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Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner |
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| A Gorgeous Picture...Just a Bit Noisy! |
Once I finally figured out how to use this wonderful, easy-to-program DVD recorder, I bought two more, one for every TV in the house. I do NOT have cable or satellite, just an attic antenna to receive Over-The_Air shows. OTA is free TV and is all you need these days since most OTA stations have back channels as well.
A tech savvy friend hooked it up for me with a splitter so I can record anything on one channel while also watching another channel on the same TV. The picture quality is pure, wonderful HDTV whether watching TV or watching the recorded DVDs, even if they were recorded in Extended Long Play mode (8 hours of recording.) I simply needed something that worked like a VCR since I time shift all my television watching -- and this is perfect. I use DVD-R blank DVDs to record up to 8 hours and simply toss them when they're watched since they cost less than 17 cents apiece. Guess I'll try DVD-RW someday, but I'm happy with this plan now.
Oh, the noise? For some reason the slot motor that slides out the DVD carrier makes a sound like a dying moose when it opens and closes. You're sure it is just about to quit totally, but it always chugs right along. This is the ONLY complaint about an otherwise sterling product!
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| Nov 23, 2008 |
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| Great! |
| I have absolutely no complaints. It does everything we need it to do and is very quiet. Low profile allows it to fit in a small space. |
| Nov 23, 2008 |
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| Decent DVD Recorder |
There are a lot of reviews on this, so I'll just give you a short take on what I like and don't like about this unit. I had previously owned a Panasonic DMR-ES20S, and some of my comments are based on this fact. It was quirky but good in several ways, and finally gave up the ghost. This Toshiba was at my price point, so I gave it a try. Keep in mind that I do not have an HDTV - my television is a 32" Sony flat CRT Wega.
Pros:
- Digital TV stations from the built-in digital tuner are very crisp. I am very happy with this because my TV does not receive digital stations, and I use the unit rather than a digital set top box.
- While performing some operations such as disk formatting, you can still see the stations from the built-in tuner.
- Record quality is decent; I have no complaints.
Cons:
- The manual could be improved. For example, the pros/cons/uses of different available disk formats is not clearly explained.
- The record menu is simple enough, but I've seen better. I believe it allowed me to record more than what was available on the disk, rendering the disk useless, but this is an unproven suspicion that I don't feel like testing out.
- No DVD-RAM recording. I realize now after losing my Panasonic how much I liked that format. Maybe it's because I have a stack of disks laying around now, or maybe it was the Panasonic's record interface, but this does not seem quite as flexible.
- Whine from the unit. This has a high-pitched very quiet whine that most people will not notice. I do, and it is annoying. It is there when the unit is OFF. My Panasonic used to run a fan when it was OFF. This is a pet peeve of mine. Can't these things be designed to be more "OFF" when OFF?
Final thoughts: I don't regret the purchase considering the quality and price of the unit. |
| Nov 22, 2008 |
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| Great VCR Replacement |
I have been using this for about 6 months now. Since getting a digital signal, I decided to do away with the VCR and instead get a DVR recorder. After reviewing several brands from Philips to Toshiba, I decided on the Toshiba DR560. From the beginning, this has been an awesome recorder. I have been using DVD+R and DVD-RW discs. These both work perfectly! I have not had any problems. I usually record on the LP mode. That gets me 4 hours of recording on 1 disc. Upon finalizing any recording, I am able to view the recordings on my Pioneer DVD player as well as computer.
I have not used the upscale portion of this product, so I cannot make a comment.
If you still have an analog TV, the tuner on the DR560 will make digital signals viewable on your analog TV.
The only drawback to this product is the lack of a TV viewing guide. You can review information on the channel that you are viewing, but the interface for moving between stations, or creating favorites is not there. Then again, this is a recorder and not a TV. Although it has a built-in tuner, this is marketed as a VCR replacement. For that purpose, it is outstanding!
I recommend this if you are NOT going to buy a DVD recorder with a hard drive. This will fulfill all of your needs! |
| Nov 17, 2008 |
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| DVD is almost perfect |
| The unit is wonderful, easy to use, and set up but falls way short when it comes to using the remote. I need a magnifying glass and a flashlight to see and read the remote. they need to use white letters on the remote or at least make the remote so it lights up. Other than that its a great unit for the price. |
| Nov 15, 2008 |
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