Toshiba RS-TX60 DVD Recorder with 160 GB TiVo Series2 Digital Video Recorder

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Product Details

Data Sheet [1.12mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 16.2 x 7.8 inches ; 17 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 17 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000646MWA
• Item model number: RS-TX60
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,255 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 2, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

A digital entertainment device for both movie buffs and technophiles, Toshiba's RS-TX60 digital media server features DVD recording abilities alongside TiVo Series2 technology with free TiVo Basic service included with purchase. The unit's high-capacity, 160 GB hard-disk drive (HDD) stores up to 200 hours of audio/video storage (depending on the quality level you select), while DVD recording gives you the option for archiving your VHS and camcorder footage and for easy recording of your favorite TV programs. A convenient, front-panel DV input (IEEE 1394) is perfect for quick transfers of camcorder material onto the hard-disk drive and then to DVD.

The unit also comes with a 45-day free trial of the TiVo Plus service so you can try features unique to the TiVo Plus service, including the ability to search for programs by title, set up Season Pass recordings for your favorite shows, and create actor, director, and keyword WishLists searches.

With TiVo Basic Service included and without paying a subscription fee, you can record your favorite TV shows onto the HDD and watch them on your schedule. You can also record content from the hard disk drive to a DVD media (DVD-R or DVD-RW) quickly and easily. The easy-to-use TiVo interface can automatically create a DVD menu for easy navigation. DVDs can be named according to your program selections, or you may manually enter a title.

This is a great DVD player, too. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the RS-TX60 will deliver the full potential of your commercial DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, gives you higher resolution and sharper images than standard 480i signals while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Toshiba's Digital Cinema Progressive feature (3:2 pulldown detection and reversal) digitally corrects frame distortion in film-based material to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

The recorder/player's ColorStream Pro component-video output (selectable for 480p/480i) works for both DVD and TiVo content. There are 2 composite-video-based AV inputs, 1 S-video input, and 1 RF coaxial input (for an antenna signal or a feed from an older VCR or cable box). A set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions, while 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.

The DVD drive is fully compatible with your MP3 and WMA music CDs and will even play discs full of your favorite JPEG digital photos for ready-made slide shows right in your living room.

A supplied IR blaster cable for cable-box and satellite receiver control (C3 Control) connects to the back of the recorder and transmits an infrared (IR) signal to change channels on your cable or satellite box, as needed, for advance recording--freeing you from having to pretune the correct channel ahead of time.

The included, no-fee TiVo Basic service features a 3-day rolling program guide, TV "Trick Play" features (such as the ability to pause and rewind live TV), instant replay/instant skip, and manual recording capability with repeat function. The unit is fully upgradeable to the TiVo Plus Service (subscription required: $12.95 per month or a "product lifetime" fee of $299 that's good for as long as your RS-TX60 remains operational), which includes TiVo's Home Media Option for remote (online) scheduling, access to MP3/JPEG digital media files from your PC, and multi-room viewing with no additional TiVo receivers.

What's in the Box
DVD/HDD recorder/player, a remote control, remote batteries, an IR blaster cable, a user's manual, a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, and warranty/registration information.

Product Description

built-in 160GB hard drive for recording/playback (holds up to 200 hours) * TiVo Basic 3-day on-screen program guide * IEEE 1394 DV front-panel input for use with a digital camcorder * records to DVD-R&DVD-RW * plays DVD-Video, DVD-R&DVD-RW, CD, CD-R&CD-RW, MP3 and WMA CD-R&CD-RW, and picture CDs (JPEG) *

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Toshiba Tivo/DVD unit, December 16, 2004

By	Martin Krajci (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have upgraded from Toshiba SD-H400 to RS-TX60 2 weeks ago. Aside from being able to continue using the Tivo basic service, which is completely free (except the cost of phone calls to a local number which provides program information), here are additional benefits:
1. Huge Tivo hard drive seems impossible to fill up. I know one day even 200 hours will seem too small, but for now it seems infinite.
2. Copying Tivo'd programs to a DVD-R or DVD-RW. As I fly a lot, I am able to bring my DVD-R's, and watch them on a plane with my portable DVD player or a laptop. I found no problems playing the DVD-Rs on other equipment. I was slightly concerned what happens when the recorded program is longer than 2 hours (limit what would fit on a single DVD-R in High quality mode), but the unit seamlessly fills up 1 DVD-R, and then continues on another with the rest of the recorded program.
Creating a 2-hour DVD-R takes about 45 minutes; creating 30-minute DVD-R takes about 20 minutes. The initial on-screen estimate is always 57 minutes for the DVD-R, but the number decreases somehow faster than the real time. At the same time, the front display of the unit shows how many percent of the DVD have been recorded.
3. The unit is much quieter than SD-H400.
4. Occasional audio sync and pixelization annoyances have not come up yet on the new unit.

I also found a few annoyances on the new unit:
1. The remote is not as logical as the SD-H400's seemed to be. The two jump forward/jump back buttons have been replaced with one "jump forward than jump back" button. Live TV/Guide buttons have also been combined into one. The Stop and pause buttons are at unexpected locations, but I guess this is just a matter of getting used to it. And the worst, there is no standby button on the remote for the unit, so I either have to navigate the menus to put it in standby, or stand up and press the button on the unit itself! If I didn't do it, I would have to turn off the audio system (which I keep always on), or I would have TV sound on at all times. (By the way, the unit does turn on just by pressing the Tivo button on the remote.)
2. The Tivo on-screen font is slightly smaller and toned, so it is somehow more difficult to read on a 27" TV.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the product, and would recommend it.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent DVD Recorder and TiVo upgrade, March 13, 2005

By	A. Carey "adamarket" (Vallejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was an early adopter of TiVo about 5 years back and still have one of the original 30 hour units. I kept holding off buying a Series 2 as the capacity grew.

When I saw the Toshiba RS-TX60 with 160 GB capacity and DVD burning functionality, I figured that was the one for me, especially at Amazon's great price (made even better by a TiVo and Amazon rebate).

I've had the unit for a few days now and wanted to set down some impressions and correct a few FALSE impressions I believe have been written about the unit.

1) Firstly and most importantly, when burning a DVD YOU CAN CONTINUE TO USE THE UNIT FOR RECORDING AND PLAYING SHOWS. There was one review that seemed to indicate that you had to "time" your DVD burning when nothing else was going to be recorded. NOT TRUE. Just as you can watch one show while recording another, you can also (a) watch a show while (b) recording another show while (c) archiving another group of shows to DVD.

2) DVD burning is actually quite fast. I just burned 12 half hour shows for my daughter onto a single disk. These were recorded at low resolution. They were a bit pixelated but my daughter didn't care. She now has 12 shows she can watch in her bedroom on her computer's DVD player.

3) The only time you can't record Live TV is when you're capturing digital camera footage you've filmed to the hard disk. This makes sense, you're already using the HD recording capability - naturally you can't use the player to record any TV shows.

4) I'm not sure how useful the Toshiba RS-TX60 DVD recorder is for people wanting to put their own home movies onto DVD. Sure, it gets the job done, but I guess I prefer a more long-winded approach; I like to capture onto a computer, edit with Premiere, then export and burn to DVD for a more professional home movie. The RS-TX60 doesn't allow any editing, just a straight capture along the lines of recording to video tape without the ability to edit.

5) The 160 GB hard drive is a dream come true after having lived with a 30 hour unit. I'm trying to fill her up to see what it looks like with a full 200 hours maxed out.

Overall, initial reflection on this product is that it's a great upgrade for current TiVo owners. Switching my account to the new machine was painless. I decided to stick with the paid plus TiVo functionality rather than downgrade with the new machine to a Basic version.

Adam

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost the perfect Tivo, June 28, 2005

By	Paul Wain (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've had a TX-60 for a while now (It replaced an aging series 1 box) and I have to say that, while I was impressed with the Tivo service to start with, the DVD-RW addition of the Toshiba box almost makes this a perfect product!

First off the good stuff. If you've already used a Tivo you will know the benifits of the service (all the usual feature you expect with pause/rewind of live TV, season passes, Tivo Suggestions, remote scheduling, playing MP3s from your PC etc.). However the two areas where it really comes into its own over the normal Tivo Series 2 and a DVD-RW as separate boxes is in the way it handles DVDs. One of the nice things about playing a DVD on this box is that it treats it as a normal program. That is you can do all the usual jump to chapters you can on a DVD, but... when fast forwarding, pausing or rewinding, the familiar Tivo status bar is displayed. You actually can tell how far into the movie you are rather than how far into a chapter (what a novel concept!).

The box also figures a small 7 segment LCD display. Normally this display the Time or, if you are recording or playing a DVD a short status message as to what is going on. Recording to disk is indicated by a red "bar LED" on the left side.

Of course the main feature is the ability to save recorded programs to DVD. This works as advertised. Its easy enough to use. In addition, recorded DVDs have a the Tivo interface added to them. This may sound like a small thing, but imagine this. You pop the DVD into a DVD player, and not only do you get an on-screen listing of what is on the DVD, but it also gives program information relating to the program taken from the TV Guild. This creates a DVD that looks and feels like the Tivo "Now Playing" list. (A side effect is that you can also Tivo-ize your friends by showing them some of the user interface in their own home).

And yes you can record to DVD, record a program and watch something you have recorded already all at the same time!

There are a couple of negatives. Firstly the VCD and SVCD support is adequate at best. We had no end of trouble fast forwarding/rewinding home created VCDs. So if you want to play your own movies on the TX-60 you should invest in a DVD creation tool such as Nero. Secondly, althought the 7 segment display is a status window for the DVD operation, you get so used to it displaying the time, that when its a counter for DVD playback, sometimes you wish it displayed the time instead. A minor niggle but it would have been nice to have an option to change it.

Support for wireless USB devices is also in the adequate phase. The main problem is that although its possible to find these devices (and they work very well when they are setup), the initial setup has to be done by phone. Once that is done, you can switch to ethernet. If you have a wireless network in your home you should do this as soon as possible. If you don't and you have broadband you will probably want to invest in one anyway since it will remove the need to have a phone connection to the Tivo and remote scheduling will work better (not that you will need this feature much).

If you don't already have a Tivo and are considering one, stop right now and push the buy button (or at least get a normal series 2 box). You won't regret it.