New Walmart HDD/DVDR-Magnavox H2080MW8 - Page 7

I've read that the "no sound" might be a way the cableco prevents you from seeing a channel that you don't pay for, sort of a "view-protection" method? I don't have any of those so can't say for sure.

You might want to try another auto-channel preset scan later...I did that next day (I think) and my problem channel zipped by with no problem. If you're on analog cable, don't hesitate to do a new scan every so often since the cablecos are moving channels around a lot getting ready for the digital switchover in 2009 (and to keep subscribers off-guard and totally dependent on them? ).

Are you sure that the cable companies are directly affected by the 2009 digital switch over. I believe that only OTA broadcasts are directly effected. The analog stations will go away, so the cable companies will have to get replacement programming. I presume that they will be able to grab the HD transmissions and convert them to analog SD for broadcast over their cable systems.

this is probably common knowledge, but i had never tried it, and have yet to fully read the manual...

i was watching a HDD recorded show and one of my HDD timers kicked in. it recorded that show while i was watching the other. also, when the previously recorded show was over, i could watch the currently recording show from the beginning while it was still recording.

I should have repeated that we (OP and me) were wlaking about a problem digital QAM channel, which are a "work-in-progress" for the cablecos as networks start changing over to all all digital, as E-Network recently did. They even mistakenly put up a warning message to "cable operators" about their changeover to an all-digital feed.

I just found out about this and read through the whole thread. This sounds promising at $200!

I have a couple of questions:
1) Is fast-forwarding/fast-backwarding at various speeds okay using standard dvd players? Do features like 1MinuteSkip and Chapter Jumping work with the +VR dvds created with the Magnavox?

2) Can you program a mix of QAM and analog unattended recordings or do you have to be there to switch between digital and analog for the timer?

3) How does it do with -R/-RW media? Does it have extra features when using +R/+RW?

This may be just what the doctor ordered as a temporary multi-purpose device until all the unanswered questions get answered.

i haven't even tried the dvd player/recorder yet, tho i probably should in case it's faulty.

as far as recording, in the timer section you tell it what source to record from.

i have a cband satellite routed into the DVR thru a VCR, so when i set a timer for it, i tell it the time and source, which is an aux input. the source can be analog, digital (with channel choice selectable in each) or aux input.

when recording OTA, you can record it either from the analog or digital and it tunes it automatically. so i can record the show on analog 2, or digital 2.1. i don't have cable, but i presume the QAM works the same way.

Thanks! That sounds good! Especially given the lack of alternatives

I tried the Walmart in San Diego and they didnt have the set, google search of the the model Magnavox HD2080 and it doesnt yield any results. am i looking for the wrong model or am i missing something?

found one yesterday in the walmart in Papillion, NE - the only store that stocked it in this town - they had one display model and one unopened box. This is in the Omaha metro and the other Walmarts nearby do not stock it so it must be initially in selected stores.

Has anyone come across any links to purchase this online, trips to the local stores in SAn Diego, CA has not yielded any results. Even Magnavox.com doesnt seem to display this model.

Has someone tried Polaroid which also offers the same HDD DVD recorder, thats the only one apart from Philips that i have come across..

The OP alluded that this DVR is a Walmart exclusive.

Well, got this on in last week. I also have a Philips 3575.

I set this up and it seemed pretty much like the Philips.

I'm configured with OTA coming in via RF. I also have a DISH box connected to the E1 (rear) line input.

Recroding seem fine. Scanned for OTA channels using the antenna setting.

I had a timer recording set up for Friday nite, but recorder didn't come on. When I turned on unit to check, it was sitting on the menu optin to choos to scan for channels (the menu opetion for choosing antenna, or anotehr input.

I re-scanned again and set things back up. Today I set up a timer record for one of the digital channels, this evening I noticed it wasn't recording, turned it on and again found it had lost it's channel setup info.

I'll be calling Customer Support tommorrow to see if there is a FW out for this unit. I checked Mag site and they dont list it. I checked Funai site and they dont list it either (though I did find a manual from another posters lnk).

Sounds like this might be same problem as early Philips had.

Rick

I think the channel tuner problem with the Phillips 3575 showed up only for people connecting to mixed analog+digital cable. There is some sort of interference between the analog and digital parts of the tuner that causes it to occasionally lose the digital channels in the presence of analog channels. But nobody seems to have that problem when they are purely OTH. Maybe your antenna connection is loose?

The digital channel loss is almost assuredly something related to digital channels in an analog-only feed. I can force one of my 3575s to lose digital channel tuning by surfing fast many times thru all the dig. channels.

I just got a new LCD TV, and this morning, IT had lost all digital channels.

I rescanned and waiting to see if it happens again.

If I had this problem, I'd set up a short timer program and test its op. with and without the Dish connected to E1 just to see if that has any influence.

It doesn't sound like a clock issue since it's asking for another channel scan.

Only other channel-related problem could be a moving antenna or loose/bad cable???

Well, I did make sure I didnt leave the unit tuned to the E1 input. Also, I know I had edited out a couple of digital channels, so this last time I left them in. I picked this one up at an online store, or I'd probably return it.

Don't think the cable is problem. I have my Philips downstairs and it haun in there fine, and I have the RF out from this one (the Magnavox) going to a PIO 531. But I suppose it could have been a weak signal, but I hope not.

I talked to Cust. Support this morning, not much help, but they gave me routine for requesting warranty work.

I'm wodnering if these units suffer from same problem that the early Philips units did.

Thanks
Rick

When I tried mine out with cable, it dropped all of the few digital channels it originally picked up once, when I was going through them (slowly), and then the next time I went through they all appeared again!

So sumpthin's definitely up with at least some of these units.

I am curious what you mean by dropped. This term seems to be used to describe 2 fairly different problems that were common with the original Philips DVDR3575Hs when connected to some cable systems.

1-Loss of the digital channel assignment information (Channel memory loss). This was a complete loss of the channel information that was learned during the scan. When using the channel up/down buttons, all you could do is cycle through the external inputs, until you rescanned or manually added them back.

2-Loss of ability to display the digital channels (Blue screen, I think), but the channel information was still in the memory. When you used the channel up/down you saw it go to the channels, but it could not display them.

I believe that #2 is the problem wabjxo sees with one of his units which he can clear by switching from digital to analog and back. I get the impression that your problem is similar to #2.
I wonder if the units are losing lock to the carrier frequencies used by the cable system. That switch may cause the tuner to re-sync to the cable system frequencies. The problem could be caused by a drift in the tuner or the cable system. Philips may have increased the capture window to fix this, because their window was not large enough to capture all in-spec signals, or because they felt they needed to accommodate a lot of out-of-spec signals. Just to be clear, all this speculation is a WAG on my part.

#2.

I guess "dropped" wasn't the correct word then. Not in the sense it's been used here with the Magnavox/Philips units.

Anyhow, I returned the Maggie. I still have the Philips, but I haven't gotten around to trying it with cable (I don't currently have cable myself). The Philips' ATSC tuner is definitely more sensitive, and that's what I'm chiefly using it for (along with time-shifting). It's worked fine for that. It's also a July unit.

Yes, my "drop" is #2..."blue-screen" but still in memory.

For what it is worth. I just picked one of these up in Bixby, OK. There was one on display and one in the box. I bought the only one they had.

Also, just wanted to add that I just got one of these at the Super Walmart by Texas Station in Las Vegas (and there were still 2 boxed ones and the display model left after I picked mine up). In an interesting note of honesty in labeling, the tag under the Mag was just listed as "Funai DVD Recorder". Hope this helps out.

Incidentally, I'm using this with a Dish 622 and it works out well for me to move stuff from the Dish DVR to DVD+R, so I'm not using the tuner or timer functionality. Image quality is a little less than a direct connection to the Panny LCD, but, for me, acceptable and sound volume is lower when viewing through the Mag box, so I just turn up the volume on the TV.

Hope this helps, this is my only DVDR, so just wanted to post my observations.

I stopped by the Walmart again to see if they got anymore in but still no luck. I asked the department manager when they would get more in. He checked it with a hand held bar code reader and showed me on the screen that not only were they out in the store but the warehouse doesn't have any either.

I have quickly learned that Walmart Stock is different from Store to Store as well as pricing within a 30 mile radius.

I can live with a difference in pricing which is typically neglible but the stock being different from store to store is a PINTA.

This is even true from Super Store to Super Store.

For example the 15501 Walmart sells the SV2000 Analog DVD recorder for $50.00 but the Fuquay store which I am nearer to here in Raleigh NC does not and never has had the SV2000 as far as I know. But when I went in the Fuquay store they had a Magnavox MWR10D6 marked down to $50.00 which is similar to the SV2000 at least price wise and both are made by Funai.

I have never seen the Digital Magnavox with Hardrive in any local Walmart store or Sams.

Meanwhile I wanted to see the Toshiba HD player that Walmart put on sale last Friday and the Fuquay store had none as of 9:02 AM. I am not sure if they ever had one, but meanwhile the Garner store had a palette full of them.

I guess a person could call around to find out what store has what "If" you had the Walmart product number in hand.

-DonB2

Not available at Wal-Mart Canada :-(

DOug O,

Do you have any ATSC tuners for sale up there? I recall about 2 years ago the struggle all the North of Buffalo people were having buying ATSC SAMSUNG 450 STB tuners.

-DoNB2

No, as the CRTC (Canadian Radio Television Commission) did not follow suit with the US and therefore we don't need ATSC tuners in our equipment. Most people I know use satellite or cable anyway. I have been looking into getting some new replacement equipment for Christmas but pickings are mighty slim especially for HDD units....

and hopefully they won't anytime soon. I can get CBC analog but not digital.

I just purchased the Magnavox H2080 at WM in Victoria TX, had one more left in the box. It will be mated to a Vizio 37" LCD I purchased last week that I am using on regular cable. Couple of questions:
1. If I connect this via component (to the TV) do I use all 5 cables - video and audio? My plan for connection is split cable from the wall to the TV and to DVDR then component to TV for watching movies - any problems with this?

2. It states progressive scan - is this up to 720p or what?

3. Will this record from a VCR - for old VHS home videos? Just connect to input of composite cables?

Thanks for the help - awesome site and excellent info regarding this unit. I was looking at the Panasonic EZ47 whatever. This also eliminates the DVR cable box I was using for digital hook-up. Didn't really use/need the extra channels. Thanks, Nelson