Customer Reviews

Toshiba D-VR600 Tunerless 1080i Up-Converting DivX Certified DVD Recorder VCR Combo

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

 

 

I bought this item to replace a regular DVD-VCR combo drive recently. After comparing various models side by side, I went with the Toshiba. This was a good choice on some levels, although I'm not completely happy with the unit either.

This unit doesn't have a tuner, which is what makes the price reasonable. You should not buy this unit unless you use a separate cable or satellite box to control your TV (I have DirecTV Tivo and it works perfectly with that). On the other hand, there's none of that silly aligning of the channels with this box and the satellite box.

As a player, this unit is easy to set up and works well. The playback quality is good, although damaged or scratched disks seem to suffer from more skip than other players produce. The recording function is painfully simple to use and works extremely well. For most day-to-day things, this unit is nice.

The remote is not cheesy, as some DVD players, etc., have. However, response is glacially, almost comically s-l-o-w. I'm not sure if it is the remote or the unit, but pressing a button produces a response after a very long second of pause. Not good.

However, the price is difficult to beat. Feature for feature, this is pretty close to other units, records flawlessly on all media, and upcoverts to 1080i (not the clearer 1080p). The slightly better units (with tuner and 1080p) cost nearly twice as much. As it sits: this is a good choice.

This is my first unit with a DVD recorder & VCR all-in-one unit. Although my primary movie collection is all on DVD, I occasionally still watch video tapes and I still have very few VHS titles that are not on DVD that I'm still willing to keep. My old VHS tape player broke down earlier this year and I decided to get a DVD/VCR combo instead of getting another VHS player. After reading several reviews about DVD/VCR recorders (which have been mostly negative), I decided to take a chance on the newly released Toshiba D-VR600 with 1080i up-conversion that had no Amazon reviews. My review of the Toshiba D-VR600, which I only had for a few months now can be broken down into three parts.

THE GOOD; Fantastic features! You can record from either the DVD or VCR or dub from either source. You can also record from your camcorder via a jack that is located in the front of the unit. Although there is no internal tuner, my Comcast box plugs in directly to the unit. The unit has a HDMI output for 720 or 1080 resolution. If you don't use HDMI, you can use component or composite cables (480 resolution). It also has an external audio out for surround sound systems. The remote control is nicely designed and it glows in the dark! So far, this unit plays and looks great on my flat-panel LCD television!

THE BAD; Slow. With all the loaded features, the unit is slow when you operate the unit via remote or press the buttons directly on the unit itself. Not as fast as the Sony DVD player it replaced (which was just a DVD player, not a DVD recorder/VHS combo), but if you are patient it will work. Another minor complaint I have is that I found a few of my DVD-R movies are not compatable with this unit, but the same DVD-R's played OK on my Sony DVD player (and Playstation 2). However most of my DVD-R's did play OK on this unit, but just a few did not. I also wish the unit could play DTS audio, but it cannot.

THE UGLY; For some reason, the unit has occasionally stopped for no reason during some recording sessions. I was extremely upset when it stopped recording during a pay-per-view boxing event. However, it has worked flawlessly when I recorded other programs so the verdict is still out on this unit because I only had it for a few months. I'm curious if other owners of this unit had any recording problems?

Overall, despite the slow responsiveness I am still satisfied with the unit so far after just a few months. If you are looking for just a reliable DVD recorder only you might want to look elsewhere, but if you must hang on to that VHS side of you, this unit is OK. Just be patient with it!

UPDATE 7-23-08; Wow! I am suprised with all of the negative reviews! Honestly, I also had problems dubbing old VHS tapes to DVD, so I have basically given up on that option, but the DVD recordings from TV signals have worked well. Overall, I'm still mildly satisfied with this product, but in the future I will most probably try another brand other than Toshiba. Would I recommend this Toshiba D-VR600 to anybody else? No! Try another brand or something else that is more new & improved!

As other reviewers have said, this is a great value for the money. However the #1 reason that I bought it was to dub old (personal) VHS tapes to DVD, and that just is not working at all! Separately, both the VCR and DVD recorder are working fine. I have been able to record to DVD from my Direct-TV TiVo. But whenever I try to dub from VCR to DVD-R I get an error: "Can't record. TV system of input video has changed." That looks like a cryptic translation from Japanese to English. The unit actually records video to DVD for the minute or so that the error message is onscreen, so the signals are all connected, but then it just stays in dub mode without recording.

I am waiting for a response from Toshiba customer service, but if anyone else can help that would be great. Or if VCR to DVD-R works for you, just let me know.

Otherwise..
POSITIVES:
1) low price
2) nice appearance
3) no problem putting it between my Direct-TV receiver and my TV. Good for recording programs to archive permanently from my TiVo.

NEGATIVES & BUGS:
1) won't dub for me
2) using the text entry system with the remote to title discs and chapters is pure AGONY (slow & error prone)
3) there are two modes for watching the video output - VCR or DVD and the DVD mode introduces a delay on the audio so that you see someone's mouth move before you hear the words
4) there is some sort of undocumented sleep mode built-in. If I leave the unit in DVD mode for viewing regular TV, after some period of time the audio output is cutoff. I need to toggle between VCR and DVD modes to get the sound back. Hence, I must leave it in VCR mode to avoid having the unit go to sleep.
5) the remote is poor - not illuminated though dimly glows in the dark, multi-function button labels difficult to read, not a learning or pre-programmed remote - so add one more to your collection.

Addendum (Oct-25, 2007)
I finally got in touch with Toshiba Technical support, who advised that the dubbing problem was caused by the VHS tape being too noisy. That still doesn't explain why the recording worked for ~1 minute while the error message was on the screen, and then stopped, but I finally did get a tape to dub to DVD. Buyer beware, results may vary. Some tapes may dub, while others won't.

I purchased the unit primarily to copy old VHS tapes to DVD format. The unit does all that I want it to do. I often hear that these combo units (with VHS and DVD) are troublesome, but I don't find this with the unit. I like of feature of adding chapters to the DVD recording at set intervals, so I can go back and write up an accompanying list of topic chapters. The only weakness is the time it takes for the signal from the remote to the unit. There is a slight delay if you are accustomed to punching keys in rapid succession. However, with patience and adjustment, I quickly became used to how it works, and I don't find it a annoying anymore. A nice feature is the DV port on the front panel allowing for direct transfer of movies from a digital camcorder or other devices. There is no tuner in this unit, so I have it directly connected to the cable digital box. Overall, you cannot beat the value for what you get. I did some research before purchasing this unit and chose it over the comparable Samsung.

We've had it for a week and it works OK for our intended purpose, which is to dub VHS to DVD-R. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it played a Region 0 PAL output DVD and a Region 3 NTSC output DVD I own. The manual says it only plays Region 1 and "ALL" (never have seen an ALL) DVDs and it specifically says it won't play PAL DVDs. It appears to be Multiregion and NTSC/PAL output capable. That alone make it a cut above other units of the same price. I did notice that it played Spiderman 1 DVD with the commentary pop-ups (special feature that sucks) even when I turned them off. Other than that, it plays DVDs nicely. It also plays DVD-Rs that I burned from Nero and JPEG picture CDs. People are correct when they say the remote is a bit slow. This is most evident when using the on-screen "keyboard" to rename the DVD and Title(s). Also, my unit seems to go to "sleep" occasionally when not being used. I guess I need to read the manual again to see what's up with that. I think it is just that the remote and unit are not in the same mode (DVD or VCR). It would be nice to have an internal tuner, but our government (FCC) has decided that we will only be high-definition by 2010, so the manufacturers don't want to bother with tuners.

Got the unit to replace a similiar Samsung unit that didn't work too well. The Samsung unit was easier to use -- one touch control to dub from VCR to DVD which is my main reason I needed this unit. However the Samsung had trouble setting the VCR tracking which resulted in unacceptable results for DVD dubbing and for output to a TV.

The Toshiba worked fine. However the controls are really slow. If you use the buttons on the front panel I recommend pressing the button for at least 2 seconds to get it to respond. The remote is really iffy. Also the controls aren't too user-friendly, you really need to read the manual to figure out how to dub from VCR to DVD.

If what you want to do is copy VCR to DVD or output to a PC through a device like DVD Express then this unit works fine. If you're looking for a user-friendly unit that is mainly used for playback I'd look for another unit.

I have owned this player for 3-4 months. Awesome little player! I wanted a combo players because I wanted to transfer videos of my kids videos that we have had an various tape formats. Some of which we don't have the camera for anymore. I was able to rent/borrow VHS adaptors that let you play your old tapes in this machine and transfer them to DVD. this is my main dvd player for my home theater, it's quit impressive for a combo player!!

The good:
SD DVD upconverting is very good through the HDMI output. I didn't expect a combo unit to do this so well. I think the 720P looks better than the 1080i on this player. Just my opion.
Plays all of my back up DVD flawlessly.
If you connect composite cables to the players you can record tv programming.
It has a mini firewire plug in the front so you can connect you DV camcorder.
Luv the blue display



The bad:
Internal fan is a little noisy

We have Directv with Tivo, and it was filling up fast. after about 30 mintues of hardware set up, I was recording things off the Tivo and into DVD! I tested it on the portable DVD player we have. Now I have more than enough cartoons for my daughter; american Idol, so you think you can dance, rockstar supernova, oprah shows for my wifey; and more space on the tivo for my shows!
Set up, hardware: Easy, as long as you have all the cables ready.
Set up, DVD / VCR: Easy, as long as you follow instructions. Remember to finalise the disc before testing it on another system.

Seriously though, read the instructions through prior to setting up. It saves alot of time and frustration.

I bought this product to convert my rather large collection of VHS tapes to DVD-R discs. With the Toshiba name and some good reviews, I thought I had made a smart purchase. I was wrong.

Sometimes, when dubbing, it continues to play the VHS tape but it stops recording without any on-screen notification! Sometimes I get the "Video input system changed" message that others have reported, but it usually happens that I watch 2-3 hours of tape only to find that the unit recorded a whopping 5-10 seconds.

If you want to dub your old tapes to disc, then your money will most likely be better spent on a product from a different manufacturer. Shame on you Toshiba!

Works great. Great value for the price. I saw some of the expensive ones out there and after reading reviews decided to go with this product. It works as intended and great for copying from DVR.