Customer Reviews

Philips DVDR3576H DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disc and Built-In Tuner

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This excellent unit is truly powerful and capable. It's a real bargain if its price does not climb (see paragraph 3). It combines 3 different functions in one slim package, any one of which alone would have cost more than its sub-$300 price not so long ago: a 160 GB hard disk recorder, an ATSC digital tuner (and an analog NTSC tuner too), and a DVD recorder. Additionally, it breaks the DVD +/- format war by its ability to record on both.

This unit is one of the surprisingly few hard disk-plus-DVD recorder devices available today that has a digital tuner. It eliminates the high cost of monthly charges for a TIVO. No monthly charges at all! It can do two things at once, allowing playback from either DVD or HDD while recording to HDD. It has a fan but it's quiet, and turns off about a minute after turning the unit off. And, of course, you can watch live TV via your TV's tuner as well.

NOTE ON PRICES: In 2009 the Philip's price has increased, sometimes substantially above what it was last year, although you may still find it at a good price. It may be in limited quantities and/or about to be deleted: I do not know. If you can only find it at an elevated price you should also consider other units. Gary S. reports recently that the newly-available Magnavox H2160MW9, now at Amazon too, is essentially identical to the Philips and is at a sub-$300 price, so investigate that. At higher prices, there are other units that, unlike this otherwise excellent Philips, can record in high definition instead of standard def (albeit on hard drive only): the Moxi MR 1500 (for cable only, cannot be used with an antenna; 500 GB hard drive); or the TiVo TCD658000 HD XL DVR (for both cable and antenna; 1000 GB hard drive). TiVo imposes service charges, unlike Moxi or Philips, so the HD XL effectively costs about $900 for the unit + "lifetime" service fee. However, unlike the Philips, both Moxi and TiVo need an adjunct DVD recorder in order to download keeper programs to a DVD (in SD not HD, at least until Blu-Ray recorders are available). Otherwise you lose your recordings if/when the hard disk crashes.

Recording TV programs
I use a roof antenna, and receive both analog and digital TV signals. Programming to record TV shows is very similar to programming a VCR manually. There is no automatic programming system, but it's really not that hard to do manually. It records HD signals as SD (standard definition).

The listing of programs ("Titles") that you have recorded are clearly shown and easy to navigate to. But it is best to put at least a rudimentary title on the TV programs right after you record them. Otherwise all you have is the date, time, and channel of the recording. You have to add titles by a clunky texting method, requiring multiple presses of numbers 1-9.

Playback
I use an HDMI cable between this unit and my TV. Playback from the hard disk is a joy. Access is immediate. The unit remembers where you left off watching last time on each program individually. You can manoever around the recordings with an (adjustable) 30-second skip forward/backward button, or with an adjustable-speed fast forward/rewind, or with a chapter-jump ("next") which uses the (optional) 10-minute auto-chapters that are inserted.
Playback from DVD is fine, but loading a DVD is slow (perhaps because it can handle so many different DVD formats).

Aspect Ratio (edited 12/08--thanks to Arnold E.)
This will require fiddling with from time to time to display the picture properly.
When recording DIGITAL programs you get 16:9 playback with very good SD definition on a widescreen TV with the following settings: Setup/General/Video/TV Aspect/16:9. AND set the "HDMI" toggle button to 1080p (or 1080i if your 16:9 set doesn't have p). The TV should then choose the correct aspect ratio setting automatically.
If you play back a 4:3 ANALOG program (until June 2009) with these settings, it will play back stretched sideways: reset "HDMI" to 480p to fix this.
AND if you are recording some digital programs which are not broadcast full-screen (e.g. BBC News) you may wish to press ZOOM on your TV to fill the screen.

User-friendliness
Most functions are well thought out and the software is good. But you will have to read the manual.
The remote control has the buttons needed, but several important ones are badly laid out. The STOP button is tiny.
Since it's a multifunctional device, you have to tell it what component you want to use. If you have been watching a TV show recorded on HDD, and then insert a DVD, if you just press "play", it will resume playback of the HDD unless you press "DVD" first. It's not smart enough to realize you want the DVD now.
The 122-page instruction book is detailed. It is fairly well written. Mine is very well-thumbed and dogeared. To get the most out of this complex unit, you will need to read it carefully.

Editing
For copying from old VHS tapes or home DVD's, I find it best to record first onto the HDD. Then use "deleting a scene" to remove unwanted sections. The software for this is pretty user-friendly. Then transfer the cleaned-up version to DVD. You can in theory record directly to DVD from VHS, and delete unwanted sections on the DVD directly, using "Hiding Chapters" but this is clunky (first you have to define the section as a chapter). Worse, these deletions, and added chapter headings, were ignored when played back on another unit.

Upsides
An excellent, low-cost, way to record digital and analog programs over the air or on cable.
No monthly fee.
Good quality SD 16:9 recordings.
Versatile: able to transfer recordings either way between DVD and HDD.

Downsides
It can't record HD programs in HD--it downgrades them to SD.
It's slow to load a DVD.
The remote buttons are poorly laid out.
Titling tracks is tedious.
DVD edits may be ignored in other DVD players.

Summary
This is a really fine and extremely versatile unit, at a good price. It is a leapfrog into the digital age. Finally here is a device with the versatility to fully supplant S-VHS VCR's.
The next step will be when this kind of device is upgraded to record HDTV on its hard disk AND to record Blu-Ray DVD's. Don't hold your breath.

(This review is based on the predecessor model, DVDR3575H, similar except for the tuner).

I'm going to give some quick points as I've only had it a few days and am still learning/playing with it. For more detailed looks at this unit, just read the reviews of it's predecessor, the Philips DVDR3575H/37 1080p Upscaling DVDR with Built-In Tuner

Despite some misinformation, it does not have an HD tuner (from research, it appears no hard drive/DVDR machines do). It has a standard definition tuner, but due to a bit of trickery it downconverts HD signals to record etc in SD, but when it plays them back it upconverts the signal to something approaching HD (Not true HD, but getting close!). Pre-recorded DVDs that are upconverted look pretty darn good!

Got this unit hooked to a Sharp Aquos LC20D42U 20-inch LCD HDTV. I have DVRs in the house for comparison, but in my kitchen I have only a simple cable feed (Comcast). It's worth noting that on my Sharp HDTV I get 22 digital (video) channels, but through this Philips DVDR tuner I get 41-darn near twice the channels I get on my Sharp TV! (not counting the 30 or so digital music channels that both receive).

Go over to avsforum.com and search for DVDR3576H/37-the first two links will tell you all you need to know about this unit! I did a lot of research there, and sat on this purchase for a few days trying to decide whether or not to open the box or return it after I found it didn't have an HD tuner-finally decided to take the plunge and so far it's a pretty darn impressive little piece!
I'd probably give it 4 stars if it had some kind of channel guide (like Comcast DVR), but I understand units with TV Guide feature are "iffy".

PROS
Size-smaller than the VCR it's replacing
Picture quality (not HD but pretty darn impressive)
Nothing like TV Guide/Comcast cable guide to show what's on/tell you what you've recorded (although all your recordings appear as multiple windows/snapshots so you can probably tell what the recording is-if not, just scroll up/down/sideways to the multiple snapshots and the program starts playing immediately in it's small window-6 windows per page, multiple pages depending on how many recordings you have)
Passes HD signal through to TV with no apparent degradation (got the incoming cable going to the DVDR-VCR-HDTV)
160GB Hard Drive with many recording speed options!
Doesn't record in HD-could be viewed as a PRO, since recording in SD takes up much less hard drive space than if it recorded in HD (recordings upconverted on playback)

CONS
No TV sound button on the DVDR remote (a pain to reach for the TV control just to adjust the sound level)-a universal remote (lighted?) with at least rudimentary TV controls (or just a volume button!) would be nice.
Button labels pretty darn small! The old eyes ain't what they used to be-could have made the remote bigger with bigger print/buttons? Color-coded buttons might be nice (different color for hard drive functions etc).
No channel labeling! My Sharp TV doesn't have it either, but my Toshiba Regza TV does! With all the channels available now, it would be nice if you could label the channels (as on my Toshiba TV) instead of remembering channel 105.1 is ????
A dual tuner would be nice (would allow you to watch one channel while another is recording)

BTW...got it at Sam's Club for $[...]-apparently the regular price?!

I bought one 2 months ago and liked it so much I bought a second one, so I can record programs from 2 channels at the same time.

I don't like to pay a monthly fee for anything, so I have always just set VCR's to record off the antenna by timer. But that won't work after February. What nobody tells you is that the converter box will not let you do that, because the channel selection is in the converter, not in the VCR. So this DVR is the solution, and it's the only one out there, unless you pay a monthy fee for cable and something like TiVo.

For timer recording, it is even more convenient than a VCR. You can just set and delete events at will, and don't have to worry about what fits on a tape. By default it shows the date, time, and channel for each event. I keep a separate log on a piece of paper, and that saves the time to label each event on the disc. I usually delete an event after I watch it anyway.

I use it with a 52" Sony HDTV, so I can evaluate the picture quality. At EP speed it will record 132 hours on the hard drive, and the quality is similar to the VCR at EP speed. But it has the advantage of wide screen picture and surround sound. But it has the distinct disadvantage that it won't record closed captioning. That is a problem for us with TV programs made in the last 5 years or so, because the dialog is garbled and drowned out by unnecessary music. It wouldn't be a problem if the TV industry would clean up their act.

What is really notable is the picture quality as affected by the tuner and the connection to the TV. A picture that is tuned by this DVR and then sent to the TV by way of either the HDMI cable or component video cables is not as clear as the same picture tuned directly by the TV. What's even more interesting is that the HDMI cable makes a poorer picture than component video cables, even though HDMI is claimed to be the ultimate.

Some day we may have blu-ray recorders, but until that time comes, I think this is an excellent unit.

I wish I had more time to write this review about the Philips DVDR3576H/37. Other reviews have sometimes found fault with some or many aspects of this machine. I've had this DVR/HD combo for 9 months and it has worked flawlessly. The only issue that I agree with from other reviews is that changing the title of a recorded program on the hard drive is rather tedious. So I don't bother. I just start the recording with the banner description of the TV show or movie and that is how I tell them all apart. Pretty low tech and it works. I use this unit with DirecTV and the timer programming is thus pretty simple. Electronics are my toys, and this is the best toy I've purchased in a long time. My TV is a 52 inch Sony 1080p/120 Hz and the recorded material looks fantastic. I hope people will keep buying this unit so Philips will keep investing money to make it better and better.

I did a lot of review reading before I bought the Philips DVDR3576H. I don't subscribe to cable or satellite as I don't like to pay for my TV every month.

I have had the Philips for several weeks now. It works very well with my TV setup. I haven't personally made the switch to an HDTV yet; my Philips is connected to a RCA 20" CRT with an analog-only tuner. Some reviews I've read have been negative on the fact that the Philips records in SDTV only instead of HD; since I don't have HDTV I don't really care...it works great for me. The Philips does has a dual digital/analog tuner; with it I can pick up all the available digital signals in my area crystal clear (it picks up weaker digital signals better than my digital TV converter box). I have hooked up my VCR to it to dub my VHS tape collection to DVD and it works very well.

I do find that the program playback is best when the recording mode (both on the hard drive and DVD) is set to its highest setting, though the SP mode does works fairly well. The extended play settings-which will squeeze more program time onto the disk-can result in occasional spot video degradation due to the additional compression of the video signal onto the drive. I usually record onto the HDD at its best setting (which will hold up to 33 hours at that quality) and the DVD at the next-to-the-best setting so I can get two hours onto a DVD.

There is a slight learning curve involved with all of the features of the Philips but once one figures out the differences in operating either the HDD or the DVD recording modes it is really no different than learning to record onto a VHS recorder.

So far, I have really enjoyed this unit, I don't understand why more manufacturers aren't making similar units like this. The Philips DVD/HDD recorder, in my experience, is a great addition to an existing entertainment system.

This is an excellent product. We've had ours now for several months and it works flawlessly. Sure, I can come up with plenty of features I wish it had (I'm an Electronics Engineer so imagining new features comes naturally!) but that's always true of every product of any type.

This unit has a hard drive for normal recording, a DVD burning optical drive for removable media, a digital tuner for compatibility with over-the-air (OTA) digital broadcasts, and an analog tuner for compatibility with those stations that don't switch to digital in Feb 2009. That's everything you need for home broadcast recording today and after Feb 2009. The remote is intuitive, the on-screen menus make sense, and everything works.

All right, a couple of criticisms. It loses programming if power is disconnected for more than ~30 seconds. It doesn't have to be that way - Philips could have simply written the programming to the hard drive (which is inherently nonvolatile). Some of its on-screen menu features are obscure and hard to find; they ARE there, but you have to dig around the first time to find them.

I'd give this a 95% approval rating. I like it so much that I just bought a second identical unit. Giving them more of my money is the best recommendation I can make!

I usually stay away from Phillips brand electronics. They're not always the best quality, which is why they are also cheaper. I bought this model because NO ONE else makes DVRs anymore to own and use without a subscription. I have had it for about a month now and it has worked almost perfectly so far. I say "almost" because just before I was asked to write a review by Amazon, it had some kind of system error, which caused it to freeze up. But it was easily fixed by powering it off and restarting. I considered buying a DVD recorder, but needed a lot more capacity for recording TV shows. Two years ago I bought a Pioneer DVD recorder/DVR and it started having electronic malfunctions, so I got this Phillips DVR. They don't call it a DVR, but that's really what it is. I think TIVO and Comcast and the dish people have some sort of stranglehold over the use of DVRs. I wish there were other choices. I would prefer Panasonic over Phillips. The setup didn't seem too hard and, even without a QAM tuner, it picked up all the available digital channels/subchannels on my basic Comcast cable, including all the HD channels that my Sony XBR HDTV gets. Oddly, some of the subchannels are one digit off compared to the TV tuner. Of course, it doesn't have an HD tuner, but it will display HD channels in SDTV in 16:9 wide-screen format if you set it up right. My Pioneer only had an NTSC tuner and couldn't do that. If the original broadcast is 1080i, this unit does a pretty good job with the standard definition display during playback of recorded HD shows. I don't think the playback is upconverted, though. I also got an HDMI cable, but I can't see any difference in the picture quality of recorded shows over those recorded with a component cable. In fact as others have noticed, the HDMI results in a darker picture, which can be corrected by adjusting the TV. I watched some rented DVDs using the HDMI and they looked maybe slightly worse than rented movies on my Pioneer using a component cable. I don't know how they would do using component cables on the Phillips. There are a few design features that need improvement: The hard drive title menu is confusing with the way it's laid out. The thumbnails are arranged horizontally and you have to highlight each one individually to see the info for that show and it is diplayed in the upper left of the screen only. It would be better if they were displayed as a vertical list with the corresponding info next to each thumbnail. You can rename the titles, but it's tedious. The buttons on the remote are unnecessarily small and there are no TV controls--not even for volume. The front display on the unit is also too small. Accessing the proper video mode input on the TV for the HDMI connection is slow because the DVD recorder has to analyze the TV display capability first. All in all this Phillips HDD dvd recorder may prove to be worth the money if it remains reliable, but some design improvements would be nice.

UPDATE - 11/29/08: Since I wrote this review, this unit lost a few digital channels that it used to recognize, but this could be caused by Comcast cable somehow. And there is a malfunction when exiting the title menu: It starts playing the last recording listed in the menu without selecting or even highlighting it. [...].

[...]

[...]

2. After the digital transition, the clock no longer sets correctly and there is no option to choose a digital channel for the auto/manual clock-set function. When I turned that funcion off and set the clock the old-fanshioned way, it gained one full minute every other day. This makes it almost pointless to set a timer recording event for more than a day or so in the future! Philips/Funai doesn't offer a firmware update for the clock to work with digital channels. [...]. [...].

Philips 160GB (DVDR3576H/37)was delivered on time by UPS in perfect condition. The unit was purchased as a replacement for a previous 40GB RCA DVR player with a Menu that "got stuck" (more on that design later). Once you're used to Hard Disk Recorder, its hard to do without.

The Philips DVR 160GB recorder is one of the best choices in the under $1,000 market of DVR's which do not require a perpetual subscription service such as TiVo's/Direct TV's approx $15.00 monthly. It works as advertised using either ANALOG or DIGITAL(ATSC) tuner, easy TV program scheduling (easy VHS style programing, w/o needing un-reliable cable programming feed), easy clear program playback. Recorded programs are represented by Date/Time of creation order and displayed by 1st recorded frame of each recording. 36 separate timed schedules are available.

Shortcomings of Philips 160GB DVR are few but include personal preferences as follows: Timed Recording Schedule does not allow NAMING (Only Recorded Titles allow Re-Naming); Channel Change not allowed during Recording; No Separate VIEWING Frame to allow other channel BROWSING during Title Play; Optional picture Frame/Title Name preview of Title List would have been preferred because immense list capacity will make screen searching/refresh slow when skipping pages (6 titles per page) to find new recordings past old recordings; Chapter Marks or Editing is not available during playback but requires separate EDIT Preview process (could have been configured better).

NOTE: Since I brought up the OLD DVR, the following represents my previous DVR experience "RCA 40GB Hard Drive DVR": Also an Excellent recorder (2years) with the exception of periodic "HANGING" during recording which required powering down (re-booting) system; Only contained Analog Tuner; Allowed Recording One Channel and Changing Channels (two tuners); Allowed TV Frame Viewing during Playback; Allowed Timer Title NAMEING; Chapter Adding/Hidding allowed during Playback; Allowed Title Order Viewing Choice (by Title, Date); No Longer Sold - found only as refurbished Model.

Works as advertised. Easy to set up every-week recording. Configurable skip/rewind makes it easy to skip over commercials (so easy that I don't foresee using the editing feature very often). 12X dubbing to DVD is great to take content with me while traveling.

My only wish-list item would be for the input-only USB port to be output also for dubbing to flash drive or even external hard drive - but that would probably raise the price significantly.

I heard that the device is not profitable for Philips and will be discontinued in 2009 so anyone interested in it should not wait too long to decide.

This is a good unit which does what it says and the DVD's are playable in other players. There are a few drawbacks. It does not offer battery back up in case of power loss. I use ours to tape homeschool for my 5 children. If the power fails for more than 2 minutes, the unit loses all its scheduled programs to record. Therefore, if this happens while I am away on vacation, I could possibly come home to no school for the kids. This is very disappointing, and a very negligent feature to miss.
Also, the recording menu for manual recordings does not have the weekly feature. Therefore rather than set the timers once per school year repeating them WEEKLY, I have to program in every single date I want to record. This is VERY time consuming and also a poor feature.