DRA-01601A: DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Drive Info - Page 5

Well I finally got mine hooked up to the cable. I was somewhat disappointed with the ATSC tuner when I got it. I'm even more disappointed with the QAM tuner. I can't watch anything QAM because it's too choppy. Also, the fan in the thing is extremely loud. I thought my TV was loud. This thing makes my TV seem quiet at least.

Maybe I'm just spoiled since my Pioneer TV has such a good tuner. I specifically bought this TV so I wouldn't need a STB. But now it looks like I need a STB if I want to record anything.

I won't take it back right away, in case it decides to fix itself. But I don't think it'll hang around much more than a few more days. Hopefully the Phillips in July will be better.
--Nick

Tnx... that is a deal breaker for me. Saves me a trip to Walmart...

Strange mine is totally quite, I can not hear it at all, my xbox is much louder as is my laptop.

I was in my local Wal*Mart last week and they had a big stack of DRA-01601A recorders. Today, I noticed that they were all gone. Given all the problems reported in this forum I wonder how many people are returning them?

Mine is loud, but the constant hummm from the fan is easily ignored.

Well there you go. Deal breaker. I can finally stop looking for one.

My QAM tuner sucks and the fan is loud, but not as loud as the first gen 2001 I have. It doesn't seem to have any kind of QTR support which is nice for a quick on the fly grab of something interesting, the commercial advance buttons now have to be repeatedly pushed to make it scan more then once unlike the 2001 that will fast forward by 30 secs at a time as long as you hold it.
It seems to have stereo on the digital channels, analog I THINK is mono but at least the fidelity and audio levels are up to normal now.
Doesn't support DIVX playback, doesn't support VCR+ which I like for quick setting of one time shows.
I'm still waiting for the digital channel RF amp to see if that will jack it up enough to make the QAM usable, but I'll probably try the Philips when it shows up then return the weaker unit of the two, or whatever new digital HD unit they are getting...

Can this recorder be paused while recording live input? I know it will timeshift, but I do not see a way to pause and cut out commercials when recording live. Setting chapter marks after recording is a pain.

Well digital RF amp showed up today and QAM reception is just as bad as before, tuner just plain sucks. My LG 4200a gets just as good a lock with amp on same cable as without so it's not having any problems. Now I'll return it and hope the Philips or whatever Wally world gets in next is better.

Can you pause during recording to cut commercials?

Well I think you can, but it's easier to just segment the recording afterwards, provided the remote works OK for you. If you get one get the Radio Shack high output infra red LED and it should then work well, works for the 2001 most of us have.

Press the "ADD/CLEAR" key to clear the timer schedule in the timer setup menu.

Press the "I/P" key on the Remote control to switch your DVR back to 480I mode,and you will get the picture I think.

You could have a try.

If 19:9 issue does exist.I am sure that this issue could be fixed by upgrading the Firmware.

Nope. That didn't work. Pressing anything resulted in the little red circle with the line through it.

Anyway, I'm considering taking it back. The controls are driving me nuts. Other than the crappy range of the remote. I watched my first recording last night. I pressed the 30 second skip button during a commercial. Worked but it brought up the time remaining graphic, which took two more key presses to dismiss. Creating a title for a timed event - instead of starting with a blank title, they default to something dumb. Which wouldn't be too bad except holding down the navigation keys only moves one character at a time. Do you know how long it takes to fill something in? Same way for changing or assigning channels. Can't just hold down the arrows.

The programming had to have been done by someone who has more impressed with their programming, rather than the functionality of their programming.

Why, when I turn off the unit, then back on, would it not return me to TV, where it was before powering off? How hard can this be?

Amazing the features they left out... when I record with my RCA DRC8030N it will automatically use the name of the show or movie I am recording.

You can do that on other models?

Ditto- This is important, folks. (recording to 16x9). Letterboxing sucks.

Since it looks like this is an off-shoot of the 2000 the answer is yes, if you are not in "time shift" which is what many call chase play. If you are in time shift, when you pause you do not cut anything out, since you do not want to.

So go out of time shift- press the time shift button until you are out. Press record to start recording at the beginning of the program, pause to freeze at the start of the commercial, then record to start again at the end.

Lots of what is being asked here is answered in the Polaroid 2000 thread

LOL That is funny

Ok. Went down to Walmart and bought one. Easy hook up. Found 12 digital channels. The HD channels have black bars top and bottom, 2.35:1 display on a 16:9 screen. Most DVDs are enhanced in this manner. Digital channels NOT HD fill the screen in stretched 16:9. An HD channel displaying 4:3 will have black bars top/bottom and sides. This is a 4:3 picture in a 2.35:1 format. Similar to what you see on some commercials on HD channels. So what you see is what the station is transmitting. The ATSC receiver is rock solid on all channels. The 480p resolution is excellent.

GOOD NEWS: The input via S-video from my Hughes HD receiver displays AND records true 16:9 when viewing HD programs. Same as my RCA DRC8030N.

BAD NEWS: Recorder does not pick up the name of the program from S-video coming from the Hughes. When recording live it automatically assigns the name "Title 1" Title 2" etc. Trying to name the recording is a pain. Why oh why can't they pick up the name from the input? I have to think about this...

Overall I am impressed at the quality of the video and recording playback. The remote sucks... I have a learning remote that may work if I can find the code from OneForAll for my URC8910 universal remote. But having to name those recordings... boohoo...

Oh yeah, when recording the pause button works fine... so those commercials can be cut on the fly.

I am taking this recorder back this morning, because it has failed to record 2 out of 3 times using the timer feature. It hangs up and has to be reset by unplugging the AC. Setting timers is a real pain too. The other thing I cannot live with is having to name the title of each recording...My fingers were cramping trying to program the timers. The interface and the remote just plain suck. The Polaroid software folks should take some lessons from RCA on how to produce a user interface.

Before taking it back, set your clock manually and turn DST OFF.

I know you have other reasons for wanting to return the unit, but this will tell others if the timer problem is just a clock setting.

More info here.

I always set the clock manually. The problem is not the clock.. it turns on and starts to record but hangs after 5 sec. Only way to get out of it is to unplug the unit. I took it back for a refund.

I suspect it was a mechanical/electronic issue. Mine's never hung. Well, through 6 timed recordings so far.

Probably a really, really dumb question, but is everyone who's tried one of these in agreement that it won't record 16:9 programming without letterboxing it? Don't care if it doesn't keep the anamorphic flag as I've got a 16:9 TV, but I don't want to end up with an itty-bitty picture floating in the middle of my nice 16:9 set...

I have an older Toshiba 57" RP Widescreen TV, I set the Polaroid to 4:3 PS to record to the HD and it fills the screen on my Toshiba & my Sony 4:3 TV. One reason I like it is because I live in the sticks and it picks up all of the digital channels which are 60 miles away, I've never been able receive the analog channels worth a darn. The PQ is pretty good too, I'll probably try the Phillips w/hd when it becomes available and return one of them to Wal-Mart. The remote on the Polaroid is Awful.

I should say that I got this mainly for the wife so she could record her shows to the HD, its more than acceptable for her viewing, I have to set it up for her because its difficult for her to use but she won't bother to learn either.

But what do you get when you set it to 16:9 and play it back on a Widescreen set (assuming you can set it for 16:9)?

That's my main concern.

I don't think you'd like it in that case, I too wanted to keep it set at 16:9 but it letterboxed most all digital signals.

Hope that helps.

That does help. I guess I'll be waiting a bit longer for a HDD based recorder.