Magnavox ZV450MW8 ATSC DVDR/VCR - Page 2

Thanks. That didn't help me though. I don't have an option like that on the TV remote. This is the first VCR I ever owned that didn't have the old vcr/tv button on it to let the signal pass through while taping something. I can't believe they would just leave out an option like that. Being able to tape one thing while watching another was one of the best things about a VCR.

Does your TV have any line inputs (composite RCA or S-Video)? If you connect a line input from the Maggie, there should be a button on the TV remote that might say "Video" (that's what mine says). Switching to Video shows the pic from the combo, while pushing it again switches to the RF passthru?

Nope. No "video" button on the tv remote either but it does have audio/video imputs on the front.

The way I have this set up is I have a new DVR from the cable company. I just got this after upgrading cable. You actually made me decide to do that with your reply to an earlier question I had about what to buy when you suggested a DVR. There are two incoming cable wires. One was put in for a cable modem but I've switched to DSL. I have one going in to the DVR and that goes out to the coax connection on the back of the TV. Then the second cable goes in to the new Magnavox VCR/DVD recorder and out from there to the TV via the front audio/video jacks.

In order to switch between the DVR and the new Magnavox I have to set the TV to either channel 4 for the DVR/cable box or AV for the combo unit. In this way I can watch one program while recording another. I was just surprised not to see a vcr/TV button on the combo unit itself.

It's the DVD-only version. I would assume that the tuners, etc, are the same.

I bought a Mag. ZV450 etc. about a week ago.
I have it connected to my sat. lead and then the lead to the TV.
I'm using the RCA cables.
I can get it to record the Tv to disc OK, but so far, everything I've tried has failed to record the VCR tape.
For some of you who have said that was the main reason you got this set, help me out here. I got it to replace a VCR that had developed a great appetite for tapes an since most of what I have is on tape. I thought I would get this machine and be able to place my tapes on disc, but so far it has defied me.
Any one care to offer some help?
Thanks.

I have a ZC350MS8 and it loses its digital channel programming memory regularly. I have to let it do it's channel scanning again to recover. Anyone else have this problem or know a solution?

Is there a way to hide the recording date in the titles?

Has anyone tried to load any DVD content into their PC to edit? I am using Nero and cannot load more than about 20 minutes worth of video before I get an error: failed to seek within the file VTS_01_1.VOB.

Anyone got any ideas? This format seems very foreign. My Sony external DVDRW drive will not even recognize a dvd that came out of the ZV450.

My local Wal-Mart's have pulled this unit from their shelves in the last week.

Note: It's still up on Wal-Mart's web site.

I've had the lg 797 for a little more than a year, and this thing is crashing on me, it won't read dvd's anymore, and when I stop watching a tape and go back to it's tuner the sound goes out... so I have to turn it off, then on again to get the sound to work.

I highly recommend NOT getting a lg 797 dvd/vcr combo. I've tried cleaning the DVD eye with no luck in getting it to work. I've even looked into a replacement of just the DVD assembly, and it costs as much as I can go out and buy a whole new unit that won't give me so much grief.

Both recorders are still working at 19 months. One needs resetting every week or so.

I suspect they will be replaced with HDMI compliant devices in the next two years, as I acquire more/better HDTV's.

My parents bought one. They told me that a rental copy of Reservation Road, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831884/dvd, would not play in the Magnavox ZV450MW8A. They were able to play the disk in another Magnavox, player only, that was in another room. They got a second copy of the disk and still couldn't play it. Has anyone else run into disks that wouldn't play in this model? They called customer support and were not able to get any help.

I recently bought this unit and it has frustrated me to no end. The book is more then hard to read. Both my wife and I are college educated and it makes zero sense to us..

I have called for help at least 4 times and every time the kid, and I mean a real 18 year old kid, didn't know anything about this unit.

I have had almost all Magnavox products for the past 30 years.. but this is my last one. I can't believe that they have sunk to this level.. this is after 3 main TV's and countless VHS players. but never, ever, had a unit that had to be double hooked up just to see the picture on the VHS, and then the DVD side.

and today when I tried to dub some old TV shows to DVD, it said that they could not be copied.

this unit is a piece of trash. and I never thought that I would say that about a Magnavox at any time..

they have ruined their reputation with me.

The Magnavox brand is owned by Funai, Inc. They have not been manufactured in the US for many years. Because the margins are so slim, not many quality DVD\\VCR recorder combo's are made. I have two of these models, and one is showing signs of failing after 2 years. It will probably be replaced with a hard-drive/DVD recorder that has an HDMI output.

DVD player/recording on this model can be spotty. I have a unit nearing 2 years old, with minimal usage that is having issues.

Remember, these units were out among the first, and on the cheap end at Wal-Mart.

I purchased my first unit the 15th of December 2008 from WalMart. I returned and exchanged it for a second unit on the 18th of January.

The clocks will NOT keep time! It loses several minutes during the day.

It also resets itself as it approaches 1:00 a.m. (I have watched it do it!!!!) -- setting itself back one hour. At that same time it changes from a.m to p.m.

The screen at which the clock can be reset then shows:

- 2 months earlier than the current month
- the correct date
- the year 2037
- the day corresponding to the current day
- the time shown on the screen

It makes no difference if I use the "Auto" clock set or the manual clock set options. The clock has never worked for more than two days at at time!

I called and spoke with a technician at Funai's 800-605-8610 number, before I returned the first one to the store, and was told I could send it in for repair....that would leave me without a unit for at least a couple of weeks. I do NOT wish to be without a recording device for that long! I have proposed to Funai Corp (via their customer contact email) that they desk-check a unit and sent it to me with a guarantee that it *will* work and a call tag so I can send this cripled uint back to them. Wonder how well that request will go over?!

The VCR recorder portion of it seems to work well...as long as I set the clock immediately before I set the unit to record! But I have been so disgusted with this problem that I've not even tried to do any recording to DVD - either directly from the TV or dubbing from my VCRs!

Arghhh!!

There's one thing you haven't tried yet, maybe, that might help.

Check this post for my "11:57 Procedure" for setting the clock on Philips/Magnavox units. It uses the Auto Clock menu's Manual option to set a channel that provides a "reliable" time signal and gives a way to confirm that your unit is getting such a signal.

With Auto Clock just set for On, the unit searches ALL channels until it finds something it likes, but there seem to be many "spurious" or unrelaible signals that can make your clock go to 2037 or some other "fun" time in space.

The Manual setting option confines the channel search to just that channel you set, so it won't find any goofy stuff in a signal.

Use the "3575/3576" or the "2160" option depending on whether your unit allows you to set digital channels as a source or just analog... the 3575/3576 option is just analog.

With the 11:57 procedure, which takes just a few minutes, you can try a FOX channel, which is my only remaining source for a reliable time signal here... PBS goes to EST but I'm in CST zone.

Might be worth a try?

I just recently purchased this model at Walmart and after going through the whole set up process with the dubbing I converted a VHS to a DVD. Problem is it only plays on this DVD player and no other player, it won't work on my laptop (Dell Inspiron 640m Vista) nor my desk top which uses XP.

On the desktop it recognizes as a blank CD, and it won't play on the laptop. I basically need to rip the DVD onto the computer but if it won't even recognize it on the systems then I'm unable to do so. All material is non-copyright so helpful tips would be much appreciated.

It just needs Finalizing... find "Finalize" in the Disc Edit menu.

oh no wonder, thank you very much!

Does anyone know if the Magnavox ZV450MW8 has a "Zoom" feature that allows you to "crop" or more adequately fill the screen when watching DVD movies? Thanks.

Press DISPLAY button and arrow right to next-to-last icon, press OK and select a zoom option. Might need the title playing or on pause?

Thank all of you for your expert and correct advice! I have one more additional question (for now).

If you had a choice between the Magnavox ZV450MW8 DVD/VCR Combo (Walmart $180.00) or the Toshiba D-VR660 DVD/VCR Combo (Internet $240.00) for use with an on the roof antenna, an analog TV set and an APT converter box, *which one* would you choose? (Keeping in mind that you wish to record multiple channels while you are away and also want to watch one channel while viewing another when at home? (Whew!) Thanks again.

Funai manufactures Magnavox and Toshiba. If you are considering a product priced at $240 the analog and digital tuner Magnavox H2160MW9 with 160GB HD and DVD recording, is about $250 (plus $4.97 shipping) at walmart.com. That's a bargain.

For copying home-recorded videotapes just connect your present VCR to an input, record to the hard drive, edit the content if you like then high speed dub to DVD.

Thanks DigaDo and Wajo but which one of the above would you buy if you had no others to pick from? (I have been researching them for so long that I gguess I'm determined to buy one of them). I just want to be sure that I can use it in concert with a digital converter box and an analog TV.

I already own one Magnavox 2160, one Magnavox 2080 and one Philips 3575, all HDD/DVD recorders; and sixteen Panasonic ES/EZ DVD recorders or combo recorders of the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 model years.

After looking at the owners manuals for the models you've been researching it appears that these Funai machines are much the same, garden-variety digital-tuner combo recorders. The Toshiba 660 has a remote very much like that of my Magnavox 2160, a more practical design with larger buttons than the Magnavox 450 remote, similar in design to that supplied with my Magnavox 2080.

The machines you've been researching may be OK, but why settle for the limitations of a combo recorder when an outstanding Magnavox 2160 HDD/DVD recorder may be had for $10 more than the Toshiba?

DigaDo, but I'm a member of the "Great Unwashed" when it comes to electronic ability. I also want to transfer a large number of VHS tapes to DVD. I cannot possibly even "imagine" ways of hooking up old VHS players to this *monstrosity* you suggest. Hard drives in a DVD recorder? I can't even get used to this idea in my computer! * I 'jus puut thing in slot undt poosh booton!* (my best German accent). No, my new item has to look like something I'm used to looking at or I'm too intimidated to try it. Thanks