Soyo VR3845 DVD Recorder / VCR Combo

Pros: Copies VHS to DVD, corrects flaws in the process, easy to use, handsome, affordable.
Cons: The impatient will fret over the warm up time and shut down time.

I just purchased the Go Video VR3845, their new for 2005 DVD recorder and VHS unit. I'm a dubbing newbie, so if there were pitfalls in the learning curve, I'd fall in. But with their well written instructions, I was able to burn a DVD from one of my home ...

Pros: The VHS half plays and records well.
Cons: The DVD recorder is faulty.

Well, right from the get-go I started having a little problem with the DVD recorder. A few disks did not record properly. I called Support. Support told me they had some issues with the quality of the DVD media made by a certain corporation. I changed ...

Pros: comes in a nice box with lots of promises.
Cons: very difficult to use.

Everyone.I know this may be slightly off topic but I feel I have to warn people about this company. I am on my second vr3845 and my third GOVIDEO machine. Nov. 2004 my wife purchased a vr2940 from GOVIDEO because of an article in the Wall Street ...

Pros: Excellent machine. Bright,clear DVDs burned at every length from SP to EP.
Cons: No customer support.

I have pushed my 3845 beyond reason for the last year. I have burned approximately 250 DVDS, both from the VHS, and from TV. Many of my DVDs are six hours. I must have at least 1000 hours of DVDs in my library. The machine has functioned almost ...

Pros: Very versatile functionalities and useful features in editing recorded titles.
Cons: Very "fragile" and unforgiving system. One has to be awfully patient with it.

The situation with the poor performance of VR3845 cannot be faulted on GOVideo alone. Granted that the firmware that runs the DVD recorder/player portion of the machine is at best fragile and weak, there are other considerations to cause the GOVideo ...

Pros: Didn't function long enough to determine.
Cons: Unreliable piece of junk. Can't read DVDs after a month.

(1) Less than 10 uses - the DVD no longer reads ANY discs. Blanks, CDs, movies, NADA. Tries forever, then fails.

(2) The DVD opens roughly a third of the time. It seems that the motor that pushes the slide can barely win out over the little springs on the door flap.

(3) My VHS tapes have never looked so terrible on any VCR before. Picture is snowy and awful.

Absolute cheap hunk of junk. I will NEVER buy another GO VIDEO product in my life.

This is going back to Costco.

Pros: great value for the price,
Cons: no extra S video connect in back

I bought model 3845 at Costco, and had a few problems in learning how to use it. I record a lot of "TIVOed" programs for my personal use. At first I could not record any HBO, but Showtime and other channels worked fine. Go Video's patch downloaded on my computer fixed that problem. I am dissapointed that their is no S video in the back, but there is one on the front.
I have made many many copies on DVD-r which plays on my other DVD player. I have made a DVD+R which plays fine on a friend's Philips DVD player. I have also made copies on my computer which play fine.
I got off to a rough start, but I am completely happy with the product. I hope the recorded DVDs will stand the test on time. I only use TDK recordable DVDs
I have only transferred one VHS tape to a DVD, and it seems to work fine.
MY only complaint is the lack of editing capabilities with the DVD-r, but I think that is the technology, not the recorder

Pros: I can't think of any positive thing to say about this unit.
Cons: It refuses to maintain the time setting.

I bought this product to copy VHS tapes to DVD, as well as to replace my old VCR. This it does, more or less successfully. (See #4, below.)

The product is frustrating to use.

I hate it for the following reasons:


1. I set the time, and a little while later, the unit sets the time back an hour.

2. Long start up time, well over a minute. Meanwhile, the program to be recorded has already started.

3. Cannot set up timer to record two programs back to back. Unit has to write file info when the first program ends. This can take 30 seconds or more.

4. After copying a VHS tape to DVD, the unit put up the message about writing file information. Two hours later, it showed the same message. I had to unplug the unit to reset it, and of course lost all the timer settings.

5. Product Support website has no way to send email to describe a problem.

6. Cannot watch TV while DVD is on, regardless of whether it is actually recording anything. The TV shows a snowy interference pattern.

DON'T BUY GO VIDEO!!!

Pros: it came in a nice colored box that was well taped
Cons: cons says it all

If you want to replace your recorder weekly or you just really like poor quality recordings, this just might be the recorder for you. Can anybody say, "Excuse me sir, What's your return policy here?"

Pros: There aren't any
Cons: Constantly freezes and has to be reset

I had this unit and it was mailed back to the shop twice. Never worked for more than a couple weeks. Would totally lock up and I would have to power it down for hours and, if lucky, it would work again. It finally just would not display the menu and I threw the unit in the trash. This is the 2nd GoVideo unit I have thrown away as trash.

Pros: easy interface
Cons: laser fails from overheating if the program recorded is over 2 hours

Be aware that if you record a program lasting over 2 hours there is a HIGH probability that the laser lense will burn out. Govideo is aware of this problem but has done nothing about it. Works great as long as you stay at 1 hour per session. It is an expensive thing to have fixed when it burns out.

Pros: Pretty box.
Cons: Not enough space here to get started with the cons.

I just received my 3rd unit after waiting 3 weeks for them to send it. My first 2 units were VR3930's. GoVideo sent a VR3845 this time around. They said it was a better unit. I hope so, the VR3930's were junk.
I lost a DVD and an important VHS tape in the second one. If this unit burns itself up, they're getting back lots of pieces.
This is the last time I order electronics through the mail and I'm done with GoVideo period.
They must have moved their "customer service" department to Mexico, because none of the people there can speak understandable English and they or NO HELP at all!!!!!!!!!

BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK !!!!!!!!!