Customer Reviews

Toshiba DR570 DVD Recorder/Player - Black

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(84)
3 star:		(40)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(39)

 

 

I'm writing this review after a month of use and the majority of the reviews are spot on. I evaluated recorders from several different manufacturers and decided to go with the Toshiba. I have a Toshiba VHS/DVD player combo as well as a no-frills Toshiba 14" CRT style TV which have been reliable for a few years now so I was confident this unit would at least meet those standards (I was not disappointed). The metal cabinet feels solid and the DVD tray isn't flimsy. A flip down door reveals the basic controls (play, stop , forward/reverse, record) as well as front inputs for S-Video, composite video/audio, and a 4-pin IEEE1394 Firewire DV port which you can connect a digital camcorder to.

I first did a test setup by connecting the CATV coax cable to the antenna in and then connecting the DR570 directly to a Sony Bravia LCD via HDMI. Initial setup was straightforward and I let the unit do an autoscan for channels. Scanning for "in the clear" digital channels took awhile (common issue with most QAM tuners) and unsurprisingly, it picked up some channels but not others (the Sony Bravia TV is no different in this regard). My actual setup just uses S-video and audio connections from my digital cable box (I don't use the built-in tuner).

I used a DVD+RW disc to try some test records with the different quality settings. These settings determine the bit rate (variable bit rate) of the MPEG-2 video stream and what I found is the LP mode (4 hours of recording) offering pretty good overall quality. The only exception is anything with fast action where you will notice a substantial degradation in the clarity during those particular recorded scenes. Both the XP (1 hour) and SP (2 hour) mode will take care of this issue at the expense of being able to record less content on a disc. Both EP (6 hour) and SLP (8 hour) mode offer pretty poor picture quality and are at least for me, unusable.

As others have mentioned, loading a disc can take around a half a minute when either inserting a new disc or powering on the recorder. Rewritable DVD discs need to be formatted first (takes less than half a minute). Recording is quite simple and no different than a VCR. One caveat with many of these DVD recorders is that when you stop recording, you may lose the last few seconds (so I usually just let the recording go for 2-3 extra seconds before pausing or hitting stop). Another note is that unlike video tape where when you hit stop, you can quickly record again, this DVD recorder writes to the disc for around half a minute before you can do any other action. Playback is like any standard VHS or DVD player. If you hit the TOP MENU button on the remote, this will show moving thumbnails of each recording (which Toshiba refers to as "titles"). With rewritable media, there are some rudimentary editing tools which allows you to "remove" scenes (i.e. like say if you want to "delete" commercials). Note that you don't gain any extra recording time doing this (the only way to do that is deleting that entire title or completely reformatting the disc). The advanced portion of the manual covers this.

Like all DVD recorders, there is a finalization step which allows the DVD disc to be playable on most any other player (like if you are planning to share it with someone else). The DR570 provides an auto finalization setting so that you don't need to remember to do this once your disc is full.

Programmed recordings is also relatively straightforward and simple. Just like their VCR's, you need to power-off the unit to place it into standby/programmed recording mode. So far, I haven't encountered any missed recordings.

As for media, I've been using Verbatim DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD+RW without any problems. I haven't yet come across any lockup issues with this recorder.

Like many others, the main complaint is the remote and its dark lettering. I've since memorized the location of the key buttons which I use but compared to the remotes for my Toshiba television (which has a simple but very nice glow in the dark buttons which are big) and VCR's, this thing is pretty bad from a usability perspective (this minus one star).

Overall, I've been very pleased with this recorder and most of Toshiba's recent consumer electronics devices. Whereas some other brands look and feel like disposable pieces of junk at this price range, the DR570 doesn't give that impression and I would definitely recommend this unit to others looking to make the jump from VHS to DVD.

November 2010 Update:

Thought I would provide an update after one years worth of solid use (at least 200+ disc worth of material recorded). In a nutshell, the particular unit I received has been extremely reliable and I've had no problems (no lockups, no odd clock problems that some are experiencing, no missed programmed recordings, etc). I now use a universal remote (Logitech Harmony) in place of the one that comes with the recorder. As a standard def recorder, I've been satisfied with this product and have still been recommending it as an "upgrade" from a VHS recorder.

I purchased this DVD recorder two weeks ago due to a need to replace an aging VCR that had provided many years of excellent service. Since I currently own a Toshiba DVD player and the VCR was a Toshiba,I decided to purchase the DR570, a newer version of the DR670 which was overwhelmingly positively reviewed.

The setup was extremely simple. The built in tuner has made recording easy and the picture quality is amazingly clear. I have not had any problems with the machine locking up or losing settings. I have played DVDs of both TV programs I have recorded as well as feature films. True, the remote does not feature a volume control-- however, neither does my Toshiba DVD player purchased back when video rental stores switched from VHS to DVD.

My only complaint is that loading is a little slow, but all in all I am extremely delighted with my purchase.

I purchased 2 Toshiba DR570 DVD Recorder to replace by VHS. What a difference. I record on it daily because I hate watching tv with all the commercials, and I can watch the shows when I want. It is like watching a live broadcast with the bonus of fast forwarding through the commercials. At times, I have taken the disks out of the Toshiba and play them in a DVD player that is several years old. No Problems. I did set up the Toshiba to do automatic finalization of the disk when I finish recording after reading the review that some people have problems with playing back in older DVD players.

I do record on Memorex 4x DVD+RW. It says I can record on them 1,000 times. So far, no problems with re-recording on the same disk. I do have to remember to Format each time I want to tape over something - which you need to get use to after having only VHS. The Toshiba does tell you how much record time you have left. So if you have a problem when you record, I have found it is usually the "operator" or "me" setting the times.

So, Great Product. Yes, I would buy again!

The Toshiba DR570 DVD Recorder is better than I expected for this value. I've only had it for about three days but here is my evaluation so far.

Pros: It has coaxial in and out jacks so that allows me to send a signal from my cable box through to my old VHS recorder and then to my TV. According to the manual it has copy protection but so far that hasn't interfered with my ability to record anything from cable. (I don't have any of the premium channels like HBO however, so I don't know if it can record from those.) In the "top menu" it allows you to preview the videos you have recorded with icons that display motion and sound when you select them. When you program a timer recording, the recorder powers off when it's done. The picture quality of the recordings I've made seem fine to me but I'm not a stickler for HD level quality. I won't spring for a Blu-ray player because the difference between that and regular DVD quality, for me, doesn't justify the expense. So, if you're like me, you'll be happy with the picture quality.

Cons: The remote is black and the buttons are labeled with dull gray lettering which can make it difficult to read in certain lighting. It takes its time loading and revising whatever changes you make, like changing titles on a video file, but if you're not in a hurry, it's a small quibble compared to the pros.

I've only commented on the features that I have actually tested at this point. Next, I'll try dubbing old VHS recordings onto DVD and let you know how it goes.

UPDATE August 19, 2009: In regards to dubbing from old VHS tapes, this model Toshiba does well with homemade tapes but would not dub from a tape that has copy protection.

A con I might mention, though minor, is that programming the titles is ponderous. You have to spell out the words using a telephone-like keypad. My last recorder spoiled me. It had an on-screen layout of the alpha-bet that I could scroll through pretty quickly.

Another pro I discovered however, was that it has a nifty "one-touch recording feature." That means that when you push the record button repeatedly the recording time increases by 30 minutes with each push. (30, 60, 90, etc. up to 8hrs) This is great if you don't want to fiddle with programming the timer.

All and all, I'm very satisfied.

This product met high expectations. I found it difficult to find a standard DVD player/recorder with a DTV tuner for a price that I was willing to pay. This was a bargain and Amazon made it better with an HDMI cable and free shipping deal. I don't really need blu-ray for my dvd needs. I require good, clean recording quality but it need not meet HD standards. If conventional pre-recorded dvds become less available in the future, I'm sure I can live with a "player" only. The DTV transition made recording some of my favorite progams, using a converter box, too cumbersome. This device is about as easy to use as current technology permits. Upconvert TV quality is very good, although of course it is not quite HDTV quality. The operator manual is also very good and large as a result of the many features. The only item I struggled with a bit was the Regza/HDMI CEC control interface (information is sparse in both the Toshiba TV and DVD manuals). I would recommend this unit to anyone who can do without surround sound and the best HD recording quality.

I have 4 DVD recorders hooked up in my home. I record alot of t.v. shows. Since DVD recorders have been on the market, I've tried quite a few them. Most of them were not dependable. They don't always record the things you ask them to for various little reasons and it is very frustrating. I've had Magnavox, Sharp, Panasonic and Toshiba. Toshiba was the best one out of all of them. I own 2 of them, and I bought my mother 2 of them. They are very easy to use and set up, which is why I bought them for my 75 year old mother. It's as simple as using a VCR to record tv shows. The picture and sound are great. The Toshiba has never failed to record - not once. The only reason I can't give it a 5 star rating is due to the terrible design of the remote control. It's too large, not backlit and the buttons are in awkward locations. Other than that, I would recommend this DVD recorder to anyone. I have 2 Panasonic recorders that are OK, however they will not record certain tv shows and movies due to copywrite restrictions. I have not had that problem with the Toshiba. Do not hesitate to buy this DVD recorder - you won't be sorry. It's worth the money.

I have the DR560 which is the older version of this one. I had some issues with the 560, but it worked okay and the picture quality was very good. So, I decided to get this newer version DR570. I reviewed the other recorder, so I am not going the repeat myself in this review because both recorders are almost exactly the same.

Here are my complaints with this DR570. Both remotes are the same in that you cannot see what the buttons are because of the black remote and gray lettering. The picture quality is great, that is, when I can get it to work.

I set up the recorder and the next day I noticed the time was off by over 6 hours. I tried to turn the unit on to set the clock again, but nothing happened. The recorder was locked up and would not turn on. I unplugged it for 10 minutes then plugged it back in and it worked. So, I reset the clock and then checked the channels. Then I pressed setup again to recheck the other settings and the recorder locked up again. Soooo, again I unplugged it for 10 minutes and plugged it back in and it worked. It seems that it does not hold the settings and I will have to keep unplugging it. The other recorder did the same thing, but only occasionally so it didn't bother me. However, I don't know just how often this new one is going to give me problems.

Obviously, I cannot recommend this recorder.

Got this for my brother. His VCR was finally dying. He thought of getting a DVR. But didn't really like paying a subscription fee for cable or Tivo. Then I was going to get him a HTPC. But after considering he and his wife only record about 4 shows each week, buying this for $179, with shipping and tax included made the most sense. They are not techies and they are happy with it. As noted below the remote buttons are a little tiny and mushy. But there simply are not many good DVD recorders that have an HD tuner which catches over the air HD programs. Most of us have Universal Remotes and wouldn't need this remote anyway. I'd rather have a good DVD recorder and a so so remote, rather than a so so DVD recorder and a good remote. The HD tuner in this is better than the tuner in the Sharp TV that he has. In the SF area he catches about 40 channnels for free with this tuner along with a Radio Shack $50 indoor amplified antenna. The improved picture was easily noticed by them.
I once had Samsungs Ar 650 DVD recorder which was a Consumer's reports 'Best Buy' in the small field of DVD recorders. It was good when it worked. Many including me had problems with it, so far it seems like this Toshiba is the best VCR replacement for many. If you record a lot, then an HP slimline PC with Media Center for $400 to $500 is the way to go. No subscription fees and record tons of shows with a TV guide that makes recording real easy. And you get a computer!

Admittedly, I have yet to put this machine through the paces, but my initial impressions are that this is quite a value. I purchased this machine to replace a VCR that would no longer record well. The timer recording settings are a snap. Set-up is easy and intuitive (well, as intuitive as modern AV equipment can be). Documentation is decent, a 125 page manual is included. Thus far, I have watched pre-recorded DVD movies (stunning picture), TV through the amazingly capable tuner (it pulls in more channels than the Samsung HDTV tuner does), TV recorded at second worst and second best quality (excellent on both counts). Yes, the discs take a while to load, but this machine is trying to figure out a lot of stuff each time a disc is loaded. The remote IS pretty cheesy feeling, with TINY wobbly buttons. I am anxious for Logitech to have this unit available for auto-configuration with the Harmony universal remote. In the meantime, I can figure out which remote buttons I really want to keep, once I get the harmony codes to download (I know I can program it myself, but such a pain). I am using Verbatim DVD +RW discs and so far so good...

Highly recommended.

Most of what was written about this player came out when it was released. Today, with digital television signals, HD,Blu-Ray, etc. The one thing you should take away from this review is that the machine does not record any high definition images. If you record a high definition TV show, the machine down-converts (says so on the box, but not in the item description) the image. That means it doesn't record what it receives, it actually degrades video images. While the machine has an upconversion process within itself, if you play the disk on any other machine or PC, the image quality is about the same as VHS tape. I don't mean you simply don't get HD quality, you don't even get what has come to be known as DVD quality. If you are buying this to get DVD quality video, you will be disappointed.

The machine works great, it's easy to use, has many, many options for recording and plays back other DVDs with great image quality. I have nothing but positives for it until you get down to the recording of video, which is after all, why you are buying a DVD recorder. If you wanted a DVD player, you can find better and cheaper, but as a recorder, it is unlikey that you will be happy with the image quality from this machine when played on other machines.