[wajo]

Notes on Erroneous or Misleading National Reviews

I've seen some erroneous or misleading info lately written by national equipment reviewers. There are also MANY first-time user reviews that are horrendously inaccurate or dead-wrong! Here are just a few I've run across so far.

1. It has only 12 timer rec slots
   This is still being listed in many web sites, even Philips', and is a carryover from previous models. It really has 36 slots. Most other Philips/Magnavox models have 12 slots... one example of how different this new breed is!
   
2. It can't dub from DVD to HDD
   Huh? Is this a joke, or did the reviewer just try to rip off the Star Wars Trilogy? Either that or he didn't know the super-secret code words for copying finalized non-copy-protected DVD titles: "DIRECT DUBBING."
   
3. It doesn't have a cable-QAM tuner cuz it's not mentioned in specs or advertising
   Very few recorders, if any, mention that they have a QAM tuner for cable channels, prob. cuz cablecos don't want you to know some of their channels can be tuned by a standalone consumer recorder, i.e., one they can't make any money on. Also, the mfgrs know that cablecos control the QAM channels and may illegally scramble them all, which the DVDR mfgrs can't control but would surely be the first to be blamed. Here's a post that shows this DVDR does have a QAM tuner and may be the ONLY DVDR that's had its QAM tuner field-tested on a "135-lane QAM freeway!"
   
4. It can't record HDTV or pass HDTV thru its tuner
   No sh**, Sherlock!? It DOES pass HDTV thru its coax in/out loop, but this DVDR is and always has been an SDTV recorder...says so right on the box. Wherever did you get the idea that it could tune or record in native HDTV!? One reviewer spent several paragraphs bemoaning its non-HDTV capabilities! Oh, so sorry for being designed and built as an SDTV recorder, like ALL THE OTHERS IN NORTH AMERICA! You want to record in HDTV from OTA and cable TV to a standalone DVD unit you don't have to rent? MOVE TO JAPAN... and change your name to Sherlockanaka! A double
   
5. Playback wraps around when deleting the end of a title
   MANY new users post on an editing "problem" that's caused by NO EXPLANATION in the manual. It explains how to make a Scene Delete from the midst of a title (a Mid-Cut), like a commercial, but they ignore the more-difficult Front- and End-Cuts people also need to make. On both ends of a title, you have to move to the first frame using only REW and to the last frame using only FF or PLAY. You'll see the end-cut mentioned most often with people complaining that playback wraps around to the beginning of a title when trying to delete the end and there's "no way to get back to the end"... that playback is not needed for an End-Cut and should be ignored! Full procedures for all edits are here.
   
6. The remote is small and there aren't enough direct-entry buttons
   One reviewer, commenting on the remote, made the correct assessment that it and some of its buttons are a little small, but then went on to say it didn't have enough direct-entry buttons. OMG, I guess size IS deceiving... it has 47 buttons (2 on toggles)! My Pioneer 640 remote has 41 buttons (counting the center toggle as 4) and to get to the Timer Rec menu, the manual says: "Press HOME MENU, select Timer Recording, then Timer Recording." Huh? A sub-sub-sub menu for timer rec? At least my 3575 remote has a single, direct-entry button for that all-important DVDR function. I didn't realize how many direct-entry buttons this DVDR's remote had until I tried a Sony RM-VL600 universal remote people were touting. I couldn't find a LOGICAL or even CLOSELY NAMED button for 13 of the direct-entry buttons on my 3575's little remote! My wife refused to use it after I told her she'd have to press "Sleep" to see the Disc Menu! It just proves the old adage: "Size doesn't matter, it's what you can fit in the available space that counts!"
   
7. The Title button has a confusing name
   Well, uh, now I'm confused! What did he mean by "button"? Must have run out of writer/reviewers with recorder experience and called up a sub from their auto department!? I can hear it now: "Hey, Joe, I know you're still working on your Lexus review, but this little machine looks pretty simple. Just give it a try, OK? Besides, the Panasonic people tell me it's 'cheap Chinese junk' NOT Malaysia's finest like their machines, so it'll probably break while you're reviewing it!"
   
8. S-Video input doesn't work on FOUR units in a row... or maybe SIX... or is it TEN!?
   One user posted that the 3576 had "Bad Build Quality" cuz he had to return FOUR units (posted on CircuitCity.com)... or SIX units (Buzzillions.com)... or could it be TEN units TOTAL... due to an inoperative S-Video input! He did say the setup instructions were "confusing." I really have to doubt there would be any OTHER person out there who wouldn't start thinking, "Could it be ME!?" Just in case, be aware that the default E1/L1 (back) input is set for "Video In" (Composite Y/W/R), so if you connect S-Video to E1/L1 (or L2 on the 2160), you have to change the Setup > Video > Video Input menu to "S-Video In"!
   
9. Channel numbers have to be entered manually
   Well, here's another one of those that makes you laugh, then cry! This user said: "One issue is in selecting a DTV channel, the quick timeout value means that you have to quickly enter the number, which is very hard to do one handed. [Ed: What's your OTHER hand doing, huh!?] I am not sure of why they don't allow the use of the up/down left/right buttons when watching the TV, such as to select the channel. [Ed: Hmmm... OTHER hand... up/down... maybe just distracted!?] I suspect that they could have reduced the buttons if they had planned it better." More observant users will probably notice, right away, that it has a long, dedicated up/down rocker button with a "CH" between + and - symbols which should be obvious it has something to do with CHannels... like maybe scroll thru them up and down!? Oh, wait, I suppose some people COULD think the "CH" is for ordering "CHinese" food, but even then you'd think they'd just HAVE TO try the button and see what's on the menu?
   
10. "Copying is very slow, even at realtime"
    Need to think about this one for awhile? ... more than a millisecond?
    
11. No erase-all function
    "There is no erase-all and record to the same title functions, so you would have to manually marked each title for delete, very tedious. I believe it's made by a Chinese co with very rudimentary understanding of friendly user interface. Would not buy it, if I have known that it's just not up to snuff." Actually, there's an easy-access menu, SETUP > HDD Menu that has an option to "Delete All Titles." It's in English!
    
12. It will only project your digital reception in 4:3 ratio and it records in 4:3 ratio
    Yet another case of operator error: not reading the manual or searching for setup instructions like "If you have a widescreen TV: Select 16:9 Wide” in the procedure for setting TV Aspect. This is so good, I decided to include the entire review... I esp. like the ref. to not using "the new standard"... for what, incompetence!?
    "I did not see anywhere on the specs page for this item that the output is 4:3 ratio. If you enjoy using your wide-screen TV, do not purchase this product. It will only project your digital reception in 4:3 ratio and it records in 4:3 ratio. So much for modern technology! I don't understand why they would do this, knowing that the 4:3 TV's are thing of the past - you can't even purchase one today. If you don't mind watching tiny little screens - then go ahead. I have a new 46" wide screen TV and was very disappointed that they aren't using the new standard. My Panasonic DVD-RAM is apparently more sophisticated than Magnavox. I just thought it would be great to have a DVR. But not at the price of shrinking the screen. Back to the store it goes!"

There are so MANY "problem" reports that are understandable but frustrating newbie-operator-error, I had to stop reading them... the AVS servers are only so big! Even with these, aggregate user reviews are consistently 4 to 4-1/2 stars out of 5... PDG!

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