Customer Reviews

Cyberhome CH-DVR1600 DVD Recorder

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

I was looking for a DVD Recorder that I could use to transfer a load of old home movies I have on VHS tape to DVD and this unit looked just right price-wise, i.e. very inexpensive, since I did not envision much further use once I got all the tapes transferred to DVD. But this baby has proven to be a real versatile unit. I have it hooked up to my VCR on one line input and my TIVO on the other line input and I can easily transfer materials from either unit to DVD. I also hooked up the built-in tuner and recorded a couple of programs right off the air to DVD. Again, no problems ... and in all cases the quality of recording was awesome (I used the default 2 hour mode). The built-in MP3 player is a real bonus. I transferred a lot of my MP3's to a DVD Disc with 4.7 Gig capacity (yes, that's a lot of MP3's) and I could easily play them all on this unit. I have not tried the JPEG viewer but if that works as well as the other functions that I have tested then what is there to complain about? For a hundred bucks ... how much better can you expect? I am wondering about all those one star ratings ... this unit is a bit complicated to set up and I can understand someone's frustration if they have a less than satisfactory out-of-box experience. But if you are not technically challenged or if you are willing to spend some time reading the manual and understanding the setup you will not be disappointed. I took away one star from my rating because the remote is not very well organized and has very small keys. But all in all, great product at an unbelievable price!
PS. Someone reported that they were able to burn a DVD-R on this unit even though it is advertised as a DVD+R only. If that is true then this is truly one outstanding device!
UPDATE 12/21/05 -- Out of curiousity, I went out and got hold of a couple of DVD-R discs to try out with this unit. They worked just fine. Upon insertion of the DVD-R I was prompted to format the DVD-R which I did. Then I proceeded to record a couple of programs off the air, all recorded just fine, each recording in a separate "Chapter." Then I finalized the disc and was able to play the DVD-R on a regular DVD player. So this unit DOES indeed work with DVD-R even though it is advertised as DVD+R only. I have not tried DVD-RW so I cannot say for that type of disc. DVD+RW works just fine. Lastly, what is truly a wild card is the overall long term reliability of the unit. In today's age of rapid obsolescence and cheap, cheap prices for consumer electronics the very definition of "long term" needs to be rethought. To me long term means 12 months. So if the unit dies after 12 months I will have gotten my money's worth since I would be looking to upgrade to the next, new thing anyway right about in the 18-24 month time frame. It is unfortunate that we have come to view consumer electronics items as essentially "disposible" ... but that is how things are. So all in all, I am a happy customer with this unit.
The "Version" information from my unit (obtained from the Setup screen) is as follows:
UI: C00065MCU
Serve: DX043D D 037S
Adap: V08.00.01.46.R0.2
Control: DVR1600CHN1M02540

Junk

update - unit started oscillationg and BestBuy replaced it under servica agreement with a Liteon 1 Star
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UPDATE - I was able to duplicate the problem others have reported with a warbling audio on this unit. I applied the firmware 9/2005 and the problem is fixed. I had to apply the Back-End firmware twice for some reason.

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This seems to be a fantastic product. Check out the features at Cyberhome's website.

Almost too good to be true. It records BOTH +/- R and RW DVD's, even though the box says + only. It has the ability to become region-free. It has 2 video source inputs AND has a built in tuner. It has DV input for camcorders. It records in 6 speeds which is great. The unit is very easy to use... press the SOURCE button on the remote until you see the source you want to record, press ENTER and then press the RECORD button. How hard is that? Takes 2-3 seconds.

Some people have reported problems on various forums with a warbling sound and some hum from the tuner. I have the device sitting on TOP of a TIVO and have none of these problems. Mine is a model 1600MU. I am running the original firmware (100) but there is a firmware upgrade available. The MU's have some additional features over the ZU's, I have heard.

Keep in mind, you have to FINALIZE a disk in order to play it on another DVD player, according to the online HELP.

There have been some criticisms of the remote control. I find it very nice and replacements are only $12.00.

Please ignore M. Smith's timings on how long it takes to do things on this recorder. You can format and/or finalize a disk in seconds... not minutes. Programming a schedule is as easy as manual scheduling on a TIVO. Unless I am missing something, this is a great machine. I'll report back if long term usage proves otherwise.

This exact unit, with slight differences to the face buttons, has been released under the names CyberHome and Ilo, and I tried both of them. I also tried three other DVD recorders from big name companies, was disappointed with every single one, but was the least disappointed by the CyberHome / Ilo model. For $100, it's easily the best bang for the buck. I attached the CyberHome 1600 where my VCR used to be, had it "learn" my cable channels, set the time, and was good to go. The menu system and LED display on this unit is the best I saw on all the DVD recorders I tested. Use +RW media (I used Memorex with no problems) and the disc will play in other DVD players without having to finalize the disc. If companies like Panasonic and Sony can't get a DVD recorder to work for $300, I'll use this $100 model until someone gets it right.

This is my first dvd recorder. I was able to copy vhs, dvd, and tv programs to dvd+r, dvd+r/w. I also played the recorded disk on another dvd player. It played fine. The manual could be better. There's a section on how to edit the dvd. It did not state you must press the "edit" button on the remote. It took me 3-4 hours before a figured it out. Hook up between vcr, tv and recorder is simple.
For the price it's a bargain. Cyberhome recommends that you use Fuji, Sony, memeorex .. dvd+r, dvd+r/w. Make sure you finalize the recorded disk. To play the disk the player must be able to read dvd+r media.

...I wouldn't bother buying a different burner. This is a great unit at a great price, assuming it lasts at least a year. I like this thing so much that it's prompted me to write this as my first hardware review anywhere. After blowing countless hours futzing with computers, video files, pass-through devices, and balky burners, I've found this to be a _tremendous_ time saver.

Key points (in no particular order):
-Solid construction, while being compact and lightweight.
-FOUR inputs !! (firewire, composite in the front, composite with S-Video option in the back, and RF).
-Easy to use menus.
-Many quality settings (1hrs and up per disc).
-Easy titling and ability to leave discs for later finalization.
-Compact remote control.
-Clock display when on standby.
-Chinese-made players like these play nearly ANYTHING. Not picky like the Sony's, Pioneers, etc.

So far, I have no cons to note, just caveats:

-The box indicates the latest BIOS, currently at 540/105N, as well as the model number. At my Best Buy, there was 1600MU and 1600MU1.
-I got the MU and was able to make it region-free.
-A full burn does not necessarily mean a full disc.
-2hr "SQ" recording is "better than VHS" in the manual, but is somewhat disputable and subjective.
-NOT ALL DISCS WORK WELL. NOT EVEN NAME-BRANDS: I wasted several Memorex +R's trying to figure out a problem, only to use generic CompUSA media without a hitch.
-Use Nero CDSpeed to find out the true mfr of the media (that Memorex was Ritek, while the CompUSA was Ricoh, Your mileage will vary).
-When buying media, buy Taiwan or anywhere else, just NOT Chinese made, if at all possible.

(**If you like to do video editing, go out and get Ulead Video Studio 9 and up. It allows you to import the video files from your DVDs!!! No more hard drive thrashing and eating up computer time waiting for transfers to finish!!! Just drag and drop your .VOB files over and you can edit and save at will!!)

**Lastly, a note regarding burners in general:
I have found on 3 totally different burners (computers and the Cyberhome) that occasionally a series of bad burns will happen. What seems to have fixed this for me is to burn ONE TIME onto a +RW. It is almost as though the +RW mode forces the internals to recalibrate. I can't verify the validity of that, but it's a trick that has worked for me on several occasions.

I must admit I was skeptical when I first saw this DVD recorder offered for less than $90, but I figured it was worth the gamble. I purchased the CH-DVR 1600MU1 in December.

Now after using it almost daily for the past three months, I think it was well worth the money. However, I did find some problems which I will explain later.

First the positives -

The recording quality is great. I usually use the SP mode and can record two one hour TV shows (I am a big Law & Order and CSI fan, and on those nights when I can't watch the broadcast, this unit has worked great!). The LP mode is a bit blockly, but I have used it when I need to record more than two hours. The high quality mode is also nice, but I like to record more than one hour of programming per DVD. The below VHS-like quality of the LP mode has discouraged me from trying the other longer recording modes.

Timer works well - The menu does take some getting used to, but it becomes easy to use once you have spent some time figuring it out. (If you do buy one, be sure to keep the manual next to the remote for the first few weeks.) As other reviewers have pointed out, if you can use TiVo, you should be able to use this product without any problems.

Does a good job with DVD+RW media. After I purchased this unit from Best Buy, my next stop was a Staples store where I bought a 10-pack of Staples branded DVD+RW discs on sale. I have recorded, deleted, reformatted and then recorded some many shows on those discs and they show no signs of failing soon. But I have had mixed results with the DVD+R discs. See below.

And what I do not like -

Do not buy this product for your parents! My dad just turned 72 and I know he would have a lot of problems with this unit. The documentation is skimpy, and as I noted above, the menus are confusing at first. I would only recommend this product to people who are somewhat tech savvy, unless you want to get a lot of support calls.

DVD+R burning results have been mixed. I picked up a stack of 100 DVD+R CompUSA-branded dics and was able to make about a dozen DVDs before it started giving me messages about using poor quality media. I tried using Memorex DVD+R discs and those haven't worked either. I just read where another reviewer had a similar problem and was able to fix it by burning a DVD-RW disc and then he was able to burn DVD+R discs again. I will try that myself, and hopefully I can resume burning DVD+R discs.

Remote is too small. Hopefully, your fingers are smaller than mine. This remote is among the tiniest I have encountered and navigating through the menus with these buttons requires some practice and patience. You can probably purchase a larger remote from another manufacturer that might resolve the problem, but Cyberhome should have made this thing larger in the first place!

Conclusion -

So after using the Cyberhome for a few months, I do like it, feel that I have gotten my money's worth, and give it five stars because if you can figure it out, this product does a lot of great things and yet doesn't cost a lot of money.

Still, I don't like the tiny remote and want to find a DVD recorder with a more user-friendly menu system. I have been watching the prices decline for brand name DVD recorders and plan to buy a more expensive unit in the next few months and I will then use the Cyberhome as a second DVD recorder with my Panasonic video camera.

This was my first DVD recorder purchase (from Best Buy) to copy recordings from my DVR. I purchased this as a low cost transition to the DVD recorder universe hoping to eventually copy old video recordings to DVD. I returned it in 28 days. Here's the skinny:

THE UNIT:
Thin, simple. Appears to get warm/hot after 1 disc burn (1 hr, HQ mode).

THE MENUS:
Very cumbersome. Takes up 3/4 of your screen (I have a 32" too) and not very user friendly. I'm a 9-yr techie and I was gritting my teeth on every push of the remote buttons.

DIRECT RECORDING:
[Media: Sony DVD+RW]
First try, not very promising. I had some Sony DVD+RWs handy. Disc error on 5 discs when formatting.

[Media: TDK DVD+RW]
Disc 1 - Recorded an hr of programming (HQ) and it worked. Disc 2 - Recorded another hr (HQ) and worked.
Disc 3 - Disc formatted, and began recording. Failed before the end of the hour.
Discs 4-5 - See Disc 3. Gave up for the day thinking it was just overheated.

Next day, I checked the manual for info.. Nothing. Went to Cyberhome website. Downloaded 3 firmware updates and updated the player as instructed. Tried recording again switched between failing before the end of recording or just would not format the discs.

On website, found out that this player doesn't accept all brands of DVD+RWs (like TDK). Good to know AFTER blowing through 2 different sets of discs.

Media: Sony DVD+RW (purchased new set of discs).
Recordings worked fine after that.. until timer recording.

TIMER RECORDING:
Tried it 3 times, and failed all 3. This was with the working Sony DVD+RWs!

REMOTE CONTROL:
Horrible design. Small remote.. hurt my palm just to grasp it. Buttons were small and layed out in a grid with no obvious grouping by function so it was easy to press wrong buttons. Buttons were spongy and felt like you had to push the button really hard in order for the player to respond.

PLAYBACK:
The very first successful recording... Plays back in the DVD player fine and even played on my computer (using Nero ShowTime) the first time. But not anymore. I did nothing to the disc except store it in a CD wallet in the interim.

OTHER NOTES:
I lost nearly 15 blank DVDs, but the cost is not just in the unusable discs it leaves but also the purchase of the entire spool.

I was ready for a replacement after week 1! I only held onto it for so long to clear up space on my DVR as needed until I replaced it.

Sony was releasing the RDR-GX330 (for $229) a week after I returned the Cyberhome. It's been only a day with the Sony and it not only performed way better, but it showed me what other functionality that the 1600 was lacking.

The Cyberhome box states that on the inside flap of their box, "(paraphrase) before you return the product, to contact their support because there may be a simple fix." Um.. that alone throws up red flags.

I used only DVD+RWs because I was trying to save money by reusing the discs for my desired recordings after testing.

OVERALL:
Do not buy. If you're on a limited budget, try another brand or save up an extra $20 for the next brand up. You'll spend that much anyway on the DVDs you'll probabaly have to replace.

I thought this was great, for the first week or two. Then it stopped working -- basically, it would appear as if the unit had recorded a program, but it would be impossible to play, either on this or on my other DVD player. Since it's within the 30-day window, I'm returning this one and shopping for another.

The Cyberhome DVD 300 player was a bargain and a good region free DVD player. The Cyberhome DVR 1600 is a disappointment. Even though I have used different brand DVD blanks I have only managed to record one DVD without a lock up or an error. And that DVD did not play well in my other DVD players. The unit locks up frequently when burning DVDs and needed to be unplugged to reset. The remote that was clunky on the DVD 300 is extremely awkward on the DVR 1600 and perhaps the most non-intuitive remote ever made. While others have evidently had good experiences with the DVR 1600 I have not. And while a hundred dollars is cheap for a DVD recorder it still is one hundred dollars I wished I spent elsewhere.

has not gone well. I purchased a stand-alone in the first place to make it easier to archive recordings from my Direct TV Tivo (my fourth unit in in as many years, but that's another story). I did not buy it thru Amazon, but I've often used the reviews to get a feel for an item.

The only reason this unit gets 2 stars instead of 1 is that it does occasionally work. That said, my successful DVD to coaster ratio is right around 1:3.

The remote is far to small and has identical rows of same-sized buttons. I'd have programmed the essential buttons into my learning remote, but I think the unit is going back to the store.

You get what U pay for ($99!!).