Initial reviews & short-comings (please correct if I'm incorrect & how to perform such steps):

Used for "VCR" functions: recording TV programming for eventual burning to DVD -- primary "features" comparison against 2003 Panasonic E80H

Short-comings:
- Can not watch any other program other than program being recorded (can not watch DVD, or previously recorded programs on HD)
- Can not access timer recording functions when HD recording
- Couldn't find a "Commercial Skip" button/feature
- Couldn't find backwards frame advance when editing
- Not true frame editing (what you see is not what you may get)
- When editing, difficult to determine FF or RWD speed (?1x, 2x, 4x, etc) to determine if you are advancing at optimal rate (does show up when watching a program)
- HD dubbing to DVD (video's) are file by file (can't select multiple files at a time)
- Very time consuming process to edit out commercials (need to "Split" title at beginning and end of commercial section) and eventually merge titles back. It took me approximately 10 minutes to edit a 30 minute program (vs ~5 min on my E80H) -- lack of backward frame advance & having to "jump back" into a file to continue edits takes time (as well as having to re-merge them back)
- Slow response of remote for titling files (rubbery feel)

Other info:
- HD [video] Dubbing to DVD for 25 min program (SP mode) took about 5 minutes (2+x); 84 min SP program took under 30 minutes
- Can select own "Thumbnail" for file identification
- DVD finalization takes a little over 1 minute (vs. approx 4 minutes for Panny E80H)
- Has "pause live TV" function (need to initiate, not auto like TIVO)
- there was talk ("Liteon at Costco" thread) about TV tuner being mono
- SP PQ is good (see above referenced thread about possible LSI chip)
- can "name" TV channels to avoid potentially selecting incorrect channel # (can also re-"sequence" and "hide" channels to prioritize)
- VCR+ function (not tested)

Bottom line: to be returned due to shortcomings in editing (time consuming, no backward frame advance), inability to watch other programs while HD recording & file by file dubbing

Although I agree with most of the original post, I would not send mine back.
Chopping commercials is slightly easier than mentioned - I've just done one:
Press edit, ffwd to commercials (If you go past, you can rewind at 1/4 speed)
pause at start of commercials, choose split,
pause at end of commercials, choose split,
ffwd to commercials,
pause at start of commercials, choose split,
pause at end of commercials, choose split,
...
and merge
but knowing me I will more likely ffwd the commercials as I watch and ditch the recordings. I'm not that fussed about making perfect copies to keep forever. I just love being able to (check it's set to HDD) and just press the red button. No tape to find, no rewinding to check what's on it...

I use the the aerial passthrough to watch another channel on the telly at the same time, so watching only the channel I'm recording is no issue.

I certainly wasn't expecting anything more for the money, so if you're after cheap recording with loads of storage, I think it's just the job.

This is the last DVDr with a tuner LiteOn will supposedly make for the US. I was looking forward to an upgrade of this unit with a digital tuner but alas no such luck. I'll have keep using my trusty 5005 for a while longer.