Customer Reviews

Humax DRT800 DVD-R/RW Recorder/TiVo Series2 DVR Combo

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I don't want to go through all of Tivo's features, but they really are amazing, and aren't over hyped at all. This Humax unit has all of those features, plus a DVD-RW drive perfectly integrated into the rest of the Tivo interface. Burning a DVD is as easy as sticking a disk in the drive and selecting from a list which shows you want to transfer to DVD. Every show has a percent listed after the name, indicating how much of a DVD the show will fill up, and the top of the screen indicates how much space is left on the disc. There are no editing features on this, or any other Tivo based DVD-Recorder. If you pick a show to copy to DVD, it copies all of it.

While the disc is burning, the unit can still record another show and playback any show (except for any show being written to the disc).

I'm not 100% sure I like the image quality on this unit as much as on a standalone Tivo. I think it's slightly different, as the format it's writing has to be compatible with DVD players (obviously), whereas the "normal" Tivo format could be slightly more tweaked.

The remote is a slightly improved version of the normal Tivo "peanut" remote. The thumbs up/down buttons have been shrunk slightly (makes sense), and a few things have been slightly altered to allow for the new features this unit has.

Oh, I guess it's worth mentioning that ALL Tivo units don't really give as much recording time as they say on the box. This is an "80 hour" unit, which really means 80 hours at the "Basic" quality level, which is pretty poor (might be useable for news shows, stuff like Charlie Rose, etc., but it's not good enough for anything with much movement). Above that is "Medium" quality which gives about 55 hours recording time, and is also pretty bad. "High" quality gives about 27 hours, and is significantly better, as is "Best", which yields only 18 hours. Of course you can set up different shows to use different qualities-mix and match on both the hard drive and on DVDs, though you'll probably use "High" for most shows.

Pros:
*EXCELLENT interface, both for watching/recording TV shows, and for burning them to TV. I'm almost 100% certain there's nothing on the market that's easier to use. Unlike other DVD recorders or PVRs, this unit (and Tivo units in general) explain what's going on, and what different options mean IN ENGLISH, on your TV.

*The front screen displays the time if you want it (normal Tivos don't), and tells you what percent of the DVD has been burned if you're recording one.

*While you're burning a DVD the unit continues to record any scheduled shows, and you can watch any previously recorded shows. So the unit can actually be doing three things at once, all with no effort from the user-recording to DVD, recording a show from TV, and playing back a show. (The exception being you can't watch a show while it's being recorded to DVD).

Cons:
*This Humax, like *ALL* Tivo and ReplayTV units runs 24 hours a day. There's no true "off" or standby mode. Although it's quiet, this could be an issue if you plan to put it (or any Tivo/Replay unit) in a bedroom.

*Image quality appears to be different, possibly worse than stand alone Tivo units-probably to facilitate compatibility with other DVD players. I'm not even sure if I like it as well as the Sony VCR I bought this to replace.

*DVD-RW drive can use DVD-RW 4x media, but it only records to them at around 1x. That means that a full disc takes a little under an hour to burn. (But keep in mind that at "High" quality, you can fit 2 hours on a DVD, and it only takes >30 minutes to record an hour show-at "Medium" quality you can fit 4 hours, and it takes a little under 15 minutes for an hour show, etc.). Also bear in mind that you can continue using the unit for almost anything else while it's burning the DVD (a lot of competing products tie up the unit while they're burning a DVD)

We've owned one of these for a few weeks now and love it! We already had TiVo but decided that being able to record DVDs was worth getting this machine.

At medium quality you get four hours' worth of shows on one disc. Other settings give you more or less disc space accordingly. When TiVo burns a disc it creates a DVD menu for all the shows on the disc. It allows you to burn the shows in the order you want and name the DVD as well.

Speed of burning depends on the speed rating on the disc; R/W discs take twice as long as R in our trials. The quality of the DVD recording reflects the quality the show was recorded at, so if you record at basic then that's what you'll get on the DVD as well (so don't be surprised if the DVD you burn is not "DVD quality" -- it's just a storage medium reflecting the TiVo recording quality).

You can mix quality-level ratings on one DVD, and the manual says that shows needing more than one disc will be automatically created to span DVDs if necessary (although we have not tried this capability yet).

The DVDs we've burned played fine on both Windows and Macintosh computers as well as a Sony portable DVD player.

When watching a DVD with this machine, all the regular TiVo remote buttons perform the same, including the 8-second back-jump, which is great for catching a line or two of dialog just missed.

No drawbacks found so far. Highly recommended.

I've owned an 80hr Series2 Tivo for years and just picked up the DRT800 shortly after it got released this past fall. I've never heard of Humax prior to owning this unit, but so far I've been quite happy with it.

Overall, when considering this unit, I think it depends on what you're looking for primarily: a Tivo or a DVD-recorder.

If you're primarily looking for a Tivo and would like the "added bonus" and convenience of a built-in DVD-recorder, the DRT800 is fantastic! It's everything everyone loves about Tivo, plus it makes it easy and convenient to dump your programs to DVD.

However, if your first priority is getting a DVD-recorder, and Tivo features are secondary, you might want to look at some stand-alone DVD-recorders. Or at the very least, weigh your decision a bit more carefully. The DRT800 (and the same probably goes for any Tivo with an integrated DVD-recorder) lacks some basic editing features for your programs, which might make a stand-alone a more suitable option for you.

Differences from a Series2 Tivo:
- external display
The DRT800 features an external display. When playing a DVD, it displays the typical chapter and time information. When burning a DVD, it displays the percentage completed. Otherwise, it displays a clock. You can choose to make the display, dim, bright, or just turn it off.

- DVD control buttons
Below the display are chapter skip, stop, play, etc buttons found on typical stand-alone DVD Players. These only control the DVD functions and do not control the Tivo software. Which brings me to the next cool addition...

- front-mounted joystick
This is probably one of the neatest additions! Although, granted, I don't use this a whole lot, it's always irked me that normal Tivos don't have any buttons of any sort on the actual unit. This basically means that your ability to control the Tivo is entirely dependent on the remote control. But woe be the day that you misplace it, lose it, or break it (although you can always order a new one). The joystick is the equivalent of the directional control on the Tivo remote, and pressing the joystick inward acts as the Select button, giving you full control of the Tivo from the units front panel.

- Composite Video Outputs & SPDIF Digital Audio Output
My previous Series2 Tivo didn't come with these and I don't know if regular Tivos come with them now, but these are clearly a must for any DVD Player. If your TV and/or receiver doesn't support these, you still have the standard A/V outputs at your disposal.

- A/V, S-Video, & Firewire inputs
Hidden behind a drop-down panel are a set of front-mounted A/V, S-Video, and Firewire inputs with a second set of A/V & S-Video inputs located on the rear panel. These allow you to record from external devices (such as a Camcorder or VCR) onto your Tivo, which can then be burnt to DVD. This makes it perfect for digitizing old tapes and home movies or any other type of unprotected media. The Tivo allows you to assign a Title to the incoming recording. However, you cannot add a program description, which would have been nice.

- DVD functions
This is probably the section you have the most questions on.

DVD interface:
A new "DVD" menu item now appears underneath the "Watch Live TV" option in the main menu. The on-screen display of this menu item changes, depending on what (if any) media is inserted into the disc tray. When you insert any disc into the tray, it is immediately scanned by the Tivo and the display is changed to DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD, Audio CD or whatever appropriate format. Within the DVD menu selection, you will find appropriate play/record options.

Playing Disc Media:
The DRT800 supports DVD, VCD, CD, Photo CD, and MP3 CD. So far, I've played DVDs, VCDs, and standard redbook audio CDs with no issues. I haven't had the chance to try out any other formats yet. Playing DVDs and VCDs will look and feel exactly like watching any Tivo recorded program, with all the same playback features. My only main issue I have with playing Audio CDs is that, even if your Tivo is hooked up to your broadband connection, there is no attempt made to do a CDDB lookup to get track and artist information for the CD you're playing. Therefore, when you play an Audio CD, each the tracks will appear as "Track1", "Track2", etc and no information for artist or album title. This is a rather big disappointment.

Recording to DVD:
The only type of recordable media the DRT800 supports is DVD-R and DVD-RW.

A "Save to DVD or VCR" option conveniently appears in the information view of every recorded program on your Tivo, but you can also access recording features via the DVD option in the main menu. Prior to burning the DVD, you can select and order your programs and also add a title for your DVD. When you finally burn your DVD, the software will add a menu interface which looks almost identical to the regular Tivo interface.

Burn speed is pretty slow at 1x, but the upside is that while it's writing your DVD, you can continue using your Tivo for watching other pre-recorded programs. However, you cannot watch the program that is currently being recorded.

DVD capacity depends on the recording quality used for the original Tivo recording:
1 hr - Best Quality
2 hr - High Quality
4 hr - Medium Quality
6 hr - Basic Quality

This is basically the territory where you might not be too happy if you're looking for a good DVD recorder.

Negatives:
- No program editing!
You can only burn the Tivo programs AS-IS. That means that you can't edit out commercials or any unwanted footage.

- No resampling or re-encoding of program quality
I pretty much record everything at "High Quality". What that means, however, is that if I record a program on my Tivo that happens to be 2.5 hours, I would not be able to burn it onto DVD, because at that quality setting, the max capacity is 2 hours. It would be nice if the option were available to downsample a program to make it fit onto a DVD, albeit at a lower quality. Coupled with the inability to edit out unwanted footage like commercials (which might have made a 2.5hr program fit into 2hrs), this severely limits the DVD burning feature.

and for people with Home Media Option:
- Can't burn programs recorded on another Tivo
Home Media Option (available at an additional cost) allows you to transfer programs from one Tivo to another. However, the DRT800 cannot burn programs created on another Tivo. This is apparently an encoding issue.

Other than that, the Tivo offers pretty much the same great features as all other Series2 Tivos. The peanut-shaped remote control layout is identical, but some of the buttons have been repurposed for DVD-related functions. If you connect your Tivo to your home network, you can look at pictures on your PC or stream MP3s from your PC.

Problem-wise, I did have one crash during the first week. While burning a DVD, the unit froze up and I had to unplug its power to start it back up again. But I haven't had any other problems during the months after.

If you do get this (or any other Tivo) and you have a broadband internet connection at home, I highly suggest getting a USB network adapter for your Tivo. I use a Linksys USB200M. Tivos are pretty finicky about which adapters they work with so make sure you check the tivo site if you decide to get a different brand. By default, Tivo uses a dial-up modem connection, but if you have a broadband connection, you may as well take advantage of it.

As a basic roundup:

PROS:
1) It's a Tivo!
Everyone says it and everyone's right: You gotta get a Tivo.
Once you get it, you'll never be able to live without it. :)
2) Convenient DVD-burning/playing
3) Easy recording from external sources
Easily record home movies onto your Tivo or DVD
4) Front-mounted control

CONS:
1) Hard Drive is LOUD!
This is definitely my biggest shocker. I don't know if it's just my unit, but this thing grinds like no other. My other Series2 was never this loud.
2) Limited DVD-recording features
I'm gonna guess it's by design, but the DRT800's greatest feature (DVD recording) is also its greatest weakness. The inability to edit out commercials (or at the very least resample your programs to make them fit onto disc) probably will ward off a lot of potential buyers.
3) Only comes in 80hr version
You can never have enough space and I wish this unit came with a bigger drive option.


Basically, it comes down to my earlier comment regarding what your first priority is. The DRT800's DVD-recording features aren't the greatest by far, but it's the a great extension to the already-awesome features of Tivo.

Personally, the DRT800 suits my needs perfectly. I don't record a lot of DVDs, but when I do, I appreciate the convenience. If the unit had a multi-disc changer, I would let it replace my current DVD player at the drop of a hat. Overall, I'm completely satisfied and don't regret buying it for a second.

I was reluctant to switch to this from my beloved Tivo-only unit after reading the reviews saying it has poor image quality and is quite noisy. I bought it anyway and I'm very glad I did. It is SLIGHTLY louder than my original Tivo, but it isn't obtrusive and I sleep in the same room. After the first few hours I ceased to notice the difference. As for image quality, it's absolutely fine. I have a nine year old television with a 32 inch screen and all the reviews led me to believe that I'd be sacrificing image quality to upgrade. It's as good or better than my original Tivo. No problems at all. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because the case had dark fingerprints on it and the plastic on the front was a little scratched--as if it isn't new, though it supposedly is. But, it works perfectly and since I don't spend time looking at it... Anyway, if you're worried about noise or image quality after reading some of the other (way too long) reviews, don't be, it's fine. Oh, and recording onto disk is easy. And no, it doesn't take as long to record as it does to watch the show! (People have the pettiest complaints.) I recorded West Wing on it last night, best quality, and it was done in twenty-five minutes, all while I watched something else.

I bought my DVR 800 in November. The Tivo service is awesome but the Humax Box is terrible. There was a problem with the IR Sensor on the DVR. I had to push the remote control buttons several (10+) times before it made a connection. I called Humax, the customer service rep. said they are having problems with the IR sensor. She asked me if I had the latest software version on my machine...I did. So she sent me a new remote control. The remote was not the problem. I called back and they sent me a replacement (new or used) DVR800.

The problem still exists. With the replacement unit - I have to press at least 5 times and I have to be physically close to the unit. It's very frustrating. I should not have to press the remote buttons more than twice to initiate a command.

I bought a 40hr Tivo unit for a relative and it works great. So I know it's not the Tivo service or the remote control.

The Hard Drive and the DVD "recorder" works great - I was able to burn movies on a DVD and record shows with no problem. It's just that the unit does not pick up the remote control signal easily.

Not sure what I am going to do.

I've had this unit for a couple of weeks now, and it works as advertised. TiVo service is great, the interface is great, and the DVD burning of stored shows is great, too.

My biggest disappointment is the picture quality of the live programming. I'm using cable (granted - not the cleanest source) and the picture is dark and grainy. The same cable run through my JVC SVHS VCR or eight-year-old JVC 32" TV is noticeably better. It's as if the tuner in this TiVo isn't as good. Either that, or the conversion of an analog signal over to digital causes your picture to deteriorate. However, another TiVo Series 2 box that this unit replaced produced a better picture than this HUMAX.

Overall, this is a great concept, and has allowed me to turn three components (DVD player, TiVo box, and DVD recorder) into one unit - saving me space. However, considering the price, you'd hope that a regular TV picture, something this unit spends most of its time presenting, would be better.

I have just received my third unit in 2 months and hoping that I don't have a problem with this unit. Let me state that I love Tivo and it could not be any eaisier to use. I bought this unit because I liked the idea of recording something and saving it to dvd to take with us on the weekends.

My first unit within 2 weeks started making loud noises like there was a cd stuck in it and live tv was freezing up and the front lights kept blinking. The unit was $300.00 new and Humax put a hold on my credit card for $400. and sent a refurbished unit (that was a year old). Within a couple of weeks the new/used unit was freezing up on recorded shows. So here again, I just hooked up the replacement and hoping for the best. I wish I would of asked if they would just give me a refund but I have a feeling they wouldn't since I purchased it through another outlet.

I do have to say that the features for recording recorded shows to dvd is very easy and the worst of the technology challenged can work this machine.

But, knowing what I know now, I would just go with the Tivo unit and not worry about this piece of crap.

BTW, the quality is not too good, Tivo was definitely better, but I am not one of those people that need to see every detail but it is noticably different.

If you buy this product, you're rolling the dice. If you lose, as I did, you'll join a community of miserable Humax customers whose only consolation is the satisfaction of commiserating with each other on web forums.

Problem sounds innocuous enough: remote control seems sluggish, unresponsive and quirky. But it seriously compromises one of the key features of the DVR - many customers' primary reason for purchasing it: controlling playback via FF, pause, rewind.

Sad to say, users seem to have a better grasp of the cause of the problem than the manufacturer does. May be a heat-related problem involving the IR sensor. Humax blames it on Tivo's software - however, that's implausible on its face, as the problem doesn't afflict all units. Tivo accepts no responsibility. Hence, the "roll of the dice." Are you feeling lucky?

You don't have to take my word for it. Check out hundreds of posts at http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/forums/displaysinglethread?rootPostID=10189479 .

Still interested in the product? Then, welcome to our world! Misery loves company.

I was VERY sad (read upset) to discover that it is not possible to copy programs from regular Series 2 TiVos to the DRT800 and then save them to a DVD due to format differences. This was the only reason I purchased a third TiVo (Humax) system.

Also, direct customer service from both Humax and TiVo are weak as they bury their direct email addresses as to deter you from contacting them directly and calling the support number means a long wait on hold. However, they both have a lot of good information online, but it is time consuming to weed through the wealth of information. TiVo should be lucky that its followers have established their own online TiVo Community to help each other out; few businesses have the benefit of letting someone oversee their support for free.

Just wanted to second the comments made concerning the quality of the image as well as the machine malfunctioning. We purchased the TIVO DRT800 at the beginning of January and immediately noticed picture quality issues. Sometime in early February the machine started to skip/generally malfunction and by mid-February just plain didn't work. As others mentioned after 2 hours on the phone with Humax we were forced to put a $500 deposit down to receive a new machine until we shipped ours back. We returned the broken one in the last couple days and are hoping that the deposit is refunded without issue or more time spent on the phone with Humax.

Keeping our fingers crossed that machine #2 does not malfunction as well!!