Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive

by Toshiba

Product Details

Product Manual [6.23mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 16.9 x 2.4 x 13.2 inches ; 19 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 17 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007U093G
• Item model number: RD-XS34
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,987 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Prepare yourself for ultimate quality, ultimate convenience: the Toshiba RD-XS34 combines a top-notch DVD player with a DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD-RAM optical-media recorder and a hard-disk drive (HDD) recorder with a stunning 160 GB storage capacity. Whether you're watching the latest DVD movie releases in your home theater, recording your favorite TV programming, or archiving home movies and other videos to long-lasting DVD, the RD-XS34 is your ticket to world-class entertainment. And did we mention that the unit spins your homemade CDs filled with JPEG image files or MP3/WMA music tracks?

The RD-XS34's HDD lets you store around 175 hours of audio/video programming (at the lowest resolution), ample room for time shifting your viewing and keeping a fair number of "must watch soon" content at the ready. Imagine the complete contents of a fleet of VHS tapes at your fingertips--all easily accessible with no clumsy fast-forwarding or rewinding, and, potentially, in much higher resolution.

When you have programs you decide you want to keep, just offload them to DVD. Archiving is lickity-split: 32x normal speed when transferring from the HDD to a write-once DVD-R and 24x when burning to DVD-RAM. Time Slip recording/playback lets you begin watching a recording that's already in progress or "pause" a live recording and return to it later.

The RD-XS34 also offers an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with upconversion capability from standard 480i to high-definition 720p or 1080i--perfect for viewing your DVDs, camcorder footage, and television programs on a high-definition or HD-ready TV, now or in the future. HDMI provides a single-cable digital connection for the highest-quality interface between the DVD player and a compatible television, keeping audio and video signals digital until they reach the monitor. Other picture enhancements include 3-D digital noise reduction (DNR), mosquito DNR, and block DNR.

Front-panel inputs accommodate VCRs and camcorders, including digital camcorders through an IEEE 1394/DV input. The digital-video input even includes controls for your camcorder to simplify the process of selecting and transferring the scenes you want. Other inputs include 3 each composite- and S-video (1 each on the front panel) and an RF/antenna input on the rear panel.

For DVD recordings, you can create virtual titles on the hard drive--including menus and chapters with thumbnail images--then burn your programming to DVDs with high-quality MPEG-2 encoding (the DVD-Video standard). A convenient library function maintains an inventory of all your recorded content by disc or title so you can sort by date, time, or genre.

The RD-XS34 offers the flexibility of recording on both DVD-RAM--perfect for instant chapter access and for multiple rerecordings--as well as on DVD-R, widely regarded as the most widely compatible of the many DVD formats (great for sharing camcorder footage with loved ones). DVD-RAM offers double-sided recording (9.4 GB total storage), and the format is rewriteable, too.

Advanced timer programming lets you use the unit like you would a VCR, specifying a time and channel for recording, and built-in TV Guide On Screen interactive program guide greatly simplifies this. Significantly, this model gives you the option of recording audio in linear PCM audio--much higher resolution than the MP3-like Dolby Digital 2.0.

For playback, ColorStream Pro progressive-scan component-video outputs (switchable between 480p and standard 480i) provide great color detail and high purity when connected to compatible televisions. The unit also has standard composite- and S-video outputs, with an RF coaxial output for passing tuner signals to an external device such as a VCR (the RF output does not pass a DVD or HDD signal). Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's Toslink optical digital-audio output for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver.

What's in the Box
DVD recorder, audio/video interconnects, a universal remote control with television control capability, remote batteries, a user's manual, and warranty information.

Product Description

Still using videotapes? Come to DVD and enjoy recording and playing your own. With a built-in TV tuner you can record your favorite TV shows and there's an integrated programmable timer for absolute simplicity. No discs? This recorder also has a digital hard-drive. Toshiba RCXS34 takes the chore out of recording. With a 160GB hard disk drive, this amazing unit can store recorded programming and dubbed content, then transfer it from the hard drive to a DVD-RAM, DVD-R, or DVD-RW without any deterioration. The incredible chase play feature allows you to begin watching a recording that is already in progress, and live chase play lets you "pause" live recordings and return to it when you're ready! Plays a variety of formats, including DVDs, CDs, MP3s, and JPEG photos. ColorStream Pro component video input Y/Pr/Pb, S-video, RCA-video, L/R audio, optical out, RF, IR blaster outputs / S-video, RCA-video, L/R audio, RF inputs IEEE-1394 Firewire DV port for transferring digital video directly from digital camcorder or from a comparably equipped Windows PC or Macintosh computer Digital Cinema Progressive (3/2 Pulldown) - Delivers the smoothest, most film-like images to any progressive scan television, such as an HD-compatible one, and ensures maximum resolution. Interactive Program Guide provides an easy to read listing of the television programs available to view or record. It offers an 8-day program listing, flexibility of recording directly to DVD or the HDD, the ability to perform keyword searches for locating favorite programs and includes the G-Link IR Blaster for controlling cable boxes. When recording television programs, the name of the show, along with the channel and date, are automatically captured 3D Virtual Surround Sound Auto Clock, Daylight Savings Time Adjust, Time Zone Adjust VCR Plus+ for easy selection of TV shows you want to record One-Touch Record Remote Control Universal w/T

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

149 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Recorder But Serious Problems, June 23, 2005

By 

S. Rys (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive (Electronics)

This recorder offers some of the best features for a DVD recorder. Of special interest is the ability to tailor the bit rate of the recording in very small increments from 2Mb/sec to 8Mb/sec. It has the ability to record LPCM audio. It also allows you to record in Dolby Digital in 2 different bit rates. Overall, this unit offer incredible flexibility for the user. This was a huge selling point for me. It has a very easy interface (which becomes intuitive after a couple of uses) to create menus for DVDs. It's well designed and attractive.

Now for the bad news. A total showstopper: The TV Guide menu system never worked. The manual tells you to go through the set up process, then turn the unit off for 24 hours, avoiding unplugging any connections to the unit. I live in Austin, TX, and get my signals over the air. Reception is excellent in my area. The unit displayed all the available channels. They all came in clearly. But after 24 hours, I turned on the unit to find no program data. I must have done something wrong, so I went through the entire process again, ensuring that I waited 24 hours (this time, just to be safe, I waited 30 hours). I turned on the unit, and again, no data. I tried one more time. No luck. I called Toshiba. They said, "well, if the data doesn't show up, we can't help you".

I would have kept the unit if I could have recorded off the air by setting up schedules manually. The unit REQUIRES the TV Guide program guide. It is the only way that the unit can record TV shows.

Second huge issue for me, regardless of the state of the unit (on/off), the fan in the back of the unit stays on ALL THE TIME. And it's not so quiet. Forget about putting this unit in a small room, because you'll hear it...ALL THE TIME.

Given these two issue, back in the box it went. And here's the really disappointing point...I did my research. This unit has the best features for the price. It has a hefty 160 GB hard drive. It was the perfect unit....almost.

99 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Toshiba and TV Guide dropped the ball on this one, September 27, 2005

By 

K. Schaub "B-Vila" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive (Electronics)

I purchased the RD-XS32 for my parents last December and was impressed with its capabilities and functionality. So I thought I'd buy the updated version, the RD-XS34 for myself. Huge mistake as many reviewers have already stated.

If you are thinking of purchasing this product, do your homework beforehand:
1) Call your cable/satellite provider and ask if they have a deal with TV Guide to allow their signal to come through their system.

If they don't you'll be purchasing a $500 boat anchor because you cannot set up timer recordings without the TV Guide system. A huge oversight on the part of Toshiba. A huge oversight on the part of TV Guide for not informing Toshiba about this little detail. Toshiba will be getting a lot of these units returned because they didn't inform their customers about TV Guide's limited support.

2) Read other reviews about the reliability of the TV Guide system. This is not the only other unit that has TV Guide and many people have reported some really annoying bugs, such as losing entire program guides and channel preferences, plus recording memory.

3) If your cable company has support for TV Guide and you're willing to risk having some headaches, this unit may be for you.

4) On the other hand, regardless of the TV Guide system, as other reviewers have reported, the fan on this thing is loud and stays on all the time! Turn the unit off, and the fan still runs!

The older RD-XS32 was almost a rock star. Why Toshiba completely got rid of the manual recording features of that unit on the RD-XS34 is beyond my comprehension. Why there is no way to turn off the TV Guide features on the XS34 is also mind boggling, especially when dealing with the very new, not well-tested TV Guide system.

I returned the unit and will not purchase a unit with TV Guide unless they work out the bugs on it and provide a way to download their program information without having to use cable, satellite or telephone. I think TIVO decided to eventually go the LAN route. Maybe TV Guide will in the future.

I will also be hesitant to buy a Toshiba product in the future and you should be too. For the time being, JVC has a unit without TV Guide and you can still pick up the Pioneer DVR-520H without TV Guide. They lack the coolness factor of the on-screen program guide a la TIVO or a working TV Guide, but having used the older Pioneer DVR-510H, I know the system works well without hassle.

My one star rating should be zero but there is no option for that. If the unit had the option of manual timer recording, the star rating might be closer to a four based on my experiences with the XS32, but since I couldn't test any of that, the unit was a $500 boat anchor.

Update: One month after I called Toshiba techincal support (returning the product a week after my call), TV Guide support called to help. Wow! How responsive TV Guide is. If you have a problem with TV Guide, they'll get back to you in a month! No, really, avoid this product.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People don't know what they're talking about, January 23, 2006

By 

Minority (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive (Electronics)

Please don't put down this recorder when you either are technologically challenged or cannot read the manual. Several people mentioned there is no way to record TV shows unless you use the TV guide, and does not work with satellite. IN THE MANUAL, it explicitly explains how to record shows manually. You can set the device to record at a certain time just like a VCR, at whatever quality you want and whatever medium (DVD or HDD). To record from your satellite, set your satellite receiver to tune to hte appropriate channel, and go into the TV Guide feature. Then, go to schedule, then hit menu twice, and it will bring you to the manual record option. Or READ THE MANUAL! Just wanted to let everyone know.