have searched and read a lot of threads.

couple of questions

EZ17K specific

1....i read where someone was having probs with it recording in Flex mode..it did not record a couple times and so forth..anyone else have that prob or was that human error? I like to set mine up to record in the flex mode and go do something else, counting on it to record..I don't want to get this machine if it can't be dependable to record when it is supposed to. Is it unreliable in that manner?

2. Image quality, is it really good?

3. Dual layer...is the transition from 1 layer to the other smooth or a slight hesitation?

EZ17K and others in general

1. I read several posts about something about it recording stuff and changing it from SD to letterbox and so forth....Why is that?

In my older pioneers and panny's...it records whatever comes thru the directtv box, i.e. if it is full screen/SD then they record it thus, if it is a movie that is 16:9 or letterbox, then they record it that way...don't change, stretch or anything. they record what you see on the tv, the way you see it format wise.

So will the EZ17K not do this as well? From the posts it seems technology has gotten more complex and now these recorders are interpolating and changing the aspect and stuff from what is aired, on their own...is this true? or is it a setting that these folks are using to make it do it?

So my main question is, is it not possible for this machine and other new ones to just record what is shown in the aspect it is shown without doing anything to it, like the older machines did? I just want it to record a move in the aspect that it is aired in, just like a simple vcr would, not change it from 4: to letterbox or vice versa. So Can't this recorder and the other ones be set to just plain record it that way...the way it is shown? I don't want to get a recorder that is going to try and change my picture from one aspect to the other....maybe I don't understand what was being said in the posts, but would appreciate help on this thing and advice. I don't need QAM(no idea what it is), or a tuner or any of that...just good IQ, good DL transition recording and record the movie as it is shown without messing it up with interpolations and so forth....Can this machine do this? and if so, could someone briefly explain what the posts were talking about on that aspect changing and stuff...kinda sounded like the machine was trying to read what was being broadcast and record some sort of aspect code that was sent or something....i would like to learn and understand it tho..thanks...t

1. That was me. Not human error. Actually, I could only timer record in FR mode when I first hooked it up. Setting clock set to manual and turning DST to off solved many of the quirks this recorder initially had. It has been rock solid, accurately reporting my timer setting and haven't missed a show since.

2. Image quality is excellent. Period.

3. Haven't tried my DLs yet but +Rs are supposed to transition w/o a pause. -Rs will pause for a few seconds (and not record those few seconds).

Lastly, I am still new to the digital TV revolution myself. Recording on a DVD-RAM is the only way to preserve the original aspect ratio of your recording on the Panny's. My experience with -R discs is I get a slight letterbox (compared the the 4:3 aspect signal on my cable box) but I noticed that on ABC I only get the H in HD at the lower right of the screen. I have been trying to record Hidden Palms on the CW with DVD-RAM to preserve it's widescreen aspect ratio. It seems to be working but I only have a 4:3 TV and it is playing it back in 4:3 mode rather than letterboxing the output. I believe that is correct however. All of my recording has been OTA on the digital tuner so I am not sure how that will work with your sat box setup.

thanks Homevideoguy..sounds great...

I won't be doing HD channels, nore using the tuner in place of the cable box....so maybe it will do fine on dvd-r's. I think as I read those posts last nite, that if like you they are using the tuner in the recorder instead of the set top box, then the OTA is sending a signal to it or the box, whichever is being used and telling it whether it is widescreen or 4:3 and the tuner is having to interpret that and same for the HD..but that is my inexperienced guess...where as if I record from the cable box the signal is there and the box has converted to whatever aspect it iis to bee and outputting it to the tv....because a tv would not be expected to convert the signal....so that may be the prob and may be fin\e for me if i record from the cable box out put, instead of using the tuner. I don't like to be tied to dvdram disks at all...i use dvd-r's.... or + for DL...so may go pick one up then.

Anyone else out there can confirm my deductions above? thanks...t
and thanks Home video guy