One Box Does All!
Written: Aug 12 '03 (Updated Jul 23 '04)
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Pros: Works well at playing variety of media.
Cons: Confusing remote and functions.
The Bottom Line: Good for a budget conscious or space cramped user needing access to both DVD's and VHS.
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| digitaldoc's Full Review: Sylvania DVC860D DVD/VCR Player |
The VCR died after over 10 years. While I needed another VCR, why not get one that could do DVD's also. I'm not generally a fan of combination devices, as I find them a compromise event, but this one pulls it off.
The device can do all the functions of a VCR, and of a DVD/CD/MP3 player. It has composite video/audio inputs, and outputs for composite, S-video, and coaxial. It plays cd-r's and MP3 discs very well. The picture quality and audio are very good. You can watch a DVD while recording a TV show. It also has all the usual DVD features including variable ff/rew, zoom, subtitles, audio tracks. (In fact it must use the same chip as my Sharp DV-S1U DVD player because the features and graphics are identical) also reviewed on epinions"http://www.epinions.com/content_138792767108".
There are some annoying nuances regarding the remote control. It has many tiny buttons; furthermore many have dual roles depending if controlling the VCR or DVD. If you want to timer record, you have to press the clear button to finalize it, which is unsettling the first few times. You have to remember to press the DVD or VCR button before you do anything else to let the device know which of the functions you are using. Also, if you want to navigate on the VCR side, it does not use the up/down/left/right buttons of the DVD remote, but rather the play/stop/ff/rew buttons of the VCR. This all takes some getting used to. In short, the rest of the family needs some help in using this thing.
Setup was easy, it included RCA composite cables. It was far easier and less confusing to set up than both a DVD and VCR to one TV set. It states in the owner's manual that it does not play VCD's or photoCD's, it will play DVD-r and RW's. While not stated in the owner's manual, limited testing reveals it will play a Verbatim 2.4x DVD+RW movie disc, and an HP 4x DVD+R disc as well. The VCR is a 4 head hifi with auto head cleaner.
While the device at times feels like the two halves (DVD & VCR) could have been better integrated, and the remote could have been nicer, it does get the job done well. It also is perfect for an older TV with only a coaxial input as no adapter is needed.
If you need a computer dvd recorder check out this review
http://www.epinions.com/content_145685450372
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 140
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Epinions.com ID:
digitaldoc
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Location: New York
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Men don't outgrow their toys, they just get more expensive.
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