A so-so DVD Recorder
Written: Jun 06 '04 (Updated Jan 14 '05)
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Pros: Cheap. DVD Playback/Recording works fine. Lots of inputs/outputs.
Cons: Does not reliably write DVD's after time. Few edit functions
The Bottom Line: Inexpensive DVD recorder that gets the job done. Has trouble rewriting on DVD R/W.
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| bd_lin's Full Review: Lite On LVW-5001 DVD Recorder |
Update to my original post. After a year, still plays DVD well, but the recorder does not always record properly. Sometime it will hit a bad patch and the DVD becomes unreadable. Other times the DVD looks ok, but is a little jerky on playback like you are skipping frames. Sent some e-mails to the company, but none of their suggestions worked. I may have just got a bad recorder, but I have to lower my rating based on reliability. Also, the startup time to turn the DVD player on to when you can load a DVD in is really long. Over 5 seconds easily.
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First, why buy a DVD recorder. Here where my justifications.
1) Record Mini-DV camcorder to DVD to preserve the tape. I wanted to do this after my camcorder almost ate one of my home video DV tape.
2) Record VHS tape to DVD's.
3) Record TV shows to DVD's.
4) Get a new DVD player that reads DVD /- R/RW
The best reason to justify buying this is to replace the VCR with a DVD recorder. However, I have TIVO and this was not one of the reasons. My advice is to get a TIVO. Everyone should have a TIVO.
If you record a DVD, you will not be able to replay it on old DVD players that do not handle DVD format. However,you should be able to play DVD on all computer dvd players.
DVD playback.
When I first watched a DVD on this, the aspect ratio was all messed up. Everything was squat. Then I went to the setup menu and configured the DVD player for 16:9 size to match my TV. Since then it looks great. This DVD recorder comes equipped to handle everything. It has component output, progressive scan, video input in front,optical output for surround and firewire.
Recording has several options. A DVD can hold 1 to 6 hours depending on the resolution. I usually record 2 hours per DVD. Can't see much of a difference between the 1 hour vs 2 hour mode. Playback looks great on the TV. Not so great on the computer.
One problem I see in the recorder is that the timer record is clunky. Also, they have no option to record only for a set period of time and then stop. For example, if you want to record a 30 minute program you are watching, your only option is to hit record and let it record to the end. So, basically use a DVD-Rewritable.
However, I have used some DVD rewritables and it has a hard time writing over them again. So I downgrade this DVD recorder accordingly.
In terms of editing, the only thing you really can do on this machine is erase blocks of recorded footage. Everytime you press record, you get a block of footage you can select. If you recorded a 30 minute block, you can't delete the commercials or the last 15 minutes. You have to delete the whole thing.
Thankfully, this problem does not apply to firewire recordings. If you record with firewire, the DVD will record only as long as there is tape running. Once you hit the end of the tape, the internal firewire logic will stop recording.
In the end, this thing is good for what it does. The problem is justifying it. To really do what I wanted it to do, I ended up buying a DVD burner for my computer along with movie editing software and DVD burner software.
By doing that, I could string together a collection of say Cartoon Networks Clone Wars. I'm happy with the purchase, but it is more of a luxury than anything else.
If you have the justification to buy a DVD recorder, I'd recommend this one mainly because it is cheap and it works.
If you have more money and don't already have TIVO, you really should look into getting a TIVO DVD recorder.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 230
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Epinions.com ID:
bd_lin
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Location: San Jose, California
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 2 members
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