Philips DVDR3575H/37 160G HDD DVD Recorder w/ ATSC tuner - Page 3  

When I bought my Toshiba 34hfx84 it was the rule rather then the exception to get a hd ready set which meant a analog tuner only. I tried a Samsung 451 which had a great picture but everything else about it sucked so I got a LG 4200a and have been a happy camper ever since except for buying a extra 250 tuner after a few months of getting the set. Now they are pretty much a gone and the few that come up usually sell for more then I paid by about double.
If I could have gotten a set with as good a HD picture and a QAM tuner for what I paid for the Toshiba I would have been all over it but the only set that had it was the Sonys for quite a bit more then I could afford. I liked CRT video quality and still do so the big lcd and plasma sets out then were too spendy and most I didn't like the video quality anyways. When a stand alone HD recording portable solution comes about for a reasonable price I'll do that too, but right now price is just too high for units and blanks.

In cases like that, I would not have bought it. I don't see why I should support manufacturers that do silly things like that. It only encourages them.

At at least 1 local Wal-Mart the Shelf Cards for the Philips and Polaroid ATSC Tuner 160gb HDD models have vanished. I am not pleased about this.

It was just a couple years ago, that the FCC mandates for digital tuners were kicking in. The mandates were phased so initially a manufacturer had to have 50% of his large-screen TV's sporting an ATSC tuner. ATSC tuners were new and very expensive because they were in low volume. A Sony TV would come in 2 indentical models -- one with and one without an ATSC tuner; the price difference was $400 for a Sony with an ATSC tuner. Other brands such as JVC and Mitsubishi had a lower but still hefty $300 price premium for their ATSC tuner models.

The marketing at the stores was, why spend that money now on an ATSC tuner. There are few digitals broadcasting and by the time you will need a tuner, you'll be able to buy a STB dirt cheap. At all stages of the phase-in there were few models with ATSC tuners on display in B&M stores until a mandate kicked in for 100% of a particular screen size to have ATSC. So, you see it was quite reasonable and "the norm" for people to not spend a lot of extra money on a tuner they wouldn't need for a while (the 2/09 date was only recently "fixed in stone").

As things have turned out, I think people who bought HDTV-ready sets for OTA are basically screwed. They bought into a transitional product line that was declining from the start. There are only a couple of HD STB tuners on the market and they run ~$200. They'll probably disappear altogether before they get any cheaper, especially when the transitional flood of cheap subsidized SD ATSC tuners are released to adapt current SD analog sets to digital TV.

Anyone contact Phillips and ask? I searched and found a PDF spec sheet and was impressed with what I saw. Now I want one! One retailers website even says July 2007 as date that it should be available. In addition to haveing a HD, both this one and the Polaroid both claim to play VCD's and SVCD's as well. No mention in either one of they can play PAL disks, but it's not like I'm goin to throw away my Raite anytime soon.

So far, I've seen this recorder at only three sites.
here, here
and here.
Was the July date at one of these, or somewhere else?

you can also now find it at dell:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...5&sku=A1126773

Great work finding it there! I'm amazed.

In the Home Theater section of the "Higher Education" Site...what are our kids learning these days

Yep, google is pretty powerful.

I ordered one, after they assured me the "One to Two Weeks"
shipping time frame is correct. Well see...

I find that walmart usually gets them before the online retailers. So I bet ya, I'll get it first.

Wal*Mart's price will probably be a little cheaper too.
The deal clincher for me with Dell was when she
threw in free Overnight Shipping.

Search just for DVDR3575H and you will find the PDF and the brightandseek site. cheapelectricals.co.uk gives it a July date (even though I live in the US, I figure the date might give me some sort of idea)

Yes, I found those too. I didn't bother with the UK site because
the release date there is irrelevant, as I too live in the US.
The problem with the brightandseek site is it's been saying

for a month or more.
So, I ordered from Dell, after Buy.com cancelled my order
because (they said) their distributor said they no longer can say
when or even if they will have it.

My Wal-Mart has had the tag up for a few weeks. Their inventory scanner says they should have 4 in stock but no one can find them. So they have an allotment but just haven't received them just yet. Tried the Polaroid and not 100% happy with it.

Dell is showing my order as shipping on May 21.

Unless Philips has made huge Firmware Upgrades from the DVDR 3455/37 I doubt I will be interested. Just way too many functionality shortcomings in that last HDD model for a $298 price tag. I like my Sylvania HDRV200F much better, and it is from a supposedly "inferior" manufacturer, and only has a 1x DVD Burner in Video mode!

One of your main objections is time shift during scheduled recordings. If you had that you would be happy. But then I would not, since I would not be able to time shift during live programs as I watch a previously scheduled program on my HD. I consider that more important than time shifting a scheduled program, since I can use the record button to record and time shift, which does the same thing. If I am away, I schedule it.

Your desired feature is on my Panny which is why it is unplugged and no longer use it. I can do everything it does and more with my Polaroid (basically the same as the Phillips). You cannot time shift live on the Panny without recording! You cannot change the channel while recording but you can when time shifting the Polaroid.

So I consider the way it is set up as perfect for my use. And there is the rub. A manufacturer will never satisfy everyone because the technology is not there to do so unless you make it cost prohibitive (two tuners, two hds, two recorders, two boards...). You get a lot of bang for your buck with both the Phillips and Polaroid.

FWIW, Dell's automated phone system called me yesterday
to inform me that the shipping date for my order has been
moved back, from May 21st to June 25th.

Since this unit is very similar to the Polaroid that has been out for a month I have a feeling Phillips may be keeping this unit back to fix some issues discovered with the Polaroid.

Polaroid has a ton of issues. If Phillips is smart they will hold this unit back to fix them all. I wouldn't expect the fixes to be done with in 6 months.

This unit appeared on the Walmart website within the last few days. Can't say when for sure... I just noticed it today.

Has anyone managed to get their hands on it yet?

Looks like it is available at Walmart online now. $298.... http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5663214

I called their customer service and was assured they are actually in stock
online, plus in "limited quantities" in a couple of area stores.
So I cancelled my order with Dell and ordered one from Wal*Mart.
Delivery is supposed to be between May 29th and June 1st.

I looked on the site after TimSH posted. I just took my Polaroid back last night. But I may have to go to Walmart again tonight.

When I was looking for my Polaroid, I called the 3 or 4 local Walmarts and asked them if they were in stock. But I noticed on the site today, that you can check for store availability. I didn't notice this before, but I kinda want to doubt it's accuracy. Well actually I hope not, because the closest one to me has it in 'Limited Stock' and another one has it in stock.

I am excited to see how this works. I may have to leave work early . . .

Please let us know if you actually get one of these home,
what you think of it. We won't tell if you leave work early.

Wouldn't philips have it on their own web site before walmart?

Not necessarily. The DVDR3505/37 was listed on several sites
before it showed up on Philips'.

If anyone gets their hands on one, there are a few things I'm particularly interested in... I'm guessing it will handle 16:9 content the same as the Magnavox units (i.e. if the display type is set to 16:9 and the content is 16:9, that's what will record, so it plays back properly on a 16:9 set. Probably won't set the flag, but I don't care so much about that... don't have a 4:3 set anyway.)

Does it allow "chasing playback" of a program being recorded via timer?

Does it allow for watching a previously recorded program while something is recording?

Does it allow for watching a DVD while something is recording?

How many timer slots are available? That is, is it limited to 8 as a standalone DVD recorder/VCR would be, or can more be set up?

I would pick one up myself, but the local stores don't have it in stock yet... made several phone calls today in hopes one might.