Siobhan S.
09-30-07, 12:15 PM
I am somewhat relatively new to the dvd-recoder/vcr combo world, having purchased an SV2000 WV20V6 from Walmart at the end of December 2006. A family member was able to talk the manager into a lower price so I only paid about $50 total. The machine worked perfectly fine for my needs, such as dubbing VHS to DVD, recording to DVD from an external VCR/DVD player/8mm camcorder (plugged in via A/V jacks), and recording movies and tv shows from my cable provider, which is a small local company -- nothing fancy or hi-tech, here, folks. Just your basic cable that runs through the wall and you plug it into your machine. (No HDtv, which is fine with me.) However, in July the VCR started shut itself off after a tape would rewind, and progressively became worse to the point that if I tried to power on the machine in VCR mode the entire unit would power off. If that wasn't bad enough, the DVD recorder began to do the same thing on September 12th (2007)! I was transferring a tape to DVD using an external VCR (my tried-and-true Panasonic from 1998!) and the DVD recorder shut itself off just about 70 minutes into my transfer!
Dealing with Funai is no easy task, as they seem to hand the phone around a lot and everyone promises a different time frame for repairs, not to mention just simply setting up a scheduled one-time pickup appointment with UPS! Our local UPS driver has said that once the order is sent, he would have it by the next day. Funai has told at least 2 different time frames, and one person even said that the order had been sent -- but it was NOT! Now they say the order won't be sent until at least October 4th, but we shall see, I suppose! (I am also currently looking into a local repair center which covers Funai machines to see if they can get the job done instead...)
That said, even though the SV2000 WV20V6 really did suit my recording and playing needs. I'm not particularly tech-savvy these days, and I am generally lost when it comes to all of this new HD stuff -- which I basically do not need anyway. I just want my basics, and the SV2000 WV20V6 provided this while it was functioning. The HQ (1 hour) recording mode was flawless, as was the SP (2 hours) recording mode. Even the SPP (2.5 hours) had a good picture, with barely any pixels visible. (ALSO a nice plus was that it automatically recorded in +VR mode, allowing for those extra few seconds or minutes if a program/tape ran a bit longer.) My only complaint with the machine, honestly, is that it died on me before I could transfer my entire catalogue of irreplaceable vhs tapes! :(
Desperate to find a new machine, I researched several different brands and was basically at my wit's end because it seems that mostly everything is geared towards today's HDTV needs. (As I've said, I don't have HDTV and will not be getting it any time soon, as my cable company is set up so that I won't need to switch to be compliant in 2009.) I really leaned towards Panasonic, as I have had wonderful experiences with them. As I said, I have a Panasonic VCR from 1998 and it still works like brand new. I also have a Panasonic portable CD player from 1994, which I have accidentally dropped on the floor about 3 times, and other than a small wiring glitch that seems to have been affected (the CD player will shut itself off if it is bumped or jarred, but this ONLY started to happen after I dropped it)....it plays FANTASTICALLY. Panasonic, by far, has THE best sound to my ears. And this summer I purchased a Panasonic mini stereo system which sounds identical to a friend's hugely expensive (and bulky) Pioneer stereo system.
However, due to conflicting reviews of Panasonic DVD-Recorders/VCR combos, and my LACK of need for HDTV compatibility, I veered away from a brand I've always trusted....and instead, just purchased a SONY RDR-VX521. And I believe that it was a bad idea!
My complaints with SONY RDR-VX521 are as follows:
The HQ (1 hour) recording mode on the DVD recorder showed a tiny bit of pixelation
The HSP (1.5 hours) recording mode on the DVD recorder showed more pixelation, especially when scenes would change. (Quite frankly, it struck me as horrid quality compared to the SV2000 WV20V6 which is not even supposed to be as good as Sony!)
The SP (2 hours) recording mode on the DVD recorder actually looked a slight bit clearer than the HSP (1.5 hours) recording mode, which made NO sense to me whatsoever since more hours = less quality. (At least, that's what I've gathered!) However, it was still inferior to the picture quality of the SV2000 WV20V6's SP (2 hours + 5 min) recording mode!
The SPP (2.5 hours) recording mode on the DVD recorder was not good at all. Plenty of distracting pixelation.
The rest of the DVD recording modes are USELESS to mention because the longer the recording, the worse the picture quality is! It's crap, really.
This machine will NOT record off HBO! I got a 'copy protected' message when I tried to test how recording would be on a channel which comes in with a crisp picture.
Sound quality is NOT good! I had to turn the volume up so high to hear anything I played on it. Also, the treble seems to overkill the bass. I even adjusted my tv's bass (I put it on maximum) and I still could barely hear it! This is unacceptable since I have a large amount of rock music videos/concerts dvds which I play more often than movies, and I like to be able to hear a deep bass. (My hearing is not the problem, by the way -- in fact, I have excellent hearing and notice things a lot of people don't!) This is just another way in which this SONY is INFERIOR to the SV2000 WV20V6 (which played my dvds with excellent sound quality!).
I have an analog Sanyo 27" flat screen tv so a 'crystal clear picture' (of Hi-Def quality) is never a 'given', but this was just HORRIBLE quality considering that the cheap-o SV2000 WV20V6 did not present these issues in HQ (1 hour 5 minutes), SP (2 hours 5 minutes), and SPP (2 hours 35 minutes) recording modes!
I have also read a an almost identical complaint in another thread regarding this SONY's sound quality (as well as picture quality!), so apparently I am not the only one who thinks this machine is not too great. At least not as great as it could be!
Needless to say, the SONY RDR-VX521 is being promptly returned because to me, it is not worth the $245.85 it took to get it to my doorstep with poor recording quality and sound quality!! :mad:
Now I believe I should have gone with a Panasonic DVD-Recorder/VCR combo in the first place, and would like to purchase one that is right for my needs -- not for the HDTV world. But I am lost as to which model is best for me!
Does anyone have any advice on which model I should get?
Here is what I am looking for in a machine:
Built-in ATSC tuner
4-head Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
DVD Recorder which records GREAT picture quality up to LP mode (minimal if not total lack of pixelation would be nice!)
DVD Recorder (and VCR?) which will record from channels such as HBO (in other words, I would like it to lack that pesky 'copy protection' thing that the Sony seems to have!)
DVD Recorder which plays AND records on +R/+RW discs! (My SV2000 WV20V6 did both, and I've heard that the quality of +R/+RW is better to the -R/-RW discs, anyway!)
Has S-video inputs/outputs as well as A/V inputs/outputs -- in STEREO! (the Sony RDR-VX521 had a MONO A/V jacks in front -- I have no idea what the back was, but it came in in stereo when I plugged an external dvd player in...however, my stereo jacks suddenly went 'mono' during a recording, which I NEVER had happen with my SV2000 WV20V6! I had to replace the A/V wires with another stereo pair to get back the stereo sound.)
I suppose basically, in short, I am looking for a Panasonic DVD-Recorder/VCR combo which has great sound, great picture quality (in recording modes up to LP), an ATSC tuner, doesn't need all the bells & whistles of HD/digital compatibility, and plays & records on +R/+RW discs!
Can anyone help me, please? Any suggestions? This new hi-tech/hi-def world is going to drive me crazy with confusion when I don't need even half of the stuff they're putting in these machines nowadays.
I will be forever grateful to anyone who can offer some advice for me. Thank you in advance!! :)
Dealing with Funai is no easy task, as they seem to hand the phone around a lot and everyone promises a different time frame for repairs, not to mention just simply setting up a scheduled one-time pickup appointment with UPS! Our local UPS driver has said that once the order is sent, he would have it by the next day. Funai has told at least 2 different time frames, and one person even said that the order had been sent -- but it was NOT! Now they say the order won't be sent until at least October 4th, but we shall see, I suppose! (I am also currently looking into a local repair center which covers Funai machines to see if they can get the job done instead...)
That said, even though the SV2000 WV20V6 really did suit my recording and playing needs. I'm not particularly tech-savvy these days, and I am generally lost when it comes to all of this new HD stuff -- which I basically do not need anyway. I just want my basics, and the SV2000 WV20V6 provided this while it was functioning. The HQ (1 hour) recording mode was flawless, as was the SP (2 hours) recording mode. Even the SPP (2.5 hours) had a good picture, with barely any pixels visible. (ALSO a nice plus was that it automatically recorded in +VR mode, allowing for those extra few seconds or minutes if a program/tape ran a bit longer.) My only complaint with the machine, honestly, is that it died on me before I could transfer my entire catalogue of irreplaceable vhs tapes! :(
Desperate to find a new machine, I researched several different brands and was basically at my wit's end because it seems that mostly everything is geared towards today's HDTV needs. (As I've said, I don't have HDTV and will not be getting it any time soon, as my cable company is set up so that I won't need to switch to be compliant in 2009.) I really leaned towards Panasonic, as I have had wonderful experiences with them. As I said, I have a Panasonic VCR from 1998 and it still works like brand new. I also have a Panasonic portable CD player from 1994, which I have accidentally dropped on the floor about 3 times, and other than a small wiring glitch that seems to have been affected (the CD player will shut itself off if it is bumped or jarred, but this ONLY started to happen after I dropped it)....it plays FANTASTICALLY. Panasonic, by far, has THE best sound to my ears. And this summer I purchased a Panasonic mini stereo system which sounds identical to a friend's hugely expensive (and bulky) Pioneer stereo system.
However, due to conflicting reviews of Panasonic DVD-Recorders/VCR combos, and my LACK of need for HDTV compatibility, I veered away from a brand I've always trusted....and instead, just purchased a SONY RDR-VX521. And I believe that it was a bad idea!
My complaints with SONY RDR-VX521 are as follows:
The HQ (1 hour) recording mode on the DVD recorder showed a tiny bit of pixelation
The HSP (1.5 hours) recording mode on the DVD recorder showed more pixelation, especially when scenes would change. (Quite frankly, it struck me as horrid quality compared to the SV2000 WV20V6 which is not even supposed to be as good as Sony!)
The SP (2 hours) recording mode on the DVD recorder actually looked a slight bit clearer than the HSP (1.5 hours) recording mode, which made NO sense to me whatsoever since more hours = less quality. (At least, that's what I've gathered!) However, it was still inferior to the picture quality of the SV2000 WV20V6's SP (2 hours + 5 min) recording mode!
The SPP (2.5 hours) recording mode on the DVD recorder was not good at all. Plenty of distracting pixelation.
The rest of the DVD recording modes are USELESS to mention because the longer the recording, the worse the picture quality is! It's crap, really.
This machine will NOT record off HBO! I got a 'copy protected' message when I tried to test how recording would be on a channel which comes in with a crisp picture.
Sound quality is NOT good! I had to turn the volume up so high to hear anything I played on it. Also, the treble seems to overkill the bass. I even adjusted my tv's bass (I put it on maximum) and I still could barely hear it! This is unacceptable since I have a large amount of rock music videos/concerts dvds which I play more often than movies, and I like to be able to hear a deep bass. (My hearing is not the problem, by the way -- in fact, I have excellent hearing and notice things a lot of people don't!) This is just another way in which this SONY is INFERIOR to the SV2000 WV20V6 (which played my dvds with excellent sound quality!).
I have an analog Sanyo 27" flat screen tv so a 'crystal clear picture' (of Hi-Def quality) is never a 'given', but this was just HORRIBLE quality considering that the cheap-o SV2000 WV20V6 did not present these issues in HQ (1 hour 5 minutes), SP (2 hours 5 minutes), and SPP (2 hours 35 minutes) recording modes!
I have also read a an almost identical complaint in another thread regarding this SONY's sound quality (as well as picture quality!), so apparently I am not the only one who thinks this machine is not too great. At least not as great as it could be!
Needless to say, the SONY RDR-VX521 is being promptly returned because to me, it is not worth the $245.85 it took to get it to my doorstep with poor recording quality and sound quality!! :mad:
Now I believe I should have gone with a Panasonic DVD-Recorder/VCR combo in the first place, and would like to purchase one that is right for my needs -- not for the HDTV world. But I am lost as to which model is best for me!
Does anyone have any advice on which model I should get?
Here is what I am looking for in a machine:
Built-in ATSC tuner
4-head Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
DVD Recorder which records GREAT picture quality up to LP mode (minimal if not total lack of pixelation would be nice!)
DVD Recorder (and VCR?) which will record from channels such as HBO (in other words, I would like it to lack that pesky 'copy protection' thing that the Sony seems to have!)
DVD Recorder which plays AND records on +R/+RW discs! (My SV2000 WV20V6 did both, and I've heard that the quality of +R/+RW is better to the -R/-RW discs, anyway!)
Has S-video inputs/outputs as well as A/V inputs/outputs -- in STEREO! (the Sony RDR-VX521 had a MONO A/V jacks in front -- I have no idea what the back was, but it came in in stereo when I plugged an external dvd player in...however, my stereo jacks suddenly went 'mono' during a recording, which I NEVER had happen with my SV2000 WV20V6! I had to replace the A/V wires with another stereo pair to get back the stereo sound.)
I suppose basically, in short, I am looking for a Panasonic DVD-Recorder/VCR combo which has great sound, great picture quality (in recording modes up to LP), an ATSC tuner, doesn't need all the bells & whistles of HD/digital compatibility, and plays & records on +R/+RW discs!
Can anyone help me, please? Any suggestions? This new hi-tech/hi-def world is going to drive me crazy with confusion when I don't need even half of the stuff they're putting in these machines nowadays.
I will be forever grateful to anyone who can offer some advice for me. Thank you in advance!! :)