Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built in Tuner
March 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built in Tuner
Record your favorite home movies directly to DVD with the D-R560. 1080p upconversion via HDMI will get the most out of your DVD collection, and the built-in tuner completes this convenient home theater addition. The built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital/analog tuner allows you to tune analog or digital channels from over the air, or cable, including “cable-in-the-clear” digital channels. It can also be used to dub recordings from other components onto various DVD recordable disc formats. An HDMI output enables the D-R560 to play DVDs to your widescreen HDTV delivering sharp imagery on screens optimized for 1080 resolutions, in an upconversion mode. Video Upconversion to 720p/1080i/1080p DivX Home Theater Certified Digital Photo Viewer (JPEG) One Touch Recording makes recording your favorite show simple. Just connect your DVD recorder to your cable or satellite box and you are set to record with the push of one button Auto Finalize with Undo simplifies the recording process by automatically finalizing your recording for playback on standard DVD players 24bit Audio DAC with 192kHz Processing Plays MP3 and WMA formats (2-Ch) Dolby Digital Recording L-PCM Recording (XP mode only) 3D (Virtual Surround Sound) Features – Instant Skip, Zoom, Editing (Playlist/Rename Title/Chapter Creation), Commercial Skip Connections – Component Out, HDMI Out with REGZA LINK, Front S-Video Input, Rear S-Video Input/Output, Rear RCA-Video Input/Output, Front Audio Input, Rear Analog Audio Input/Output, Coax Output, Front DV Input Approximate Unit Dimensions – 16.54 (W) x 2.32 (H) x 9.72 (D)
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Digital tuner didn’t work
I bought this based on reviews as a digital tuner. I have cox cable and this unit did not see any of the local HD channels through coax as suggested. I was able to find another unit made by panasonic which did work. Once I found I couldn’t use as a digital tuner I returned therefore I can’t speak for the DVD player/recorders performance.
4 Stars Toshiba DR560
Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built-in TunerProduct performs beautifully and has features that are excellent,unfinalizing and erasure of DVD-RW or DVD+RW. Excellent on screen (TV) timer programming.
5 Stars Toshiba DVD Recorder
I first purchased an USB device to connect my 8mm camcorder to my computer in order to convert the tapes to DVD (safe storage, added effects, etc.). As may be viewed on my other review, it did not work as advertised.
The Toshiba DR560 did what the USB device failed to do, in a ridiculously short amount of time. I was able to convert over 60 hours of 8mm video to DVD in about 2+ weeks. The method was simple.
1) connect cables from device (camera) to DR560
2) insert DVD (multiple formats compatible)
3) push play on device, push record on DR560
4) when finished press stop on both
5) select “finalize” – DVD burn for ~2 hours of 8mm completed in 5 minutes.
There are other options, like when to add “chapters” (stopping the recording in the middle creates new sections that may be selected as new headings from your other DVD devices), or to add section breaks (future fast forward areas). For example, one of my tapes had Tgiving, Xmas and Easter. I was able to break these into three chapters (must be done while recording), and then go back at the end and break up each chapter into subsections (can be done anytime before finalizing).
You may also label each chapter with about 30 characters before finalizing. It takes a bit of effort, as the numeric keypad is used to create the letters and symbols, which toggle in a similar way to texting with your cell phone.
I have not used this to upconvert current DVD’s, so have no opinion on this product claim.
As far as recordings, it sets up like old VHS recordings. Select when you want it to record (options for a single recording, daily, M-Sat or M-F), the channel and time range. There are several time options, up to 8 hours per disk. My favorite feature is that you can record, pause and then watch at your leisure. This only works with DVD-RW format.
I highly recommend this product for converting video files to DVD. It also works well to record shows and play DVD movies. The added feature is that it has an internal digital tuner, so after February 20, 2009, you can continue to use this product without a special digital converter.
4 Stars Review The Reviewers
I don’t often write reviews on products, but I usually always consult Amazon’s reviews when making purchases, especially electronic equipment. Over the years I’ve seen a trend in how people make reviews of products. Those giving 5 stars usually bring out only the pros or good points. Those giving 1 or 2 stars either actually got a “lemon” or have little idea how to operate the product. Those giving 3 or 4 stars explain both good and bad points and are pretty honest in their reviews.
My review concerns the Toshiba DR560 DVD recorder. After recently purchasing it, I tried it out EXTENSIVELY and ended up agreeing with VERY FEW of the major problems that the “1, 2, & 3 star people” brought up. These I have listed below. They are the complaints that I heard most about ………..
1. “Poorer tuner picture quality than their TV” — Maybe so with an antenna TV, but mine is connect to a cable system, and the picture looks GREAT !!
2. “Hard to Scan or Preset Stations” — Again, no problem. You select “Extended Scan”(wait a while) and everything comes in fine. If there is a problem, and some channels are missed, re-scanning does solve it.
3. “Noisy, whining drive motor sounds” — Sorry! I never heard it.
4. “Loud disc tray mechanism noise” — Some noise, but REALLY no more than any of the other four DVD recorders I’ve had. Definitely not as bad as some have described.
5. “Poor picture quality on 8 hour recording” — Yes, it’s not the greatest, but it is viewable and acceptable for some things. Again, not as bad as some claim.
6. “Fast forward is slow and jumpy” — Well then “kick it up” to the next faster speed. It’s only there to view scan what you recorded. Didn’t see anything “jumpy” either. ???
7. ” Setup, connecting, and owners manual – hard to follow and do” —
Flat-out – No!- Everything is diagrammed, described, and explained quite clearly. The manual has 117 pages, so everything is covered.
— And finally —
8. “Remote button descriptions are hard to see” — YES ! I’ll give them this one. It IS hard to read which buttons do what, but with a lamp and glasses on (or good vision) you CAN get used to it and be successful.
The unit’s LED display screen could be a little bigger and the recorder doesn’t produce “thumbnail” images of what you recorded, but all in all, it”s a very good DVD recorder. Let me tell you, there aren’t many of them “out there”. And I’ve checked many of them out. Ya, there are “lemons” out there, and some people have trouble getting things to work, but with a little patience, time, and reading of the manual, anyone can do it! I think the DR560 is a really good recorder. It does what it’s supposed to do and so far, has worked flawlessly. Worth the money.
4 Stars Overall good unit
We have owned this DVD unit for a couple weeks now. We bought it for the Digital tuner and the DVR capability. We have a lot of tapes and wanted to cut down on the space they are taking. The DVD portion works well as does the digital tuner. As some have mentioned, the menus are a bit arcane and the remote is hard to read in poor lighting. I have found it to be unable to record certain VHS tapes due to copyright protection. This is annoying. Other than that, we’re happy with it and ready for the digital switchover.
Coby KTFDVD1093 10 2 Inch Under The Cabinet LCD TV with Built in DVD CD Player and AM FM Radio
March 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Coby KTFDVD1093 10 2 Inch Under The Cabinet LCD TV with Built in DVD CD Player and AM FM Radio
DVD R/RW CD CR-R/RW and JPEG compatibleDual ATSC/NTSC tuner for digital and standard TV broadcast reception10.4 wide sreen TFT color display16:9 aspect ratioIntergrated digital AM/FM radio with stereo speakersAudio/Video input for video games and VCRs
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Sherry D
We really enjoy this radio/TV in our kitchen. We are able to view from any area in our kitchen and the volume is very adequate. We have recommended this product to our friends.
3 Stars Under-counter TV
It is just how it is described and its quality is as expected at the price. I am satisfied with this product.
5 Stars clchief
Great product. Just what I needed. Mounts easily, moveable screen makes viewing possible of a variety of angles. Lots of great features.
1 Star JUNK!
My parents purchased this DVD player for me for my birthday. The first one had a broken screen (blue lines was all I saw). We exchanged that (through Amazon) and the 2nd one had a stuck DVD tray, it would not open or close. This DVD player was returned for a refund. Also, neither DVD players had a magnatized remote like advertised. I noticed on a few other reviews people complained of the same thing – I would never purchased a Coby product again after this experience.
4 Stars Good Purchase
Easy to install. Picture quailty is good. Menu is a little difficult to navigate at first. Not many 10″ LCD’s out there. I would recommend this unit to a friend.
Samsung PN42A400 42 Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
March 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Samsung PN42A400 42 Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
Demand the best in home entertainment. With Samsung plasma HDTVs you’ll get a perfect picture every time. No matter what time of the day or night, you’ll always enjoy bold, brilliant images with the Samsung PN42A400 HDTV. It has a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and DNIe technology that captures every detail. Plus with Samsung’s Silhouette Editor you’ll see every facial expression and enjoy more realistic scenes. Make your home entertainment more exciting with Samsung plasma HDTVs.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Low Price Plasma Delivers
As you can see this TV is priced to go! $699 for a 42 inch plasma? That’s right. The catch? Well, It’s only 720p. But don’t let that stop you from buying this sweet unit. Here’s the rundown: 1) Good Black Levels 2) 3:2 pull down for improved DVD playback 3) many aspect ratio settings 4) and many, many points of calibration. Simply put, the picture is awesome and you will likely spend the first 10 hours in disbelief that the picture is this good for the price. The drawbacks: 1) Not 1080P 2) No S-video Input.
5 Stars GREAT TV with few extras
Just got this tv and the picture quality if very good (as good as my higher end Samsung 50inch PDP). It has limited inputs and no QAM tuner, but otherwise seems to be a very nice tv without all the extras.
1 Star Don’t buy it
I bought this set thinking great price, limited but good enough features…perfect for what i wanted…until it self destructed about 24 hours after purchase. Screen went blank and a long crack appeared on internal glass. The rub is that screen cracks are inherently seen as misuse of the product and there is no warranty coverage regardless of what you say or do. I bought mine at Best Buy and they wouldn’t help either and told me quite directly that Samsung would never cover any sort of cracked screen. A quick google search shows that I’m hardly the first person to have this problem with screen cracks or with warranty. Roll the dice if you want but make sure you have purchase protection on your credit card, document everything and even video tape the transport, delivery and installation to prove you haven’t mishandled it in any way.
Cables Unlimited Premium 3 Meter Version 1 3 HDMI Home Theater Cable PCM229503M
March 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Cables Unlimited Premium 3 Meter Version 1 3 HDMI Home Theater Cable PCM229503M
Cables Unlimited brings A/V enthusiasts the next generation of digital video and audio cables. These high quality HDMI cables deliver the optimum video and multiple channel audio signals required for connecting today’s high-end DVD players, cable boxes, AV receivers and HDTVs. These premium cables are Fully HDCP compliant to Provide highest level of signal quality.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great HDMI cable
I have this connecting an Oppo DVD player to a Panasonic Plasma TV and it is sending a high quality signal so far. I haven’t had any problems. It looks and feels heavy duty. A better deal than name brand and/or store bought HDMI cables, too.
5 Stars Great HDMI Cable
I have purchased 5 of these HDMI cables. They are great quality for the price. I have unplugged these and plugged them back in multiple times without having any problems like some of the other reviewers. They provide a great picture and audio quality. These compare with the more expensive cables at almost 50-70% less cost.
1 Star Disappointed
The connector on the cable broke the first day. I inserted it on my 42 plamsa TV to test the connection before I hung the TV. When I removed the cable I noticed the brass connector was stilll in my TV. I am returning it for a refund.
1 Star Just like disappointed…BUT WORSE
Well, just like disappointed, my brass connector also broke. This is worse, BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY IN MY WALL!!! I now have to pay to have a new cable put in the wall.
5 Stars The best HDMI cable at the low price!!!!!1
The HDMI cable works excellent, i connected mi DVD HDMI with another cable and the image stoped many times, with this HDMI cable the problem is now fixed… Excellent quality
Sharp Aquos BDHP21U 1080p Blu ray Disc Player
March 1, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Sharp Aquos BDHP21U 1080p Blu ray Disc Player
HDMI™ OutputSimple One Cable Connection A one cable connection carries complete digital audio and video connection between your HDTV and the BD-HP21U player for the best high definition video and the highest fidelity audio in home theater today. Blu-ray Disc™ technology brings the multiplex experience right to your home.Full HD ResolutionAn Amazing Home Theater Experience in the Comfort of Your Home The Blu-ray Disc™ format has full 1080p resolution capability â thatâs the maximum picture resolution available today. 1080p=1,080 lines of vertical resolution, progressively scanned.High Fidelity AudioReal Life-Like Sound Blu-ray technology lets you take advantage of the latest surround sound formats such as Dolby® TrueHD™. This means you will enjoy high quality lossless 7.1 Channel digital surround (48kHz Only) that is bit for bit the equivalent of a master recording.HDMI™ Up-scalingBackwards Compatible Even your existing standard definition DVD library c…
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Works perfect, great picture!
Despite some of the negative reviews here, I bought the Sharp Blu-Ray to sync with my Aquos TV. Works perfectly. I’ve had no problems at all.
I would highly recommend this player to anyone that needs a basic Blu-Ray player.
5 Stars Excellent Blu-Ray player
Quick start-up. Excellent picture and audio quality on my AQUOS 52-inch TV. Simple interface and controls.
5 Stars Great Bluray, DVD Upconversion and Audio
I have had this for 1 month and have played 4 new BluRay releases and several DVD’s. This player excells at everything you want from a BluRay player. Picture quality of BluRay discs is excellent. Upconversion of standard dvd is so good, you might think you are watching BluRay. And the audio will blow you out of your seat. I have had no compatability issues with any disc, as many have reported with players from other manufacturers. It has a Quick Start feature which speeds up load time, and works in tandem with my Sharp Aquos tv. If you turn on the BluRay player the tv will turn on and automatically switch to the proper input. If you turn the tv on and turn the source to dvd, the player will turn on and begin to play the dvd. And each remote contols both the tv and the player.
One other thing to note, is that Sharp recommends installing a USB thumb drive in the rear of the unit for certain BluRay discs which have a lot of added features which require additional memory. This will allow you to take advantage of additional program features on the discs and may speed up the load time.
I would definitely buy again!
BTW, there is a firmware upgrade available from the Sharp website. It comes with instructions, and it is very easy to install. It is intended to facilitate the loading and playing of some specific new release BluRay discs (I beleive James Bond).
2 Stars Poor Reading Ability
Only the newest of Blu-rays work in this player. I rented one that was released the day before and it froze constantly. Older rentals are guartenteed to not work perfectly.
It takes on average about 1min 30sec to read a Blu-Ray which for me seems way too long.
It’s a joke that they give you composite cables with it, at a minimum it should have component cables, cause who uses composite cables with a Blu-Ray.
5 Stars Great Product
Great Blu-Ray Upconvert DVD player. Got the player and it was easy to set up. The picture is GREAT! Very Sharp and crisp. i really dont care about BD Live because i usually watch the movie and only somestimes watch the special features. Back as a usb input so you can update the software easily with a USB storage drive. Watching a regular DVD is also good. The player upconverts a dvd to almost blu-ray quality. If you are looking for a good Blu-ray player and dont really care about BD Live then this is for you.
My only gripe about this is that it may take a while to load.
