. Any thoughts from the Pro's here?

Thank you in advance,

Steve

Steve,
By all means I am NOT a PRO. Far from it!
I am with you at learning the "how to" but am happy to say I already did my first copying off the HDD to a DVD-R and had 126 minutes fit at SP mode.
I followed page 82 of the manual and like Sean said when answering my post about getting 2 hours + minutes to fit, "The machine will tell you if the program doesn't fit when you try to select it in the copy screens."
Go for it.
Or----I haven't tried this but-------
I know for sure you will get a little bit more. I have a chart that I made in Microsoft Excel and I need to add to it the EXACT time you get per speed setting on a Single layered DVD+/-R. That will be my next project.

All you have to do to be able to tell is place a blank DVD-R in the tray, close it...wait for it to load, then press the "Display" button (under the slider on the bottom of the remote) and it will tell you how much time you have on the HDD and the DVD for whatever you have your speed set too. After putting the blank disc in, press "Rec Mode" (again under the slider part) and that is where you can set your speed if it's not where you need it when you check by pressing "Display".
Urlee

You can always re-encode the movie real time using the auto mode if your recording don't fit on a DVD. Auto is great to re-encode a recording which is ready to be burnt, as you already trimmed it and removed commercials.

Personally, I usually go check the imdb/dot/com entry to see the real movie length, then set the manual recording quality to one step lower to the actual timing. For example, if the movie is 123 minutes long, I use the 130 minutes setting. I prefer to be on the safe side and lose a little bit of quality rather than having to recode in real time.

I agree with dcoulombe.

The best way to do this is to record the program to the HDD at the recording mode that will fit on a DVD. In other words, if the movie is 125 min long, then use the 130-min setting. This way you can use the H-S dubbing mode to record it on a DVD, and therefore there will be no loss in PQ. If you re-encode when you dub to the DVD, you will lose PQ. Plus it takes longer...

I do not know how lenient the 120 minutes of capacity is on a DVD, I know with CD's 80 minutes was always 80 minutes and a few seconds. I would assume that if I just used regular SP mode and it did not fit, it would be a wastes Disk (coaster?).CD Audio is not compressed, and so the length rating of a CD is absolute, with no variation. DVD capacity depends on how efficient the MPEG compression algorithm is for the type of material being recorded.

As an example of this, I've noticed I can fit three episodes of one TV series I've been recording at SP speed on a single DVD-RW disc after removing the commercials. Another series won't fit, I need to use MN20 mode for it. And this is despite the total time for the MN20 series actually being about 30 seconds less. It's not obvious to me what the difference is, but it's been fairly consistent and I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that I receive the MN20 series via analogue cable and the SP series via a digital channel. The digital material was already compressed for delivery to me, and that might have removed enough fine detail to allow it to fit at the higher recording speed. Conversely, noise in the analogue signal may have increased the detail to the point where it takes the extra space.

If you try to put 125 minutes on a DVD at SP-mode speed, the recorder will tell you whether it fits or not before it starts burning, so don't worry about wasting a disc. (BTW, it's handy to have a DVD-RW for experimenting with as you learn about your machine).

Helloooo

Just an update for everyone. Ive now recorded my 200th DVD on my 640, everythings gone fine. I record about 75% VHS to the HDD then edit & dub, and also record some movies or sporting events off directtv.....havent had any problems, lost just 1 DVD. I record in video mode using Verbatim DVD's, i used Fugi DVD's my 1st 100...thats DVD-R's

Anyways, really like the machine, any questions just ask!!!

see ya's
Mike

That's cool! What format media... DVD +R's, or DVD -R's ?

I record in video mode using Verbatim DVD's, i used Fugi DVD's my 1st 100...thats DVD-R's

Looks like DVD-R

Yep!.....smiles

I agree with dcoulombe.

The best way to do this is to record the program to the HDD at the recording mode that will fit on a DVD. In other words, if the movie is 125 min long, then use the 130-min setting. This way you can use the H-S dubbing mode to record it on a DVD, and therefore there will be no loss in PQ. If you re-encode when you dub to the DVD, you will lose PQ. Plus it takes longer...

Actually, I use also go to IMDB and check length. But when I set up recording, if IMDB shows length of 130, I actually choose an MN for 125. I dont think I've ever had a problem with being too long. I edit out the before movie and the trailer at end and then do a fast copy. They usually fit fine. Not sure what algorythm is used to set rate, but it seems to be conservative.

Rick

When I play a DVD created with the 640, it starts playing the 1st title then the 2nd, and so on. Why doesn’t it go to the menu automatically? Can I choose how the DVD's function?

Can you make chapter stops during recordings?

When I play a DVD created with the 640, it starts playing the 1st title then the 2nd, and so on. Why doesn’t it go to the menu automatically? Can I choose how the DVD's function?

Can you make chapter stops during recordings?

Most people, like myself, when they play a DVD made from the Pioneer 640 experience it loading...then stops...then you either have to press "Menu" or "Play". Yours seems to play right from the initial loading when you put the disc in the player.

I made a DVD with four titles on it and I found the same thing as you where after it plays title #1, it goes straight to title #2 without going to the menu in between. The only good thing is that if you press "menu" on your remote it will go to the menu screen. I have tried to see if there is something you can do when you make the recording (or during the finalize process) that makes it start with the menu, and there doesn't seem to be any way to control how it comes out.

As to making chapter stops, the best way I have found to do it with HDD recordings (not the easiest way) is after the recording has completed go into the editing feature of your specific title and manually make your chapter marks there.

I think the Auto Chapter creation is for direct to DVD recordings as I have not been able to get it to work on anything recorded on the HDD.

Actually, I use also go to IMDB and check length. But when I set up recording, if IMDB shows length of 130, I actually choose an MN for 125. I dont think I've ever had a problem with being too long. I edit out the before movie and the trailer at end and then do a fast copy. They usually fit fine. Not sure what algorythm is used to set rate, but it seems to be conservative.

Rick

What is IMDB?

Urlee :confused:

What is IMDB?

Urlee :confused:

Stands for Internet Movie Data Base

Go to www.imdb.com and check it out.

When I play a DVD created with the 640, it starts playing the 1st title then the 2nd, and so on. Why doesn’t it go to the menu automatically? Can I choose how the DVD's function?
That's the way it is with Pioneer recorders. You have to press the menu button to see the menu of a disc recorded by the Pioneer. When I know this isn't what I want I take the disc to my computer and use a DVD authoring application to create a new menu with instructions to display the menu at disc insert, and then burn a new DVD. By the way, pressing play to close the disc drawer rather than pressing the open/close button automatically closes the drawer and starts playback (at least on my older Pioneer).

Can you make chapter stops during recordings?
Pressing pause on the remote will automatically create a chapter marker during recording but otherwise you do this afterward on the HDD (the commercial skip button comes in handy when doing this) or accept the time-increment automatic chapter markers when doing a real-time video-mode recording to disc.

ok, will try my first DVD recording from the HDD this weekend. I recorded a movie last night that after editing out the commercials is 125 minutes long. At SP mode, i would assume it will not fit as it is about 5 minutes too long. So i was thinking to try recording speed of MN20 which would give me about 130 minutes. Any thoughts from the Pro's here?

Thank you in advance,

Steve

As others have said, you can record MORE than 120m on a disc. I've read that it varies by brand, but the Verbatims I've been using seem to take up to 127m in SP. Also, as others have said, the 640 will tell you if there is more program than one disc can contain, and it won't let you make just a partial recording.

What no one has mentioned, is that when you have a program highlighted on your HDD Navigator list, down at the bottom of the screen, it will list the total time, and GB, in the program, so if it is less than 4.7, it should copy at SP. This is also true if you are creating a copy list, the total on the list will be at the bottom of the screen.

...when you have a program highlighted on your HDD Navigator list, down at the bottom of the screen, it will list the total time, and GB, in the program, so if it is less than 4.7, it should copy at SP.A couple of notes on this, which is a good tip: The maximum is actually 4.4GB as listed on the screen, because of the difference in usage between decimal and binary GB. (At least this is true for the 633 and I assume the 640 would be the same.) The 4.4GB maximum applies no matter what speed your recordings are at. The difference is that (for example) one or more SP-mode recordings that take up 4.4GB will be longer in terms of elapsed time than one or more XP-mode recordings that take up 4.4GB

I was wondering about that, but I am not at home, and can't check at the moment. But, the 640 does also list the remaining GB on a disc, so it will say either 4.4, or 4.7, when an empty disc is loaded. I'll try and remember to check, when I get home.

We had a nasty strorm a few days ago and because I was in the middle of a recording, I left my new 640 (less than a week) running. Big mistake. The power went off twice. When it came back on the 1st time, the 640 resumed recording nicely as it is supposed to, but when the power returned the 2nd time, the 640 did not. Totally dead. I opened it up to check the fuse, but it was fine. Had to exchange it, and lost everything on the hard drive. Hmph.

The unit was on a surge supressing power bar, but we had a fairly close lightening strike and the 640 wasn't the only thing I lost. Fried equipment included:
- 1 Pioneer DVR640H
- 1 Sony TV
- 2 USR external modems
- 1 D-Link Router
- 1 On-board NIC (Luckily, the only part of the computer affected.)
- 2 telco phone line fuses

All equipment was properly grounded and protected by at least a surge suppressor (including phone lines) and the computer equipment was protected by an APC UPS.

The moral: In a lightening storm, unplug everything! If lightening can travel miles through the air, no surge suppressing equipment can truly protect your stuff.

While I believe it's safe to say that there are no guarantees, a UPS can protect equipment better than a surge suppressor, if it is the so-called "double-conversion" type that are constantly converting the incoming AC to DC, then back to AC to power the protected equipment, charging a battery while in the DC stage.

But I suppose there is still the potential that the lightning strike could destroy the UPS itself.

Also, many surge suppressor and UPS manufacturers provide a guarantee against damage to the protected equipment.

ACPewty, I started a thread on electrical protectionhttp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695497&highlight=ups . I'd be good to post your warning there too.
I agree with unplugging during a storm. No matter what protection you have, a bad enough storm can overpower it.

Stands for Internet Movie Data Base

Go to www.imdb.com and check it out.
That's my favorite site. THE haven for movie lovers.

ACPewty, I started a thread on electrical protectionhttp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695497&highlight=ups . I'd be good to post your warning there too.
I agree with unplugging during a storm. No matter what protection you have, a bad enough storm can overpower it.


That's my favorite site. THE haven for movie lovers.

Thanks for the info and yes, I agree and was happy Suplex posted that imdb URL for me.
Urlee

I like the IMDb, and use it all the time. But, I also recommend www.allmovie.com. They have more in-depth reviews, and often longer plot descriptions, of a lot of films. It can be necesary to check both, to find some films.

I finally started dubbing some of my tapes, SVHS->HDD->DVD, breaking them up into 8-12 titles, since they are short films. I want to make 8 copies, each from the same copy list. When I make the first copy, I enter the disc title, select finalize, and select a menu page. Of course, I understand how to do all that, but what I don't like is that it seems every time I make another copy, I have to input the disc title all over again, even though the copy list has changed not a bit.

Is there something I am missing, that would let me retain the disc title, instead of entering it every time I make a new copy from the same copy list? I guess I could make subsequent copies by "disc backup," from the first copy, but that would increase burn errors, and reduce quality slightly, I assume. I don't have a computer at home, and can't use one to check my burns. Thoughts, anyone?

The Disc Title is not part of the Copy List, that's why it must be re-entered each time you create a new disc. Yes it's a pain. I suggest the Disc Backup function, there are no issues of disc errors or quality reduction, each disc you create in this manner is as good as any you will create from the original Copy List. But considerably more convenient.

Yes, the Disc Backup function will work well for this. You can copy the 1st burn back onto the backup area of the hard disk, then make 7 more copies from it one after another with no fuss or muss.

Thanks, guys. I'll try the disc backup. I'll also mark the original, and keep that one myself, incase I want to do more copies later, and read it into disc backup again. ;)

ACPewty, I started a thread on electrical protectionhttp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695497&highlight=ups . I'd be good to post your warning there too.Thanks, you're right. This applies to any DVDR and should have been posted elsewhere. I've added it to your thread along with a few other tips regarding UPS units.

But I suppose there is still the potential that the lightning strike could destroy the UPS itself.Yes, or any extreme power event including transformer blowouts. See my post in Power Outages - preventing damage (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8155594#post8155594)

Still, I have been saved more than once by a UPS and highly recommend them too. :)

Also, many surge suppressor and UPS manufacturers provide a guarantee against damage to the protected equipment.Yes, but if you read the small print it is usually not worth the trouble because you have to send them your fried equipment etc etc.

Thanks, guys. I'll try the disc backup. I'll also mark the original, and keep that one myself, incase I want to do more copies later, and read it into disc backup again. ;)Actually you can make copies from the copies with no difference in the quality of the results. These are exact copies we're talking about, and thus there's no need to mark one as master in an effort to the reduce generational losses that would occur otherwise.

As others have said, you can record MORE than 120m on a disc. I've read that it varies by brand, but the Verbatims I've been using seem to take up to 127m in SP. Also, as others have said, the 640 will tell you if there is more program than one disc can contain, and it won't let you make just a partial recording.

What no one has mentioned, is that when you have a program highlighted on your HDD Navigator list, down at the bottom of the screen, it will list the total time, and GB, in the program, so if it is less than 4.7, it should copy at SP. This is also true if you are creating a copy list, the total on the list will be at the bottom of the screen.

Well recorded my first DVD over the weekend. I still used the SP speed only because the 640 says that the space avaiable was just enough to burn it. That feature is pretty nice for us beginners. Yesterday recorded a 9 hour James Bond Special, will try my luck at Title divide into the 3 separate movies. PS i do use Verbatims DVD-R only because my friend recommends them and a decent price at Sam's Club.

Has anyone experimented with the 640 to determine if it preserves the WideScreen Signaling Flag? That is, if you send it the correct aspect ratio information on video lilne 20, does it overide the command or preserves it and then uses the information to set the aspect ratio at it's output.

Has anyone experimented with the 640 to determine if it preserves the WideScreen Signaling Flag? That is, if you send it the correct aspect ratio information on video lilne 20, does it overide the command or preserves it and then uses the information to set the aspect ratio at it's output.

I did a test with the Lord of the Rings "Fellowship" movie (my test was actually to get the Extended Edition...where the movie takes two discs...on one Dual Layered disc at a higher quality rate) where I played the discs on a separate player and recorded them to the Pioneer 640's HDD (using a stabilizer of course to remove the copy protection, but being as I owned the originals I didn't feel bad about it).

The movie aspect ratio is 2.35:1, so it's the wide bar WideScreen instead of the skinny bar WideScreen like 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 can produce.

When I made my DVD from what I just put on the HDD, it made it at the same 2.35:1 ratio.

Now I don't know if that is what you were asking, but if you send something to the HDD through one of the Line Inputs (L1, L2, L3), or if you record something to the HDD from Cable/Dish that is widescreen, whatever the ratio is going in...is preserved when you make the DVD.

Hope that helps.

Actually, the real test consists of recording a widescreen movie but send it a 4:3 signal on video line 20 then, play back that movie on a 4:3 screen and see if the 640 automatically adjusts it's aspect ratio to play correctly on the 4:3 screen. That is, the video would be letteboxed instead of streched vertically covering the whole screen and looking distorted.

Actually you can make copies from the copies with no difference in the quality of the results. These are exact copies we're talking about, and thus there's no need to mark one as master in an effort to the reduce generational losses that would occur otherwise.


I realize that these bit-for-bit copies are nothing like dubbing generations of videotape, but from what I've read here some errors in burning occur every time, be it a very low number, or close to the accepted maximum. I assume that all burn errors are preserved in the next generation, plus more added by that generation. So, the effect IS cumulative. How many generations it would take to show up? Wouldn't the errors pile up faster if I was using poor quality discs? I don't know. It would be an interesting experiment, though. Film and video artists sometimes do multiple analog generations, to produce degenerative effects. I guess that wouldn't work with digital, it would probably just become unplayable. A nice stutter pattern could be interesting, though! :)

But, I did make seven "disc backup" copies of the original made from the copy list, and I couldn't tell the difference. No point in not hanging on to the original copy.

Actually, the real test consists of recording a widescreen movie but send it a 4:3 signal on video line 20 then, play back that movie on a 4:3 screen and see if the 640 automatically adjusts it's aspect ratio to play correctly on the 4:3 screen. That is, the video would be letteboxed instead of streched vertically covering the whole screen and looking distorted.
As stated previously, on older Pioneers like my 520H the widescreen flag is preserved and can be confirmed as you describe.

We really need someone with a 640H to deliberately test this capability.

On my 520H I have done so with both FireWire DV inputs (from anamorphic video on my camcorder) and S-video inputs (also from the s-video output of anamorphic video from the camcorder).

Unfortunately, I don't have an HDTV source that can give me 480i anamorphic with the flag set properly.

Unfortunately, I don't have an HDTV source that can give me 480i anamorphic with the flag set properly.

I can't get an anamorphic 480i from my Comcast Motorola 6412. On the HD Recorder forum, I've read about the coming TIVO software for the 6412, and new Panny STBs with 250GB HDDs. I'm hoping that one of those will put out a squished picture on the S-Vid, but I'd bet not. We all know they don't want us making good copies!

I always thought of "Title" to mean the name of a movie?
In DVR Pioneer language, it means the Movie it's self??????

Anyhow,
I recorded a program to the hard drive using XP mode.
I recorded a program to the hard drive using SP mode.
(Two Titles.)

My question is: Can I add both to my copy list to be burned on the DVD-R disc?
And would they show up as different speeds so I can compare the difference?


Urlee

I always thought of "Title" to mean the name of a movie?
In DVR Pioneer language, it means the Movie it's self??????

Anyhow,
I recorded a program to the hard drive using XP mode.
I recorded a program to the hard drive using SP mode.
(Two Titles.)

My question is: Can I add both to my copy list to be burned on the DVD-R disc?
And would they show up as different speeds so I can compare the difference?


UrleeYes, you can have multiple titles (programs) on a DVD, as long as they add up to 4.4 Gb or less, and they can be recorded at different speeds (bitrates). You will be able to tell the bitrate it was recorded at when you play it back by viewing the program details available when you press the display button repeatedly during playback.

Hello,

Has anyone else noticed that if you name a program in the manual timer menu, the resulting program does not have the name when you look at in the disk navigator? (i.e. it goes back to the default date/time/speed, or whatever it is.)

If this has already been discussed here I apologize - please point me at it.

I have a 640 and a 520 - the 520 most definitely does not do this.
Kind of a pain.
-Keith

Hello,

Has anyone else noticed that if you name a program in the manual timer menu, the resulting program does not have the name when you look at in the disk navigator? (i.e. it goes back to the default date/time/speed, or whatever it is.)

If this has already been discussed here I apologize - please point me at it.

I have a 640 and a 520 - the 520 most definitely does not do this.
Kind of a pain.
-KeithYes, this has been mentioned in this thread, and Pioneer is aware of it. Program titles are never retained for timer recordings whether you enter them in advance or not. The titles are only picked up (if available) automatically if you do a manual recording. (Set thumbnails for 3 minutes for better accuracy.)

I think the entering of titles in advance was only intended to help with timer event identification for people who set lots of recordings, especially regular events like weekly etc. Maybe Pioneer never intended to carry the titles forward because they were to be replaced with the actual title provided by the network, but that doesn't work. It didn't work for the 2005 models either. My only real complaint about the 640, other than the changes to the remote. (I wonder if the designers at Pioneer were even aware that titles weren't being picked up automatically because hiding the alphanumeric buttons under the remote's sliding door is a pain when you have to enter titles regularly, but you would rarely need those buttons if titles were picked up automatically.) I kept my 633 remote (with Pioneer's permission) when I sent back the 633 to be exchanged with a 640.

...can I add both to my copy list to be burned on the DVD-R disc?
And would they show up as different speeds so I can compare the difference?Yeah, "title" is a bit misleading, isn't it? It refers both to the name of a "program" that you've recorded on the hard drive or DVD, and to the "program" itself. "Titles" are the individual "recordings" you can have, and then they can be broken up into "chapters" for convenience in skipping forward and backward while watching.

As ACPewty mentioned, you can burn titles recorded at different speed settings to a DVD as long as there's enough room for them to fit. But it won't be really obvious which speed they're recorded at, unless you're familiar with the bitrates for the various speeds. By pressing the "display" button twice while a title is playing, you can see the bit rate in mbps (megabits per second). For XP recordings this will usually be in the 9-10 range (typically 9.something). For SP recordings it will usually be in the 4-5 range (4.something).

When I do comparisons like this I usually change the title (ie, the "name") of the recording to include "XP" or "SP", etc. to avoid any potential confusion. This is especially important if you're comparing recordings made at speeds that are close to each other (like MN20 and SP, for example), since the difference in the bitrates is small enough that it's hard to tell the difference between them.

Last month I bought my first DVR, the Pioneer 640-H. I did my research and found this forum VERY helpful. Thank you all! I am very happy with the purchase and enjoying the many features. It is taking a while to digest the manual, so I am going one step at a time. I do timer recordings to the HDD and can edit out commercials (very easy). My next lesson will be copying to DVD.
I have noticed something odd. When I playback a recording from HDD, the audio and video is like watching it live from TV. When I play a purchased DVD the audio is significantly quieter ("attenuated") and I have to crank up the volume bar on my 32" Sony XBR tube TV to almost twice the "length". Has anyone else experienced this? The cabling from my DVR out to TV in is S-video cable. The audio from DVR is red/white cable out to TV red/white in.
Apologies if this is an old thread.

I always thought of "Title" to mean the name of a movie?
In DVR Pioneer language, it means the Movie it's self??????


Urlee

Just to elaborate on what others have said about titles. When you are making a disc, the disc menu has a line to enter a title for the whole disc, and then each separate program has a line to enter a title for that program.

So, say you are saving your favorite TV show on disc. The disc title would be something like:

Program Name 2006 Vol. 1

Then, the individual titles on the menu would be something like:

Episode name original air date

With as many eps as you get on the disc, each listed as a title.
Further, the episodes will be divided into chapters everywhere you cut out commercials.

Addendum:

Of course you can use the "disc title" line to include any info you consider important. When I put a movie on a disc, I don't see the point in entering the title a second time, as disc title. Often I put the year the film was made, sometimes include the director. You might want to list the source, i.e. which cable channel you got it from, whether it is letter boxed, or 4x3, restored, unedited, favorite actor, star rating, etc.

Maybe Pioneer never intended to carry the titles forward because they were to be replaced with the actual title provided by the network, but that doesn't work. It didn't work for the 2005 models either.

My DVR-520 (which I guess is a 2004 model) carries the titles (that I set) forward with no problem, which is why I was surprised when my new DVR-640 didn't.

I ended up talking to Pioneer, and it sounds like they are working on a fix. For my use not having the titles carry forward is going to be a bit of a pain, but I'll have to work around it manually for now I guess.

-Keith

Any idea how we would know, if and when they come up with a fix? I'd like them to carry forward too, but just showing up on timer recordings, like they do in manual recordings, would be a big improvement.

Any idea how we would know, if and when they come up with a fix? I'd like them to carry forward too, but just showing up on timer recordings, like they do in manual recordings, would be a big improvement.

The Pioneer customer service guy on the phone told me if you register your recorder with them you will be notified if any fixes come out. I figure the more people call and ask about it the higher priority it will get. At least they are not denying that there is a problem.

Perhaps I used the phrase "carried forward" incorrectly - by that I meant when I enter a name in the manual timer menu, that name would then show up in the disk navigator after the program recorded. My 520 does that, and I gather the 640 was supposed to do that but there is a firmware bug.

-Keith

I assume that all burn errors are preserved in the next generation, plus more added by that generation. So, the effect IS cumulative.No. A disc will always have errors but those errors are typically correctable due to Error Correction Codes (ECC). So those errors have no effect on a copy. The copy will contain the the same bits as the original. The copy will have (correctable) errors also, unrelated to the (correctable) errors in the original. The effect of making copies of copies is NOT cumulative, each such copy starts with the exact data that was used to make the original. That is the whol point of making digital copies. ONLY when a disc starts to have uncorrectable errors will you no longer be able to get the exact same digital information that was used to create the disc in the first place. If you can successfully read the disc at all (for example on your PC) then you have successfully read the same data that was used to create the disc, with zero error.

I assume that all burn errors are preserved in the next generation, plus more added by that generation. So, the effect IS cumulative.Woops, I missed this post else I would have responded earlier...

Bobkart is 100% correct - correctable errors are not cumulative when you make a copy of a DVD. The DVD drive uses the ECC codes to recreate the exact original data even if there are some read errors, so the data that the DVD drive sends to the hard disk is a "pristine" copy. When you then take that perfect copy and burn a new DVD, the new disk may have it's own set of errors, but they have nothing to do with those on the original disk.

If there are enough errors on the original disk then it's possible that the ECC codes won't be sufficient to correct the data. When you're viewing such a DVD the effect is usually obvious freezing or macroblocking of the video. I'm not 100% sure what would happen during a high-speed copy or backup of a disk with uncorrectable errors, but I'd hope that the unit would handle it similar to a computer and give you an error message saying that the data couldn't be read successfully.

If you were doing a real-time copy of a disk that had severe errors, I wouldn't be too surprised if the copy showed freezes or macroblocking, since such a copy is essentially a "playback" of the original material so that it can be re-encoded. In that case, the frozen or macroblocked image on the copy isn't really data errors on the disk with the copy, but merely an accurate playback of the recorded problems. It would be as if you had recorded a videotape with dropouts or gaps in the image - you'd just be getting a nice, perfect copy of the garbage.

Originally Posted by Urlee
I always thought of "Title" to mean the name of a movie?
In DVR Pioneer language, it means the Movie it's self??????

I recorded a program to the hard drive using XP mode.
I recorded a program to the hard drive using SP mode.
(Two Titles.)

My question is: Can I add both to my copy list to be burned on the DVD-R disc?
And would they show up as different speeds so I can compare the difference?
Urlee

ACPewty, Sean, and Kibawc!

Thank you so much for your replies and help to the above!
I value them with much respect.

Urlee

The Pioneer customer service guy on the phone told me if you register your recorder with them you will be notified if any fixes come out. I figure the more people call and ask about it the higher priority it will get. At least they are not denying that there is a problem.

-Keith

When notified about a fix, what then?
You mean the DVR I am using can be fixed of that and does it have to be sent in for it?

Urlee

When notified about a fix, what then?
You mean the DVR I am using can be fixed of that and does it have to be sent in for it?

Urlee
That would depend on the "Fix". No one could know this until they come up with the fix, if ever, for a defect. If it is something that can be fixed in firmware, then a new disk firmware upload to the machine may be all it will need.

Since the problem with titleling program names just discussed appears to be the way the machine is programed to title programs then a firmware fix (or tweaked to it to do something else) is probably all that is needed in this case.

But since the machine is still highly functional without this fix I would not hold my breath waiting for it to come.

Word for thought.
I recorded a two hour show using the LP (4Hrs) and the EP (6Hrs) speed to the hard drive.

Believe it or not, when I viewed them, they were just as good as the SP?
I was wondering if the difference in quality shows up in the burning?
But they say, the copy is as good as the source?
I am going to burn the XP, LP, and EP all on one disk to see if the quality changes.
More fun!
Here is a puzzling event? When I erased all the commercials on the 2 hour LP movie and the 2 hour EP movie, they both ended up as 1 hour and 27 minutes?
Soooooo, I think the culprit is the GB it uses to figure the space it takes on the disk and NOT the time it plays?

Corrections?

Urlee

Soooooo, I think the culprit is the GB it uses to figure the space it takes on the disk and NOT the time it plays?

Corrections?

Urlee

This is correct, the quality you set (XP, SP, etc) effect the recording quality which allows you to record longer. Does not matter if you fill up a disk in XP mode or if you fill up the disk in SP mode or EP mode, they still will be approximately 4 GB in size. The speed effects the quality of the program by adjusting the bit rate at what it records at and program resolution which effects the quality of the viewing of the program, not the programs time length. This only allows you to record longer in the same space you have on disk. So at SP you can record about twice as long as you can in XP mode, but it will not effect the actual programs time length, just the amount of time you can record in the amount of disk space you have.

VCR recorders worked the same way, the different speeds on them, SP, LP, EP, effected the amount of time you could record on a tape, not the recorded programs actual time, just the amount of time you could record. So these DVD recorders are pretty much the same functionally as VCR's in this regard.

If you can tell the difference in the modes, depends on your TV (size & quality of its resolution) and your own personal viewing abilities and tolerance (One person may not see difference but another person will)

Here is a puzzling event? When I erased all the commercials on the 2 hour LP movie and the 2 hour EP movie, they both ended up as 1 hour and 27 minutes?
Urlee

Not wanting to get to complicated for you, but something else for you to play with.

In this example where the edited 2 hour movie edited down to 1 hour 27 min., if you know the show will be about 90 min. after editing, you could have used the 90 min. mode setting on the Pioneer and it would of recorded the show in better then SP quality and still have it fit on the disk because after editing you had a 90 min. program.

This is where the Pioneer is superior to the Panasonic recorders because you can set the recording mode quality separate from the program time start and stop, set it to 90 min quality mode but to record for a full 2 hours.

I recorded a two hour show using the LP (4Hrs) and the EP (6Hrs) speed to the hard drive. Believe it or not, when I viewed them, they were just as good as the SP? I was wondering if the difference in quality shows up in the burning?The size of your TV set is probably the biggest factor in whether you will notice the difference between XP, SP, LP, etc. recording speeds. If your TV set is relatively small (say, 27" or less perhaps, depending on how far you sit from it) then some of the imperfections at the slower speeds will not be as noticeable. A lot of people who use this forum have huge TVs and they can see every little flaw in the image. Those are the people who typically swear by XP mode. Of course your eyesight makes a difference too (he says, recently having had to get his first prescription reading glasses ;))

Another factor is the type of material you're recording. For example you might find LP or EP mode perfectly OK for most things, but it might worse for fast-moving sports programs (because more motion requires more digital bits for a good image).

It's smart to try recording at different speeds to see what looks OK to you. Why record everything at a high speed and use up more more discs if you can't even see the difference?

The one thing I would caution you about is that if you ever get larger TV set then you could end up being disappointed with your recordings. If there could be a larger TV set in your future then you might want to take your test DVD with different recording speeds to a store or a friend with a larger TV to see what they look like on it.


Soooooo, I think the culprit is the GB it uses to figure the space it takes on the disk and NOT the time it plays?It's kind of like the old reel-to-reel tape recorders. If you use a tape that's 600 feet long, the length of the tape is exactly the same whether you tape at a high or low speed. The only thing that changes is that you can't fit as much time on the tape if it's moving at a higher speed. Taping one program at a high speed and one at a low speed doesn't change the length of the tape.

In the same way, the number of digital bits a DVD disk is always 4.4 GB (4,400,000,000 bytes) no matter how you use them. The only factor that can change the capacity is if you use an 8cm disc, which holds fewer bits (about 1.4GB, I think).

Not wanting to get to complicated for you, but something else for you to play with.

In this example where the edited 2 hour movie edited down to 1 hour 27 min., if you know the show will be about 90 min. after editing, you could have used the 90 min. mode setting on the Pioneer and it would of recorded the show in better then SP quality and still have it fit on the disk because after editing you had a 90 min. program.

This is where the Pioneer is superior to the Panasonic recorders because you can set the recording mode quality separate from the program time start and stop, set it to 90 min quality mode but to record for a full 2 hours.

Falco63,
THANK you sooooo much for your input (both). Terrific info.

When you speak of the 90 min. thing, is that the MN's? I haven't read into those yet to understand how to use each but you have given me a start?
Thanks loads. That makes sense.
Urlee

The size of your TV set is probably the biggest factor in whether you will notice the difference between XP, SP, LP, etc. recording speeds. If your TV set is relatively small (say, 27" or less perhaps, depending on how far you sit from it) then some of the imperfections at the slower speeds will not be as noticeable. A lot of people who use this forum have huge TVs and they can see every little flaw in the image. Those are the people who typically swear by XP mode. Of course your eyesight makes a difference too (he says, recently having had to get his first prescription reading glasses ;))

The one thing I would caution you about is that if you ever get larger TV set then you could end up being disappointed with your recordings. If there could be a larger TV set in your future then you might want to take your test DVD with different recording speeds to a store or a friend with a larger TV to see what they look like on it.

And Sean,
A BIG thank you for your wonderful input!
You ready for this? I am happy to tell you I am viewing with a 50" Mitsubishi analog TV.
I am fortunate to have a wonderful picture compared to big screen TV's I have seen elseware. Even the cable guy was impressed.

It's kind of like the old reel-to-reel tape recorders. If you use a tape that's 600 feet long, the length of the tape is exactly the same whether you tape at a high or low speed. The only thing that changes is that you can't fit as much time on the tape if it's moving at a higher speed. Taping one program at a high speed and one at a low speed doesn't change the length of the tape.

In the same way, the number of digital bits a DVD disk is always 4.4 GB (4,400,000,000 bytes) no matter how you use them. The only factor that can change the capacity is if you use an 8cm disc, which holds fewer bits (about 1.4GB, I think).

Very well put! Love the way you explain it for me.
Thanks again,
Urlee

Urlee,

Last week you were a newbie. Now, you are asking questions in a way that indicates that you are already understanding things a lot. Like your "MN" question for controlling recording quality, which was right on.

Like many others here, when I record a program from commercial TV to my DVD recorder, I first estimate the length it will be after removing commercials and then set the MN recording quality accordingly and record to the hard drive. After I edit out the commercials, the resulting length will fit on a DVD-R, and I use high-speed copy to generate the DVD-R copy in 6-12 minutes for a near-full DVD.

I can tell you are starting to have fun with this. Kind of leaves recording with a VCR in the dust, eh?

Urlee,

Last week you were a newbie. Now, you are asking questions in a way that indicates that you are already understanding things a lot. Like your "MN" question for controlling recording quality, which was right on.

Like many others here, when I record a program from commercial TV to my DVD recorder, I first estimate the length it will be after removing commercials and then set the MN recording quality accordingly and record to the hard drive. After I edit out the commercials, the resulting length will fit on a DVD-R, and I use high-speed copy to generate the DVD-R copy in 6-12 minutes for a near-full DVD.

I can tell you are starting to have fun with this. Kind of leaves recording with a VCR in the dust, eh?

Budget,
I think it was longer than last week as I have spent days (weeks) with the manual in my hand trying to make sense after I pick up valuable pointers and explanations from here. I read and reread. I skip pages that I don't think I need to know right away like the MN pages etc.
Had it not been for this forum, I think I would be bald right now and still on page one!
It only takes one word to confuse me like Title!
After it dawned on me what they meant by that, and the explaining so clearly to me on this forum, what was meant by a copy list, I was well on my way to explore.
Like I said, I need a boost in the right direction, then read & read "til the cows come home" It begins to make sense.
All I can say right now is, I LOVE that DVR!!!!!!! And this forum!
The more I learn how to run it, the better I like it!

THANK you so much for your info up there.
And YES, my poor VCR is collecting dust right now! I must say a DVR surpasses a VCR so tremendously, I can't begin to say how much.
Talk about features and convenience.
I am embarrassed to say I know nothing on how to set it for the MN's.
Is it the same place where you pick your other speeds when you are setting it to record a program? I have to look that up. Didn't think I'd be needing it but after reading your input, it seems to be a valuable tool to use.
Urlee

The "MN" speeds give you more choices than just the standard XP, SP, LP, etc. For example, if you want to record a 1hr+30min show that you plan to burn to a DVD, you can't use XP because it won't fit on a disk, and SP would leave 30 minutes left over. If you could choose a speed in between XP and SP then you could fill up the disc and get somewhat better quality than SP mode. That's what the "MN" speeds are for.

What I'll describe below applies to my 633, but I expect that the 640 is similar.

First of all you need to know that the machine is normally set so that it will only allow the standard XP, SP, LP, etc. speeds, probably to avoid confusing folks. So before you can use the MN speeds you need to go into the setup menu and enable them. On my machine you have to select "Recording Settings" and then "Manual Recording" in the setup menu. "Manual Recording" sounds like it means recording by hitting the "Rec" button on the remote (as opposed to via a schedule), but it actually refers to enabling the "MN" speeds. Once you've set "Manual Recording" mode to "On" then you'll be able to use the extra speeds.

To select a speed, you press the "Rec Mode" button on the remote. Each time you press the button a different speed is displayed on the screen: XP, SP, LP, etc. At one point you'll see the "MNxx" speed. Only one MN setting is displayed when you cycle through the speeds using the "Rec Mode" button on the remote. If you want to change to a different MN setting, then press "Rec Mode" repeatedly until you see the MN setting, then use the Up/Down buttons on the remote to select which MN setting you want. It sounds a little convoluted, but it's pretty straightforward and the on-screen display will show you how much time will fit on a DVD for each setting.

On my 633 with TVGOS there are some restrictions with using MN settings on scheduled shows, but I know that this area of the 640 is pretty different so I can't give you any guideance in that area.

The "MN" speeds give you more choices than just the standard XP, SP, LP, etc. For example, if you want to record a 1hr+30min show that you plan to burn to a DVD, you can't use XP because it won't fit on a disk, and SP would leave 30 minutes left over. If you could choose a speed in between XP and SP then you could fill up the disc and get somewhat better quality than SP mode. That's what the "MN" speeds are for.

First of all you need to know that the machine is normally set so that it will only allow the standard XP, SP, LP, etc. speeds, probably to avoid confusing folks. So before you can use the MN speeds you need to go into the setup menu and enable them.

Thank you, thank you!
Your explanation could not have been any better!
You also answered a question I had in my mind about the MN's being an in-between speed? Thank you!
Here is what mine shows on page 114.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/MNSpeeds.jpg

Is the dot the one chosen? And I have to change that?

Thanks,
Urlee

Thank you, thank you!
Your explanation could not have been any better!
You also answered a question I had in my mind about the MN's being an in-between speed? Thank you!
Here is what mine shows on page 114.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/MNSpeeds.jpg

Is the dot the one chosen? And I have to change that?

Thanks,
Urlee


The dot represents the default values that came with the machine. You can override each one and that becomes the default till you "reset" the machine for whatever reasons.

...You also answered a question I had in my mind about the MN's being an in-between speed?Yes, the "MN" speeds are "in-between" speeds, but some of them are the same as the "standard" speeds. For example on my machine the MN21 speed gives 2 hours and is therefore the same as SP.

Yes, the "MN" speeds are "in-between" speeds, but some of them are the same as the "standard" speeds. For example on my machine the MN21 speed gives 2 hours and is therefore the same as SP.

Thank you.

Here's the verdict!
I went to initial set up, down to recording, selected Manual Recording ON and it brought me to a "Go to set up page" showing a colored chart with the different speeds here and there. I didn't know what to do so I pressed Enter and it brought me back to the ON for Manual Recording. Then I clicked Exit!
Now, how in the heck do I get the 90 minute thing in MN?
When I push the record mode button on the remote, I get MN from 1-32!!!!!
Here is an example of what shows: MN 1 (13h22m/DVD) Rem. 356h 15 min.
MN 32 (1h01m/DVD) Rem. 27h 05min.
What the heck does that mean?
Also, MN1 took over where it used to be SP all the time when I would set the timer to record a show. I would of course have to change it to SP then.

Also, I think I am losing it? I was talking on the phone, The DVR OFF, and all of a sudden, it turned on and started playing a movie I recorded on july 23rd?
I can't believe it? I then put the manual back to off. Something spooky going on.
Urlee

The page 125 in the manual will help you to estimate the MN mode to use. 90 minutes is MN26.

Use the REC MODE button on the remote to set the default recording mode - the mode it will use to record when pressing the record button and the mode that will be selected when creating a new scheduled recording.

Remaining space on the HDD and DVD will always be shown assuming you record to the mode selected by this button. You can always create a scheduled recording in another mode.

As an example, I set my device to automatically record in LPCM mode, but I choose the right MN mode for each scheduled recording.

Did you sat on the remote while talking to the phone?

:-)

MN 32 (1h01m/DVD) Rem. 27h 05min.What this is telling you is that you have set the speed to "MN32" which allows you to get about 1 hour on a DVD disk (same as XP). If you switch to MN31 I suspect it will say that you can fit 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes on a DVD disk.

The "Rem. 27h 05min" part is telling you that at that speed you can fit about 27 more hours of recording on your hard disk. If you put an unfinalized, recordable DVD in the machine and switch it to "DVD" mode, this part of the display will tell you how time is left on the DVD. The time remaining on the DVD will be less than the total DVD capacity if you've already recording something to the DVD.

I hope I don't ruffle any feathers, but this already very long thread seems to be getting off topic and watered down with tutorials. Perhaps Urlee you might start a new thread? Something like: "Pioneer 640 usage tutorial for newbies"? Just a suggestion. :)

I hope I don't ruffle any feathers, but this already very long thread seems to be getting off topic and watered down with tutorials. Perhaps Urlee you might start a new thread? Something like: "Pioneer 640 usage tutorial for newbies"? Just a suggestion. :)

ACPewty,
Gosh, I am Soooo sorry. I really did screw up this thread, didn't I?
Being new on this forum, I guess I got carried away with like you put, "Tutorials" not realizing it should have been under a new "Tiltle?"
Really sorry.

dcoulombe, I am hoping I bumped it but how could it power on and play from the navigator opposed from just turning the power on?

dcoulombe and Sean, THANKS loads for your replies. Will check it out.

Urlee

Forgot to mention,
If I go back and delete all my messages of tutorials and the kind folk on here do the same with their answers to mine, could that get this thread "clean" and back on the right track?
I surely will do that.

Sorry, Urlee

Forgot to mention,
If I go back and delete all my messages of tutorials and the kind folk on here do the same with their answers to mine, could that get this thread "clean" and back on the right track?
I surely will do that.

Sorry, UrleeI don't know if I would do anything that drastic Urlee. Some of your posts and replies may be very helpful to others. I think this forum is for intended to be a tool for learning and helping each other, and that is what we have been doing. I just think we should keep the topic in mind when posting and if it is off-topic, start a new thread. That way for example it won't take 640 owners and prospective buyers forever to sort through what is pertinent and what is not. (It's very common for threads to get off topic and occasionally hijacked which I expect can be frustrating for us all.) This should probably have been mentioned much earlier, but we Pioneer owners are too nice. ;)

BTW: You can start/resume playing something without entering the disk navigator screen, just by pressing play. If it isn't resuming, it will play the first entry on the disk depending on which you are using: HDD or DVD.

I don't know if I would do anything that drastic Urlee. Some of your posts and replies may be very helpful to others. I think this forum is for intended to be a tool for learning and helping each other, and that is what we have been doing. I just think we should keep the topic in mind when posting and if it is off-topic, start a new thread. That way for example it won't take 640 owners and prospective buyers forever to sort through what is pertinent and what is not. (It's very common for threads to get off topic and occasionally hijacked which I expect can be frustrating for us all.) This should probably have been mentioned much earlier, but we Pioneer owners are too nice. ;)

BTW: You can start/resume playing something without entering the disk navigator screen, just by pressing play. If it isn't resuming, it will play the first entry on the disk depending on which you are using: HDD or DVD.

Sorry Pewty but I just had to thank you here for the input and answer you gave.
Promise no more "Tute" questions here.
Thanks,
Urlee

I have had a Pioneer 640 for the last 3-4 weeks and for the most part if works great. I consider myself fairly tech savy but have not been able to figure out one problem. To make it worse Pioneer tech support knows less about their product than I do after reading the manual. The problem is when you set up to record a tv program to the HDD and you set the time, the rec mode etc and then on the right side you can set the title. After inputing the name you hit ok and come back out to the main screen and go up to set program and hit the enter button and then shut the machine off. When you go into navigation after the program has recorded their is no name on the file, only the date, time and channel and rec mode on the first two lines. Each line with the same info. Tech support tried to tell me it had to be in VR mode to record to the hard drive to retain the name. Even I know that VR mode is a edit compatability mode for DVD-+RW's and DVD-RAM. Then another tech tried to tell me that it had to be in video mode to work. Video mode is for HS copying from HDD to DVD. I did try it both ways but still no name. If this is a DVD only feature then why is it not greyed out in the HDD section??. Please I need input!! Anyone with the same problem??

Hello,

Has anyone else noticed that if you name a program in the manual timer menu, the resulting program does not have the name when you look at in the disk navigator? (i.e. it goes back to the default date/time/speed, or whatever it is.)

If this has already been discussed here I apologize - please point me at it.

I have a 640 and a 520 - the 520 most definitely does not do this.
Kind of a pain.
-KeithThis has been mentioned several times. The above is from a few posts back in this very Topic. It's a known misfeature.

I have a question about recording movies on my Pioneer DVR 640h-S:

It seems as though when I record a movie that was filmed in the 2.35:1 format a bit taken off the top and bottom when viewed on my 640. Is this true or is it my imagination?

Movies filmed in the 1.85:1 format seem to be ok. Both formats are letterboxed after I record them which I guess is unavoidable...

Can someone set me straight on this?

tia, Bob

Do you have a standard (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) TV? It's normal for 2.35:1 ratio movies to have black bars at the top and bottom even when you view them on a widescreen TV. And on a standard TV the black bars on a 2.35:1 movie will be noticeably bigger than those on a 1.85:1 movie. This is exactly what the difference between the two formats is, 2.35:1 ratio is "wider" than 1.85:1, or, if you have a display that is fixed in width (like a TV), 2.35:1 is "shorter".

Sean,

Thanks for the response.

I neglected to mention I have a 42-inch Panasonic HDTV.

The reason I asked my question was because I can see a very faint dark grey bar above and below the 2.35:1 ratio movies which is between the black bars above and below.

Hope that makes sense. That was why I was wondering if I were missing some of the picture.

The way I understand your response, the TV is displaying the movies in the correct aspect ratio. It is just my imagination that there is something missing above and below.

The latest movie I noticed this on was Open Range recorded from HTNet...

Thanks again, Bob

So are you saying that, from top to bottom, your screen shows: A black bar A faint grey bar The picture A faint grey bar A black bar
When you say "faint" do you mean "almost black" or "very thin" or both?

Sean,

Black
Almost Black: (very close to being as black as the top bar. I can distinguish a subtle change from the black to almost black, but barely.)
Picture
Almost Black
Black

The almost black bars are not quite as thick as the black bars. They are both close in size thickness wise. And very close in blackness.

if the two almost black bars were included with the picture, the total space would equal the same space a 1.85:1 picture would take.

Bob

That seems odd. I don't see why the DVD recorder would be producing something like that. Do you see the same effect when you play commercially-pressed 2.35:1 movies? Are you recording this signal from an HD set-top box (ie, a cable box or satellite receiver)? If so, what does it look like when you view the signal directly? And if you high-speed copy a title that shows this effect to a DVD and play it on your computer, do you see the effect there?

Sean,

Do you see the same effect when you play commercially-pressed 2.35:1 movies? : I'll have to look. I don't have many DVDs. I'm new to the game.

Are you recording this signal from an HD set-top box (ie, a cable box or satellite receiver)? : Yes. I'm recording it through the DISH from HDNet.

If so, what does it look like when you view the signal directly? : There is a faint, very dark grey bar about the size of the black bar above (and below) the picture.

And if you high-speed copy a title that shows this effect to a DVD and play it on your computer, do you see the effect there? : I can't see it on the computer, but it is there on the TV (ever so subtle). Sorta like a ghost of the 1.85:1 format.

Sorry to have gotten side tracked. I am glad to know that I'm am not losing part of the movie at the top and bottom and that the movie is being recorded in the correct aspect ratio.
The movie "Jeremiah Johnson" produced the same results, but there is what looks like only the one wide black bar at the top and bottom of the picture on it, too, when played on the computer, but on the TV the subtle very dark grey bar is evident.

I'm guessing it is the HDNet movie channel's fault!

Thanks for your help,
Bob

If it looks the same when you view it directly as opposed to viewing a recording of it, it's not likely to be the DVD recorder. And if it looks OK on your computer monitor it's most likely to be your TV set. Is it a rear projection TV? If so, it may be an artifact of the projection system.

Just a small note to mention that I started a new thread about a Universal remote I bought and is fully compatible with the Pioneer DVR-640H-S (www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=710275).

This remote can eject and load the DVD tray, this is why I post a notification here as a lot of people was disliking it from the Pioneer.

I hope to see other recommandations in that thread.

I also have a Pany 42" Plasma tv. I have Directv HD and get full screen on most HD movies. If I do have the letterbox top and bottom is is all black. Besides the tv setup menu their is also a setup menu for your HD reciever. Make sure that it is set to 16:9 and that the format is set to automatic if possible. Directv also has a setting you can choose from grey or black letter box as desired. The HD on these Panys is incredible but what suprises me is the standard programming is so much better than most of other HD sets I tried.

Will the 640 record in 16.9? My Sony RDR-HX900 died so I need to replace it. I frequently recorded HD programs form the HD Tivo HR10-250 to the Sony and it retained the 16.9 ratio and hope this Pioneer does to.

The Pioneers retain a 16x9 flag if present but the HD TiVo does not provide the flag. With the Sony you were likely forcing the widescreen flag, which the Pioneers do NOT do.

Sorry.

UNLESS, someone with a new 640H was found otherwise. My older Pioneer does not.

I hope I don't ruffle any feathers, but this already very long thread seems to be getting off topic and watered down with tutorials. Perhaps Urlee you might start a new thread? Something like: "Pioneer 640 usage tutorial for newbies"? Just a suggestion. :)

Hey, that's what I'm hanging around here for. I'm a newbie, to DVDRs, at least. :p

Seriously, though, everything I know about DVDRs, and the 640, I learned either from the manual, or this forum, and everyone's help has been much appreciated.

Sean,

Thanks for the response.

I neglected to mention I have a 42-inch Panasonic HDTV.

The reason I asked my question was because I can see a very faint dark grey bar above and below the 2.35:1 ratio movies which is between the black bars above and below.

Hope that makes sense. That was why I was wondering if I were missing some of the picture.

The way I understand your response, the TV is displaying the movies in the correct aspect ratio. It is just my imagination that there is something missing above and below.

The latest movie I noticed this on was Open Range recorded from HTNet...

Thanks again, Bob


Bob, is your 42" HD a CRT rear projection?, is it 4x3, or 16x9?
The only thing I could think of that would cause this grey bar phenomenon is if your TV was of a sort highly susceptible to burn in, and you watched a lot of 1.85:1 movies on it, or if it was 4x3, and you watched mostly WS on it. You might want to use an Avia disc, with test signals, to see if your TV is cutting anything off, but that doesn't seem likely, not in your "grey bar" zone. I haven't tried to record from an Avia disc, but if that is possible, recording different aspect ratio tests from the disc would show if anything is missing.

If the 42" HDTV is 4x3, I think the outer, darker bars are put there by the TV to achieve the 16x9 letterbox aspect ratio. The inner, lighter bars were recorded on the DVD to fill the gap between 2.35:1 and 1.85:1 (approx. 16x9). Those inner bars would appear on the anamorphic recording.

If the 42" HDTV is 4x3, I think the outer, darker bars are put there by the TV to achieve the 16x9 letterbox aspect ratio. The inner, lighter bars were recorded on the DVD to fill the gap between 2.35:1 and 1.85:1 (approx. 16x9). Those inner bars would appear on the anamorphic recording.That's a really good thought - I think it's quite possible that's what it is.

Yep, I hadn't thought of that, a special mask for 4x3 HDTVs, makes sense. More likely than burn in.

My HDTV is a 42" Panasonic Plasma (16:9).

The symptom I was describing is visible only on the HDNet movie channel (9423 on the Dish).

The 2.35 image has a very slight and subtle dark grey bar above and below the picture. It looks like a ghost of the 1.85 AR above and below that. I'm pretty sure it is something on the channel that causes it. I don't see it on any other channel.

Thanks for all of the comments.

Bob

One way to test quality of speeds.

EXAMPLE OF WHAT I PUT ON A DISC
House Hunter--30 min. show, minus Commercials = 22 min. @ XP 1 hour speed = 1.5G
Lesser Evil --2 hour show, minus Commercials = 1 hour 27 min. @ EP 6 hour speed = 1.0G
What Comes Around --2 hour show, minus Commercials = 1 hour 27 min. @ LP 4 hour speed = 1.5G
3 hours and 16 minutes burned on a DVD-R. Burn and Finalize =15 minutes.
Now when I play the DVD, I can look for the different quality of each show.

Urlee:)

Urlee :
do you record the programs from the same channel?

Urlee :
do you record the programs from the same channel?

The 2 movies were both from the "Lifetime" channel and House Hunters was from HGTV.
Reception is equal if that is what you are referring to.

Urlee

This thread has 27000 views - maybe a record all over the world - even bad people are viewing this- I got a question. Will the 640 do 16X DVD-Rs Verbatim from Sams Club or those cheap 16X Fujis from BB?- 2005 531 would not and would only do 8X TY- refused to do Fuji anything. I bet the 640 has problems with those. Burning at High speed ONLY!!!! For best Resolution!!!! Do not give me weak speeds.!!! I tell you --this is important.

This thread has 27000 views - maybe a record all over the world

Nah, the Cyberhome thread has 154,167 views...can you believe it!!!

Will the 640 do 16X DVD-Rs Verbatim from Sams Club or those cheap 16X Fujis from BB?I have used Verbatim 16x DVD-R on the 640 with no problems so far, although not many burns yet. I don't see any reason to think these will be a problem as I have used many verbatim -R 16x with my 2005 633 model without any coasters yet, unless the Sams' Club ones are of some lesser quality in which case I don't know why it would be important. (I prefer to use better quality media in hopes my recordings will last longer.)

Nah, the Cyberhome thread has 154,167 views...can you believe it!!!

If you go over to the "DVD Players (Standard Def)" forum, they have a thread entitled: Oppo DV971H FAQ / Brain Dump about the Oppo brand DVD Player that has: 490,683 views.

I have used Verbatim 16x DVD-R on the 640 with no problems so far, although not many burns yet. I don't see any reason to think these will be a problem as I have used many verbatim -R 16x with my 2005 633 model without any coasters yet, unless the Sams' Club ones are of some lesser quality in which case I don't know why it would be important. (I prefer to use better quality media in hopes my recordings will last longer.)

I have some Verbatim 16x DVD-R's (that I got from Office Depot on clearance) that I have been wondering if I should stick with my computer only, or try them in my Pioneer 640, now...thanks to ACPewty...I will at least try them in my 640.

I was wondering about them all along, and they are very good ones too with Media ID of: MCC 03RG20.

This thread has 27000 views - maybe a record all over the world - even bad people are viewing this- I got a question. Will the 640 do 16X DVD-Rs Verbatim from Sams Club or those cheap 16X Fujis from BB?- 2005 531 would not and would only do 8X TY- refused to do Fuji anything. I bet the 640 has problems with those. Burning at High speed ONLY!!!! For best Resolution!!!! Do not give me weak speeds.!!! I tell you --this is important.


Not sure about the 16x stuff, but i have been using from Sam's the 4x Verbatim stuff, got a 30 pack yesterday with thin case for $ 23.88 all burns have been no problem for a beginner like me.

If you go over to the "DVD Players (Standard Def)" forum, they have a thread entitled: Oppo DV971H FAQ / Brain Dump about the Oppo brand DVD Player that has: 490,683 views.
New world record?...HDTV Recorder forum, Sticky at top = 803,609 views!

I just purchased my first PVR/DVD writer, the Pioneer DVR-640H-S. Everything seems to be working very well, expect for one issue. (The main reason I purchased the unit.)

When attempting to play DivX AVI files from either DVD or CD media, I get a good 1-2 second delay in the video, compared to where the audio track is. (ie: The Video and Audio tracks aren't in sync, with the Video lagging behind the Audio.)

Now when these same files are played from my PC's HDD or DVD, they all play perfectly well, so I'm unsure of what the issue is.

Does anyone else have any ideas on this? Is anyone else experencing this issue?

This thread has 27000 views - maybe a record all over the world - even bad people are viewing this- I got a question. Will the 640 do 16X DVD-Rs Verbatim from Sams Club or those cheap 16X Fujis from BB?- 2005 531 would not and would only do 8X TY- refused to do Fuji anything. I bet the 640 has problems with those. Burning at High speed ONLY!!!! For best Resolution!!!! Do not give me weak speeds.!!! I tell you --this is important.
Can't speak for the 640, but my early Pioneer 531H has burned hundreds of 16x Verbatium inkjet printable DVD-Rs from Sams Club using high spreed dub. Just passed 800 and change. Typical burn time around 8 minutes. Mine does NOT like to burn 16x media in real time (1X). Mine is very picky about media for real time burns. Most of my few coasters from the 531 have come during reaL time dubs. I've had good luck with 2-4x DVD-RW for real time burns.
Pioneer released a new firmware for their pc series of burner like the one used in the Pioneer 531, but I've never seen an update for the firmware in the 531H. I'd bet the 640 has a later burner and firmware. ;)

After several weeks of operation and burning DVDs
Things on the 640 that would make it easier for me:
the most desired feature of all is the ability to combine titles on the HDD.
to me, this is a major deficiency. (To be used as the combining of orphans. Or grouping titles on HDD)
Second on the list is auto chapter divide on HDD. This is where most of my editing time is spent.
The other things are just a minor issue that I can put up with even though most posts here want the title carried over. How I dealt with that issue:
In recording timer name enter just a short reminder of the name since it “goes away” after recorded. After recording identify the title with a short name leaving the rest of the recorded title until I have finished chapter editing and thumbnail. That way I know when the editing is complete. (learned that after copying a 3hr program without chapters)
It was getting redundant of choosing the title for disk name, thumbnail and title.
On the suggestion of a post here, have been using the release date as the disk name. Also have been putting the run time on Disk name.
Love this unit even though it does not have the above features.
One very good feature is the ability to start a recording while finalizing a disk.
That may be in the operating manual, but learned that by accident.

And if you want to get picky, it would be nice to have:
USB port for keyboard entry of titles
High speed copy of DVD to HDD in video mode
Way to get from Disk Navigator to main menu without quitting menu and restarting menu.
Open/Close - Eject Button on Remote Control – (you can close it with DVD play)
Copy HDD to HDD
Extend the timer recording to exact time instead of 30 min blocks.
smaller finalize screen, please.
and option of small window to show progress of copy.
Save multiple play lists to HDD
Repeat title to title list after recording entered HDD in timer set
repeat title in DVD disk name with option to change (use release date?)
Menu Creating Options. Example, how about just one title? (see also post by Suplex about menu options.)
One push button for clear title in edit title. (Don’t like holding down the button.)
Back control so that you are not dropped out of edit mode to do other editing.
Would it be possible to edit DVD-RW’s as if they were HDD?
(remark) genre does not appear on DVD disk. (does it?, should it?)

Have not had problems with any brand disks used. Mostly in SP high speed copy- Media used:
Imation DVD-R 16x (more than 50 used)
Memorex DVD-R 4x
Maxell DVD-RW 2x
TDK DVD-R 8x
Sony DVD-R 4x , Sony DVD-RW
Memorex DVD+R DL 2.4x (menu title does not show like –R disks)
HP DVD –R 16x, HP DVD+R DL ?x
Just lucky, I guess.

I hope I don't ruffle any feathers, but this already very long thread seems to be getting off topic and watered down with tutorials. Perhaps Urlee you might start a new thread? Something like: "Pioneer 640 usage tutorial for newbies"? Just a suggestion. :)

Sorry Ac, but that would make me go to two places for the 640. True, some have been tutorial, but have learned a lot from Urlee questions and Seans brilliant explanations. ( that I may have been afraid to ask!)
It has been interesting to see Urlee advance. Sorry if I am junking up the thread.

Sorry if I am junking up the thread.Not at all! Great and valuable post. Seems to me you are right on the topic. :) Hey, I'm not the forum cops, I just made that post because I noticed things were getting repeated because people weren't reading the thread due to its length. I sure don't want to hinder anyone from enjoying the forum, I just think we should consider new members that are looking for solutions etc and maybe don't have time to sort through huge threads containing stuff that's off topic. Since anyone can create new threads about any topic they like, and by default the search feature reports thread results rather than posts (unless you use advanced search) it seems more efficient for new users to have new threads for different topics. (Easier to find solutions etc if you are a newbie to the forum.)

Sure hope I haven't put a wrench in the works, it wasn't intended. I must confess I didn't notice you could search by post rather than by thread until after I made the original post, although I still think a new thread for a new topic is a better idea. Am I in the minority?

Sure hope I haven't put a wrench in the works, it wasn't intended. I must confess I didn't notice you could search by post rather than by thread until after I made the original post, although I still think a new thread for a new topic is a better idea. Am I in the minority?

The post(s) in question didn't seem off-topic to me. They were about the use of the 640, posted by a 640 user. Urlee was using this thread the same way I am, I have made plenty of posts with questions, some getting more than one answer, and needing it.

I'm fine with any 640-related question going in this thread. I would think that it's nice to have one thread where all the information can be found, even if the thread is bulky. The alternative is one-off questions in their own threads that become dated and fall off the "most recent postings" on the first few pages of the forum. That would mean people wouldn't see them and would end up asking the same questions repeatedly.

Of course, the same can be said about people who don't bother to go back and read previous posts in this thread. So I guess there really isn't an ideal solution...

I still think it is more considerate to forum newbies to stick to the original topic as much as possible, and if off topic make a new thread, but maybe I am taking the title of "User Reports" too literally. It just seemed like there were a lot of postings about things already covered (although perhaps not as eloquently as you Sean) in the manual and that day I had noticed a number of repeated questions in other threads that were already answered (but a bit buried) here. Now that I realize you can search by post rather than by thread, I agree it isn't as big an issue although I still think most newbies won't notice that...I didn't for quite some time.

I didn't mean to imply that no one should ask questions here! I enjoy and appreciate this thread too. Fire away wherever you like Urlee and others! Don't mind me.

I guess this really is off topic now. :o

I'm fine with any 640-related question going in this thread. I would think that it's nice to have one thread where all the information can be found, even if the thread is bulky. The alternative is one-off questions in their own threads that become dated and fall off the "most recent postings" on the first few pages of the forum. That would mean people wouldn't see them and would end up asking the same questions repeatedly.

Of course, the same can be said about people who don't bother to go back and read previous posts in this thread. So I guess there really isn't an ideal solution...

Maybe it is time for one to create a Pioneer 640H-S FAQ Sticky and pull out all the good questions and answers from this thread?

I didn't mean to imply that no one should ask questions here! I enjoy and appreciate this thread too. Fire away wherever you like Urlee and others! Don't mind me.

I guess this really is off topic now. :o
Ooooops may I add:
ACPewty,
I had no ill feelings when you "spanked" me. "LOL"

This being my first appearance on here, found this thread and didn't move around to explore this forum to see how it was. Overcome (on cloud 9) with finally owning a DVR which I didn't know beans about and was frantic, I just figured I found a GOLD MINE here and didn't think of what I was doing.
I looked at the "Title" (my favorite Pio confusing word) After you mentioned this, and realized it was meant for reporting what owners found during operating the 640 and not asking how to run it like I did as a newbie.

I love you all and really am sorry about doing what I did on this thread.
I do agree there should be a separate thread with a "Title" something like, Questions and answers on How to Operate the Pioneer 640H-S.

Bless you,
Urlee

Ooooops may I add:
ACPewty,
I had no ill feelings when you "spanked" me. "LOL"

This being my first appearance on here, found this thread and didn't move around to explore this forum to see how it was. Overcome (on cloud 9) with finally owning a DVR which I didn't know beans about and was frantic, I just figured I found a GOLD MINE here and didn't think of what I was doing.
I looked at the "Title" (my favorite Pio confusing word) After you mentioned this, and realized it was meant for reporting what owners found during operating the 640 and not asking how to run it like I did as a newbie.

I love you all and really am sorry about doing what I did on this thread.
I do agree there should be a separate thread with a "Title" something like, Questions and answers on How to Operate the Pioneer 640H-S.

Bless you,
UrleeThanks Urlee, and hey...nothing to be sorry for. You didn't mess anything up or do anything that most posters don't do. Many have benefited from your questions and the answers they have encouraged!

Maybe it is time for one to create a Pioneer 640H-S FAQ Sticky and pull out all the good questions and answers from this thread?Good idea, it would make it much easier for those who haven't been around since the conception of this thread. Are you volunteering? ;)

I have been using inexpensive 16X Fuji DVD-R from FS with no problem with the 640. Had lots of problems with cheap discs from Sam's Club with the 531.

Hi everybody,

I just bought the dvr 640H during the week-end and I want to thank you for helping me in taking my decision. I'm doing some tests on the machine and actually, I am copying some vhs on the dvd with the video stabilizer and everything worked fine except for one dvd +R DL. I put on the hdd 3 videos from the vhs machine and after I went to create a copy list adding those 3 videos. I put titles on each one and only for one video, I cut the end. I did a fast copy (mode xp for all) on the dvd +R DL. The copy did well. That it is when it finalizes the dvd, it starts ok and after a few minutes, it stops saying that the finalizing didn't work ok. The dvd player of the dvr 640 can't play it but if I put the dvd in another dvd player (pionner 290) it works ok, I can read it. I don't understand why. If I go with the dvd on a pc in explorer, it says that there is no disc and if I double click on nero showtime, I can play this dvd. I really don't understand what is the error. Do someone know what happens?

Except for that, I love the dvr640, it's easy to go in the menu and the quality of the images is excellent on my sony wega. I also want to tell you that I tried divx dvd, it works on cd and dvd -RW, it did not work for me on dvd-R. Sorry that it does not.

What is/was the total size of the 3 XP titles in GB (shown in the menu display)? Maybe they were too close to the total capacity of the DL DVD, leaving not enough room for border zones and finalizing???

SunnyDrT:

Welcome.

As I mentionned earlier, I was able to play DivX on CD and DVD with my DVR-640H-S but did not experience any lag at all.

I used MPEG4 avi encoding for the video and MP3 for the audio using handbrake on a Mac iBook 1.33GHz. No problem at all.

You might consider doing different encoding tests and burn the results on rewritable media. You might found a better setting.

I'M sorry, I did not answer your question correctly. The 3 videos had in total 7,5 Go, so it should be ok for the 8 go space. I put only 3 titles without chapters.

Tonight, I tried another to copy on dvd another video 1 h 53 mi and 7,3 go on a double layer + and it wrote copy error half way and i lost another dvd +R dl :(

I tried about 5 different ways to record 1 video (home made) on a dvd +R DL. The video lasts 1h 53mi and show on the display scale that it takes 7,5 Go on 8 Go, so it should be ok to put that on a +R DL. First, I recorded the video on the hdd at lpcm mode, then i went to copy, made a copy list with the video, put 1 title for the video, cut the end of the video for 1 mi, chose a label or vignette and then started the copy. Everything goes fine with it until about the half of the video and after I have a copy error. I do not understand why at all.

The night before, I hat a show (not home made, it was a commercial vhs) lasting about 1 h 30 mi and i did the same procedure and everything goes fine for the recording on the +R DL. Home made and not home made, can it be the difference???

I also tried with the home made video to redo the recording on the hdd at mn 31 to make a smaller zize on the +R DL and recorded it after on the dvd and it did not work more. Before I try to record on the dvd, i always put the dvd in the tray, and i look at it with the display mode. At the bottom of the window, i always see the time with the choosen speed for a dvd 4.4 Go and at the top of the window at the right, I see the same time that the botton in double, i think it is for the +R DL. But Inside the window at right it shows the title dvd +R (without the DL mark)
for the time resting. And again, at the top of this window in center, it is written for example : MN31(1h05mi), it is not correct i think, it shoud be written MN31 (2h10) since it is a +R DL.

Can someone help me understand that. I lost 5 dvd +R DL with those tries and I want it to work, since it worked ok with 2 other dvds + R DL not home made.

Thank you!

If yes, I'm guessing those who demand certain TV programs in stereo replace the DVR with a VCR for those pograms?

I recorded the video on the hdd at lpcm mode
Try recording the same items without LPCM...maybe the linear nature of the LPCM is causing the problem (i.e., no compression). Try "XP" only???

SunnyDrT:

Welcome.

As I mentionned earlier, I was able to play DivX on CD and DVD with my DVR-640H-S but did not experience any lag at all.

I used MPEG4 avi encoding for the video and MP3 for the audio using handbrake on a Mac iBook 1.33GHz. No problem at all.

You might consider doing different encoding tests and burn the results on rewritable media. You might found a better setting.

Hi dcoulombe,

Many thanks for the reply. I appreciate the feedback/suggestion. I was thinkig of trying re-writable media for further tests. The "bad" part for me in this is I'm not the originator of the DivX avi files. (I haven't gotten into that end of things yet.)

I did have some odd results though (which make no sense in the digital world), but here they are. (Makes me think it's drivers/hardware* on the 640 or software** on my PC.) Anyway, I found that some of the later files burned onto the discs, had the lag reduced or none at all. I reversed the burn order, and it did it again, no lag with later files burned. (Very odd, and makes no sense at all.)

* I'm going to be discussing what process is in place for DivX versions/firmware
upgrades with Pioneer tech support today.

** Nero 6 Ultra, LG DVD writer (I forget which model), 8x RiDATA DVD-R media.

A friend is going to test these same discs on another brand (Toshiba, I think) of PVR/DVD Writer. I'll pass on the results once they are done.

Best Regards,
SunnyDrT

Try recording the same items without LPCM...maybe the linear nature of the LPCM is causing the problem (i.e., no compression). Try "XP" only???

If you look at my message, i i did the recording too in MN31, I suppose that this speed is not LPCM and it did not work to. Do I make a mistake in thinking that Mn 31 is not LPCM???

The only way it works is when i put a 4.4 Go in the tray and the program tells me that there is not enough place on the dvd and it changes the speed to MN22 and then i start the record on the dvd 4.4 Go and its ok. The video takes then 4.3 Go space on the dvd.

If you look at my message, i i did the recording too in MN31, I suppose that this speed is not LPCM and it did not work to. Do I make a mistake in thinking that Mn 31 is not LPCM???

The only way it works is when i put a 4.4 Go in the tray and the program tells me that there is not enough place on the dvd and it changes the speed to MN22 and then i start the record on the dvd 4.4 Go and its ok. The video takes then 4.3 Go space on the dvd.What brand of media are you using. have you tried Verbatim?

If you look at my message, i i did the recording too in MN31, I suppose that this speed is not LPCM and it did not work to. Do I make a mistake in thinking that Mn 31 is not LPCM???
MN 31 is not LPCM. Just to be sure the "manual" mode itself is not causing some mysterious difference, you could try selecting straight "XP"? If that makes no diff., I'm out of ideas on this one.

If yes, I'm guessing those who demand certain TV programs in stereo replace the DVR with a VCR for those pograms???
The 640 accepts stereo like any other DVDR, and it can output Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG etc with optional settings. On movies I record the surround sound coming from the digital output is great and it certainly outputs more than one track if that's what you were implying.

Maybe what you have heard about is the dual mono audio input option which I believe allows you to select which channel (left or right) to record from when the source has dual mono sound tracks (instead of stereo) for multiple languages?

What brand of media are you using. have you tried Verbatim?

I am using Fujifilm, and I have 2 other dvd players at home without any problem with those kind of dvd and no, I never tried Verbatin yet. Even on my pc, fujifilm disks are always ok.

Thank you for helping me

No, MN 31 is equivalent to XP. Just to be sure, try selecting straight "XP" or even "MN30."? If neither makes any diff., I'm out of ideas on this one.

I am afraid to loose another +R DL in trying again at XP... I am not very confident in it... Is it normal that the display window shows what I said in my other message, two different lenght time at the bottom and at the top and that it is written dvd +R instead of dvd +R DL at the right???

I am afraid to loose another +R DL in trying again at XP... I am not very confident in it... Is it normal that the display window shows what I said in my other message, two different lenght time at the bottom and at the top and that it is written dvd +R instead of dvd +R DL at the right???When I set the default bitrate to XP and put in a Verbatim +R DL, the display (screen 2) says:

XP ( 1h01m/DVD) Rem. 1h53m

which seems correct to me. in XP mode you get 1hour 1 minute per regular DVD, and the remaining space on a blank DL is 1hour 53 minutes in XP mode.

When I set the default bitrate to XP and put in a Verbatim +R DL, the display (screen 2) says:

XP ( 1h01m/DVD) Rem. 1h53m

which seems correct to me. in XP mode you get 1hour 1 minute per regular DVD, and the remaining space on a blank DL is 1hour 53 minutes in XP mode.

Is it written just like you said, one beside the other??? If i remember well (because i am not at home), for me it's only written xp (1h01/dvd) at the bottom and the remaining 1 h53 is written at the top right of the display window. So I was confused with the meaning of it.

Is it written just like you said, one beside the other??? If i remember well (because i am not at home), for me it's only written xp (1h01/dvd) at the bottom and the remaining 1 h53 is written at the top right of the display window. So I was confused with the meaning of it.Assuming we are both talking about the 2nd "Display" screen, yes all on one line. I am confident the first number is included for clarity of what XP mode means and how much will fit on a normal length DVD. The 2nd number is how much space remains on the disc based on the current default recording mode (bitrate) setting.

Maybe what you are thinking of is on the copy screen the amount of space remaining (in Gb) is shown at the bottom of the screen.

Assuming we are both talking about the 2nd "Display" screen, yes all on one line. I am confident the first number is included for clarity of what XP mode means and how much will fit on a normal length DVD. The 2nd number is how much space remains on the disc based on the current default recording mode (bitrate) setting.

Maybe what you are thinking of is on the copy screen the amount of space remaining (in Gb) is shown at the bottom of the screen.

No I am thinking on the second display screen like you say, i am gona check that in details at home tonight because i don't remember seeing all of that on 1 line. Maybe, i tried too many things, that why i don't remember exactly. Anyway this line doen't explain the fact that i can't record on this +R DL with the video home made i think.

Anyway this line doen't explain the fact that i can't record on this +R DL with the video home made i think.I doubt the content you are trying to record has anythingh to do with it. (You're recording from a line input L1, L2 or L3 right?) I'm no expert on dual layer recording, but I think it sounds like the 640 doesn't like your Fujifilm DL discs. Just because they work with other drives doesn't mean they will work well with the 640's drive. Unless you are making some miscalculation about the amount of data and ignoring the warning, I suspect it may be a media issue.

Can any other users report reliable success with Fujifilm DL DVDs? If not, what brand(s) of DL have proven reliable?

SunnyDrT:

As you are not the originator of the DivX files, the problem can be the files' encoding.

Try other files from other sources.

You might end up with the right solution...

Let us informed of your findings.

I doubt the content you are trying to record has anythingh to do with it. (You're recording from a line input L1, L2 or L3 right?) I'm no expert on dual layer recording, but I think it sounds like the 640 doesn't like your Fujifilm DL discs. Just because they work with other drives doesn't mean they will work well with the 640's drive. Unless you are making some miscalculation about the amount of data and ignoring the warning, I suspect it may be a media issue.

Can any other users report reliable success with Fujifilm DL DVDs? If not, what brand(s) of DL have proven reliable?

I am recording from L2. Tonight i am gona buy some verbatin just to see and i am gona tell you if something different happens with the dvd +R DL. I would be surprised. The 2 other players I have are pioneer too and everything is fine with Fuji. We'll see.

Thank you

I am recording from L2. Tonight i am gona buy some verbatin just to see and i am gona tell you if something different happens with the dvd +R DL. I would be surprised. The 2 other players I have are pioneer too and everything is fine with Fuji. We'll see.

Thank youIt's been a long time since I have been in Trois-Rivières. Do you have a Future Shop there close by? I just noticed 20 packs of Verbatim +R DL are on sale for CDN $34.99.

It's been a long time since I have been in Trois-Rivières. Do you have a Future Shop there close by? I just noticed 20 packs of Verbatim +R DL are on sale for CDN $34.99.

Yes I was just lookint the promotions and I saw it, I am going when i'll finish work.

Thank you again!

Can any other users report reliable success with Fujifilm DL DVDs? If not, what brand(s) of DL have proven reliable?

Have used Memorex DVD+R DL 2.4x, HP DVD+R DL ?x with no problems, however that has been copied from HDD.

SunnyDrT:

As you are not the originator of the DivX files, the problem can be the files' encoding.

Try other files from other sources.

You might end up with the right solution...

Let us informed of your findings.

I saw on the pages behind that you burned divx on dvd media +RW. I did too on cd -RW and dvd -RW and it worked. Did you try on dvd -R media?

I saw on the pages behind that you burned divx on dvd media +RW. I did too on cd -RW and dvd -RW and it worked. Did you try on dvd -R media?

Don't know about the divx, but have used mostly DVD-R (Memorex on sale) copied from the HDD recordings.
and Just today tried Office Depot DVD+R copied from the HDD. The +R disks do not show the same menu at the Disk menu as -R. Haven't tried them on any other player to see if they play on other machines.
Don't think this is what you were asking - (aobut dvix recording)

I have a question on the 640's timer recording?

I have a soap I watch at the same time each day, M-F.
Am I correct in saying I have to set the timer separately for each day to record?
That it is NOT like the VCR in that you can set it once to record M-F all the time?
Oh oh, a point for the VCR. :)
Also, another point for the VCR is that I MISS the showing of the hour & minutes on the SCREEN as you are playing the recording to see the time lapse.

Today, I used the easy timer for the first time. Interesting.
Urlee

I have a question on the 640's timer recording?

I have a soap I watch at the same time each day, M-F.
Am I correct in saying I have to set the timer separately for each day to record?
That it is NOT like the VCR in that you can set it once to record M-F all the time?
Oh oh, a point for the VCR. :)
Also, another point for the VCR is that I MISS the showing of the hour & minutes on the SCREEN as you are playing the recording to see the time lapse.

Today, I used the easy timer for the first time. Interesting.
Urlee
For a M-F show, when you go to the Timer Rec screen, in the date/day box, arrow DOWN to get into the special days, such as M-F, Every Wed., etc. (Arrow up just ratchets forward one day at a time.)

You can show the hours, minutes and other info. with the DISPLAY button...press once for some info., then again for more info.

Score = DVR 2, VCR 0.

I happen to have the 640 and upon inspection notice that the device has no component or HDMI input etc. If one uses the DVR connection via S video to the digital cable box, then exactly what quality are you able to record for future playback? Do you have to have a DVR digital recorder combo to record "true" HDTV resolution for future playback or is the s-Video sufficient. Seems odd to me that the 640 has a component out but nothing more than s-video input. Seems to me, you either watch the HDTV programming live or record via inferior connection to the DVR for later playback at perhaps SDTV on the 640.

For a M-F show, when you go to the Timer Rec screen, in the date/day box, arrow DOWN to get into the special days, such as M-F, Every Wed., etc. (Arrow up just ratchets forward one day at a time.)

I will have to check that out. I presume you are referring to the manual timer setting. (not the easy timer).

You can show the hours, minutes and other info. with the DISPLAY button...press once for some info., then again for more info.

"LOL" Gotta love ya wabjxo for trying! BUT-----I did do that, but it showed a band across the picture and NOT just the time up in the right hand corner, on steady, like the VCR. :)

Score = DVR 1, VCR 1. "LOL"

Urlee

I happen to have the 640 and upon inspection notice that the device has no component or HDMI input etc. If one uses the DVR connection via S video to the digital cable box, then exactly what quality are you able to record for future playback? Do you have to have a DVR digital recorder combo to record "true" HDTV resolution for future playback or is the s-Video sufficient. Seems odd to me that the 640 has a component out but nothing more than s-video input. Seems to me, you either watch the HDTV programming live or record via inferior connection to the DVR for later playback at perhaps SDTV on the 640.
See this "Sticky" (always listed 1st) thread on the subject. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=599173)

Reasonable that the DVD recording is not hi-def, more concerned with the HDD DVR recording. Seems rather pointless to have a DVR that is incapable of handling hi-def regardless of the DVD recording. In any case, the post seems to elude to a true hi-def DVR, will look at that as an option. Seems to be a large number of references to the 640 being hi-def when in reality the DVR function is SDTV. Thanks for the clarification.

The 640 and other DVD recorders with hard drives only record in standard definition. The only high definition recorders right now are boxes with hard drives but no DVD recorder (to the best of my knowledge).

There have been some thread titles that include "640" and "HD", but those threads were misnamed and were talking about hard disks (HDD), not high definition.

I doubt the content you are trying to record has anythingh to do with it. (You're recording from a line input L1, L2 or L3 right?) I'm no expert on dual layer recording, but I think it sounds like the 640 doesn't like your Fujifilm DL discs. Just because they work with other drives doesn't mean they will work well with the 640's drive. Unless you are making some miscalculation about the amount of data and ignoring the warning, I suspect it may be a media issue.

Can any other users report reliable success with Fujifilm DL DVDs? If not, what brand(s) of DL have proven reliable?

Tonight, I made a new try with +R DL Verbatin and you know what!!! everything worked fine. It was a media issue. All the copy et finalizing went very well and I made it from 3 home video totalising 1 h 30 mi. I'm so glad, i know now what was wrong. Thank you to all of you!!!

Tonight, I made a new try with +R DL Verbatin and you know what!!! everything worked fine. It was a media issue. All the copy et finalizing went very well and I made it from 3 home video totalising 1 h 30 mi. I'm so glad, i know now what was wrong. Thank you to all of you!!!Glad to hear it worked! (I just bought a 20 pack of +R DLs myself.) Verbatim really seems the way to go with the Pioneer units.

The USB ports are only for connecting a device that will allow you to put MP3 files, or Pictures on the HDD, so you can use the PhotoViewer or JukeBox features.



Something else the 640 allows you to do...which I think is great...is if you are going to record a show, lets say every Monday from 8:00pm to 9:00pm, it gives you an option (if you set it to record on the HDD) where you can erase each recording with the newer one the following week.

So this Monday being the 12th would record, then next week on the 19th it will erase what was recorded on the 12th, and put the new recording in it's place. Of course you can also opt to have it keep the previous recording as well, but just the fact that it gives you the choice is a great feature.

Where do you choose this option?

Where do you choose this option?

Dave,
When you are programing a Time Recording, you click on Set Detailed and choose Auto Replace to be ON.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/AutoReplace.jpg

Urlee

Glad to hear it worked! (I just bought a 20 pack of +R DLs myself.) Verbatim really seems the way to go with the Pioneer units.

Good for you! Yes Verbatin is really the best for Pioneer units, i'm sure! Do you know if they come on sale often at FShop at this price. I'm gona buy some others if it is rare at this price.

I bought my pioneer last week by a mistake of future shop on their internet site. In store the special was 449$ and i saw on the internet 404$. I printed the sheet and went to FShop. They went on the site to verify and the price was back to 449$ but they said they have to let me the pioneer at 404$ because the date of the sale was written on my printed sheet. I had another 50$ free, yeh...... Good deal!!!

Dave,
When you are programing a Time Recording, you click on Set Detailed and choose Auto Replace to be ON.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/AutoReplace.jpg

Urlee

Thank you for this information it is gona be very practical!