DVD and VCR in one box!
Written: Nov 21 '01 (Updated Nov 24 '01)
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Pros: Did I mention VCR & DVD in one unit?
Cons: No VCR +, no universal remote, see text of review
The Bottom Line: Because of the experience I had with the tech support dept., I am giving them 4 out of 5 stars, There is always room for improvement.
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| on_the_rhode's Full Review: Soyo DVR4000 DVD Player / VCR Combo |
I've been hinting to my wife that I would like a DVD player for a few months now. Well, two weeks ago our VCR of five years decided to quit, so it was off to find a new VCR.
We visited a few stores and ended up at Costco. We were just about to pick up a VCR when I noticed a DVD/VCR Combo Unit (I will refer to the combo unit as a "DVR" from this point forward) nestled amongst the other DVD players. I had kidded my wife about the combo units, but then the more we discussed it, the more sense it made to get one. After all, we were already shopping for a VCR, why not see what the DVR had to offer.
The DVR is about the same size of the VCR in height, but there is more to it in the length. This is because both the DVD and the VCR unit is housed next to each other. It is also about the same as the VCR in depth. Of course, the DVR unit takes up less room than a DVD and VCR unit separate from each other, which is a plus for those with a small entertainment system.
Setting up the unit was very simple. There are quick setup instructions on the inside of the box. Once you have all the cables connected (comes with a coaxle cable and RCA cable) all you have to do is press the SETUP button and away it goes! The unit found all available channels and then set the time by finding a local channel with a time broadcast. Very impressive! No more blinking 12:00. Also, the unit automatically changed from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.
VCR
The VCR portion of the DVR had the features we were looking for, with the exception of VCR Plus. I reminded my wife that the previous VCR had VCR Plus and we never used this function. The other features we wanted were Hi-Fi Stereo, 4 heads, and on-screen programming. We really didn't need any extra bells and whistles, because we were looking for something around $89. The extras in this machine were well worth the price we paid.
We record three to four shows a week, depending what is on TV. My work schedule is crazy and does not allow me to always see my shows. The unit has a 16 event timer which can record shows up to a year in advance. The on screen programming is easy once you get the hang of it. A calendar is displayed when picking a date which is very helpful in finding out what the date is two weeks from Tuesday! A definite plus is the ability to watch a DVD while the VCR is recording! We have used this option a few times already.
When you put a tape in the VCR the power will turn on automatically. If the record notch is punched out, then the tape will begin playing on its own. You can turn this off via the setup menu.
The unit will automatically adjust the tracking after the tape starts to play.
DVD
This is my first experience with a DVD player and since we did not set out to purchase a player, I did not do much research. The player has all the features you would expect from a DVD player, such as angle, zoom, etc... The picture is excellent, even on my non-HDTV. Watching something in widescreen format takes some time to get used to, but after a while, I didn't really mind the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. When a DVD is inserted, it will begin to play automatically. You can also turn this off via
the SETUP menu.
The sound is excellent and with the audio out on the back of the unit you can hook the DVR to your home stereo, which I did, which makes watching movies more theater like! The only thing that is annoying is that the DVR has its own volume level, so now you have the DVR, TV, and Stereo volume to adjust.
The system has a ratings lock. You can set a password and then the system will not play any DVD above the rating you desire (G, PG, PG-13, etc...) without the password being entered.
Other features:
Some of the other features are:
- Child proof front panel lock. Hide the remote (just remember where!) and
then junior can push the buttons on the front panel all day long and nothing will happen.
- A/V port on front, so you can hook up your camcorder or other A/V device to the DVR.
- You can play a regular music CD in the DVD player.
- You can copy a non-copy protected DVD to VHS. The web site mentions that you can copy a music CD to VHS for long playback of music. I did not see this mentioned in the manual, but I would think it would work in the same manner as copying a DVD.
The Cons
Some cons:
- CD-R's and CD-RW will not work with this model
- no universal remote. So I have one remote for the TV, one for the DVR, and one for the stereo.
- no VCR+
- I don't think this model has Dolby Digital 5.1
Technical Support
A note on Technical Support. The packing material, manual, and web site push their "Award Winning Customer Service Team" If you ever have a problem, they want you to call them. I e-mailed them and did not receive a response in a
reasonable amount of time (24 hrs), so I called them. Getting through their voice menu was like a trip to the dentist. I finally did find an option to talk to a customer service agent, but I was greeted by a recording saying
that all operators were busy and to leave a message. I left a message and did receive a call back the next day, but I was out at the time and had to call them back and go through the whole routine again. When I finally did talk to
someone I mentioned the great difficulty in reaching them. I was told that they are in the process of going through a merger and their staff has been cut in half. I have worked for companies that done the merger thing, and I
know what it's like. Not knowing what their service was like prior to the merger I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
BTW, I did finally receive an e-mail from someone two weeks later. My suggestion is to keep the manual handy until you really learn the system.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 279
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Epinions.com ID:
on_the_rhode
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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