Toshiba DVR20KB

That European model is probably a genuine Toshiba instead of the Funai-built Toshiba models we're familiar with in North America.

In another thread I wrote:

"It's interesting to read Toshiba Owner's Manuals from the days when Toshiba built their own recorders. These read like internal engineering reports addressing design theory and/or position papers justifying design criteria. While these 'owner's manuals' are heavy on technology they only hint at how to actually operate Toshiba recorders.

As genuine Toshiba recorders were cleared out of Toshiba warehouses... and the warehouses started filling up with Funai-built recorders the owner's manuals took on the same practical look and feel as those supplied with all the other Funai-built recorders, well organized and an easy read..."

That must be what you're up against with your owner's manual.

Hi,

What you need to due is get your VHS tape in the right place then 'play' then 'pause'. The select the 'Dubbing' button the remote control. The DVD will auto start recording and playing the VHS!
Hope that helps!

Bob

...... " with Funai-built recorders the owner's manuals took on the same practical look and feel as those supplied with all the other Funai-built recorders, well organized and an easy read..."

How can I get hold of a Funai Owners Manaul for the Toshiba DVR20KB?

I find that the Toshiba manual is impossible to use.

Sometimes I can record to tape and sometimes it doesn't record or it may record but i cannot see the result. And as for DVD recording that is a total mystery. I've sat down and studied the Toshiba manual and I'm lost

Cheers

Steve

Um.... If the DVR20KB is a Toshiba that really is made by Toshiba....there won't be a Funai manual for it. Funai is a Japanese(?)/Chinese company that makes DVD players, DVD recorders, and DVD+VHS units mostly for other companies to sell under those companies' brand names. So, for instance, the "Magnavox" DVD recorder that takes up the huge thread at the top of this forum is sold in the U.S. under that name because people are familiar with it. But the machine itself is made by Funai, and some folks have developed a pretty good knack for recognizing the look and feel of Funai-sourced owner manuals even when they have another brand name on the cover. None of which helps you with your question, I know.....

What types of tapes are you trying to copy? Ones you recorded on this machine off the air or from a cable box? Or commercial tapes? Most (many? a lot of?) commercial tapes have Macrovision copy protection, so if you try to record them to a DVD, circuitry inside the DVD recorder will recognize the Macrovision and shut down the recording process. When you say that sometimes you can record and sometimes no, maybe that's what you're running into.

Funai is a Japanese company.

Edited by wajo - 1/15/13 at 5:42am

Given that the DVR20KB appears to be Funai-mfr'd Toshiba, you already have the Funai manual.

Double check this link to Toshiba's download page for the manual: is this what you have? Then there is no alternative instruction manual that is any simpler to understand.

Funai manuals are absolute gibberish riddled with errors and confusion, just like every other manual from any other mfr for any other electronics items. Funai manuals are no less incomprehensible than other mfrs: DigaDo saying the old manuals for old pre-Funai "genuine" Toshibas were much worse is quite true, but doesn't make the Funai manuals any easier. Funai hasn't radically changed the design or operation of its recorders in years: all you need to do is look for threads here on AVS that cover how to use similar models like the Toshiba DVR620, DVR660, or Magnavox ZV427MG9. You can also get good tips and tricks from Amazon reviews: I've seen where several bad reviews are answered by people giving simplified operation tips in their rebuttal comments.


I can't imagine who would care other than Funai's board of directors. Funai is about as "Japanese" as Nikon, Canon, Sony or Panasonic these days: they all blow most of their product out of Chinese factories. The only product Japanese brands still make in Japan is ultra high-end gear like the lenses Fuji makes for Hasselblad. Pretty much everything priced under $2000 comes out of China or Thailand. It doesn't matter.

I seem to have misunderstood the Funai quote I put in my thread. I thought that Funai were making Toshiba recorders and had produced there own manual for them - so it's par for the course in manual land.

I am not tryinfg to copy vid to DVD. The problem (mine that is) is more fundamental - trying to record from telly to video. There seems to be a subtle sequence needed when trying to record and my senior moments are not quick enough to take it on board. Therefore, sometimes I am succesful in making a recording and at other times not. It is so infuriating.

I think I have cracked the problem and voila! It doesn't work. ;-(

The connections are fine I haven't changed them through my various attempts to record and not record.

Tonight I managed to make three succesful recordings snippets, and you know what, I'm still not sound on the pracess. it has something to do with when I press AV1 > OK

I need someone to video my attempts

Thanks for your insights folks and i shall look at the various thread as mentioned above

I'll keep you posted as to my success or lack of it

It is a pity that the old adage is not followed by manuals writers

Write it - give it to your granma/grandad and if they can successfully follow the instructions - then It works

Or in educational terms: Write the manual as an instruction set and start every instruction with an active verb - The manual boffins have PHds up to there armpits but a total lack of practical commonsense.

But enough. Cheers and thanks again

There are very few tellies that have outputs allowing one to "record from telly to video."

The usual practise is to record from an aerial or another signal source, a tuning device of some sort, that is connected to recorder inputs. That's where the recorder's Input Selector, AV1, AV2 & etc., comes in. In order to record you must select the appropriate input as the signal source. If the appropriate signal source is not selected you'll get recordings of ... nothing.

What is a telly? A Satellite Top Box?

That would be telly-vision or TV for short.
I believe it is a British variant.

Excellent! Thanks a lot!

before pressing rec u have to press dubbing