Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner by Toshiba
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Our Price: $329.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home Theater See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner
Digital camera Review: A Fatal Flaw Which Dooms It To Oblivion
Summary: 2 Stars
This is an otherwise satisfactory and workable DVD Recorder/Player, with all the features you'd expect in such a machine, including the HDTV tuner, which is the primary reason why I bought it. Granted, the price was right ($166 on Amazon vs. $229 on the Toshiba website), but you certainly get what you pay for. It has two main flaws, one of which is an annoyance, and the other, in my opinion, is fatal. The annoying flaw is the remote control. The button descriptions are very hard to read, and it's made with the cheapest plastic.
The fatal flaw is its Timer Recording. If you want to pre-record programs, the last step in so doing is to turn the machine off. Quoting from the Owner's Manual, "Timer recording will not work when the power is on". What genius programmed this idiocy? In other words, if you're watching the TV where the Toshiba unit is attached, and you want to set up some pre-recorded programs for tomorrow, you must turn off the Recorder until the programs have recorded. In my situation, I'm using the Toshiba as a digital tuner for a Sony tube TV, and this flaw means that I cannot watch the set until the timed programs have recorded. Unbelievable.
It's no wonder that Toshiba has discontinued their DVD Recorder/Player line.
Note: I have subsequently discovered that I can turn off the Toshiba just prior to the recording time, but leave the TV set on. When the Toshiba starts recording, the channel(s) selected appear on the TV set. However, during the recording time, you cannot change channels. When the recording is completed, the Toshiba turns off. Therefore, in fairness to Toshiba, I am upgrading my rating to two and a half stars instead of just two stars.
Digital camera Review: A Gorgeous Picture...Just a Bit Noisy!
Summary: 5 Stars
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!
Digital camera Review: A fine replacement for the VCR
Summary: 4 Stars
The Toshiba DR560 is a great DVD recorder. It automatically formats the discs and finishes them to play in any brand player. I have used it for several weeks now and am very happy with the quality of the results.Digital camera Review: A good little machine
Summary: 3 Stars
The Toshiba does exactly what I wanted it for -- basic, quality recording. Easy to use out of the box, but with lots of little features that make life even easier. my only complaint is that skipping and even loading are SLOW. But once you're there, it's fine.Digital camera Review: A good solution for recording to DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't fully explored what you can do with this machine, but it is easy to use and produces good recorded DVDs. Of course, it's also a good player.
The uses I have for it, not all of them tested yet: copying VHS tapes to DVD (from my existing VCR); recording TV programs off the "air"; watching prerecorded (or my own previously recorded) DVDs; producing edited DVDs of my own recorded materials; tuning in QAM channels directly from my cable. This last is an interesting new capability that I haven't fully explored. It is limited, as it only tunes "cable-clear" signals, and on my Comcast service, that's limited to broadcast stations and basic-cable offerings. But who knows where it might lead? Also, if I get a DVR someday, I can copy stuff I want to save onto a DVD.
This unit also has interface and connectors for every output mode imaginable: (RCA cable) video and audio, component video (RGB), S-video, and HDMI. What is doesn't have is coax output on analog channel 3 or 4, but I guess that's gone the way of the crank starter...
This is a good basic device, a modern replacement for the VCR for off-the-"air" recordings, and for playback of prerecorded material.