Now that my ES20 is toast, I am looking at the Toshiba D-R550 to replace it.

According to the spec sheet it does not write to dvd-ram.

However it does do chasing playback and will pause live tv with -RW and +RW, except in XP mode. I thought these features were only available with HDD and dvd-ram.

Am I going to be in for any bad surprises since it does not use dvd-ram?

Also, how is Toshiba's reliability with it's recorders. My ES20 lasted just 15 months :(

tia

I know you have a bad taste in your mouth from the untimely demise of the ES-20...but have you considered the ES-15? The ES-20 was on the market a short time before Panny fixed up a few problems and released the 15.

And...it's on sale at Big Lots for $99.99 .

Well that is something to consider, would have thought the 15 was an earlier model.

Thx, will check it out.

That confused a lot of people (including clerks I had to argue with at Best Buy!). There was the ES-10 (which I also have), then the ES-20, for a short time. Then the ES-15. The latest model is the EZ-17 which includes an ATSC tuner.

Now that my ES20 is toast, I am looking at the Toshiba D-R550 to replace it.

According to the spec sheet it does not write to dvd-ram.

However it does do chasing playback and will pause live tv with -RW and +RW, except in XP mode. I thought these features were only available with HDD and dvd-ram.

Am I going to be in for any bad surprises since it does not use dvd-ram?

Also, how is Toshiba's reliability with it's recorders. My ES20 lasted just 15 months :(

tia


The only reason the Panasonics do not allow those features on DVD-RW(VR mode) is because Panasonic wants to promote their own DVD-RAM format. Others such as Toshiba, Pioneer and Sony have been offering chase play and pausing live tv on DVD-RW in VR mode...

But I do not know how they compare performance-wise to -RAM with regards to Chase Play and Pausing Live Tv....

The only reason the Panasonics do not allow those features on DVD-RW(VR mode) is because Panasonic wants to promote their own DVD-RAM format. Others such as Toshiba, Pioneer and Sony have been offering chase play and pausing live tv on DVD-RW in VR mode...

I can't do chase play on DVD-RW on my Toshiba XS32.

I thought it was a disk write/read speed issue.

I can't do chase play on DVD-RW on my Toshiba XS32.

I thought it was a disk write/read speed issue.


I'm not familiar with all the models out there, so i dont know if every one of them support it... Some of them may offer it on recorders without a hard disk since the HDD can be used for chaseplay.

It would be interesting if someone with both -RAM-based and -RW-based dvd recorders could (or has) compared their Chase Play features to see if there are any performance or other issues. I would be interested to see for one :)