Frequently Bought Together
Product Specifications
Brand NameFunai
Color NameBlack
Number of Component OutputsHDMI
Technical Details
- Dolby Digital Stream Out
- HDMI Output
- 1080p Up Conversion
- Records up to 620hrs onto 500GB HDD
- Provides 4-way dubbing (HDD to DVD, DVD to HDD, DV to HDD, DV to DVD)
Product Details
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Product Description
This versatile Magnavox 500GB HDD/DVD recorder lets you watch live TV, fast forward, rewind or freeze while recording. Dolby Digital Stream Out, HDMI Output,1080p Up-Conversion, Records up to 620hrs onto 500GB HDD, Provides 4-way dubbing (HDD to DVD, DVD to HDD, DV to HDD, DV to DVD). 1 Month 36 Programming
Available Warranties or Services for This Item
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
200 of 203 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Tired of paying almost $200 per month to my cable company, I decided to ditch one of my DVR's and replace it with an HDD DVD burner with digital tuner. After all, some programs deserve to be burned to DVD and kept "forever" rather than being recorded to a hard drive on a DVR unit that will eventually fail or be turned in. I purchased the Magnavox MDR515H from Amazon after visiting two local Best Buy stores. Neither carried any DVD burners. Bottom line, the popularity of these units is nowhere near VCR levels.
I selected this item over the less expensive Magnavox MDR513H because this is a newer model and I figured Magnavox (Funai) addressed any issues they may have had with the MDR513H.
After receiving the item, I set it up, auto programmed the channels, and learned the basic features in little time. This unit works and functions great, and it's fairly easy to use - especially if you've owned a DVD burner previously. Basically, it's a DVR with a DVD burner and a 500 gigabyte hard disk drive (records up to 620 hours). In fact, the video quality is comparable to and the audio quality better than the DVR it replaced. NOTE: always use an HDMI cable to get true video quality.
I'm very happy with this unit. Unfortunately, if we (the public) don't buy enough DVD burners, the market may continue to dwindle and we will have squashed the best defense against high cable bills.
I selected this item over the less expensive Magnavox MDR513H because this is a newer model and I figured Magnavox (Funai) addressed any issues they may have had with the MDR513H.
After receiving the item, I set it up, auto programmed the channels, and learned the basic features in little time. This unit works and functions great, and it's fairly easy to use - especially if you've owned a DVD burner previously. Basically, it's a DVR with a DVD burner and a 500 gigabyte hard disk drive (records up to 620 hours). In fact, the video quality is comparable to and the audio quality better than the DVR it replaced. NOTE: always use an HDMI cable to get true video quality.
I'm very happy with this unit. Unfortunately, if we (the public) don't buy enough DVD burners, the market may continue to dwindle and we will have squashed the best defense against high cable bills.
340 of 351 people found the following review helpful
I have a Toshiba HDD recorder and was looking for another one at ebay. After bidding on several of them and losing because the bids went too high I learned of the Magnavox. I originally considered the 513 because it was cheaper and its 320 GB was large enough for me. Then I found out that the 515 is not just a larger hard drive, but has an improved remote and saves your settings for an hour in case of a power failure, unlike the 60 seconds of the 513. Now that I have this one I like it better than my Toshiba. Toshiba has chapter mute which allows you to instantly skip commercials, that the Magnavox does not, but in almost every other way the Magnavox is more convenient to use. Besides that, I made too many mistakes watching football with the instant skip and jump too far ahead when there was no clear mute between commercial and program. If I am recording a program with the Magnavox and want to start watching from the beginning all I have to do is press the play button and it immediately starts playing from the beginning and turns on the TV and receiver at the same time with Fun-link enabled on the Magnavox. (Note: This will only work with a TV that has the CEC function, which also must be enabled. My Samsung TV requires a high speed HDMI cable, minimum 1.4.) With the Toshiba I had to press time slip and reverse search to get to the beginning. This is so much simpler and no more frustrating mistakes like sometimes happened with the Toshiba. If you wanted to stop a timer recording with the Toshiba you had to get up and press stop two times on the the base unit. That prevents you from accidentally stopping a recording. Magnavox does it by pressing stop twice on the remote, much simpler. I needed my reading glasses to find the stop button on the Toshiba. You can program two consecutive programs with just a 2 second gap; a 1 minute gap on the Toshiba. This also has 1.4 HDMI, which is important in connecting to my new 3D TV. It also links to my TV, so if I turn on the recorder it also turns on my TV and selects the correct input and audio source. It also has a digital tuner so I have connected my old antenna to it as well as my fiber optic TV. I can't fine tune the picture like I could with the Toshiba, but my TV lets me adjust the video settings for every input and saves the settings.
I am so glad I wasn't able to buy an old Toshiba at ebay. You would have to pay almost as much for a used Toshiba (and my first one failed after six years) as you do for a new Magnavox. The bonus for me is that the Magnavox suits my needs much better and the black unit looks better in my setup because everything else is black.
There is a more complete review and explanation of functions at AVS Forum (see link in latest comments).
***
I have read a few of the other reviews here. The ones that interested me most were the one star reviews. Most of these are from people who have returned more than one unit. Those reviews plus the similar complaints in the comments on them emphasize that this DVR can be difficult for some to set up. The big problem is that the manual is confusing, and even wrong in places. I am pretty sure there can't be that many bad units, just wrong setups. The best way to set up properly is to visit AVS Forum for Magnavox 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575. You will find it more helpful than the manual. The most common problems are freezing or no power, solved with a soft reset--not in the manual and customer service is seemingly unaware of it. And save yourself more problems by setting auto clock to off. Most people have gotten it to work for them and you probably can too if you are patient. The first problem I had was getting a picture, solved by setting the correct input in the menu. Early on I also had a power problem, but fixed it as soon as I checked the details for soft reset at AVS Forum. I am glad I stayed with it. After using every day for four months I have yet to have a recording failure. I love it.
***
Update: My unit went unresponsive after five months. After trying a couple of things that didn't work I changed the batteries in the remote. That was the problem. I wasn't expecting the batteries to go bad so soon. The batteries would be the first thing to change if your unit is unresponsive. The OEM's don't last very long, so you may as well change them.
***
Update 9-14-11
There are some people who give it a negative review. However, there are far more positive reviews than negative, with most of them five stars. That tells me that it is working well for most people. I understand the frustration of the people who have had a bad experience. It won't work if not correctly set up and discovering how to do that is not as easy as it should be. That is why I gave it just four stars. As far as satisfaction goes, consider me five stars. I love it. If you like to time shift and want to to skip commercials this is the unit for you, and no monthly fee. On average skipping commercials will save you 18 minutes out of every hour, an hour and a half for an NFL game. I cannot emphasize enough the value of visiting AVS Forum and using the suggestions there instead of the unhelpful manual.
***
Amazon strips the link to AVS Forum in reviews, but allows it in comments, so I added the link in the latest comments.
***
Judging from the number of Amazon verified purchases in the reviews, many are buying this unit here instead of the big box store where it is easier to return and listed for $50 less (but allow for the sales tax). From that it is apparent that not many are researching it before buying. If people looked it up at AVS Forum, as I suggest, they could learn beforehand if this is the unit for them and where the best prices are. For the Firefox browser I suggest the add-on Invisible Hand, which searches for better prices in the background. Most of the time Amazon has the best price, but not always. I would even consider a refurb. In my opinion there was nothing wrong with those refurbs in the first place. Some users have returned two units, and the odds against getting two consecutive bad ones are high, more likely the same mistake twice. There are some quirks that aren't solved by the manual. For those you need the advice at AVS Forum. Some have returned theirs just because the dvd tray wouldn't open. It won't work until you have set up the menu.
***
This review is already way too long, but I need to add a few words. For over the air it's a no-brainer. Buy it. For cable customers I need to add some caveats. From another recent review it has been pointed out that the tuner can't access all of the cable channels since the Funai's technology is not up to date with the latest cable technology. Also, a big disadvantage for some is the inability to record in high def, which the DVR rented from your cable company will record. The Funai will record them, but it won't be high def. I have to say, however, the recordings I make look a lot like high def to me. I get around the inability to access all of the cable channels by inputting the cable box to L1 of the DVR and using the cable remote to tune. To watch another program while recording or to use PIP I run a line from my second cable box back to my old DVR/VHS player and input that to my TV and tune with an IR relay. I have the relay sender in a position that doesn't affect the tuner in the same room.
Programming does require an extra step, but most of my recordings are repeats, so I only have to set them up once. Program the cable box to autotune and then program the DVR. I have to look at the cable program guide anyway, so it just takes a few more seconds to schedule the program while I am in the program guide. After that I program the DVR. Not as convenient as the cable company's DVR, but not that hard either.
I think the big thing for most to consider is being able to record in high def plus the convenience of the cable DVR. Against that balance the large size of this hard drive against the small size of the cable DVR and how much more closely you'd have to monitor how much was stored, plus being able to archive on dvd with this unit. Also to consider is the cost break even point of buying over renting. If convenience and high def outweigh the large capacity and cost, this probably isn't the DVR for you.
Still not sure? Get it at wal mart and take it back if it doesn't suit you. No questions asked. Their employees don't care; not their money.
***
News flash: a recent Amazon purchaser disclosed that when his unit arrived there was an invoice from walmart inside, for $50 less than he paid Bargain Buddy. You have to figure in the sales tax, but it appears this vendor is merely ordering it for you from walmart.
***
Update 1/5/2012
Currently selling for $410 here. Way too much. A refurb at j&r for $199 looks very good. If you don't trust a refurb, a new MDR513 is a good buy for $198 at walmart. The 513 will do everything this will do, but smaller 320 GB hard drive. My Toshiba dvr has only 160 GB hard drive and it was enough capacity for me.
***
Update 1/16/2012
Back in stock online at walmart for $248.
***
Update 1/26/2012
Again out of stock at walmart. It seems that retailers are buying up walmart's stock and reselling them here at a greatly inflated price. Funai will stop manufacturing this recorder at the end of the first quarter and do not intend to offer a new model. After that your only other choices besides the exorbitant prices charged here will be refurbs, used ones, or the similar 513 model. Refurbs for the 515 have become increasingly hard to find, and the price is going up on those too. Read more ›
I am so glad I wasn't able to buy an old Toshiba at ebay. You would have to pay almost as much for a used Toshiba (and my first one failed after six years) as you do for a new Magnavox. The bonus for me is that the Magnavox suits my needs much better and the black unit looks better in my setup because everything else is black.
There is a more complete review and explanation of functions at AVS Forum (see link in latest comments).
***
I have read a few of the other reviews here. The ones that interested me most were the one star reviews. Most of these are from people who have returned more than one unit. Those reviews plus the similar complaints in the comments on them emphasize that this DVR can be difficult for some to set up. The big problem is that the manual is confusing, and even wrong in places. I am pretty sure there can't be that many bad units, just wrong setups. The best way to set up properly is to visit AVS Forum for Magnavox 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575. You will find it more helpful than the manual. The most common problems are freezing or no power, solved with a soft reset--not in the manual and customer service is seemingly unaware of it. And save yourself more problems by setting auto clock to off. Most people have gotten it to work for them and you probably can too if you are patient. The first problem I had was getting a picture, solved by setting the correct input in the menu. Early on I also had a power problem, but fixed it as soon as I checked the details for soft reset at AVS Forum. I am glad I stayed with it. After using every day for four months I have yet to have a recording failure. I love it.
***
Update: My unit went unresponsive after five months. After trying a couple of things that didn't work I changed the batteries in the remote. That was the problem. I wasn't expecting the batteries to go bad so soon. The batteries would be the first thing to change if your unit is unresponsive. The OEM's don't last very long, so you may as well change them.
***
Update 9-14-11
There are some people who give it a negative review. However, there are far more positive reviews than negative, with most of them five stars. That tells me that it is working well for most people. I understand the frustration of the people who have had a bad experience. It won't work if not correctly set up and discovering how to do that is not as easy as it should be. That is why I gave it just four stars. As far as satisfaction goes, consider me five stars. I love it. If you like to time shift and want to to skip commercials this is the unit for you, and no monthly fee. On average skipping commercials will save you 18 minutes out of every hour, an hour and a half for an NFL game. I cannot emphasize enough the value of visiting AVS Forum and using the suggestions there instead of the unhelpful manual.
***
Amazon strips the link to AVS Forum in reviews, but allows it in comments, so I added the link in the latest comments.
***
Judging from the number of Amazon verified purchases in the reviews, many are buying this unit here instead of the big box store where it is easier to return and listed for $50 less (but allow for the sales tax). From that it is apparent that not many are researching it before buying. If people looked it up at AVS Forum, as I suggest, they could learn beforehand if this is the unit for them and where the best prices are. For the Firefox browser I suggest the add-on Invisible Hand, which searches for better prices in the background. Most of the time Amazon has the best price, but not always. I would even consider a refurb. In my opinion there was nothing wrong with those refurbs in the first place. Some users have returned two units, and the odds against getting two consecutive bad ones are high, more likely the same mistake twice. There are some quirks that aren't solved by the manual. For those you need the advice at AVS Forum. Some have returned theirs just because the dvd tray wouldn't open. It won't work until you have set up the menu.
***
This review is already way too long, but I need to add a few words. For over the air it's a no-brainer. Buy it. For cable customers I need to add some caveats. From another recent review it has been pointed out that the tuner can't access all of the cable channels since the Funai's technology is not up to date with the latest cable technology. Also, a big disadvantage for some is the inability to record in high def, which the DVR rented from your cable company will record. The Funai will record them, but it won't be high def. I have to say, however, the recordings I make look a lot like high def to me. I get around the inability to access all of the cable channels by inputting the cable box to L1 of the DVR and using the cable remote to tune. To watch another program while recording or to use PIP I run a line from my second cable box back to my old DVR/VHS player and input that to my TV and tune with an IR relay. I have the relay sender in a position that doesn't affect the tuner in the same room.
Programming does require an extra step, but most of my recordings are repeats, so I only have to set them up once. Program the cable box to autotune and then program the DVR. I have to look at the cable program guide anyway, so it just takes a few more seconds to schedule the program while I am in the program guide. After that I program the DVR. Not as convenient as the cable company's DVR, but not that hard either.
I think the big thing for most to consider is being able to record in high def plus the convenience of the cable DVR. Against that balance the large size of this hard drive against the small size of the cable DVR and how much more closely you'd have to monitor how much was stored, plus being able to archive on dvd with this unit. Also to consider is the cost break even point of buying over renting. If convenience and high def outweigh the large capacity and cost, this probably isn't the DVR for you.
Still not sure? Get it at wal mart and take it back if it doesn't suit you. No questions asked. Their employees don't care; not their money.
***
News flash: a recent Amazon purchaser disclosed that when his unit arrived there was an invoice from walmart inside, for $50 less than he paid Bargain Buddy. You have to figure in the sales tax, but it appears this vendor is merely ordering it for you from walmart.
***
Update 1/5/2012
Currently selling for $410 here. Way too much. A refurb at j&r for $199 looks very good. If you don't trust a refurb, a new MDR513 is a good buy for $198 at walmart. The 513 will do everything this will do, but smaller 320 GB hard drive. My Toshiba dvr has only 160 GB hard drive and it was enough capacity for me.
***
Update 1/16/2012
Back in stock online at walmart for $248.
***
Update 1/26/2012
Again out of stock at walmart. It seems that retailers are buying up walmart's stock and reselling them here at a greatly inflated price. Funai will stop manufacturing this recorder at the end of the first quarter and do not intend to offer a new model. After that your only other choices besides the exorbitant prices charged here will be refurbs, used ones, or the similar 513 model. Refurbs for the 515 have become increasingly hard to find, and the price is going up on those too. Read more ›
118 of 120 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This recorder fits my needs perfectly and was exactly what I was looking for. I refuse to accept the business models of Tivo or the Satellite/cable company policy of renting these devices and paying a monthly fee. You can't own them outright! The Moxi is simply too expensive. I had this device hooked up in minutes and was recording to both DVD and the HDD in no time. The picture quality to HDD is excellent. It isn't HD but Standard Definition (SD) but I'm not using this machine to archive collectables. Just time record, watch once then erase. There are many options to connecting this device depending on your situation, i.e cable but no cable box, antennea only, satellite/cable box, etc... In my situation I simply had this unit connected to my Elite Pioneer AV receiver via the RCA audio/video input/outputs. I use an HDMI cable for playback to achieve the upconversion to 1080p. My Cox Digital Cable box is connected to my AV receiver. Note there is no HDMI Input. This is not an oversight from Magnavox. No DVD recorder or DVR device sold in the US can have an HDMI input.
To those who connect these type of devices to AV Receivers with DTS digital audio decoders, note that for DVD playback this unit will not stream DTS, if the DVD has such encoding. Not an issue for me since also have a blu ray player that can do this. Probably not an issue with most anyone who would read this but I thought I would mention it.
Update 06/28/2011 -
I've been recording extensively on this machine, both to HDD and DVD for over two months now with no problems. I absolutely love it! I just bought a second machine from Amazon before these units become too hard to find.
Sadly, the era of DVD recording (or even HDD) with decks like these is coming to an end soon from my observation. Fewer and fewer manufacturers are making DVD recording decks anymore, though admittedly the HDD variety were always few in number. About the only choices consumers will have soon is TiVo with subscription, renting DVR's from your cable/satellite provider or the very expensive Moxi if it survives.
02/12/2012 - As I predicted, the availibilty of these products have just about hit sunset. As for this product, it looks like vendor resellers have started to corner the market and jacked up the price to outrageous levels. The historical option for consummers owning their own devices to do thier own recording to physical media (even if in SD) in the US will end. The only option left will be to "rent" DVR's from your cable/satelite provider or buy a TiVo with subscribtion. Blame the Motion Picture Industry and the cable/satelite providers responsibile for much of this disappearing market. Fewer choices, consummers lose! Don't quite understand the paranoid attitude of this industry since you could only record in standard definition as none of these devices had HDMI or component inputs! See [...]
To those who connect these type of devices to AV Receivers with DTS digital audio decoders, note that for DVD playback this unit will not stream DTS, if the DVD has such encoding. Not an issue for me since also have a blu ray player that can do this. Probably not an issue with most anyone who would read this but I thought I would mention it.
Update 06/28/2011 -
I've been recording extensively on this machine, both to HDD and DVD for over two months now with no problems. I absolutely love it! I just bought a second machine from Amazon before these units become too hard to find.
Sadly, the era of DVD recording (or even HDD) with decks like these is coming to an end soon from my observation. Fewer and fewer manufacturers are making DVD recording decks anymore, though admittedly the HDD variety were always few in number. About the only choices consumers will have soon is TiVo with subscription, renting DVR's from your cable/satellite provider or the very expensive Moxi if it survives.
02/12/2012 - As I predicted, the availibilty of these products have just about hit sunset. As for this product, it looks like vendor resellers have started to corner the market and jacked up the price to outrageous levels. The historical option for consummers owning their own devices to do thier own recording to physical media (even if in SD) in the US will end. The only option left will be to "rent" DVR's from your cable/satelite provider or buy a TiVo with subscribtion. Blame the Motion Picture Industry and the cable/satelite providers responsibile for much of this disappearing market. Fewer choices, consummers lose! Don't quite understand the paranoid attitude of this industry since you could only record in standard definition as none of these devices had HDMI or component inputs! See [...]
Most Recent Customer Reviews
I would never recommend it to anyone... ever!
I recently bought a Magnavox MDR515HF7 DVD recorder with a hard drive and sent it back within the week it was such a frustrating POS. Read more
Published 7 days ago by ras4ecs
Worked less then a year
Purchased in July 2011 used it sparingly after we cut cable. I noticed today that It wont power up. My wife said it's been unpluged for a while. It's not unplugged its dead. Read more
Published 1 month ago by jimbojet
Poor Warranty!
The features of this unit as described and lauded by other reviewers here are probably accurate. Yes, the features are fantastic and exactly what is needed in the tv/entertainment... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bill Jones
great dvr but
I would have gave this unit 5 stars but it has 3 things that bother me that i k now will bother you
#1 it wont record hd video so because of that i just hook up the... Read more
#1 it wont record hd video so because of that i just hook up the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bert Jones
dvd recorder
I was a little "learry" of buying a unit from this manufacturer, but I am very pleased with the easy operation of it and the results of my recordings.
Published 2 months ago by luv10s
THIS IS A GREAT ADD ON FOR THE TV....
I BEEN USING THIS AND COULD NEVER BE HAPPIER IT DOES JUST WHAT I NEED IT FOR AND YOU CAN BACK UP TO THE HARD DRIVE IF YOU WANT I GOT PLENTY OF SPACE TO RECORD EVERYTHING I WANT IM... Read more
Published 2 months ago by TOMAS'
Magnavox recorder
I bought a new one and it didn't work out of the box. This one is refurbished and although there is some scratches on top it works great! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Fresca
DVR
Had a few problems with the setup and to get the unit working, however the support line was quite helpful and after three tries in a week, we got the unit to work as designed. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dale
Hugely disappointing
My previous HDD DVD recorder was a Toshiba I bought sometime around 2006 that I LOVED. Unfortunately, despite being much newer, this Magnavox DVR pales in comparison, in my... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Maroon303
Great Little Unit
The unit works as advertised, though it is not an intuitive-type device. I very much recommend familiarizing yourself with the manual. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Roane
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