Customer Reviews

RCA DRC8000N Progressive-Scan DVD Recorder/Player

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've used several different makes and models of DVD recorders, and this is one of the best!

First off, the person who said you can't play DVDs made with these on other players is VERY mistaken. The DVD+R and erasable DVD+RW formats will play on the vast majority of DVD players with no problems. Players older than 3 years may not be compatible, but this is minor. 99% of players on the market today will play DVD+R and DVD+RW so compatibility is not an issue.

The machine records in DVD+R and DVD+RW formats but can also play back DVD-R and DVD-RW, as well as VCD and SVCD and of course CDs.

Recordings look quite good, especially at the 1 or 2 hour speeds. The 8 hour picture isn't much good for anything except maybe timeshifting daytime soaps, but since discs are dropping in price so quickly most people will use the better quality modes for keepsake material anyway.

The menu system could use some improvement/streamlining but it isn't hard to use once you figure it out.

For the price, this is the best DVD recorder I've encountered.

I have owned the DRC800N now for 4 days. I have used the timer record successfully 3 times. Any familiarity you have with
VCRs and/or DVD players will be helpful in the operation of this unit, but having said that.........it's not rocket science.
The improvement of video quality alone when recording broadcast TV is nice, but like most people my main reason for this purchase was to put treasured family videos onto DVD. I'll
be starting that project soon.
In the course of researching this unit, you may come across a
dissenting opinion about the unit being noisy due to a small cooling fan on the back. Yes it is on constantly, and yes you can hear it. My furnace makes noise too.

I bought this as a refurb for $130 and cant believe I didnt buy one sooner. I have had it about a month with no problem and make a recording probably everyday. The guideplus did not work with digital cable but it has its own guide so not a big deal and the small buttons on the remote could bother some. It records off the premium channels just great. It has a input door on the front which i can hook my computer into. Great for making dvd slideshows of family pictures. I have not had any clock trouble like another reviewer. I have 3 other dvd's players in the house, all play the recordings and quality is great.

I purchased this unit a year ago. It has performed great. I have dubbed VHS tapes to DVD and they come out better than the original. My only complaint is that when I erase a DVD-RW disc the system erases then says please wait,but nothing happens. It never finishes what it is doing, and it locks up everything. The only way to get it to unlock is to unplug the unit and plug it back in ! I don't know if it's something with my machine or a defect in the model.

this unit has been the worst for the money.. i already had the remote control die, and it hard to shut off when it is on a timed recording!!! the customer support for RCA was a bunch of jerks to me, but i finally got them to send me a new remote (supposidly).. still waiting for it.. i won't buy any more RCA PRODUCTS after they way they treated me and screwed me around..

I have mixed reviews on the RCA DRC8000N. After about two weeks, it completely stopped recording DVD+R discs, though it would play back ones I previously recorded. I used Memorex and Sony. I tried a DVD lens cleaner with no effect. Because I bought the unit refurbished, RCA won't support it. The on-screen also doesn't work with a Dish DVR receiver, but that's minor. Fortunately it does still record on DVD+RW media and I can still get a 25 DVD spindle of them for under $10.00, so it's not a killer. On the bright side, I've recorded a ton of movies from the satellite and even in Normal Mode(4hr) it blows away VHS. Mostly I record in either 2hr or 3hr depending on the length of the movie. I can live with the fan noise. Also I only paid $128 for it and have gotten my money's worth out of it already. If anyone knows how to get this player to record in DVD+R mode again, I'd love to hear from you. It's because of this problem that I have to knock this rating down to a 2 stars.

Had the unit 4 weeks when it stopped working. RCA would not exchange it, and told us to get a warranty repair. The repair shop had the unit for 5 weeks. We got it back and it recorded only one disk before breaking AGAIN. Reading other reviews leads us to believe that it will perform best with Verbatim brand disks. We will give this a try - but we definitely don't recommend this unit unless you enjoy being frustrated and performing resets.

This model doesn't like to record on +R discs; I stopped using them all together because the machine ruined so many discs by freezing which made the discs useless. When I switched to +RW I had no problem for several months. Now it stops recording for no apparent reason (not the timer or clock). I recently joined Blockbuster on-line and have been playing their new good condition discs on this RCA and it plays fine until you reach the middle of the movie and then it skips scenes and chapters; if you aren't watching closely you might not realize important excerpts of the movie were skipped over - then it freezes (won't move forward or backward either slowly or by chapter) These Blockbuster movies play perfectly on other dvd players. The troubleshooting section of the manual doesn't even address these problems even though I think these are common problems on this model. The library setup is pretty unsophisticated and can only label and list approximately 80 discs - and now that the machine is ready for the trash after one year I am left with 80 discs and no movie log. I wish I would have spent the extra money and bought a better brand recorder.

hello! this piece here started my home theater. yes, it likes to mess up...not all the time though. bought it at a thrift shop, years ago, because it had a record button, for 28dollars,ii think. after reading reviews, i've realized that it's not worn out! rca just had too many parties that year,maybe? mine get's picky but lately it plays great. sometimes it sticks in the middle of a movie(even brand new). tip.... when it appears stuck, hit rew then play then elapsed time! great picture badaxx sound. yes, cranky. fan? buy a quiet one! anyone got the ir booster? nymph061@yahoo.com maybe we can deal! plus, this with rca rt2390 home theater sys. and rca pro-sw100p powered sub sounds like ii spent too much... it's a wonderful experience to have this rca setup, even if cranky! thanks rca, but man ii wish the built in tuner was upgradeable to digital.....

I have owned one of these since they first came out in late 2003...This unit still works great for me with one caveat..This model is now rather dated and there is no way to update its firmware...Because of this,it will record on the currently available 8x and 16x DVD+R discs,But if you try to "Finalize" a recording made on one of these discs,it will fail...This unit was made to record only up to 4x discs,which are virtually impossible to find these days...Fortunately,I secured a large number of 2x and 4x discs several years ago and am still using off that supply,However,when they are gone,the only discs I will be able to use are DVD+RW which do not need or use the "Finalization" process..But Also are much more expensive to buy...Also,This unit came out before the advent of HDMI,so if you have a Hi-Def TV,The best option is the Component video connection,and when connected that way,the picture is amazingly good...I also bought one of these for my son at the same time,and he has probably used his more than I have and his still works well too...There are newer models available both from RCA and other manufacturers that would probably be a better choice at this point in time,especially considering the Disc speed issue,But if you find one AT A GOOD PRICE,I would recommend it.!