JVC DRMV5S DVD Recorder/VCR Combo

by JVC

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 20.7 x 18.3 x 7.4 inches ; 15 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 16 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0009F3PZS
• Item model number: DRMV5S
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,794 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The JVC DRMV5S combo DVD recorder/VCR is the ideal choice for preserving your memories from tape to disc. It not only records onto DVD-RAM and DVD-RW/-R formats, it also includes JVC's exclusive VHS Progressive Scan for superior VHS mode playback. Playback formats include DVD Video, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, CD Audio, SVCD, VCD, CD-R/RW, MP3, JPEG digital still, QSVHS and VHS.

It's easy to import your favorite VHS memories to durable DVD disc. Just press and hold the VHS button for two seconds and JVC's exclusive One-Touch Expert Dubbing goes into action. Expert Dubbing automatically creates Thumbnail chapter references at each index point on the tape. Expert dubbing also skips any unwanted blank space on the tape between recordings and selects the optimum bit rate to ensure the best picture quality possible while precisely fitting the whole content on a 4.7GB disc. You also get up to 8 hours of DVD recording time (16 hours using a double sided disc). Watch a DVD while recording a TV program on tape or visa versa. Dub DVD to VCR (non copyrighted material only) and VCR to DVD. You can easily make copies of your favorite home movies using the DV Input from a Firewire equipped camcorder or use the A/V inputs.

The auto record speed optimizer which calculates the total recording time on a VHS tape and then automatically selects the perfect recording speed for dubbing to DVD. The auto blank cut dubbing eliminates blank spaces between recordings on the tape when it is transferred to DVD.

Connection options include:

• Composite AV In/Out: 2 in/2 out (VCR only)
• S-Video In/Out: 2 in/2 out
• Component video (YPbPr) In/Out: 0 in/1 out
• RF In/Out: 1 in/1 out
• DVI In/Out: 1 in/0 out
• Digital coaxial audio In/Out: 0 in/1 out

What's in the Box
Combo VCR/DVD, remote control (with batteries), RF cable, composite AV cable, printed operating instructions

Product Description

The DRMV5S DVD / VCR Recorder Combination allows up to 16 hours of recording time (when using a dual sided disc). In addition to recording in the DVD-RAM and DVD-RW/-R formats, it offers true multi-format compatibility on playback, with the ability to play the DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/-R formats, as well as CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD, JPEG and MP3 files. Other features include 10 bit/54MHz video digital-to-analog (DAC) converter, 192kHz/24 bit audio DAC, quick skip for jumping 30 seconds forward, instant/one-touch replay that replays the last seven seconds, natural reverse playback, and a multi-brand remote control. Connections include iLink; front DV input; front and rear S-Video and composite inputs; component, S-Video and composite outputs; front audio input; and optical, digital coaxial and analog audio outputs. The DRMV5S features JVC's VHS Progressive Scan and a one-touch intelligent dubbing system. The dubbing system includes three new features: auto record speed optimizer – calculates total recording time on VHS tape then automatically selects the most suitable recording speed for dubbing to DVD; auto thumbnail creation ¿ automatically creates video thumbnail chapter references when dubbing to DVD based on the number of recordings on the tape; auto blank-cut dubbing ¿ eliminates blank space between recordings on the tape being dubbed when recording to DVD or HDD. In addition, VHS playback is possible during DVD recording, and DVD playback is possible during VHS recording.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one to buy!, February 5, 2006

By 

Helen Waite "Helen" (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JVC DRMV5S DVD Recorder/VCR Combo (Electronics)

I spent several months researching DVD recorders before deciding to go with the JVC DRMV5S. It is a good thing that I did not completely trust some of the negative reviews or I would have missed out on a great unit. For example, one review complained about the bright blue light. I agree, it is annoying, but it can also be easily turned on and off via an on-screen menu pick. Another review said there was no one-button dubbing. This is not true. To dub a VHS tape to DVD just press and hold the button for 3 seconds. The JVC DRMV5S will automatically calculate the length of the VHS tape and then start recording it to DVD using the optimal settings. Oh, did I mention that you can adjust the total recording time of the DVD in 5 minute increments to maximize the quality of the recording. And yes, the quality of the recordings is outstanding.

I've made numerous DVDs from old VHS tapes without a hitch. I've also used the JVC DRMV5S to save and index shows from my satellite receiver. After finalizing the DVDs they all play perfectly in my other DVD players. In addition, the JVC DRMV5S does a great job of playing all of my commercial DVDs and VHS tapes. I've even found that I can configure the unit to play VHS tapes through the S-video connector which allows me to continue to use my receiver to switch S-video sources.

Bottom line, this is a great unit at a great price. Even so, I suggest that you do your homework before buying any unit. They all have different pluses and minuses. In my case the JVC DRMV5S completely met my needs and I am very satisfied with the purchase. Good luck on your purchase.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great DVD recording quality; user interface is bad, November 28, 2005

By 

UXF (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JVC DRMV5S DVD Recorder/VCR Combo (Electronics)

After almost 3 months with this product, I'm afraid I must reduce it to 2 stars (if Amazon will let me).

The original strength of the machine for me was in its great dubbing quality from VHS to DVD. Alas, after just this short time, I've noticed serious deterioration in this quality. It seems like the connection between the VHS and the DVD parts of the machine is wearing out. If I play a videotape and switch over to the DVD, I notice a change in tint. The DVD recordings now, even in short-play modes around 2-hours, show some pixelation and blocking that were not noticeable when the machine was new.

I should mention one other aspect of this machine that baffles me: When you record a DVD, there's an extensive "Navigation" menu that shows an *animated* thumbnail of the titles recorded on the disk, along with full information about date, time, and length of recording. You can program in a name for your titles and you can even select different thumbnails for your titles.

Well, guess what. After you "finalize" the disk, as you're supposed to do, the thumbnail you've so meticulously programmed disappears! The only thing that shows when you load the finalized disk is a plain blue screen with the name of the title(s) and the date it was recorded. You don't even have the length of the titles.

However, other information about the title, plus all other titles you've ever recorded, (though still not the thumbnail) remain on the *machine* in something called the "library." So now, I guess, you must sort through the library to find info about the disk you just popped in. If you play the disk on another machine, you're out of luck.

Why doesn't information about a disk stay with the disk? I've seen other machines maintain disk information and thumbnails after finalizing, so it couldn't have been some technological limitation. It makes no sense to have the machine retain info about all your previous recordings when that's not the logical place someone would look to get info about the disk they're playing *at the moment.*

Without the superior dubbing quality, the bad outweighs the good with this machine.

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(Original Nov. 28, 2005 review)

Buy this machine if what you need is excellent recording quality for transferring VHS tapes to DVD's. (I'm not sure who else would buy these combo machines.) After trying 3 different brands, I found the DVD's produced by the JVC machine to be so good, it's almost scary. This appears to be the result of superior playback from the VCR deck and superior recording on the DVD burner. On the VCR side, there are manual tracking control (good for crotchety old tapes) and picture and editing enhancement circuits that make my old tapes look better than they have in years. On the DVD side, of particular usefulness is the flexible recording format. If you have 2-1/2 hours of tape to transfer, you no longer have to choose between chopping 1/2 hours from your tape to fit in the 2-hour SP format or jumping to the 4-hour LP format. You can set the machine to record at the 2-1/2 hour level. I have burned DVDs at various recording rates and found the quality to be superb - that is, indistinguishable from the VHS output - at up to the 4-hour format. This is great if, like me, you want to burn more than one movie on a DVD to save space.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to get to these great features or recording quality. For a machine inherently designed for dubbing, there's no 1-step dubbing. It's more like 6 steps: 1. switch set to "VHS"; 2. PLAY tape you want to dub; 3. PAUSE at starting point for transferring; 3. switch set to "DVD"; 4. start DVD recording, which is done by simultaneously pushing TWO buttons on the remote or one button on the unit; 5. immediately press PAUSE; 6. press the DUBBING button, which is ONLY ON THE UNIT, which means you cannot do this with your remote!

Wow, could JVC have designed something more clumsy? And when you STOP the recording on the DVD, as the manual helpfully announces, that DOES NOT STOP the VHS tape, which means that if you want to resume DVD burning (as a new title on the disc), not only do you have to repeat the 6-step ordeal above, you must now also jockey the tape to find where you left off before.

Also, for all the great features JVC included in the VCR, including progressive scan, there is no on-screen display of the deck's status. The only way you can tell what channel the VCR is set to or whether it's rewinding, fast forwarding, or simply dormant is to squint across the room at the tiny display on the unit, while you're blinded by the decorative blue light on the panel. (Which light can in theory be turned off or dimmed. But try to figure out how.) The manual tracking feature is also operable only on the unit. JVC seems to think we will be sitting 6 inches from this machine.

The DVD side does have on-screen status display (you guess which button on the remote does this: "MENU," "DISPLAY," or "ON SCREEN"?) which allows for fairly advanced controls, e.g., jumping to a specific time-mark on the disc, but instead of displaying real language, what you get are cryptic icons.

It is sad that this product's great technical ability has to be saddled with such numb-skulled product design and user interface.
All this means that you must keep the manual handy and well-flagged. And of course, the manual is as poorly written and organized as you think.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pain in the butt!, November 22, 2005

By 

KS62 (Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: JVC DRMV5S DVD Recorder/VCR Combo (Electronics)

I purchased this item through QVC and sent it back. Have 2 DVD/VCR combos and was able to hook up and learn how to run them with out too much difficulty. The unit was properly hook up and would not connect. To say the manual is confusing is an understatement. I would not recommend this product to anyone.