However. no Hard disk drive. But I DO think this model is worth trying out if you can buy it at Walmart and get the 90 day return if problems arise. This is a true story. I was fooling around doing some hunting and fishing. I needed some fishing lures( best largemouth bass artificial lure is the ribbit- swims just like a frog with those tiny legs undulating and treading through water so realistically) and actually saw this JVC model at a WM Superstore in Lufkin, Texas which is about 130 miles north of Houston. This Walmart had 3 JVC'S in huge individual boxes,comparatively. Price was around(exact price escapes but this is close) $237 each. They do NOT do DVD-RAM(according to box) but have embraced DVD-/+RW apparently (thats OK).Lord Smurf- test it my cohort! If you do, I will, and I promise that I will say if it is better, superior or whatever exactly the case may be on same feed with other models. I do think this model deserves a good test regardless- it may be a very good unit -providing the loaders work.. If it is true that this JVC does not have DVD-RAM- past ones have- that is strange. I believe Matsushita owns 50% of JVC and one would think there would be some compatibility with that.

Matsushita owns both Panasonic and JVC, and a few others. It's a big company, sort of like Mitsubishi, dabbling in all sorts of things.

There is no "loaders" to "work", as you say. JVC's generic error message is called "LOADING" and it flashes on unit's LED screen screen any time there is a general fault. The "LOADING" message is also seen when the machine is booting up from cold start (in other words, normal). The very first run of JVC machines had a specific error with some board components, power board resistors, which would overheat because of the interior design (layout) of the components, and because they could have been rated a bit higher. It only affected a minority of machines, usually those that were used heavily or in a warm location, as heat was the typical catalyst. In a few rarer instances (mostly on some of the early combos), the LSI chipset heat up because the heat brackets were not attached perfectly (easy to re-seat). This was back in 2004. LiteOn actually had a similar problem on it's very first machine in 2003, the LSI lacked any kind of heatsink altogether. Starting with all second-generation JVC models, in 2005, the LOADING error was fixed, simply by altering the case arrangement and using different resistors. To even talk about JVC LOADING is several years out of date. JVC repaired these units for free, and the fix was permanent in most all cases. When it failed again after repair, it was because damage had spread to other components in the machine. Sometimes it could be fixed by replacing those other parts, sometimes it was just trashed and beyond repair. Very few went that route. Bad media also caused LOADING error, use better discs.

For all the fuss folks make over JVC's LOADING error (years after it's been gone!), Panasonic has a far more common hard drive fault on the E80 and E85 models, where folks lose all their recordings and replacing hard drives does very little. Maxtor drives are partially to blame here, those drives are cheap and terrible.

The JVC DR-M100S is a pretty much flawless machine.

I would agree the JVC DR-MV7S is worth trying out, at least for the DVD recorder portion. I'm not all that fond of combo units (ANYBODY'S COMBO of ANYTHING!), because the VCRs tend to be cheap and the units seem to break faster. Plus you cannot insert TBCs, proc amps, and those sorts of goodies between the VHS and the DVD.

Also, as I said in another thread, DVD-RAM is barely used these days, so manufacturers can cut some sizeable cost corners by simply not using it. That's probably important if you want to penetrate the Wal-Mart demographic. I don't recall anything in Wal-Mart having DVD-RAM ever, or at least not in years.

I might go to Wal-Mart tomorrow, see if they have one, and how much.

Thanks for the head's up HG!

Lord- We agree on some but you have got to admit one thing- The Panasonics produced and sold 50-1 over the other models so sure they had some that failed. It is called the law of averages in manufacturing. So never give us the # of pannies that failed when every model including JVC had huge failures PROPORTIONATELY TO SALES. Panny was the very lowest in failures considering these parameters.
If you can find a JVC at walmart , I am ready to test with you- That feels homo. I might have to go look at some lesbian porno to readjust.

Matsushita owns both Panasonic and JVC, and a few others. It's a big company, sort of like Mitsubishi, dabbling in all sorts of things.

There is no "loaders" to "work", as you say. JVC's generic error message is called "LOADING" and it flashes on unit's LED screen screen any time there is a general fault. The "LOADING" message is also seen when the machine is booting up from cold start (in other words, normal). The very first run of JVC machines had a specific error with some board components, power board resistors, which would overheat because of the interior design (layout) of the components, and because they could have been rated a bit higher. It only affected a minority of machines, usually those that were used heavily or in a warm location, as heat was the typical catalyst. In a few rarer instances (mostly on some of the early combos), the LSI chipset heat up because the heat brackets were not attached perfectly (easy to re-seat). This was back in 2004. LiteOn actually had a similar problem on it's very first machine in 2003, the LSI lacked any kind of heatsink altogether. Starting with all second-generation JVC models, in 2005, the LOADING error was fixed, simply by altering the case arrangement and using different resistors. To even talk about JVC LOADING is several years out of date. JVC repaired these units for free, and the fix was permanent in most all cases. When it failed again after repair, it was because damage had spread to other components in the machine. Sometimes it could be fixed by replacing those other parts, sometimes it was just trashed and beyond repair. Very few went that route. Bad media also caused LOADING error, use better discs.

For all the fuss folks make over JVC's LOADING error (years after it's been gone!), Panasonic has a far more common hard drive fault on the E80 and E85 models, where folks lose all their recordings and replacing hard drives does very little. Maxtor drives are partially to blame here, those drives are cheap and terrible.

The JVC DR-M100S is a pretty much flawless machine.

I would agree the JVC DR-MV7S is worth trying out, at least for the DVD recorder portion. I'm not all that fond of combo units (ANYBODY'S COMBO of ANYTHING!), because the VCRs tend to be cheap and the units seem to break faster. Plus you cannot insert TBCs, proc amps, and those sorts of goodies between the VHS and the DVD.

Also, as I said in another thread, DVD-RAM is barely used these days, so manufacturers can cut some sizeable cost corners by simply not using it. That's probably important if you want to penetrate the Wal-Mart demographic. I don't recall anything in Wal-Mart having DVD-RAM ever, or at least not in years.

I might go to Wal-Mart tomorrow, see if they have one, and how much.

Thanks for the head's up HG!

Sounds icky. Bad designs. Resistors blowing up. Spreading to other portions of the machine. Plus I'm just guessing (I'm probably wrong) that the new JVC is a rebadge.

I stay away from any company who states it is getting out of the recorder business.

Lord Smurf- test it my cohort! If you do, I will, and I promise that I will say if it is better, superior or whatever exactly the case may be on same feed with other models. I do think this model deserves a good test regardless- it may be a very good unit -providing the loaders work.

Sounds like a great test! I'm curious about how it will turn out.

Sounds icky. Bad designs. Resistors blowing up. Spreading to other portions of the machine. Plus I'm just guessing (I'm probably wrong) that the new JVC is a rebadge. I stay away from any company who states it is getting out of the recorder business.
DVD recorders are computers. This happens all the time. AMD, Intel on chips; and Asus, Intel, etc on motherboards. Parts are sold to companies, and it turns out some of them are not up to snuff. Nobody is immune. I cannot think of a single company that has not had an issue on their hardware, especially first-generation hardware.

LSI chipsets also ran a bit hotter than DVD recorder companies may have initially believed, under heavy use. At least given the heat-related issues in 2003-2004 first-gen LSI-using machines, this is very likely.

I don't know where you read that JVC is "getting out of the recorder business". I keep seeing folks saying that about all kinds of machines (Pioneer, Toshiba, others), but to date, I've not single a single company say they're leaving DVD recorders (1-2 did say they're leaving computer DVD burners, however). Even if that were the case, for any company, why would you avoid a good product simply because it's the last one? That's not logical in any sense. If anything, it means you may get a good deal on a discontinued line.

The JVC hardware designs are not any worse than Panasonic or Pioneer or Toshiba. They're all about the same, actually. You basically have a power supply, a motherboard, two main CPUs (player chipset, recorder chipset), and a DVD burner. A lot of these things are kits these days too, not piece-by-piece builds.

I'm all for lambasting bad equipment, but some of you try to see errors that don't exist, or complain about errors that were fixed years ago. Inversely, when presented with a valid fault (especially on something you like, most commonly Panasonic equipment), you get all bent out of shape, attacking the person who said it AND the equipment they like to use. It's so silly.

Have some perspective (and maturity) on these things.

DVD recorders are computers. This happens all the time. AMD, Intel on chips; and Asus, Intel, etc on motherboards. Parts are sold to companies, and it turns out some of them are not up to snuff. Nobody is immune. I cannot think of a single company that has not had an issue on their hardware, especially first-generation hardware.

LSI chipsets also ran a bit hotter than DVD recorder companies may have initially believed, under heavy use. At least given the heat-related issues in 2003-2004 first-gen LSI-using machines, this is very likely.

I don't know where you read that JVC is "getting out of the recorder business". I keep seeing folks saying that about all kinds of machines (Pioneer, Toshiba, others), but to date, I've not single a single company say they're leaving DVD recorders (1-2 did say they're leaving computer DVD burners, however). Even if that were the case, for any company, why would you avoid a good product simply because it's the last one? That's not logical in any sense. If anything, it means you may get a good deal on a discontinued line.

The JVC hardware designs are not any worse than Panasonic or Pioneer or Toshiba. They're all about the same, actually. You basically have a power supply, a motherboard, two main CPUs (player chipset, recorder chipset), and a DVD burner. A lot of these things are kits these days too, not piece-by-piece builds.

I'm all for lambasting bad equipment, but some of you try to see errors that don't exist, or complain about errors that were fixed years ago. Inversely, when presented with a valid fault (especially on something you like, most commonly Panasonic equipment), you get all bent out of shape, attacking the person who said it AND the equipment they like to use. It's so silly.

Have some perspective (and maturity) on these things.

Were there any house fires reported as a result of the JVC's tendency to blow up? Just curious becase I believe this should also be a concern.

but you have got to admit one thing- The Panasonics produced and sold 50-1 over the other models
Absolutely. Those early machines had zero competition and were a virtual monopoly. They were sold in every store that had DVD equipment, sometimes even grocery stores. Even after a few competing machines came out, they rode a wave of product-brand recognition that companies often can only dream of.

Of course, on the downside of that, they raked in obscene amounts of cash for machines that had major errors (IRE, luma, hard drives, etc). So there were quite a few people waiting for better equipment to come out, and as 2004 and 2005 came and went, Panasonic saw itself getting whipped in sales. That's why the low-cost ES-series equipment now exists.

so sure they had some that failed. It is called the law of averages in manufacturing. So never give us the # of pannies that failed when every model including JVC had huge failures PROPORTIONATELY TO SALES. Panny was the very lowest in failures considering these parameters..
I'm sure you'll disagree with this, but part of the side-effects of the product-brand recognition was the emergence of a "Panasonic culture".

The car industry had a similar thing with GM and Ford when all the "foreign" cars tried to break into the marketplace. Of course, these days, most people don't care, and if they really looked closely, they'd see the lines of foreign and domestic are blurred because of mergers and cooperative agreements.

Anyway, the Panasonic folks out there are often in denial about the quality of their equipment. They blow it off as "oh, it's good enough" or "oh, it's just a tv recording" or "I can reset the hard drive and it'll be fine again"... things of that nature. There is an absolute refusal to see luma errors (E5x/E8x series, second-gen Panasonic chipsets), E10/E20/E30 IRE errors (to this day, even!), hard drive errors (E80/E85), LP mode issues, and things of that nature.

I have personally been dumbfounded by the amount of people out there who lose their entire Panasonic E80/E85 hard drive of recordings, and their only response is "oh well". And then if you tell them it has a hard drive error that needs to be fixed, they say "oh, I can just reset it, and it'll be okay again". To me, it's sort of like walking around on a broken foot, and then saying that you'll just wear a different pair of shoes to make it better, rather than diagnosing and correcting the problem.

So while there is definitely a law of averages when it concerns production size and malfunctions, the hard drive errors seem to be substancial beyond such numbers.

You have to remember I own two Panasonic DVD recorders, a pair of JVCs, and quite a few others both in the past and currently. I don't belong to any culture, and beyond Panasonic, I don't think any brand actually has a culture.

My Panasonics work great for how I use them (E85 SP mode timeshifting for temp viewing, ES10 passthrough filters), but I acknowledge the limits of what they can and cannot do.

It's time the Panasonic culture ends.

Were there any house fires reported as a result of the JVC's tendency to blow up? Just curious becase I believe this should also be a concern.

No...

... and the JVC's did not "blow up". I don't know where you got that. The overheating parts faulted the machine, nothing combusted.

But do you remember Apex? The DRX-9000 series was known to start fires. They had a faulty power supply. At the same time, there was a motherboard used by AMD CPUs that also had power circuits onboard that blew up too, known to start fires. Same parts used in both items.

Apex was really crappy about repairing the machines (they would not do it), and they even refused to acknowledge it officially, at the time. The DRX-9200 fixed all these issues, total re-design, but the production was halted pretty early on as Apex entered business problems and their CEO was tossed into Chinese prison.

Sadly, the Apex DRX-9000 had excellent video and audio quality, though it was also plauged by random IRE-switching errors, when coming from S-VHS and S-VHS-ET sources.

If you want to pick on a crappy company, do it to Apex. They actually deserve it.

Absolutely. Those early machines had zero competition and were a virtual monopoly. They were sold in every store that had DVD equipment, sometimes even grocery stores. Even after a few competing machines came out, they rode a wave of product-brand recognition that companies often can only dream of.

Of course, on the downside of that, they raked in obscene amounts of cash for machines that had major errors (IRE, luma, hard drives, etc). So there were quite a few people waiting for better equipment to come out, and as 2004 and 2005 came and went, Panasonic saw itself getting whipped in sales. That's why the low-cost ES-series equipment now exists.


I'm sure you'll disagree with this, but part of the side-effects of the product-brand recognition was the emergence of a "Panasonic culture".

The car industry had a similar thing with GM and Ford when all the "foreign" cars tried to break into the marketplace. Of course, these days, most people don't care, and if they really looked closely, they'd see the lines of foreign and domestic are blurred because of mergers and cooperative agreements.

Anyway, the Panasonic folks out there are often in denial about the quality of their equipment. They blow it off as "oh, it's good enough" or "oh, it's just a tv recording" or "I can reset the hard drive and it'll be fine again"... things of that nature. There is an absolute refusal to see luma errors (E5x/E8x series, second-gen Panasonic chipsets), E10/E20/E30 IRE errors (to this day, even!), hard drive errors (E80/E85), LP mode issues, and things of that nature.

I have personally been dumbfounded by the amount of people out there who lose their entire Panasonic E80/E85 hard drive of recordings, and their only response is "oh well". And then if you tell them it has a hard drive error that needs to be fixed, they say "oh, I can just reset it, and it'll be okay again". To me, it's sort of like walking around on a broken foot, and then saying that you'll just wear a different pair of shoes to make it better, rather than diagnosing and correcting the problem.

So while there is definitely a law of averages when it concerns production size and malfunctions, the hard drive errors seem to be substancial beyond such numbers.

You have to remember I own two Panasonic DVD recorders, a pair of JVCs, and quite a few others both in the past and currently. I don't belong to any culture, and beyond Panasonic, I don't think any brand actually has a culture.

My Panasonics work great for how I use them (E85 SP mode timeshifting for temp viewing, ES10 passthrough filters), but I acknowledge the limits of what they can and cannot do.

It's time the Panasonic culture ends.

Sounds like a mission statement.

I personally do not own a Panasonic. I have in the past and it worked fine. Any product that has a dominant market share is vulnerable because there are just so many of them out there.

The only recorder I had a problem with was a Samsung 120. After installing it there was a strong electrical burn odor. I thought it would go away. It did not. Three weeks later I exchanged it and the second one did the same - strong electrical burn ordor. Really bad.

My wife literally thought it was going to burst into flames. It was out of the house quickly. Thus my JVC blowing up question?

Some products are weird that way. Sometimes it can actually be something as simple as the casing and lubricants causing odors when the metal parts heat up. The JVCs never did this, no.

Have you ever had VHS tapes or VHS/DVD cases that smelled like gasoline? The petroleum was not refined enough in the plastics process.

I'd have taken it back too, if it smelled like burnt whatever.

Some products are weird that way. Sometimes it can actually be something as simple as the casing and lubricants causing odors when the metal parts heat up. The JVCs never did this, no.

Have you ever had VHS tapes or VHS/DVD cases that smelled like gasoline? The petroleum was not refined enough in the plastics process.

I'd have taken it back too, if it smelled like burnt whatever.

I thought the odor would eventually go away. You know that new burn in smell that sometimes happens. It did not. I exchanged it at a different Circuit City thinking the CC I purchased it from had a bad batch. Like I said the second one did the same. When I returned it and the box was opened at CC the odor literally came out of the box and the CC person knew exactly what I was talking about.

I'm not saying this is a problem with all 120's. It was just my experience.

I went and looked at the JVC DR-MV7S, read the manual. It's apparently the combo version of the Canadian JVC DR-M70S http://www.jvc.ca/en/consumer/product-detail.asp?model=DR-M70S and does not have FR mode. I'm pretty adamant about having a 3-hour option for maximum bitrate allocation at Half D1 (just like I am about having a 1-hour XP mode). So it can probably do just fine at SP and LP, and they'd look pretty transparent to one another on most sources, but I'd seek one of the other JVCs with FR mode, given the choice.

For $269, I'd rather look at the Polaroid 2001G, which has a hard drive, and was right next to the JVC for $219. I've not invested much time into the Polaroid, but it's worth researching, to see if it does 3-hour and if there are no nuisances, annoyances, or otherwise fatal flaws.

Good recorder, but not an ideal recorder. And kind of pricey for what you get.

Someone please test this model out. I just picked one up at BJ's Club for $209 (they had a $20 instant rebate). I originally bought a Sony NS75H for the HDMI so I tried comparing the two, but my tests are by no means offical. Here our my untrained observations:

Playback of DVDs: Pretty close, but again, I only watched a few minutes of 2 DVDs. The JVC actually looked a little better. I would love it if someone that knew what they were doing could confirm this.

The recorder only has composite inputs, no S-Video and no componets, so that is kind of a bummer. I was hoping for at least S-Video.

I copied a few minutes from a old VHS tape that was recorded in SLP and the JVC actually cleaned up some of the noise. It came out fairly well considering the source, although to my eye the picture was "soft."

I also copied a HD program from my Dish 622 DVR to the JVC at SP speed and it didn't look half bad. Obviously not HD quality, but not bad.

One interesting note. After burning the DVD and finalizing it, I loaded it into my PC to see if was compatible, and the disk showed up with the title "lg_combi_recorder" so perhaps this is a re-badged LG product?

Can anyone recommend a good DVD recorder with HDMI out and perhaps better inputs? I don't think I really need the combo unit, I am also not a big fan of combos, it's not that hard to pull out my old VCR and transfer them to a recorder. Maybe something with an S-Video in at the least? Are there any with componet (RGB I think) in?

I have invested some time into the Polaroid. It has some strengths. For example it has an LSI Domino chipset. It has other strengths as well and does very well for what it is - one of the most reasonable HDD recorders available.

It has 1/2/2.5/3/4/6 hour recording modes. No flex recording but the 2.5 hour helps for those 2:12 minute recordings.

Someone please test this model out. I just picked one up at BJ's Club for $209 (they had a $20 instant rebate). I originally bought a Sony NS75H for the HDMI so I tried comparing the two, but my tests are by no means offical. Here our my untrained observations:

Playback of DVDs: Pretty close, but again, I only watched a few minutes of 2 DVDs. The JVC actually looked a little better. I would love it if someone that knew what they were doing could confirm this.

The recorder only has composite inputs, no S-Video and no componets, so that is kind of a bummer. I was hoping for at least S-Video.

I copied a few minutes from a old VHS tape that was recorded in SLP and the JVC actually cleaned up some of the noise. It came out fairly well considering the source, although to my eye the picture was "soft."

I also copied a HD program from my Dish 622 DVR to the JVC at SP speed and it didn't look half bad. Obviously not HD quality, but not bad.

One interesting note. After burning the DVD and finalizing it, I loaded it into my PC to see if was compatible, and the disk showed up with the title "lg_combi_recorder" so perhaps this is a re-badged LG product?

Can anyone recommend a good DVD recorder with HDMI out and perhaps better inputs? I don't think I really need the combo unit, I am also not a big fan of combos, it's not that hard to pull out my old VCR and transfer them to a recorder. Maybe something with an S-Video in at the least? Are there any with componet (RGB I think) in?

Only composite inputs? Did I read that correctly?

Perhaps I meant componet. It is the Yellow, Red, White. Sorry for any confusion.

Does the Poloroid upconvert over HDMI? Or is that whole upconversion thing not that important? I've read mixed things, some say it's great, others say 480P is just as good.

Perhaps I meant componet. It is the Yellow, Red, White. Sorry for any confusion.

Does the Poloroid upconvert over HDMI? Or is that whole upconversion thing not that important? I've read mixed things, some say it's great, others say 480P is just as good.

You were right. That is composite. Not even s-video? That is hard to believe.

The Polaroid has component/s-video/composite in and out. It does not have HDMI. It does provide 480p out which looks good on my HD television.

So it looks like between the 2 I have to choose between HDMI out on the JVC, or a better recorder and the bonus of an HDD drive and better inputs on the poloroid. I'm using a DVR, so the drive isn't a huge issue, but then again, maybe the HDMI out isn't that big a deal either. Tough decision.............

I could have sworn it had s-video input when I popped the front cover to take a peak. It had s-video, DV in, and composite, plus L/R audio. It'll be a week (probably) before I go to Wal-Mart again (it's a bit down the highway from me), but I'll have to look at that again.

Rufus, I don't think HDMI out is that big a deal, no. It's not like it's outputting HD material, so the HD tv will upscale it from the other inputs anyway.

JVC using a re-badged LG? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. As I mentioned earlier, there are pre-made kits out there these days, so maybe they are sharing a LG-branded kit for some portion of the machine. I do know JVC uses a lot of LG burners, so it may be burner-related. I doubt it's an LG recorder re-badge.

The Polaroid seems like a better deal, from what I can see. LSI, good number of recording modes (352x480 3-hour?). But then again, I don't know about the various bug reports I've seen (timer bug on screen at all times, etc), so something to research.

Personally, I'd have to pass on this exact JVC model. I want 3-hour, I hate combos.

Sounds icky. Bad designs. Resistors blowing up. Spreading to other portions of the machine. Plus I'm just guessing (I'm probably wrong) that the new JVC is a rebadge.

I stay away from any company who states it is getting out of the recorder business.
I totally agree. :cool:

Absolutely. Those early machines had zero competition and were a virtual monopoly. They were sold in every store that had DVD equipment, sometimes even grocery stores. Even after a few competing machines came out, they rode a wave of product-brand recognition that companies often can only dream of.

Of course, on the downside of that, they raked in obscene amounts of cash for machines that had major errors (IRE, luma, hard drives, etc). So there were quite a few people waiting for better equipment to come out, and as 2004 and 2005 came and went, Panasonic saw itself getting whipped in sales. That's why the low-cost ES-series equipment now exists.


I'm sure you'll disagree with this, but part of the side-effects of the product-brand recognition was the emergence of a "Panasonic culture".

The car industry had a similar thing with GM and Ford when all the "foreign" cars tried to break into the marketplace. Of course, these days, most people don't care, and if they really looked closely, they'd see the lines of foreign and domestic are blurred because of mergers and cooperative agreements.

Anyway, the Panasonic folks out there are often in denial about the quality of their equipment. They blow it off as "oh, it's good enough" or "oh, it's just a tv recording" or "I can reset the hard drive and it'll be fine again"... things of that nature. There is an absolute refusal to see luma errors (E5x/E8x series, second-gen Panasonic chipsets), E10/E20/E30 IRE errors (to this day, even!), hard drive errors (E80/E85), LP mode issues, and things of that nature.

I have personally been dumbfounded by the amount of people out there who lose their entire Panasonic E80/E85 hard drive of recordings, and their only response is "oh well". And then if you tell them it has a hard drive error that needs to be fixed, they say "oh, I can just reset it, and it'll be okay again". To me, it's sort of like walking around on a broken foot, and then saying that you'll just wear a different pair of shoes to make it better, rather than diagnosing and correcting the problem.

So while there is definitely a law of averages when it concerns production size and malfunctions, the hard drive errors seem to be substancial beyond such numbers.

You have to remember I own two Panasonic DVD recorders, a pair of JVCs, and quite a few others both in the past and currently. I don't belong to any culture, and beyond Panasonic, I don't think any brand actually has a culture.

My Panasonics work great for how I use them (E85 SP mode timeshifting for temp viewing, ES10 passthrough filters), but I acknowledge the limits of what they can and cannot do.

It's time the Panasonic culture ends.

Lordsmurf- with all due respect there are so many erroneous conclusions in your reply about the Panasonics it is hard to address them all. You are in a very small minority that has had any problems with Panasonic DVDR HDD models. The E-80 had MB above 2 hour record. Granted. But this has been one of the best workhorse early DVDRs ever. The E-85 may have had some problems but no more than others. I have an E-500 Panny HDD which you have never had- perfect-400 GB HDD. I wring this units out. Now as far as non HDD units for Panny I have 2005 ES-10- so far so good. The only problem with Panny 2005-6 non HDD units that I can see is a possible problem with Maxell Ram disks but this also needs to be checked on Panny RAM discs. Also the 4 hour superior LP mode with the 2005-6 models you totally ignore. LM- you need to test these units more -same feed, same program,time and playback on a top ten Secrets DVD player. I do that. You never test these models yourself. You rely on others to do it with still shots, etc that are no substitute for actual viewing of a burned DVD on a great Display and top DVD Player. Have you ever done tests such as this? If so, I have not seen them over the last 3 years. Show me, because we all are from Missouri as far as that goes.

BTW-I did happen to test the Polaroid 2001- read my post and I rated it very high -almost as good as the Pio 531- It was great in video recording, but YOU try to edit commercials with it. A nightmare. Plus the remote, interface is worse than even a Philips. I returned the Polaroid because of that. It was Twilight Zone for a beginner or even a regular/advanced user of DVDRs. Oh and here is another kicker- I could find no FR speed on the Polaroid menu and is not that the problem you have with the Walmart JVC? Maybe the Polaroid does it auto but does not the JVC and Polaroid have the same LSI chip? Consider. Actually Panny,Pio and I believe Toshiba and Samsung are the only that have both Divide and Flex record currently-LG may- do not know- But Panny originated Divide/ Flex record and I might add high speed dubbing with no loss to DVD , traits you want of which we are all sure. LS- you are caught in a quandry here as far as features. You can talk about the LSI chip all day which I agree records great on certain units. But in units that I have tested it lacks certain features intrinsic to great, EASY EDITING and recording to a DVD from a DVDR HDD. That is why the returns of Philips and Liteons, Polaroids and Radio Shack units to retail stores are so high. I guarantee you those units are impossible to figure out for the Average Joe. Panny and Pioneer are simple compared to Liteon,philips,polaroid and others. If you cannot figure out the interface or how to edit/ record they are worth about 2 bucks.

I plan to test the Pio 640 next week and will keep it, if it performs. I intend to compare the Pio 531(Very Best HDD DVDR So Far) with the Pio 640 and will post my results. Lets hope the 531 does not go down between now and then.

Here is a caveat- I would actually love to test the Panny 2006 E-75 HDD and would buy it but the Pio 640 is cheaper so I am going to buy that if it equals the 2005 Pio 531. However the Panny E-75 could be as good - maybe someone will loan me one.:) We will see.

Those "top ten secret" DVD players don't fix bad recording quality. I've seen you try to shift blame on this before, but it won't work. I can dump the video recordings into a raw editor on a very nice LCD screen and see the blocks even when the video is 6" x 4" on a computer monitor. They're visible on a normal tv set, but EXTREMELY visible on an LCD screen. Panasonic had a real advantage when they shifted to LSI chipsets, but they totally pissed it away by using inadequate bitrate (Full D1 @ 2500k). Panasonic habitually has a miserable LP mode recording, they just never learn.

I have no doubt Panasonic HDD failures are a minority, maybe even a small minority, but it is a serious issue and it is quite common. And like I said, one that is easily larger than anything JVC ever did. This is where your production size kicks in, the Panasonic minority is much larger than the JVC one. So I was saying how odd it is that the Panasonic culture protects their errors as if they don't even exist, or is much smaller than reality.

I don't think Panasonic is all that much easier to edit than anything else. The E80, for example, has a poorly written user manual and there are so many menus and non-obvious things that must be done, even the most experienced person will find it a tad cumbersome. It's not easy. But you know, they're all like that, save one. The LiteOn user interfaces tend to be idiot-friendly. Of course, it's been quite a while since I saw a LiteOn HDD unit, they may not be sold anymore. LiteOn seems to have shifted totally to sub-$100 disc-only units, which is a good market.

DVD recorders, including Panasonic, are also not frame-accurate. They edit at the nearest I-frame (there are 1-2 per second), so you often end up with a second worth of commercial still there, or a second of your show cut off. These days many networks only have 1-2 frames of black at the break, so it's almost always a P or B frame at that location. Computer software can be frame-accurate (Womble software, VideReDo).

Another thing so easily forgotten is you don't actually have to test every single DVD recorder in a line. Take the Panasonic E100. Same Panasonic recording chipset, same recording settings. So anything it does will pretty much look the same as an E80/E85 or E50/E55. Now, the hard drives, I don't know if those are Maxtor, and I actually kind of doubt it. So that would explain why your unit has no drive issues. I've never heard of an E100 drive issue myself. Definitely a sturdy build. But image quality? Not so hot. I actually thought the E100 was ridiculously priced, overcharging for the various extra inputs and the now-tiny 120GB drive.

Have to break free of that culture. So many better machines to be had out there.

Anyway, back on topic........

This model of JVC, the LSI@LP is a plus (compared to other machines currently available). Too bad there's no FR.

Again, given what I saw at Wal-Mart, I'd have to pass over that JVC, and I'd look at the Polaroid. Research it, try it out. It seems to have more to offer, and for less cost.

It all depends on what you need. :)

I don't own a Panasonic but I really like them anyways. :)

I hate to sound too one dimensional but I can comment on the Polaroid. It has been the base camp for a hardware mod I am in the process of completing.

It is actually pretty simple to operate. After you spend a bit of time with it things actually become too simple. By that I mean one of the weaknesses of the machine is that it is very simple minded. It doesn't do that much. Compared to a Toshiba there is not much there in the menu.

There is a $2 fix for the remote. Once this is done the machine dances. Editing, naming, navigating, become a whole new experience.

The LSI Domino performs as it should - excellent. There is no flex mode but with 1/2/2.5/3/4/6 hour modes things can be handled well (remember - simple).

The machine has no copy protection to speak of.

It has component inputs which I think is a real plus for my application (SA 8300HD STB).

The hardware mod I mentioned now has the machine at 1.5 terabytes of storage - and counting.

There's more but this is long enough already.

It will never replace the pios, panasonics etc. It is a simple reasonable HDD recorder - nothing more.

I tried a Poloroid 2001G for a couple of days, I think it was a "D" build.

The video quality from component in was excellent.

It had several issues for me including the crappy remote. If I remember correctly, it only did VR recording mode on DVD and did not record in dolby AC3 audio. The model I had also seemed to be very slow in its high speed dub (spoiled by my Pioneer 531).

The auto timeshifting also drove me nuts as I didn't know how to shut it off.

It does have a lot of interesting features otherwise, maybe I'll try a later build "F" ? and mod the remote. You can't complain about the price. :cool:

I tried a Poloroid 2001G for a couple of days, I think it was a "D" build.

The video quality from component in was excellent.

It had several issues for me including the crappy remote. If I remember correctly, it only did VR recording mode on DVD and did not record in dolby AC3 audio. The model I had also seemed to be very slow in its high speed dub (spoiled by my Pioneer 531).

The auto timeshifting also drove me nuts as I didn't know how to shut it off.

It does have a lot of interesting features otherwise, maybe I'll try a later build "F" ? and mod the remote. You can't complain about the price. :cool:

Turning the timeshift off is in the setup menu under timeshift. It doesn't really read that way but it is there. You set the default input for when you turn the unit on and set either timeshift on/off as the default as well.

The LiteOn user interfaces tend to be idiot-friendly. Of course, it's been quite a while since I saw a LiteOn HDD unit, they may not be sold anymore. LiteOn seems to have shifted totally to sub-$100 disc-only units, which is a good market.

Liteon has the HD-A760GX (250Gig) and HD-A740GX (160Gig) models out this year.

Nice PQ, but poor functionality for editing (remote not egronomic with the play, FFW, BCK on the bottom third of the remote, no BCK frame advance, no commercial skip), no-multi-tasking (could only Chase Play while HDD recording, can not play a DVD or another HDD program) and hi-speed dubbing is file by file (can't dub a list of files to fill up the DVD at one shot).

Available at Costco and others for those still interested in trying.

I'd like to see someone compare the JVC against the Panny Combo ES35V, the Magnavox Combo at Wal-Mart & any Funai Model Combo (PYE at Circuit City) because that would be more of an Apples to Apples test than the Poloroid with a HDD.

Plus with the Magnavox or Funai Combos your talking at least a $50.00 or more difference in price between the JVC Combo.

The only thing close between the Poloroid & JVC seem to be the LSI Chip & the Price.

Anyone know what chip Funai is using in their recorders? & is it different between the Funai, Symphonic, Emerson, Sylvania, PYE & the Magnavox brands? Thanks.

On an earlier post I made a comment that this JVC did not have S-Video in. I am incorrect, it does have S-Video in, but it's only on the front which in not convenient to hooking up my Dish DVR. Can someone tell me how much worse my DVDs would look if I hookup my Dish DVR to the yellow componet vs. the S-Video in front? I'm still trying out this unit. I was able to pick up a floor model Toshiba D-R4 for $80 at Sears so I was gonna do some testing this weekend on the 2.

On an earlier post I made a comment that this JVC did not have S-Video in. I am incorrect, it does have S-Video in, but it's only on the front which in not convenient to hooking up my Dish DVR. Can someone tell me how much worse my DVDs would look if I hookup my Dish DVR to the yellow componet vs. the S-Video in front? I'm still trying out this unit. I was able to pick up a floor model Toshiba D-R4 for $80 at Sears so I was gonna do some testing this weekend on the 2.

What in the world has happened to JVC. Only s-video on the front? I would move on. There's better out there for you. I have the Toshiba D-R5. Nice unit. You should like the DR-4. Give it a try. Nice price.

I'd rather have one of the many JVC's that were blowing up all the time rather than one with just composite on the back panel. But it is common knowledge that JVC was getting out of the SD DVD recorder business. And look at the result. A combo unit with just composite on the back panel. Unbelievable. Panasonic crushed them.

Maybe this is an example of a rebadge? Maybe a Funai?

edit - If it is a Funai rebadge then maybe Funai has moved into the "prosumer" market. :eek:

Maybe this is an example of a rebadge? Maybe a Funai?

edit - If it is a Funai rebadge then maybe Funai has moved into the "prosumer" market. :eek:


It may be a rebadge. After burning a DVD in it and putting it in my PC it comes as LG_COMBI_DRIVE on the disk label.


The only thing the D-R4 is missing (for me) is a Firewire port. Do you know if the D-R5 has one? And of course the HDMI out, but for $80 I can keep my Sony NS75H for playback, and the R4 for recording. I also got a 5 yr warranty for $40, so when this think dies maybe they'll give me an R5.

It may be a rebadge. After burning a DVD in it and putting it in my PC it comes as LG_COMBI_DRIVE on the disk label.


The only thing the D-R4 is missing (for me) is a Firewire port. Do you know if the D-R5 has one? And of course the HDMI out, but for $80 I can keep my Sony NS75H for playback, and the R4 for recording. I also got a 5 yr warranty for $40, so when this think dies maybe they'll give me an R5.

To me this means that the DVD burner in the JVC (or what ever it really is) is made by LG. LG drives typically can handle DVD-Ram. Just goes to show you how upside down JVC has become. Use an LG drive without DVD-Ram. Specs here show no DVD-Ram capability:

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027682&pathId=116&page=2

You'd think by this time they would had learned how to "follow the leader".

Oh well, JVC got boo'd out of the DVD recorder space so what can you expect.

The R5 does have a firewire port by the way. Your decision is if you really need it I guess. At least Toshiba is heading in the right direction.

I don't know where those conclusions come from. Nobody was "boo'd" out of anything, but it does sort of suck that they are between models right now. Where did that DR-M101S go, anyway?

The DR-MV7 is a stripped-down cheaper version of other JVC recorders. So not having RAM is a cost saver. As I said earlier, this is a Wal-Mart audience unit, so cheap was probably important. This is definitely not one of the prosumer machines.

And then not all LG drives are DVD-RAM capable. And then you also have to remember that not all DVD burners/players out there are using end-user drives, but rather OEM type drives only sold to certain specs. Many of them have special casings, and some even have special wiring.

It's not a Funai, let's not start crazy rumors. Same goes for the crazy rumor of "getting out of the DVD recorder business". Both are false.

Toshiba is definitely a good machine, but I'd steer clear of the "DR" line, look more at the "XS" line of Toshiba recorders.

LordSurf - I'm a lot like you. I read something and move on and forget where I read it when I want to reference it. I do remember reading a release that said the JVC was exiting the SD DVDR business with the intent to focus more on high defininition. I'm probably wrong but I'm still looking.

It's tough to figure out what JVC is doing. When looking at this offering I get concerned. It is nothing like what was produced in the past.

Well it looks like back to BJs for my JVC. I really wanted to like it, but in the end the lack of S-video in the back is the deal killer. Plus the first one I bought was DOA, I'm concerned about the build quality. The cost was $209 which I didn't think was too bad, but I really don't care for combo units.

I'm now debating the Toshiba D-R4 I got for a song at Sears, although it appears they gave me the wrong remote, paired up with the Sony NV75 for a dedicated player. Or maybe just go with the D-R5? Or the polaroid with the HDD drive? Too many decisions.....................................

I was just looking at the LG DR1F9H in the Best Buy website. I looked at the pcitures of the unit and interestingly the remote looks almost identical to the JVC DRMV7S except of course the buttons to access the VCR, since the LG doesn't have one. Also, the LG is also lacking a rear S-Video input, just like the JVC. So, perhaps there is merit to the theory that this new JVC is simply a rebadged LG?

Nice catch.

The remotes are essentially identical which usually means something. The back panel on the LG shows only composite in - strange. Why would LG do that?

JVC = Insignia. I found it. Check out the links. Same unit.

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027682&pathId=116&page=1

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7669016&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat13900050019&id=1134701665694

By the way the JVC is off the Walmart site so if somebody really wants the JVC it looks like they'll have to buy the Insignia. So it's Insignia that went "prosumer" :eek:

Actually as was mentioned I believe LG makes the Insignia for Best Buy which now ovbiously makes the JVC. Makes sense.

Insignia is just a Best Buy re-brand. What they buy and re-brand changes all the time. I would not use Insignia as "proof" of a relationship between JVC and LG (or anybody else). The last Insignia I looked at more resembled a LiteOn than anything else.

Another Best Buy re-brands is Dynex. There are more. Similar to Fry's and the GQ (Great Quality) brand.

Identical remotes doesn't mean much, unfortunately, especially from Chinese-made units. There are a number of cheap remote kits out there for VCRs, DVD recorders, and DVD players. My Centrios remote is basically identical to Sanyo and Apex remotes, and none of those companies are related in any way.

Sometimes what seems related is merely coincidence.

Yes true. I agree. But in this case I bet the insignia and the JVC's are coming down the same production line. The only difference I can tell is a slight style difference in the design of the case. Everything else is identical i.e. buttons, led display etc.

Find out who makes the Insignia and you'll find out who makes the JVC.
Maybe JVC makes the Insignia? I really doubt that. I don't see JVC getting into that business model. Just an opinion though.

The lack of a rear S-Video in seems more than a coincidence. I've only been looking recently at recorders, but these are the only 2 I've seen with no rear S-Video in, for me it's deal breaker. It's too bad, because the DR-MV7S seems like a pretty nice unit.

One unrelated question for Lordsmurf, or anyone else. I tried out a Toshiba D-R4, it was an open box from Sears. I read good things about Toshiba, but when I recorded from my Dish 622 from the S Video, the resulting DVD looked really bad. It looked almost blury, out of focus. I'm wondering if this unit is defective, perhaps why it was an open box, or do others recorders have problems with S-Video? Trying the same source with the JVC componet cable in yielded better results. I also tried the JVC using the front S Video and it threw off the aspect ratio. Then I tried just the componet in on the front vs the rear and it also messed up the aspect, but in the back it came out anamorphic. It was late though, so maybe I screwed something up.

Yes true. I agree. But in this case I bet the insignia and the JVC's are coming down the same production line. The only difference I can tell is a slight style difference in the design of the case. Everything else is identical i.e. buttons, led display etc.

Find out who makes the Insignia and you'll find out who makes the JVC.
Maybe JVC makes the Insignia? I really doubt that. I don't see JVC getting into that business model. Just an opinion though.
Would not surprise me at all if JVC was putting their name on another manufacturers product.
Smurf, I bet you a nickle this is true. ;)

You say that because you don't like JVC, not because of an educated guess based on JVC's manufacturing history of years past. The record says they make their own products, and I'm inclined to believe this is still true. Especially take note of DigiPure tech and other JVC-proprietary technologies that are not shared with others.

Refer to http://www.jvc.com/support/brochures/video/2006DigitalVideoStorage.pdf

Insignia is more likely than not a LiteOn rebadge. Note that the Insignia works with DVD+R/+RW media, whereas JVC does not (DVD Forum vs RW Alliance machines). It really appears to be similar to the LiteOn 5104.

And then LG makes it's own tech too. These three (four) companies are not related in any way, other than they all have DVD recorder products.

Experience tells me those are more likely conclusions.

Yes but look at the pics. The only difference I see is the location of the power button which is common with a rebadge. Everything else it esentially identical.

Slight case design difference that's it.

You say that because you don't like JVC, not because of an educated guess based on JVC's manufacturing history of years past. The record says they make their own products, and I'm inclined to believe this is still true. Especially take note of DigiPure tech and other JVC-proprietary technologies that are not shared with others.

Refer to http://www.jvc.com/support/brochures/video/2006DigitalVideoStorage.pdf

Insignia is more likely than not a LiteOn rebadge. Note that the Insignia works with DVD+R/+RW media, whereas JVC does not (DVD Forum vs RW Alliance machines). It really appears to be similar to the LiteOn 5104.

And then LG makes it's own tech too. These three (four) companies are not related in any way, other than they all have DVD recorder products.

Experience tells me those are more likely conclusions.

Wrong on the +R +RW. Everything I see says it records to the + format. Even the PDF you linked to does so does the JVC web site here:

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027682&pathId=116&page=1

So now what does that tell you?

What's that thing they say about a duck..........

I've not actually seen that exact Insignia, I was referring to another one. You're right, that one does look to be a JVC re-badge. But then again, I'm not surprised, because Insignia will pretty much re-brand anything.

I don't actually recall the JVC being able to use +R/+RW media when I saw the unit on the Wal-Mart floor. I'll have to go look again sometime (stores online are not always reliable, even when it's a manufacturer's site store). It would be a first for JVC to use + media, but given how all manufacturers have slowly gone to using all media (except RAM), it wouldn't be a real big surprise.

The Insignia is definitely quacking...

Is that an echo I hear? Or is something else quacking too? :rolleyes: :eek:

The Insignia and the JVC have the same remote. Here's the Insignia manual. Look at the remote.

http://www.insignia-products.com/skins/skin_1/Topics/Documents/NS-DRVCR_EnglishUserManual.pdf

And they both are the same as the LG.

The Insignia and the JVC have the same remote. Here's the Insignia manual. Look at the remote.

http://www.insignia-products.com/skins/skin_1/Topics/Documents/NS-DRVCR_EnglishUserManual.pdf

And they both are the same as the LG.
I say this because my eyes dont lie.
Smurf, I think you owe me a nickle, the JVC is a rebadged LG. :o

I have not seen this JVC in the Houston WMs even though I saw it in Lufkin,TX. Wonder why? Must be a limited tryout. I would like to test it. Anyone else seen it at wally?

Well, I saw the DR-MV7 at Electronics Express in Nashville, Tennessee. And it's appearing in stores in Canada too, apparently. It's probably just your local stores. Some Wal-Marts do not get new products for months after others. Quite a few rural East Texas Wal-Marts, for example, almost never get new DVD releases. Same for some in rural Iowa and rural Ohio. They may trickle in weeks later, or maybe never at all (especially tv box sets!).

If you're not physically in Houston proper, you may want to go there and look, especially any that are on the main Interstates.

It may even be something as simple as you store was sold out? Unlikely, but possible.

Good luck finding one.

most experienced person will find it a tad cumbersome. It's not easy. But you know, they're all like that, save one. The LiteOn user interfaces tend to be idiot-friendly. Of course, it's been quite a while since I saw a LiteOn HDD unit, they may not be sold anymore. LiteOn seems to have shifted totally to sub-$100 disc-only units, which is a good market.


Wow, I rarely see anyone here say anything good about LiteOn - Bully for you! I have two 5005's which are bizarre frankenstein machines with great strengths and great weaknesses, but used correctly (IMHO) they are/were a great value.

Anyway, you are dead right about the LiteOn interface. The Easy Guider menu was about as simple and easy to use as it gets. No need to even read a manual and still never make a mistake. A lot of the "big boys" could have learned a lot from them.

Have never seen another yet as easy to follow and use.

I don't think anybody know this, but this JVC unit is made by LG Electronics.

I don't think anybody know this, but this JVC unit is made by LG Electronics.
See post 49 above.
And beware of Smurfs if you dare speak bad about JVC. :eek:

LG uses LSI chips in a lot of their models- wonder if this one has them? Panny(Matsushita) owns 51%-at least a majority) of JVC- JVC must be completely independent.

Hey Bron did you try deleting commercials and editing off that easy glider liteon- Editing/deleting commercials on the Pio and Panny models are 50 times easier on a 2-4 hour football game or movie.

See post 49 above.
And beware of Smurfs if you dare speak bad about JVC. :eek:

Actually you'd be speaking bad about LG. JVC doesn't make DVD recorders anymore. ;)

In the Pro Gear World JVC stands for "Junk Video Corp" but I've had a lot of luck with JVC consumer products over the years & in fact I wish I could find this years 30" JVC Tube set with the 2 HDMI Inputs that some people have gotten at Wal-Mart but it seems like there only in the Western part of the country & not on the East Coast?

Sofar there are No JVC Combo Units In My Area either in Wal-Mart & in fact no JVC products of any kind in my local Wal-Mart's?

I just got this recorder and in the short time I've had it I've been very happy. It does a great job of dubbing my VCR tapes to DVD and The Sound of Music looked great on it--but I'm running it at 480i and letting the TV (KDF-50E2000) do the upscaling.

I do wish the s-video was in the back; I have a bunch of things I want to dump to DVD from tivo and that's clumsy.

JVC = Insignia. I found it. Check out the links. Same unit.

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027682&pathId=116&page=1

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7669016&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat13900050019&id=1134701665694

By the way the JVC is off the Walmart site so if somebody really wants the JVC it looks like they'll have to buy the Insignia. So it's Insignia that went "prosumer" :eek:

Actually as was mentioned I believe LG makes the Insignia for Best Buy which now ovbiously makes the JVC. Makes sense.


The JVC has optical audio out and HDMI out; the Insignia has neither. No way of telling how different the units are inside, even though the case and front panel are similar. Ever opened up a unit and observed that sometimes there are a lot of empty spots on the PCB where upmarket models might have components soldered in? I suspect the Insignia has a lot of open real estate where the JVC is more fully populated to support its proprietary features.

None of this bears on whether LG actually makes the units under subcontract; a common practice. Years ago, I was shocked to see that some Pioneer and RCA A/V receivers were apparently very similar under the hood! Who'd have thunk it possible? UPDATE: Check out the LG RC199H. The layout is virtually identical, with the addition of a multi-card Flash reader. Those who say LG makes all three are probably right. If the box is made in Indonesia, it is almost certain to be LG.

DTV4U

HI
Seems like no one had open the unit to check what is inside.
This unit is Manufacture by LG with majority of Philips components(looks like philips unit)
DVD Drive is LG GDA 4164L with SL39 Firmware, lot worst than the one used on the MV5S.
This model has infirior quality from its predecesor DR-MV5S, like it will not recognized DVD-RWs, only a couple of brands.
Hope this help
Vici