SANSUI DVD 4005 Combo recorder

[Tigergreg]

Has anyone used this model? Any problems with it? I'm looking to simplify the huge task of converting all of my home videos to DVD. This all-in-one unit seems to fit my limited abilities like a glove. Thanks.

[SnoopyDad]

I purchased one at Christmas and have used it to both dub from VHS and record TV.

Both worked great, although, from my experience, if you plan on watching the DVD on anything but the Sansui, unless your PC DVD/RW can read VR mode (I'm not sure if any can, a havent really researched it), you need to make sure you are recording in Video mode, not VR mode.

Hope this helps.

Edited 2-17-04 - Check out this site for reviews:

www.reviewcentre.com/reviews9326.html

[Tigergreg]

Thanks for the tip on playback. I think I'll go with this one.

[me]

I just bought one of these yesterday evening. (Sears has a sale--10% off all appliances--so the price ended up being $360 plus tax, rather than $399.)

I have not yet set it up. However, I am surprised by something in reading the manual. Page 9, "Discs cannot be played back", includes DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD Audio, PhotoCD, CD-Extra, VCD, SVCD, and others. I am surprised because the trend in general seems to be for increased compatibility.

In reading the box in the store, I could see that the unit probably does not record to DVD+R and DVD+RW, but only to DVD-R and DVD-RW. However, I thought it would still playback the + discs. I thought all DVD players made these days will play both + and -. (Increasingly, at least with computer DVDRs, they will record both also.)

I have already recorded some DVDs on + discs with my computer DVDR drive, which will record both. It would be unfortunate if I cannot play any of them on this unit. Are all commercial DVDs of the - variety?

Is this statement in the manual correct--that the + discs cannot be played back on this unit? If so, that might be a reason for return of this product to Sears.

[me]

One thing I just discovered about the unit:

There is one other place you could buy one besides Sears--Ebay!

If you check Ebay, there are many for sale, brand new, at a much lower price than at Sears. (One even listed now for $2, but I think it will sell for much more than that! But the selling prices have been much lower than the Sears price--like $230, etc.)

Even if I knew about that before purchasing this one at Sears, I doubt I would have done it though (unless I could really get it for $2, or $30 or something!), as then I couldn't bring it back if I didn't like it. I guess if I do like it I could return this one to Sears, and buy one through EBay, but that would be cheating! Also, then if something went wrong later, I doubt one could get warranty repair, as the warranty is also through Sears, and if one didn't have a receipt showing purchase from Sears, I think that could be a problem.

[Wingpal]

I got the Sansui 4005 for Christmas and really like it and have burnt a lot DVD's so far. On your question on using DVD+R's, Myself I have not tried a + yet for normally have used the - anyway. The book says bad things could happen if you try a DVD+R, maybe it will self destruct ( LOL ). I have a Apex fed into the L1 input and play most of my movies with the Apex anyway and the cheap Apex will play about anything.

[dwight55]

My wife got me one of these units for Christmas, and I love it. No it does not record to DVD+R or +RW media, but it does a fantastic job on -R media. I have made 3 coasters so far out of 30+ discs, and I attribute at least 2 of them to my ignorance. I have dubbed some of my 8mm video to VHS and made straight VHS copies onto the DVD and the videos are more than adequate for family viewing. For better definition, I plug my camera (analog by the way) directly into the rear ports and copy straight to the DVD that way. If you use the XP speed on the DVD, you will only get nearly 1 hour of video per disc, but the quality is every bit as good as the original video. I have not had any sync problems. Memorex is the brand of media I use from Wally world @ $39 for 25 discs. For anyone wanting to just copy and preserve VHS or 8mm analog video to DVD, I would recommend this unit in a heartbeat.
May God bless,
Dwight

[hudsonf]

It's a good recorder but it won't do copy protected VHS tapes. I am trying to back up my VHS movie collection and the ones with copy protection won't back up. All the ones without copy protection record great.I am using a standalone VHS player and a FacetVideo Clarifier and the tapes will record for about 5 min. or so then freeze and stop recording. I'm thinking about getting a TBC and trying that. If the TBC won't work with my Sansui I can use it with my ATI AIW Card.

[me]

It's a good recorder but it won't do copy protected VHS tapes. I am trying to back up my VHS movie collection and the ones with copy protection won't back up. All the ones without copy protection record great.I am using a standalone VHS player and a FacetVideo Clarifier and the tapes will record for about 5 min. or so then freeze and stop recording. I'm thinking about getting a TBC and trying that. If the TBC won't work with my Sansui I can use it with my ATI AIW Card.

I don't think any commercial standalone DVD Recorder will copy copy-protected tapes. I think for legal reasons they have to do that.

To copy copy-protected tapes and DVDs, you have to use a computer DVD burner, and software that is capable of defeating the copy protection. (You can find info about that on this site.)

[me]

My wife got me one of these units for Christmas, and I love it. No it does not record to DVD+R or +RW media, but it does a fantastic job on -R media.

To me the recording on only -R media is not a problem, although I have a box of blank + discs at the moment, and no - discs other than the one that came with the unit. However, it is a problem that the unit will not even play + discs. Isn't that unusual? Don't most current DVD players play both formats? This will be my only DVD player attached to my living room TV, and I have a few + discs that I already recorded, plus a box of blank ones (which I can record to with my computer). Also, it's possible that a friend might send me a DVD that's on a plus disc. I'm very surprised that this unit won't playback both formats.

[bobinga]

Some play all formats, some don't.
Some play formats that they do not support.

I bought a GoVideo DVD player/VHS combo unit and it will dub non-copywrited DVD's. Is not supposed to play +R/RW because it is not supported. Radioshack Sales boy did not want to let me test it. Insisted it would not play +R/RW, but with insistence and a managers ok to get me out of store, we hooked it up and it played all the media I brought in +/- , r/rw!

I tested a poloroid unit at best buy, much to the sales boy's consternation and flat out denial that the media would play, it played. So it just depends.

My 210 Pioneer plays all media, my GoVideo will play it all except SVCD and VCD. My broken Apex would play it all as does my Daewoo.

[hudsonf]

me; I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't asking how to backup I was saying it won't. I usually backup with my ATI AIW Card but on old tapes I get dropped frames so I tried my Sansui to try and eliminate dropped frames but it won't copy tapes with copy protection. I ordered a TBC and when it comes I'll try again. If it doesn't work on my Sansui I'll use it on my ATI AIW Card.

[hudsonf]

I tried my AVC-8710 TBC on my Sansui and got the same results of recording 5 minutes and stopping. It works great on my ATI AIW Card, no more dropped frames. Out of curiosity I tried playing my +R dvds and they play perfect on the Sansui. My guess is that they are afraid that someone might try recording to a +R dvd.

[me]

I tried my AVC-8710 TBC on my Sansui and got the same results of recording 5 minutes and stopping. It works great on my ATI AIW Card, no more dropped frames. Out of curiosity I tried playing my +R dvds and they play perfect on the Sansui. My guess is that they are afraid that someone might try recording to a +R dvd.

Interesting, because I tried playing +R DVDs, and they did not work.

Also, as you say, copy-protected VHS tapes will not dub to DVD. I assume that problem exists with all standalone DVD recorders, that due to legal reasons they must put in circuitry for that purpose. Or, do some not have that problem.

Still deciding whether to keep the Sansui. I guess I have to decide soon or keep it, as I think my 30 days is drawing near.

The only other DVD recorder with VCR built-in that I know of available now is the GoVideo 4940 (also written about in this forum). I haven't seen it in any stores (although someone wrote that they saw it in Costco, I looked in a couple Costcos, and didn't see it), it is available on the Internet, including Amazon.com, usually about $450. Same problem with copyrighted tapes, from what I read on another thread. I believe it does play + discs, although also only records to -. It has an input for DV cams, which doesn't make a difference to me, but might for some people. It only has a 90 day warranty, while the Sansui has a one year warranty, and it (Sansui) can be brought back to Sears for repair, so certainly Sansui wins on the warranty. I don't recall what other differences there are.

Actually, I did see one other in a store, a Zenith, in Best Buy. I read in some forum that it is actually the GoVideo 4940 rebranded, yet it costs more, about $480.

I read a press release that Panasonic will soon have a DVDR-VCR out (DMR-E75). I would guess that there will be many models a year from now. There are already many DVD players-VCR combos. Why not have the DVD section recordable too, so it can record both ways? But only a couple available now, at least here in the US.

Is it common for these standalone DVD recorders to only play - discs? From what I've seen, they all only record to - (or with the Panasonics, also DVD-RAM), but not to +. It surprises me, because with computer DVD burners, most will burn both these days, and all will play all. Don't most standalone DVD players (without recording) play + and -? Then why are the recorders more limited in their playback?

[hudsonf]

So far every +R DVD that I have tried has played without any problems. Maybe it's my setup. I use Fujifilm DVD +R and author and burn with TMPGEnc DVD Author on a Sony DRU500a burner.

[me]

So far every +R DVD that I have tried has played without any problems. Maybe it's my setup. I use Fujifilm DVD +R and author and burn with TMPGEnc DVD Author on a Sony DRU500a burner.

I think I tried a Philips DVD+RW disk authored with Ulead VS7 and burned with Nero on an LG multi-format burner.

Have you tried a +RW disk?

[hudsonf]

I haven't tried any +RW yet. When I get time I'll try one and let you know.

[bobinga]

Me,
you have 90 days to make a return at sears and sometime longer depending on the manager on duty.

[me]

Me,
you have 90 days to make a return at sears and sometime longer depending on the manager on duty.

I think the official return policy is 30 days. Perhaps you had a verrrryyy nice manager who let you return it much later.

The only place I know of with a 90 day policy is Target.

And Costco's return policy for computers is great--6 months!! (Although they don't have a great selection.) That's really remarkable, considering many places do not allow computers to be returned at all.

[bobinga]

Sears and walmart have a 90 day return, call them and you will see

[me]

Someone on a newsgroup wrote that he was able to copy Macrovision protected tapes onto DVD with this unit.

That has not been experience. I have tried a few times to dub copy-protected tapes to DVD, and always get the error message C-254, "cannot copy data".

Has anyone else been able to copy protected tapes with this unit?

[Wingpal]

Not here, however I was able to backup some of my old Star Trek and Star Wars tapes. They must have not had copy protection.

[cliffr5]

Does anyone have instructions on how to record to DVD with this unit (Sansui 4005) -- (especially tape to DVD and multiple tapes to a single DVD)? I purchased a unit on ebay but it didn't come with a manual. Thanks.

[Wingpal]

To dub a tape, open setup, choose record setup, choose record then enter, choose VCR with arrows, return, then choose initial rec mode and select your speed you want then exit out of setup with the return.Choose VCR with the remote then push Dubbing on the remote, it will ask you to comfirm that you want to dub.

[me]

Does anyone have instructions on how to record to DVD with this unit (Sansui 4005) -- (especially tape to DVD and multiple tapes to a single DVD)? I purchased a unit on ebay but it didn't come with a manual. Thanks.

How much did it cost on Ebay? Just curious.

[me]

Elsewhere in these forums I have seen posts in which it is stated that the copy protection mechanisms of some of these consumer DVD recorders can be defeated somehow, by putting in a code (I don't know how that's done), etc.

I guess the situation is that the hardware companies are obligated by law to include the copy protection mechanism. (I have read even that Sony has sued itself!! The content part of the company, Sony Pictures and Music here in the US, suing the hardware company in Japan.) On the other hand, they know that consumers would much prefer to have no such mechanism, and that their product would sell better without it, so perhaps they include these secret undocumented ways to defeat it, which they could plead ignorance to if confronted with, but they hope the rumor about it spreads, so more people will buy their product. And perhaps on purpose on a small number of the units the copy protection circuitry doesn't work. (Perhaps that accounts for the poster in the newsgroup who said he had no problem copying Macrovision tapes with this unit.) They could claim those units are accidentally "defective", but it would help the rumor to go around (as in that NG post), so more people would buy their product.

I'm not sure of the above, but from some things I've read recently, I'm getting that impression.

When there are ways with special codes, etc., for people to defeat the copy-protection on a DVDR, how do they find out about it? Anyone know how to do it on this Sansui-Sears product?

In my case I also have non copyrighted tapes, and I can copy copyrighted tapes to DVD another way, by recording them to my computer with an analog-digital video device I have (Adstech DVD Express), and from there burn to DVD, but the reason I bought the Sansui is to have more convenience in copying tape to DVD, and it certainly is much more convenient than using the computer, and the resulting DVD video quality seems to be better. So, it would be nice to be able to use the Sansui for copy-protected tapes also.

I guess if one's main usage is to copy copy-protected tapes through consumer (non computer-based) DVDR, and doesn't find a way to defeat the CP on a unit, one of these combo units is not the way to go. It appears (from reading here) that there are devices one can buy on the Internet (probably illegal) that one can put in between the VCR and the DVDR to defeat the CP. For that, however, you need to have a separate DVDR and VCR, of course, not have them together in one unit as this one.

Again though---if anyone knows how to defeat the CP on the model discussed here--please tell us.

[cliffr5]

Does anyone have instructions on how to record to DVD with this unit (Sansui 4005) -- (especially tape to DVD and multiple tapes to a single DVD)? I purchased a unit on ebay but it didn't come with a manual. Thanks.

How much did it cost on Ebay? Just curious.

It cost about $230.

[lhasaluvers]

It's a good recorder but it won't do copy protected VHS tapes. I am trying to back up my VHS movie collection and the ones with copy protection won't back up. All the ones without copy protection record great.I am using a standalone VHS player and a FacetVideo Clarifier and the tapes will record for about 5 min. or so then freeze and stop recording. I'm thinking about getting a TBC and trying that. If the TBC won't work with my Sansui I can use it with my ATI AIW Card.

I found that a little, rather expensive device ($89.95) , called RedPRO that can be purchased online works great removing alltypes of copy guard that I have encountered so far.

[lhasaluvers]

This is in response to member "me"
I have just purchased a copy guard remover called RedPRO, online for $89.95 and found that it works better than my Clarifier. It's just a simple, easy to use device and also enhances the picture beautiful.

[me]

This is in response to member "me"
I have just purchased a copy guard remover called RedPRO, online for $89.95 and found that it works better than my Clarifier. It's just a simple, easy to use device and also enhances the picture beautiful.

Well, I don't see how such a device could work with a unit like the one this thread is about, which is a DVDR-VCR combo. You would have to have separate DVDR and VCR units in order to put this device in between to remove the copy guard.

However--does anyone know how to defeat the copy protection (as I've read is possible to do with some DVDRs) on this unit, the Sansui DVD4005?