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Philips DVDR3455H/37

243K views 927 replies 182 participants last post by  mathist67 
#1 ·
Wal-Mart just recently got these in (for $298). Has anyone gotten one of these? Are they okay, pretty good, or lousy?


I'm considering getting one of these (in about 2-3 months), an wondered if anyone out there has any experience with this.
 
#5 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by byroan /forum/post/0


I bought one this past week and I love it. This is my first harddrive recorder. You can edit commercials for the TV shows you record and then burn them to a DVD disk.

So how do you like it so far? I've seen a bad review about it at videohelp.com

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorder...ist=1#comments


[cut]

This DVDR with HDD does everything it says, but the picture quality is worse than either of my VCRs. I'm taking it back to Walmart tomorrow. I read a post in this forum listing the problems with all brands of DVD recoders, and this is precisely the problem everyone else had.


I have a 36" Tv, I'm using the component RCA video cables (Pr/Pb/Y), and I'm recording in the HQ-highest quality mode. All this and the video is still grainier than my VCR recording in the 4 hour SP mode.


I pretty disapointed

[/cut]


Is the PQ that bad, are you using component outputs as well? Hmm...for that price you will be able to get upcoming PIO 540H (80gb drive though).


TIA,


cm
 
#7 ·
Dear Philips Corp.


I am writing this letter about one of your products that I purchased. The DVDR3455H/37. This product has some good features. However like many new products introduced into the market place. Some companies or not always in tune with just how people use their equipment. I have a few suggestions that I believe can be instituted through a firmware update. That will make your product a superior buy at it's price range.


1. A lot of people use such devices as a tuner. That way they can hook it up to a plain monitor or just listen to the audio from a program. Such as some cspan programing or televised concerts. When people are doing this they just need the tuner. So if you could put a software program in the DVDR that allows the time shift feature to be turn off completely. That way there is no wear and tear on the hard drive. A small warning message can be put on the screen at startup and on channel changes to alert the user in case they forget that it is off. Also the feature can be set to auto turn on if some one hits the record button.


2. Once the unit is turned on you lose the LED time display. Most people actually use their units as a clock. The time display should always show the time or you should at least have the option to turn on a permanent time display option. This would be an improvement in a couple of ways. 1st all channels today display their logo so you always know what channel you are watching. 2nd When watching a program, it is good to know how much time is remaining in a program especially if it is a really good one.


3. When you are watching a dvd you should have the choice of viewing the actual time of day or the running time of the dvd. You should be able to toggle this feature from a remote control unit. Also the time slip function is on when you are watching a dvd. There is no need for this feature. You can pause and rewind a dvd at any time. Why time slip while watching a dvd?? Again the option to turn off the hard drive unit is needed.


4. There needs to be a commercial skip button on your remote. This feature should allow you to time jump when viewing saved programs at a 15 or 30 second interval. You should be able to set the time jump interval from the setup menu.


I believe if you can add these features through a firmware update. You will have a truly superior product. But as this product model stands (DVDR3455H/37) . It can at best be given a poor rating on features. Simply because most of these features have been standard on VCR's for years and DVDR's are suppose to be an improvement. As it stands there is know way I can recommend this product to a friend or give it a good performance rating to members of a help forum which I am a moderator for. As I have stated you have a good base product. It is just that the fine tuning of software features were not well designed. With the above improvements which are mostly software in nature you can put your product at the top of heap for this type of dvdr at it's price.


I hope you consider the updates. Thanks for your time
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by soultravler /forum/post/0


Dear Philips Corp.


I am writing this letter about one of your products that I purchased. The DVDR3455H/37. This product has some good features. However like many new products introduced into the market place. Some companies or not always in tune with just how people use their equipment. I have a few suggestions that I believe can be instituted through a firmware update. That will make your product a superior buy at it's price range.


1. A lot of people use such devices as a tuner. That way they can hook it up to a plain monitor or just listen to the audio from a program. Such as some cspan programing or televised concerts. When people are doing this they just need the tuner. So if you could put a software program in the DVDR that allows the time shift feature to be turn off completely. That way there is no wear and tear on the hard drive. A small warning message can be put on the screen at startup and on channel changes to alert the user in case they forget that it is off. Also the feature can be set to auto turn on if some one hits the record button.


2. Once the unit is turned on you lose the LED time display. Most people actually use their units as a clock. The time display should always show the time or you should at least have the option to turn on a permanent time display option. This would be an improvement in a couple of ways. 1st all channels today display their logo so you always know what channel you are watching. 2nd When watching a program, it is good to know how much time is remaining in a program especially if it is a really good one.


3. When you are watching a dvd you should have the choice of viewing the actual time of day or the running time of the dvd. You should be able to toggle this feature from a remote control unit. Also the time slip function is on when you are watching a dvd. There is no need for this feature. You can pause and rewind a dvd at any time. Why time slip while watching a dvd?? Again the option to turn off the hard drive unit is needed.


4. There needs to be a commercial skip button on your remote. This feature should allow you to time jump when viewing saved programs at a 15 or 30 second interval. You should be able to set the time jump interval from the setup menu.


I believe if you can add these features through a firmware update. You will have a truly superior product. But as this product model stands (DVDR3455H/37) . It can at best be given a poor rating on features. Simply because most of these features have been standard on VCR's for years and DVDR's are suppose to be an improvement. As it stands there is know way I can recommend this product to a friend or give it a good performance rating to members of a help forum which I am a moderator for. As I have stated you have a good base product. It is just that the fine tuning of software features were not well designed. With the above improvements which are mostly software in nature you can put your product at the top of heap for this type of dvdr at it's price.


I hope you consider the updates. Thanks for your time

Good post
. BTW.... how is PQ? Are there any features you like so far? I've heared from someone that is pretty good. I should be getting my unit anyday... can't wait.
 
#11 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by caveman_17 /forum/post/0


I have a 36" Tv, I'm using the component RCA video cables (Pr/Pb/Y), and I'm recording in the HQ-highest quality mode. All this and the video is still grainier than my VCR recording in the 4 hour SP mode.
Quote:
Originally Posted by byroan /forum/post/0


I'm using component cables with a 120" projector screen and the quality looks great. I'm not even recording in the highest quality mode, I'm using SEP. The worst quality there is.

Grainy on 36" TV at HQ quality, but "looks great" on 120" projector screen at SEP!?


Will the real truth please be told...or did they reverse the quality settings on this unit???
 
#12 ·
This unit offers a lot of recording and playback options. It is possible the people with poor picture quality did not get settings right. Software options are the weak point of this machine. It offers a lot but does not tie it together well.


Record options are HQ, SP, SPP, LP, EP, SLP, SEP

Play back through Rf, video inputs, S video, and compent video

You have a progressive scan playback if your tv supports it.

You can playback in NTSC or PAL

Picture shape can be played back in 4:3 LB, 4:3 PS, 16:9 WS


These are just the playback options. So with poor software menus. If you are not sure what you are doing you can easily end up with poor picture quality.
 
#13 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by wabjxo /forum/post/0


Grainy on 36" TV at HQ quality, but "looks great" on 120" projector screen at SEP!?


Will the real truth please be told...or did they reverse the quality settings on this unit???

Just to get this straight it wasn't me with 36" TV, I just copy/pasted this from videohelp forum. Like I said before I'll be getting my unit any day now, after I'll post a mini review with my findings. Btw I also have 36" tv (sony 36hs420) so I guess my picture won't be so good
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by soultravler /forum/post/0


This unit offers a lot of recording and playback options. It is possible the people with poor picture quality did not get settings right. Software options are the weak point of this machine. It offers a lot but does not tie it together well.


Record options are HQ, SP, SPP, LP, EP, SLP, SEP

Play back through Rf, video inputs, S video, and compent video

You have a progressive scan playback if your tv supports it.

You can playback in NTSC or PAL

Picture shape can be played back in 4:3 LB, 4:3 PS, 16:9 WS


These are just the playback options. So with poor software menus. If you are not sure what you are doing you can easily end up with poor picture quality.

Sorry to say, but it looks like you are very disapointed with this unit. You bought an entry level 'Civic' and you are expecting a perfmormace of fully loaded 'Accord'
If you wanted a better/more friendly gui you should of bought Panny or Pio dvr recorders. The buttom line is you get what you pay for. My max was $300, and the choice was either Polaroid 2001G or this Philips, I went with this Philips since I was able to buy it for $240 off ebay ($300 at walmart), where Polaroid goes for $220 at walmart. The way I think about it is that the $150 I save today, I can add to my future dvr that I'll buy in 2-3 years from now. (hd-dvd and blue ray who ever wins). My self I knew exactly how the menus look like before I've made a purchase, so I don't expect too much. Most of the options you've listed, you set it once and you don't change them again. I guess some people complain the menus are too simple.... and some say that everything is too complicated.....i.e. Toshiba dvrs. Nothing personal, but if you don't like the unit, return it back, add few $$$ and get your self Panny or Pio. I bet $$$ they will have some flaws too ( you cannot make everybody happy), there is no such thing as perfect
Look what happened to Pio's EPG problem in last years models.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobkart /forum/post/0


Change what?

Region code, so you can play i.e. European DVDs on the unit. By default most of the units sold in NA are set to region 1, some of them can play Multi-Region dvd by changing the region to 0. This can be done i.e. via dvd menus by typing a 'special' numbers.


Robocardo, I'm waiting for my unit to arrive, as soon as a find out how to do it I'll post it in this forum (if it is allowed) or I can pm you if it is not. Please do the same
 
#18 ·
Yes I know about Region Codes. They are associated with players, recorders, and discs themselves. He did not specify which of those he wanted to change the Region Code of. Hence my question. I guess since this Topic is about a recorder, I could have assumed that's what he wanted to change the Region Code of. But he may have been asking about changing the Region Code of a disc (it wouldn't be the first such question), in which case I could have helped him.
 
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobkart /forum/post/0


Yes I know about Region Codes. They are associated with players, recorders, and discs themselves. He did not specify which of those he wanted to change the Region Code of. Hence my question. I guess since this Topic is about a recorder, I could have assumed that's what he wanted to change the Region Code of. But he may have been asking about changing the Region Code of a disc (it wouldn't be the first such question), in which case I could have helped him.

good point
, I've assumed he was asking about changing region code from 1 to 0 on his philips dvr.
 
#22 ·
soultraveler,


I have had a chance to read the manual and I now understand your issues regarding the time shift buffer. It writes to the HDD continuously whenever the unit is not off or in standby mode, apparently even, as you say, when you are viewing a DVD! You are concerned about wear and tear on the HDD. While I understand your concern, I think you don't need to worry so much about it since the HDD is continuously spinning anyway, regardless of whether the HDD is being read from or written to anyway. Since the read/write head does not physically contact the disc, there should not be any significant wear and tear issues related to the time shift buffer. So I wouldn't worry that much about it. But I agree with you that writing to the time shift buffer should be a user selectable option.


I find your comment regarding the time shift buffer being active even when viewing a DVD interesting. Does this mean that the DVD contents are being recorded to the buffer or the selected tuner channel? If the contents of the DVD is being recorded, then is this true even of copy protected, commercial DVDs? Just curious. Take care. And once again, let us know if Philips responds.


Vic
 
#23 ·
I should let some people know I am an old hand at burning dvd's from the computer.


But back to the Philips dvr. I actually had the machine home for a week before I decided to set it up because of what I was reading in the manual. But I set it up anyway. Mainly, because from a hardware stand point. For $300 this machine has it all. It is just when it came to programing all this hardware, they just got lost. It happens. They could have a new team of people doing dvdr software. Who are somewhat clueless about how these things should really work.


For example when you are watching a dvd. If you stop the dvd turn off the machine. Guess what it does not pickup where you stopped the dvd. Even the $29 dvd players give you the option of resume play or should I say to pick up where you left off. It are these little things that show that they have new people writing their software. I am confident that a firmware update will come soon to fix many of these little problems. And if they don't, I am sure there are hackers who can fix most of them. If you saw the miracles they performed on the first of the Apex dvd players you know what I mean.


A bit of advice from someone who has many edit dvd's. I would not waste my time with the editing software on this machine. Just get yourself some dvdrw disc. Record the shows to them. Get an oem version of nero. Use nerovision express to edit the the material and to make the chapters and menus. Then burn it to a 4.7 or dl. That way you know you will have a disc that will play just about anywhere.


If you by chance have a lot of dvd movies that you have copied for whatever reason. This machine does not play dvd's that have been compressed very well. It will freeze up on you eventually. Like a 8.5 movie put on a 4.7 using any number of software programs. It will however play dl copied disc with no problems at all.


Once again for the record. Hardware wise this machine for the money is unbeatable. Software wise it needs a lot help. But the great thing is that it can be made much better. And I am confident that Philips will get it there. Simply because it will be the best piece equipment on the market hands down.
 
#24 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by soultravler /forum/post/0


I should let some people know I am an old hand at burning dvd's from the computer.


But back to the Philips dvr. I actually had the machine home for a week before I decided to set it up because of what I was reading in the manual. But I set it up anyway. Mainly, because from a hardware stand point. For $300 this machine has it all. It is just when it came to programing all this hardware, they just got lost. It happens. They could have a new team of people doing dvdr software. Who are somewhat clueless about how these things should really work.


For example when you are watching a dvd. If you stop the dvd turn off the machine. Guess what it does not pickup where you stopped the dvd. Even the $29 dvd players give you the option of resume play or should I say to pick up where you left off. It are these little things that show that they have new people writing their software. I am confident that a firmware update will come soon to fix many of these little problems. And if they don't, I am sure there are hackers who can fix most of them. If you saw the miracles they performed on the first of the Apex dvd players you know what I mean.


A bit of advice from someone who has many edit dvd's. I would not waste my time with the editing software on this machine. Just get yourself some dvdrw disc. Record the shows to them. Get an oem version of nero. Use nerovision express to edit the the material and to make the chapters and menus. Then burn it to a 4.7 or dl. That way you know you will have a disc that will play just about anywhere.


If you by chance have a lot of dvd movies that you have copied for whatever reason. This machine does not play dvd's that have been compressed very well. It will freeze up on you eventually. Like a 8.5 movie put on a 4.7 using any number of software programs. It will however play dl copied disc with no problems at all.


Once again for the record. Hardware wise this machine for the money is unbeatable. Software wise it needs a lot help. But the great thing is that it can be made much better. And I am confident that Philips will get it there. Simply because it will be the best piece equipment on the market hands down.

Thanks for your insides, I have few 'compressed' movies myself so I'll report my findings about that once I get my unit, I don't really care, because I have 2 additional dvd players hookeup to my TV and I woudn't use Philips unit to play dvd, perhaps divx movie once in while. Did you try different kind of dvd media? However I hope they will improve menus. Other than weak GUI, do you like the unit, PQ and other features?
 
#25 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by caveman_17 /forum/post/0


good point
, I've assumed he was asking about changing region code from 1 to 0 on his philips dvr.

Yes. you are right.

I apologize with this forum if my question is not legal. I bought this great DVR that works fine, but i live in Argentina, so our Region code is 4. I need to change it. On the past, i did it with other models like DVP642/37 and DVP5100/37. But i can't find any references of this model.


Ricardo
 
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