XS34 owners....

you can try but I think it is a large file.RDXS34_operation.pdf

Link doesn't work

Anyone know if this unit is black or silver or both? What about s-video inputs - again different numbers on these vendors site?

Vanns

ecost

Which is correct? I would really prefer a black unit, but I also want a unit with 2 s-video inputs on the rear.

As mentioned in the other thread, the manual can be found online at hideflifestyle(.com). For some reason, the link won't display properly, but just look up the XS-34 at that site and there is a PDF file of the manual.

I ordered mine from ecost and it was silver, so don't know about black. (haven't seen one except the picture on their site which might not be accurate)

Rest assured, there are 2 sets of inputs on the back and 1 at the front contrary to the brochure that's been circulating the past couple months. They don't include S-video cable in the accessories though! How cheap is that?

Also, I've gotten confirmation from Toshiba and verified between my unit and a demo at a retail store that the cooling fan stays on all the time, even when the machine is turned off.

Something else wacky is I missed a couple timed recordings because the machine switched on at the scheduled time but didn't record the program!

How loud does that make this unit?

I don't know of any DVD recorder manufacturer that has ever supplied an S-Video cable as part of the accessory pack.

I'm more annoyed that in non HDD-based models, a cooling fan has now become a thing of the past. Also: the new Pioneer 233 now only offers 1 set of S-video inputs (down from 3 on previous models).

About as loud as a quite PC. It just doesn't make sense to me to have the damn thing on 24/7! Owners of the older XS32 say that their fans stop once they turn it off. I hope the fan has ball bearing but the fan will die regardless at this rate.

shawbros, did you set the recordings up using the TV Guide feature or did you program them manually? Have you figured out what caused this problem? I'm thinking of buying this unit and this is an important feature for me, so I'll likely not buy it if this is a common problem.

This also explains why the RD-XS34 still consumes 17W of power at standby, which is rather high. Most DVD players these days consume less than 15W of power in operation. So this recorder is basically in a power-save mode when turned off, and I wonder if it has a quicker start similar to the Panasonic DMR-ES10 and EH50 models?

I spoke with a Toshiba rep today and asked about the cooling fan in the unit. He explained that is was designed to keep the hard drive cool, just like in my computer. When I told him that my fan turns off when I shut down my computer, he said, "Yeah, that's true". He also said that the fans in the xs32 and xs52 also ran 24/7, but others in the forum are disputing this. What gives?

I was about to jump on the xs34 but can't imagine having the fan run all day. Can anyone offer an educated opinion about the possible lifespan of a fan that never shuts off? I hate the idea of plunking down $400 just to have to have the unit serviced every 6 months to replace a fan motor.

A few unrelated questions:

1. Any idea if the Pioneer 533 will have the DV connection for direct digital-to-digital copying from digital camcorders?

2. Any recommendations on how to find a bargain on a Pioneer given the restrictions on warranty coverage when purchased from retailer/etailers who are non-authorized.

3. Does a TV Guide/EPG preclude the user from manually setting recording parameters like we do with the old VCR?

4. Finally, what advantages does RAM recording capability offer? Is it easier to move a RAM disc to another machine for viewing without having to deal with finalizing discs which I believe is required with -RW discs?

Thanks for your time and all the great info.

It's been confirmed by jmscott42 and EPlay that the fan on the XS32 stops when the unit is switched off on this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...19#post5647119


Interchangability is actually more of a pain w/RAM 'cause very few DVD players or PC drives will read it. As for not finalizing, I think +RW doesn't require finalizing but I could be wrong...


I've only had it for about a week but haven't figured out a pattern or cause. It happened on both manual and TV guide programs. Even weirder is the unit does turn on at the scheduled time but does nothing and if I try to switch it off it says it can't 'cause a recording is about to start! Makes no sense at all! And get this--I was transferring stuff from the HD to a disc when part way thru a scheduled recording kicked in without interrupting the transfer. So even that works properly but for some strange reason some just don't get recorded! Damn, I'm pissed!

". . . . just don't get recorded." You are sure you have the proper input connected and selected? Just don't ask why I'm asking-- I once had Channel 2 selected when I intended Line 2; never overlook the obvious.

Might try setting up a one minute recording two minutes ahead, then sit back and watch what happens. After the recording, your monitor should still show a picture on the same input connection.

Thanks for your suggestion. Even if it was selected on the wrong input it should still be recording something. It just turns on but does nothing. This isn't rocket science and they've really made it fool-proof to the point that it's tedius. But yes, I've done tests where I just sat there and it worked. When I need to work the most it doesn't and so far it's totally random. I'll have to put in some more time this long weekend, there's gotta be a pattern to it so I can at least avoid the problem. Right now I'm double dipping with the VCR just in case.

From my experience with computer fans, they're fairly reliable over time. Where I work, we leave our computers on around the clock and nobody's fan ever dies. The computer I currently use at work has gone over 3 years with the fan on 24/7 and there hasn't been a problem. I would imagine these recorders use a similar fan.

Personally, I would prefer that the fan turn off when the unit is not in use, however I am more concerned with the problem shawbros has been having with the unit not recording scheduled programs.

Shawbros, if you find out a cause or solution to this problem, please let us know. This is a make or break feature for me.

I own a XS34, and until now timer recordings (is that scheduled recording?) worked fine. The unit turns itself on (about 10 minutes before the actual start) and records without problems (from aerial and from sat receiver). Regarding the fan, I don't know. Must investigate. The only thing I can say is that when turned on i hear a (very low) hum from the machine. When turned off, the unit becomes silent.

Aha, but refer back to that thread above for XS32 owners (around May7th). Some XS32 owners have complained about their fans making loud noise after about 1 year--and those fans don't operate 24/7 when the unit is off! So should I expect my XS34 fan to start grinding in a couple months??? But you can probably fix it yourself and certainly shouldn't cost $400 to have it serviced!

Well, any fan can start making noise. Most Tivos (at least DirecTivos) have fans that run 24/7, so I'd start researching there to see the lifespan. I'm sure it'll be easily replaceable but it's still really stupid design.

I don't doubt the customer support line is making up stories. Don't forget, this is the company that when faced with proof their recorders were recording the wrong IRE level said "Huh? Looks fine to us!".

The XS32 fan *definitely* turns off when the unit is off. I am sitting next to my XS32 right now and checked.

____________________________________________________________ ____
Regarding the fan, I don't know. Must investigate. The only thing I can say is that when turned on i hear a (very low) hum from the machine. When turned off, the unit becomes silent.
____________________________________________________________ ____

Bernie_pt:

Please do investigate and report back. As you know, shawbros has indicated that his machine's fan runs constantly as did a demo in store that he checked out. Also, Toshiba does not deny it, although you never really know whether the folks on the phone REALLY know the answers to some of the more technical questions or just sort of fudge it.

Thanks.

when we could be talking about PQ, ergonomics, dubbing from S-VHS tapes to DVDs, media compatibility, etc., etc... As long as the fan noise isn't objectionable, let's move on to more important things. If you use your recorder every day, it's quite likely the fan will actually last longer if it runs constantly (easier on the barrings). So I'm going to leave this fan issue to the engineers, who are certainly in a much better position to make this call than I am. Now, getting back to what we really care about...

I've got lots of S-VHS tapes that I want to copy to DVDs. PQ is a priority - the S-VHS tapes look great on my 60" TV, and I'm hoping the DVD copies will look just as good. I probably would have bought the Pioneer 520, but I've read it occasionally will blank-out if the tape isn't that good. Anyone know how the XS34 is for dubbing?

Also, I'm surprise folks aren't running comparison tests on the XS34, or at least giving their first impressions of this new model. I know we often beat this kind of thing to death, but the only thing we seem to be talking about is the darn fan.

Chuck

It is possible that the XS32 had a less reliable fan in it and that is why they have it turn off. Being an engineer, I can tell you that they had a specific reason for keeping the fan on. That isn't something that would have just been overlooked. Keeping it on is most definitely intentional. It is not unreasonable to assume that their reason holds for other DVD/HDD recorders and maybe this will be a "feature" that allows the Toshiba units to last longer.

On a related note, the IRE recording level on the XS32 was also probably set to its value for a specific reason and wasn't just an oversight. Their logic in choosing what they did may have been flawed but you can bet that there was some logic in the decision. The oversight was not having the level settable if they felt that their IRE choice was the right one even though everyone else was using a different level. They probably didn't think cross-compatibility was a concern or didn't even consider it.

bernie_pt,

You say that the timer recordings work fine. Since the unit turns itself on 10 min before the recording starts, does that have any effect on back-to-back recordings.

On some HDD DVRs (notably the Panasonics), when recordings are made back-to-back, the last 15 sec of the earlier program are not recorded, and if you are recording to anything other than the HDD or RAM, the first 15 sec of the later program is not recorded!!!

So, if you have done back-to-back recordings, has any part of the program been skipped and not recorded?

Thanks,

rag

I just received an email from Toshiba
tech support and they stated that the fan on the XS34 does NOT constantly run.The debate goes on.

What debate? What kind of electronic device still consumes 17W of power when it is turned off? Toshiba Japan just announced their newest models, the RD-XS37/57 series which will have D1 resolution for the LP recordings. This means that the US market won't get that feature until next year. So the RD-XS34 is basically a rehash of the old RD-XS32 with a fixed input IRE setting, bigger HDD, TV Guide EPG, and more power consumption. At least it has a lower retail price for the future increased electricity bill.

Sounds like a great machine to me!

What amazes me is that people are so hung about about a fan. I'll let you know if mine is loud enough to be an issue but, if quiet, I don't see what the big deal is.

Apparently it's not just the fan. Now it's the 17W of power, or about twice as much as a night light. Is it possible that everything has been said about DVD recorders, and this is all there is left to talk about?

Well, 17W is a lot of power if it is green laser light hitting your retina!!!

Seriously though, I finally got the damn thing wired up tonight. Yes, the fan stayed on when I turned off the unit. For now, the fan is pretty quiet. Much quieter than the fan I installed in my entertainment center. I'll let people know if it get noiser or turns off eventually.

I didn't get to record anything yet but I did find the menu where the IRE level can be selected and I chose "Enhanced" versus "Standard" which I assumed was correct. In other words, "Standard" is really Toshiba's non-standard recording level that they had in the XS32. I will try to record something tomorrow and play it back on my old JVC player.

About the "TV Guide", it said to select a "Cable" box. I have DishNet so I selected none. Does anyone know if there is a "DishNet option for the TV guide?

krisb01, I spent a few hours today trying as many different scenarios as I could think of and couldn't reproduce the problem but it just happened again on one of my real programs tonite! Also, what I couldn't find and miss is the Quick Timer feature found on VCRs, maybe I haven't found it yet so if anyone knows please post.

shawbros, thanks for the info. Perhaps it is an issue with your particular unit. I wonder what Toshiba would have to say about this. Have you tried contacting them yet? I have heard that the TV Guide feature itself doesn't always work well in any brand of recorder, but if the problem happens on manually set recordings as well, I would find that unacceptable. VCRs have been doing this for decades and I've never had a problem like this with any of the VCRs I've owned over the years.