Received my 640 today

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Well I just received my PIO 640 from BeachCamera.
Came in a box with NO peanuts for which it slid around inside and also took an accordian squoosh when must have been dropped. I opened the box it was in and took it out. It does not have all the stickers on the machine like the one I got from Pioneer Co. I just hope it is not one that was sent back by someone else?
It was MFG in July. My first one, May 06.
Have yet to hook it up. It is ice cold, so have to wait 'til tomorrow.
Pray that it is OK?

Here is the box with no peanuts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/BeachCrushBox002.jpg


That FedEx should get a good shaking up as I had other scun dented boxes delivered from them.
Also, BeachCamera should have put peanuts in ALL shipments, plus write FRAGILE all over the plain box they put the DVR one in.
Funny thing tho, the one Pioneer sent me was, as is, not inside another box and was shipped from Canada to me.
I am going to hook mine up today and just pray all goes well. It is a wonderful machine if working OK.

Sorry, I should have made this a new thread as others are replying.
May I ask the others to post here instead and repeat and delete what is in the Pio user thread?
Thanks,
Urlee

Urlee and equivocal:

You are making me nervous. I ordered a Pio640 Monday PM from Beach Camera. I am told it is on backorder and shipping will be expedited when they restock. Think I should cancel and shop elsewhere? My price was $327.

Anyone else have problems with Beach Camera?

tomtv

Hi Tom,
I paid $327 for mine too. I ordered it on Monday the 4th (must have been the last one? "LOL") and it came Friday the 8th.

You could call them and tell them of our happenings?

Urlee

Yes, that was there, along with a sheet of padding wrapped around the unit and two styrofoam blocks.

Had some success playing a DVD and changing channels, but any attempt to bring up a menu causes it to lock up. For some reason the display usually says "CLOSE".

Evidently you got past the HDD ERR?
Mine had that thin sheet of padding between the door plus covered with one.
I am so nervous wondering if mine is OK, I am scared to hook up but will after breakfast.

Urlee

Urlee et all

Now I'm really ghetting nervous...

I don't see the Pio 640 listed anywhere on Beach's website or on any of the price checker comparison web engines.
Going to call in a bit. Think I'll cancel and shop elsewhere.

Good luck with yours, Urlee.

tomttv

Urlee et all

Now I'm really ghetting nervous...

I don't see the Pio 640 listed anywhere on Beach's website or on any of the price checker comparison web engines.
Going to call in a bit. Think I'll cancel and shop elsewhere.


I assume you mean Beach doesn't show via the price search engines, because I just came up with quite a few places that have the 640H-S using pricegrabber.

FWIW, the two places I've dealt with in the past on the pricegrabber list are J&R and Vann's. I would buy from either company again.

I assume you mean Beach doesn't show via the price search engines, because I just came up with quite a few places that have the 640H-S using pricegrabber.

FWIW, the two places I've dealt with in the past on the pricegrabber list are J&R and Vann's. I would buy from either company again.
Both J&R and Vann's have the 640 for $339 on the Biz Rate website.

Here's the address:
http:/www.bizrate.com/dvdplayers/pioneer-dvr640-hs-dvd-recorder--pid446928675/

O n e C a l l still has it for $329...that's where I would order it from. Mine came in excellect shape.

Urlee et all

Now I'm really ghetting nervous...

I don't see the Pio 640 listed anywhere on Beach's website or on any of the price checker comparison web engines.
Going to call in a bit. Think I'll cancel and shop elsewhere.

Good luck with yours, Urlee.

tomttv

Hi Tom, And All,

I got her all hooked up and running. Everything is fine so far.
It records and plays back OK. Have yet to set the timer tho.
It played my store bought movies and the ones I did on the other machine.
Fast forwards etc. Have more to check out but wanted to get on here to report.

The only sad thing is: The TV I hooked up to is so old and only has two sockets.
One for Video and the other for Audio. I left one hanging but does it make a difference which one? Red or White as long as the other end is in the DVR. I did put all 3 into the DVR but maybe I should pull one out?

Now the reason you don't see it anywhere on Beach's website is probably because they are backorderd. When web stores run out of a product they take it off or let you know they are out of stock.

Hope you get things squared away. I am really tickled with owning and finally having one in my bedroom cause one time I woke up and missed a program that I would have started recording, had I had a DVR hooked up. I had to run downstairs and turn my TV & DVR on to record, missing a good part of it.
Good to be able to just switch to Video and press record if that happens again.

Happy camper so far, :)
Urlee

...
The only sad thing is: The TV I hooked up to is so old and only has two sockets.
One for Video and the other for Audio. I left one hanging but does it make a difference which one? Red or White as long as the other end is in the DVR. I did put all 3 into the DVR but maybe I should pull one out?

You can pick up a 2 RCA in/1 RCA out adapter at Radio Shack. If you only use the red or white into your TV, either the right or left speaker sound will be lost. Things recorded should sound better through this little, cheap adapter.

You can pick up a 2 RCA in/1 RCA out adapter at Radio Shack. If you only use the red or white into your TV, either the right or left speaker sound will be lost. Things recorded should sound better through this little, cheap adapter.

Thanks ngohit,
I shall take a run to Radio Shack to see if they got one.

I can't quite grasp how that works?

Do I plug it into the TV audio jack? Does it give me two audios then?
In other words, it has one plug with two jacks?

Urlee

Thanks ngohit,
I shall take a run to Radio Shack to see if they got one.

If one isn't real close, give them a call and make sure they have one in stock.

I can't quite grasp how that works?

Do I plug it into the TV audio jack? Does it give me two audios then?
In other words, it has one plug with two jacks?

Urlee

The two RCAs on the cord coming out of the DVR go into one end of the connector. The other end just has one RCA, which plugs into your TV's audio jack. This end combines the signals coming out of the DVR into the TV. Anything you now watch will now sound as it did before you connected the DVR to the TV.

If one isn't real close, give them a call and make sure they have one in stock.



The two RCAs on the cord coming out of the DVR go into one end of the connector. The other end just has one RCA, which plugs into your TV's audio jack. This end combines the signals coming out of the DVR into the TV. Anything you now watch will now sound as it did before you connected the DVR to the TV.

Is this it????????

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/k255.jpg

Urlee :)

Is this it????????

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/urlee/k255.jpg

Urlee :)

Ought to work perfectly. I have an older RCA TV in the bedroom with the same problem.

Is this it????????



Yes! A Y-Adapter [I'll have to remember that's what it's called].

Enjoy.

Hmmm. Those Y-Adapters work okay for taking a single audio signal and providing two outputs (mono to stereo), albiet at slight lower levels (-3dB). But taking two audio signals and combining them into one (stereo to mono), I would have to question how well that would work, I guess trying it is one way to find out. Generally speaking, mixing two audio signals is not as simple as just tying the two wires together, which is what the Y-Adapter is doing.

Hmmm. Those Y-Adapters work okay for taking a single audio signal and providing two outputs (mono to stereo), albiet at slight lower levels (-3dB). But taking two audio signals and combining them into one (stereo to mono), I would have to question how well that would work, I guess trying it is one way to find out. Generally speaking, mixing two audio signals is not as simple as just tying the two wires together, which is what the Y-Adapter is doing.

Do you have any other suggestion for Urlee short of: 1. Buying a new TV; or 2. Only having the right or left audio play through his TV?

A quick Google search turned up this similar discussion:

http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/audio/topic2091.html

As well as this one:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=159347

And this one:

http://www.part15.us/node/1073

Here is a 4-into-1 channel audio mixer, as mentioned in the first discussion above:

http://www.buy.com/prod/nady-mm-141-4-channel-mini-mixer/q/loc/111/201676701.html?dcaid=17379

Ideally the player/recorder could combine the two channels prior to sending them out (monaural mode). But in the absence of such a feature, a 2-into-1 channel mixer would be the "right" way to achieve the desired result.

WoW,
I didn't open the package and hook up with the "Y" adapter as now I don't know what to use.
I don't want to harm anything?

Urlee

If you check out the first discussion I linked to above, you'll see that at least one poster warns against such a hookup due to the possibility of damage. Personally, I would not be 100% confident that such a hookup would not have the potential to cause damage.

In the short term you can just run one channel to the TV. Any audio preamps/amplifiers laying around? If you send your audio to an audio receiver you can listen that way. Some preamps have a mono button that mixes the two channels together and may also have a line-level output that can be fed to your TV.

As bobkart suggested, just run one channel to the TV...the Left one is usually best since it "always" carries the primary audio output. The TV is mono anyway, so it won't know any difference...dumb and happy with whatever you feed it! :)

I'm not an electronics technician, so take my words with a grain of salt if you want... L and R audio line outputs are pretty low level signals, and I don't believe that hooking them together with a Y adapter will cause any problems. The result actually will be a "mix" of the signals, after a fashion.

The risk is that if one output is, for example, 1.0V and the other is 0.0V then the 1.0V will be connected to the 0.0V output and this is a short circuit of sorts. But this is no worse than if the cable itself shorts out, and none of the audio equipment I've seen has a problem with that. I've done the stereo-to-mono via a Y-adapter with various audio feeds from time to time and never had an issue with it.

I wouldn't try it with speaker outputs though... :eek:

Edit [added something about 1/8" mini-jacks that turned out not to be true, so I deleted it again... :)]

Yeah I can't say for sure that it would cause a problem. But since I can't say for sure that it wouldn't cause a problem, that's the basis for my recommending against it. This is worse than a situation that was discussed here a while back where I put forth the option of disconnecting/reconnecting audio outputs during playback as a poor-man's way of muting a short segment of audio. And some people advised against that due to risk of damage. That move I am confident is safe (good circuit to open circuit and back, the circuitry should be able to handle an open circuit, same as not having anything connected to the output), this one is considerably more risky (basically a short-circuit between the '+'s of the two channels, it's not clear that the circuitry "should" be able to handle such a short-circuit).

Evidently you got past the HDD ERR?

In a manner of speaking. Once it booted to HDD ERR, DVD could playback and tuner could change channels. Anything else caused it to lock up.

I literally cannot count how many times I've used a "y" adapter to do exactly what Urlee is doing. Through years of reel-to-reel, casette, and CD recorders, receivers, and what not, I have never (not once) had any equipment damaged. I have two mono TV's with DVD players/recorders hooked up through y adapters to the mono audio input. I suppose one could hook up just the left channel output into a mono TV, but....would you hook just one output from your CD deck into your receiver? Or listen to your ipod through just one earphone?
Not to mention...if this type of use was dangerous to electronic equipment, I'm pretty sure that Radio Shack would include some sort of warning.

To be clear - by no means do I mean to demean Bob, Sean, or any other posters to this forum. They have experience far beyond mine, and I have learned a lot from them.

P.s. If I remember correctly, Urlee is of the female persuasion (Urlee, please correct me if I'm mistaken!). (For ngohit, just because the nitpicker in me rears it's ugly head on occasion.

No problem, as I mentioned, it would probably be okay, but for some people, probably is not enough.

And I also had that impression about Urlee. But didn't want to take the chance that I might be wrong.

P.s. If I remember correctly, Urlee is of the female persuasion (Urlee, please correct me if I'm mistaken!).
AND
And I also had that impression about Urlee. But didn't want to take the chance that I might be wrong.

"LOL" you guys,
Yes, I am female but you had no way of knowing as I only mentioned it in a couple other threads.
"The truth is out", Now I can use that as an excuse for being so dense at times but I better watch out, there are a lot of smart females out there that may and could clobber me for saying that.
I will stick with using my senior age as an excuse.

Thank you ALL for your hard work in trying to help me.
I decided against using anything as the sound seems to be OK as is. I was just wondering if leaving one hanging would be a problem.
As long as it is only a bedroom TV and not my main one, I can manage 'til I can get a different TV that has the right connections.

I don't know if it is the DVR or a bum connection because after I hooked it up, there are 5 channels that lost their clear reception as it was before. I get thin wiggly lines bouncing about. One channel has that ghost like vertical band traveling sideways across the screen.
Hope it's not because the signal is passing through the DVR with the DVR tuner being at fault?
Funny the rest of the channels are not affected?

Thanks,
"Madam" Urlee :D

Hope too many of you didn't fall off your chairs? :D

Urlee et all

Now I'm really ghetting nervous...
I don't see the Pio 640 listed anywhere on Beach's website or on any of the price checker comparison web engines.
Going to call in a bit. Think I'll cancel and shop elsewhere.
Good luck with yours, Urlee.
tomttv
Now the reason you don't see it anywhere on Beach's website is probably because they are backorderd. When web stores run out of a product they take it off or let you know they are out of stock.
Beach Camera is up and running again with the price of $348.00.

Urlee

Amazon has it in stock for $329.99. I purchased it from them and it came properly packed with the bubble wrap. The only problem was the DVR box was upside down in the Amazon box. Of course there was no indication on the box to say "This side up" so this was a non-issue :) . Everything looks good, I am real glad that I went with this Pioneer unit.

I tried to post the url but can not, since this is only my first post here. Have to wait for 4 more posts till I can post a url. :(

>>Your Post contains one or more URLs or image calls, please remove them before submitting your message again. To prevent the abuse of spam, we have set this restriction in place until after you make 5 posts.

I don't know if it is the DVR or a bum connection because after I hooked it up, there are 5 channels that lost their clear reception as it was before. I get thin wiggly lines bouncing about. One channel has that ghost like vertical band traveling sideways across the screen.
Hope it's not because the signal is passing through the DVR with the DVR tuner being at fault?
Funny the rest of the channels are not affected?

Thanks,
"Madam" Urlee :D


I have a similar problem. I have used component video to connect the DVR to the TV. But even if the DVR is not on, sometimes I see these vertical bands on some of the channels. First I thought it's comcast problem but the other TVs had good reception for those channels.
Anyone else experience the same besides me and "Madam" Urlee?

I have a similar problem. I have used component video to connect the DVR to the TV. But even if the DVR is not on, sometimes I see these vertical bands on some of the channels. First I thought it's comcast problem but the other TVs had good reception for those channels.
Anyone else experience the same besides me and "Madam" Urlee?
Just a WAG, but using Component connections opens up all the current scan rates (480i, 480p, etc.), so maybe it has something to do with a progressive signal vs. interlaced (and what the TV is or expects), or just the rate (480 vs. 720 vs. 1080)...all parts of the system of DVDR and TV once you hook them together???

Just a WAG, but using Component connections opens up all the current scan rates (480i, 480p, etc.), so maybe it has something to do with a progressive signal vs. interlaced (and what the TV is or expects), or just the rate (480 vs. 720 vs. 1080)...all parts of the system of DVDR and TV once you hook them together???

My TV is a few years old Sony XBR and is interlaced. And that's what I have setup in the DVR. And what I forgot to mention in my earlier post is I have a splitter on the co-axial cable and the TV has a direct connect from the cable and another through DVR. But I have seen this problem even when I select the input on the TV to the direct cable connection. and that is weird. Of course this problem started after connecting the DVR but I can't seem to think what could be the reason.

I have a similar problem. I have used component video to connect the DVR to the TV. But even if the DVR is not on, sometimes I see these vertical bands on some of the channels. First I thought it's comcast problem but the other TVs had good reception for those channels.
Anyone else experience the same besides me and "Madam" Urlee?

Hi nikonjava,

I am happy to say my problem is solved.
I went to the cable company and got a short length of cable to replace that push on cable that came with the DVR to hook up the Out of the DVR to the In of the TV.

IMO, the wire that pokes out is toooooo short on that push on doohicky of a one!

As discussedHERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=766247) Hee hee. I did it.

"Madam" Urlee :)

My TV is a few years old Sony XBR and is interlaced. And that's what I have setup in the DVR. And what I forgot to mention in my earlier post is I have a splitter on the co-axial cable and the TV has a direct connect from the cable and another through DVR. But I have seen this problem even when I select the input on the TV to the direct cable connection. and that is weird. Of course this problem started after connecting the DVR but I can't seem to think what could be the reason.
Another WAG is "interference: from something in your system. Could be just a bad cable, loose cable connector, "cheap" or bad splitter, etc., or, as in my case, something in the outside cable line (mine had a feed-line component that was bad that only the cable co. could fix.)???

Make sure all your cables are good (by swapping) and the connectors are tight...use a small wrench to be sure...and that all the RF cables have a relatively long center (not short like Urlee's push-on cable)?

It does seem the splitter may be at fault since you notice the bad PQ with direct cable from splitter to TV. May be a bad splitter or a "cheap" one...make sure the outputs are marked with their -dB levels and each is ~3.7dB? Maybe get a better splitter?

Urlee et all Beach Camera Pio640 buyers:

After waiting for 10 days for fulfillment of my Pio 640 backorder, I decided to cancel. It took a while to contact Beach customer service by phone. I was uncomfortable with the info I was given on 12-14 about ship date so I cancelled the purchase. It was unclear to me that Beach would continue selling the Pio. I had no trouble cancelling the order or in general dealing with Beach Camera.

Meanwhile, later that very day, I was able to obtain a new Moto 3416 160GB dvr from my local Comcast office. I was told by Comcast customer service by phone that these units were not available anywhere in New England. My local office has been supplying/swapping these units routinely for some time (duh)!

Almost ordered from Amazon, but I was concerned about potential shipping problems this week before Christmas. I will hold off my Pio purchase until after the Holidays. I'm sure I'd be using the HDD more than the recorder. The Moto 3416 may solve most of my storage needs.

tom

Urlee et all Beach Camera Pio640 buyers:

After waiting for 10 days for fulfillment of my Pio 640 backorder, I decided to cancel. It took a while to contact Beach customer service by phone. I was uncomfortable with the info I was given on 12-14 about ship date so I cancelled the purchase. It was unclear to me that Beach would continue selling the Pio. I had no trouble cancelling the order or in general dealing with Beach Camera.
tom

Hi Tom,
Thanks for letting us know.
Sorry about what happened as I know you would have loved getting the 640 at this time.
So far my Beach 640 is working to my satisfaction. I haven't tried copying as I have been doing that on my primary Pio one.
Good luck when you do get one.

Urlee

Walmart has the Pio640 on their site for $399. Free shipping if you have it shipped to a store near you. Not the best price but it does include the 90 day return policy. This may be an approach for those that are not happy dealing with some of the online retailers.

Hi nikonjava,

I am happy to say my problem is solved.
I went to the cable company and got a short length of cable to replace that push on cable that came with the DVR to hook up the Out of the DVR to the In of the TV.

IMO, the wire that pokes out is toooooo short on that push on doohicky of a one!

Hee hee. I did it.

"Madam" Urlee :)

Hello "Madam" Urlee :)

Thanks for the reply. Glad it worked out for you by changing the cable. I am using the cable provided by my cable provider which is pretty long. I am going to try replacing a few and see if that changes anything, as suggested by wabjxo.

Another WAG is "interference: from something in your system. Could be just a bad cable, loose cable connector, "cheap" or bad splitter, etc., or, as in my case, something in the outside cable line (mine had a feed-line component that was bad that only the cable co. could fix.)???

Make sure all your cables are good (by swapping) and the connectors are tight...use a small wrench to be sure...and that all the RF cables have a relatively long center (not short like Urlee's push-on cable)?

It does seem the splitter may be at fault since you notice the bad PQ with direct cable from splitter to TV. May be a bad splitter or a "cheap" one...make sure the outputs are marked with their -dB levels and each is ~3.7dB? Maybe get a better splitter?

Thanks for the reply wabjxo. I will try your suggestion of swapping the cables.

I plan to try my first movie recording with Scarface on AMC tonight. :)

Walmart has the Pio640 on their site for $399. Free shipping if you have it shipped to a store near you. Not the best price but it does include the 90 day return policy. This may be an approach for those that are not happy dealing with some of the online retailers.

Walmart is also an authorized reseller, which all online resellers are not. Pioneer is real, real picky: Their warranty is only good if the item was purchased from an authorized reseller.

I now have working 640 from Beach. FedEx returned the 1st one and Beach sent out a 2nd. And only:
41 days after placing the order
39 days after the charge posting
31 days after receiving the broken one

My experience with Beach reminds me of eBay: buyer assumes all risks. It either goes perfectly or whatever deal you thought you were getting vanishes and you might even end up paying just to get back to having nothing.

In this case, FedEx stepped up because the 1st shipment had been damaged in transit. Since it's the shipper who files the claim, I'm out of the loop and don't know what terms FedEx and Beach came to.

One of those, If I had it to do over, I wouldn't.

My experience with Beach reminds me of eBay: buyer assumes all risks. It either goes perfectly or whatever deal you thought you were getting vanishes and you might even end up paying just to get back to having nothing.

In this case, FedEx stepped up because the 1st shipment had been damaged in transit. Since it's the shipper who files the claim, I'm out of the loop and don't know what terms FedEx and Beach came to.

One of those, If I had it to do over, I wouldn't.

Thanks so much for the post here.

I am inclined to blame both altho my Pio640 was delivered from Pioneer in it's own box and not inside another like the Beaches "peanutless" brown box with the DVR one inside that one.
I really blame FedEx as they are very careless with their packages. They just toss them and DROP them like the one driver did to my Gateway computer (Gateway written all over the box for them to see it is a computer). I saw it bounce down the steps of the van. I sent it back.

Urlee

[QUOTE=equivocal]I now have working 640 from Beach. FedEx returned the 1st one and Beach sent out a 2nd. And only:
41 days after placing the order
39 days after the charge posting
31 days after receiving the broken one

My experience with Beach reminds me of eBay: buyer assumes all risks. It either goes perfectly or whatever deal you thought you were getting vanishes and you might even end up paying just to get back to having nothing...
[QUOTE]

Well over a year ago I decided to stop by Beach Camera's store while driving between PA and home. It was an easy detour I intended to make anyway since I was going to drop off my JVC DR-10MS at the JVC service center (loading bug).

Beach Camera is in a small strip mall. It was late morning, but the door was locked. Seeing people (owners?/employees) inside, I knocked and someone unlocked the door and asked me what I wanted, in a less than friendly tone. I was taken back. I was dressed very presentably and had said, "Hello," with a smile when the door was opened.

When I said I had seen their ads for years, was in the area, and interested in a DVD recorder, he let me inside.

Other then the camera display counter and wall behind it, on the right when entering the store [door near this counter], the room was a jumbled mess of things, some in boxes, on the floor or in no particular order on tables. It was not well lighted and I had the feeling walk in traffic for anything other than cameras was rare and possibly, unwanted.

I told the man I was only interested in a HDD recorder, either Panasonic or Pioneer. He said their inventory was in their warehouse. Neither brand I had expressed interest in were in the store nor were any other HDD models. He did, however, give me a VERY hard sell for two different non-HDD models sitting on the floor (neither in boxes) and seemed annoyed when I tried to remain polite (and tactful) about only being interested in two brands that offered HDD units.

As a result of my brief stop and intermittant comments about buying experiences of others here, I now only mail order electronics from Vann's, J&R, or Amazon. I have received fast, flawless service from all three. My 520Hs were order from Good Guys, but CompUSA (which bought them) closed the stores. Orders there were fast and flawless, too.

=ngohit Beach Camera is in a small strip mall. It was late morning, but the door was locked. Seeing people (owners?/employees) inside, I knocked and someone unlocked the door and asked me what I wanted, in a less than friendly tone. I was taken back. The room was a jumbled mess of things, some in boxes, on the floor or in no particular order on tables. It was not well lighted and I had the feeling walk in traffic for anything other than cameras was rare and possibly, unwanted.
As a result of my brief stop and intermittant comments about buying experiences of others here, I now only mail order electronics from Vann's, J&R, or Amazon. I have received fast, flawless service from all three.

THANK you so much for the enlightenment.
One never knows what the store's appearance is when ordering in the blind from another state etc.
I detest messy sloppy stores. Oooof, had I known of this, I certainly would not have chosen such a store.

"Urlee, who is fussy".