Customer Reviews

Toshiba DR420 DVD Recorder, Black

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This unit is really great! We recently got a 40" HD TV and needed a replacement for the VCR -- we wanted to record shows (and On-Demand movies) at a good enough quality for HD viewing.

One option was DVR from Comcast for $10/month (which might or might not allow recording of On-Demand movies and transfer to computer for disc-burning). Another option was using a computer with a video acquisition device and record to hard drive. The third option was this unit for $110, delivered, from Amazon -- hands down the most practical choice.

Though this unit doesn't record in true HD resolution, the quality is about the same (in 2 hour mode, 16x9) as regular 16x9 enhanced DVDs. At first I was worried the recorded discs might not play on other DVD players; but they did, no problem at all on any of our equipment (that is, after the recording is finalized). The recording time for a DVD-R disc (on high quality mode) was 2 hours and 8 minutes. (On lower quality modes, it's 4+ hours and 8+ hours.)

Navigating the menu system is easy enough, and each recorded disk is given a simple menu with the various recordings available to choose from (which by default have the date & time of recording as the title, but can be renamed).

Upconversion of commercial DVDs is quite good (enough so that we're not that motivated to get a Blu-Ray player yet ;-).

Our only complaints (which are very minor) are that the tray-eject is a little slow & noisy and that there isn't component video inputs (just composite video & S-Video inputs). But it was easy enough to hook up to our cable box (or TV) to record from their outputs.

This will be a great unit to have until Blu-Ray recorders become less expensive.

I bought this unit to transfer videotapes to DVD, and to save TV shows on DVD from my cable DVR. For that purpose, it works perfectly. The setup is simple, and the controls are very easy to use. The manual is very clear, with nice big pictures to show you where the relevant buttons are. I had it set up and dubbing within 15 minutes.

I only use DVD-R format discs (due to their universal compatibility), so I cannot comment on how the recorder works with other formats. But when I played back my recorded DVD-R on other machines, I had no compatibility issues, they played perfectly, and the picture was sharp and clear.

DVD-R discs have to be "finalized" before they can be played in other machines. This unit finalized a 3/4 full DVD in just a couple minutes- much faster than other DVD recorders I have used in the past.

The recorder only offers Composite and S-video inputs. It would have been nice to have Component or HDMI inputs as well for higher quality. However, I used the S-Video input and the playback quality was still excellent.

The recorder does offer Composite, S-Video, Component, and HDMI outputs, which gives you lots of options for connecting to your display. I went with the HDMI connection because it is simple (just 1 cable for both audio and video) and provides the highest quality.

As a bonus, this unit is also a very good upscaling DVD player. With the HDMI connection to my display, I was very impressed with the quality of the 1080p upscaled image.

For the very reasonable price ([...]), this is a nice piece of equipment which performs as advertised.

I bought this unit after reveiwing other brands on the Amazon web pages. I wanted to copy from Tivi to DVD.Nice owners guide and physical looks. The tray opens just like other players with a little noise, no big deal! It does take awhile to finallize your dvd copys but, no big deal. Component out only,no cable terninals,no tuner. the recording light on the front is real tiny.On screen menu is good. For my use this recorder is perfect.

If you are an old fart like me who was still clinging to the VCR to record TV shows during the week so you can watch them later, and you want to want to move into the 21st century, the dr420 is perfect (assuming you have a tuner, like a DirecTV box).

This machine works perfectly, and the DVD upconversion is very good. I liked it so much I bought two more and replaced all of the VCRs in my home. I am using DVD-RW to record daily shows. After I watch them each day I format the disk. 1000 formats per disk! I have been using the dr420 like this for a couple of weeks only, but so far I could not be happier.

One "warning" though. Unlike what your old VCR might do, the dr420 will not pass through the audio/video when turned off. This was not a problem for me, as my DirecTV box has multiple outputs. So in one of my set-ups, the TV has a direct connection to my DirecTV box and my dr420 has another, separate, connection to my DirecTV box. I use S-video from DirecTV to the dr420 and then again to the TV (two channel audio as well). Then I have a direct coax connection from the DirecTV box to my TV, which is used when the dr420 is powered off.


UPDATE** Pushing 1.5 years of daily use and the dr420 is working as good as from day one. I am very satisfied with this product.

I bought this DVD recorder to convert my old VHS home movies into DVD's. I had it up and running in no time. It is extremely easy to use. I had shopped around before buying because I wanted something easy and something that would work well. If you are thinking about getting a DVD recorder, but are unsure... rest assured, this is a great recorder. I'm extremely happy with it.

I am very satisfied withe the DR420. It is simple to use the One Touch Recording function. Recording quality is very good. And the upscale playback feature works very well. It is not Bluetooth but serves my purpose very well. I would recommend this unit to anyone wanting to record programs video programs.

I had this unit for less than 3 weeks. Hooked it up, but never got the chance to even use it! One night it just simply wouldn't turn on, and the unit would'nt open. Called Toshiba for help - The warranty on page 101 stated that it would be replaced with a new or reconditioned unit. I was told that was a "typo" and that I would have to send the unit in for repair. Luckily, I had puchased it from Amazon and they have a good return policy. I will look for another unit to replace this one.

I bought this DR420 from an Amazon affiliate at the end of June, 2009. Amazon was out of stock. I plan to transfer homemade VHS tapes to DVD, but I haven't tried that yet. The upconverting DVD player works great at 1080p connected to an HDTV with HDMI cable. I am completely satisfied with the picture quality and I don't see any need for BlueRay. I don't have any complaint about the remote control. I am writing this to warn of a potential problem when playing a DVD. On two different DVDs the player has hit a spot where the sound suddenly cut off. It was easy to restore the sound by hitting PAUSE and then PLAY again. This might be a problem with handling an error on the DVD, or I just may have a lemon. It would be interesting to know if others have seen the same problem.

Arrived a couple of days before I expected it. I began working it as soon as I got it. Was real easy to use. Manual was good, could have been better. Setup was a snap! Have beem working it pretty much non-stop for a couple of months now, with no complaints. Seems to be an excellent machine, so far! We'll see how long it will last! But I will definitely recommend this product!

P.S. Remember to fanalize your recordings when you're finnished, or they won't be playable on other machines!!! A lot of people seem to make that mistake.

I could go into all the features of this machine, but I think it would be better to say that it just does everything I want it to and it doesn't require a high learning curve. When I want to record something I just hit the record button. Next to the button is the mode button where you can choose the recording size. As far as playing DVDs, it does a respectable job and upgrades the video. It is a nice recorder for the money.

Ken
Webmaster
About Facts Net