Cyberhome CH-DVR1600 DVD Recorder by CyberHome
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Digital camera reviews of Cyberhome CH-DVR1600 DVD Recorder
Digital camera Review: Stay away from this one.
Summary: 1 Stars
We bought this unit to be our main recorder replacing a LiteOn that we still use. In less than a day, the unit had destroyed 2 DVD+RWs to the extent that my computer would not even see the dvds either. We were scared to put a commercial DVD in it. The unit has no fan, so it needs an open area in order to keep cool. The LiteOn at least had a fan. The remote is way too small for the average hand. I emailed the company but got no response until a week later but I had already returned it in less than 24 hours and bought the LiteOn LVW-5005 instead (see that review). One star is still too high a rating for this unit.Digital camera Review: Stinker
Summary: 1 Stars
If you buy this after reading these reviews you will kick yourself.
Forget one-touch record (only after you select the "yes" in the format dialog box and then press enter and then select source).
Be prepared to throw away the ruined disks. First it recognizes a disk then it doesn't. Cumbersome, confusing, and flawed in its basic design.
Why was this released to the public at any price?
I took mine back to the store. You will, too. Try the mini Lite-On. I got it for the same price and it is working well so far.
Digital camera Review: Terrible product, Should be taken off the market.
Summary: 1 Stars
This was my first DVD recorder purchase (from Best Buy) to copy recordings from my DVR. I purchased this as a low cost transition to the DVD recorder universe hoping to eventually copy old video recordings to DVD. I returned it in 28 days. Here's the skinny:
THE UNIT:
Thin, simple. Appears to get warm/hot after 1 disc burn (1 hr, HQ mode).
THE MENUS:
Very cumbersome. Takes up 3/4 of your screen (I have a 32" too) and not very user friendly. I'm a 9-yr techie and I was gritting my teeth on every push of the remote buttons.
DIRECT RECORDING:
[Media: Sony DVD+RW]
First try, not very promising. I had some Sony DVD+RWs handy. Disc error on 5 discs when formatting.
[Media: TDK DVD+RW]
Disc 1 - Recorded an hr of programming (HQ) and it worked. Disc 2 - Recorded another hr (HQ) and worked.
Disc 3 - Disc formatted, and began recording. Failed before the end of the hour.
Discs 4-5 - See Disc 3. Gave up for the day thinking it was just overheated.
Next day, I checked the manual for info.. Nothing. Went to Cyberhome website. Downloaded 3 firmware updates and updated the player as instructed. Tried recording again switched between failing before the end of recording or just would not format the discs.
On website, found out that this player doesn't accept all brands of DVD+RWs (like TDK). Good to know AFTER blowing through 2 different sets of discs.
Media: Sony DVD+RW (purchased new set of discs).
Recordings worked fine after that.. until timer recording.
TIMER RECORDING:
Tried it 3 times, and failed all 3. This was with the working Sony DVD+RWs!
REMOTE CONTROL:
Horrible design. Small remote.. hurt my palm just to grasp it. Buttons were small and layed out in a grid with no obvious grouping by function so it was easy to press wrong buttons. Buttons were spongy and felt like you had to push the button really hard in order for the player to respond.
PLAYBACK:
The very first successful recording... Plays back in the DVD player fine and even played on my computer (using Nero ShowTime) the first time. But not anymore. I did nothing to the disc except store it in a CD wallet in the interim.
OTHER NOTES:
I lost nearly 15 blank DVDs, but the cost is not just in the unusable discs it leaves but also the purchase of the entire spool.
I was ready for a replacement after week 1! I only held onto it for so long to clear up space on my DVR as needed until I replaced it.
Sony was releasing the RDR-GX330 (for $229) a week after I returned the Cyberhome. It's been only a day with the Sony and it not only performed way better, but it showed me what other functionality that the 1600 was lacking.
The Cyberhome box states that on the inside flap of their box, "(paraphrase) before you return the product, to contact their support because there may be a simple fix." Um.. that alone throws up red flags.
I used only DVD+RWs because I was trying to save money by reusing the discs for my desired recordings after testing.
OVERALL:
Do not buy. If you're on a limited budget, try another brand or save up an extra $20 for the next brand up. You'll spend that much anyway on the DVDs you'll probabaly have to replace.
Digital camera Review: The lab rat review...
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a bit puzzled by all the "one star" reviews regarding this product-or it is possible I got lucky and purchased that elusive 1 in 50 units that works OK? The Cyberhome DVD recorder is my first, although I am certainly no "newbie" to home recording (2,500 home-taped VHS titles since the mid-80's). I have had my unit for about 6 months now, and so far have archived over 400 (you read it right,FOUR HUNDRED) titles off standard digital cable and more recently, off a DVR.Here is where I can agree with the naysayers: Yes, the unit is a bit picky with some brand name media, particularly Memorex (discs inexplicably stopping in mid-recording, not formatting, etc.). All I can say about that is, "once bitten, twice shy". Don't BUY that brand again if it doesn't work! I have found the Sony and TDK discs work best. I also concur that the remote is ridiculously undersized, with buttons tiny enough to put a carpal-tunnel specialist's kid through college. The overall attrition rate (i.e., wasted discs) is about 10% in my experience (remember I have done over 400 recordings!). Lets keep things in perspective-for the average cost of a studio-mastered DVD ($20 for one title), you can record 50 movies; if 5 of those homemade discs tank (for whatever technical reason), who cares- you are still ahead. If you are transferring from archived DVR files, you have the option of putting in a fresh disc and giving it another shot anyway. It is possible that I have had better "luck" because I use the unit exclusively for recording (Many complaints seem to center on playback issues.) For my needs, and especially for the price, the Cyberhome has made me happy!Digital camera Review: Totally Junk!
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this DVR on impulse at a local Best Buy. It appeared a steal for about $80. As it turned out, this product is a piece of junk. It includes only a three-month warranty. That alone should raise suspension.
For practical purposes, I have not used this DVR often outside of the initial testing. Everything appeared to check out when tested. Months later this DVR would not read a blank disk (DVD-R) when I attempted to record a program. I referred to the manual, which indicates that a DVD+R disk is required. I had tested the record feature with a DVD-R disk but still presumed the disk was the problem. I thought perhaps the test disk had been pre-formatted on my computer to render it readable.
On another occasion, the disk door would not open. I tapped on it; turned the power on and off a couple of times; and it opened eventually. The final straw was when it would not read a commercial DVD, which works fine in my regular DVD player. Of course, the warranty had expired. There is a one-year warranty on parts only--what a joke! This DVR is not worth repairing. In addition, it is expensive when you consider you are receiving useless junk.