Looking for a replacement

[Peacedog]

Hi everybody, For about 3 years now I've had a Funai SV-2000. It has served me well and I've been happy with it, however, it's failing and I need to replace it. I'm looking for another dvd recorder/vcr combo and would appreciate any recommendations. I'm looking for something both simple to use and reliable. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[jjeff]

IMO there really aren't too many decent combos currently out. The Panny EZ series can make some great recordings but they're very quirky and not too reliable. JVC has a model, 100 something available at Sams and Costcos for ~$200 that some people have reported luck with.
If you want to record programs from it's digital tuner to VHS then look for that feature. Pannys won't but the JVC will. Other brands vary but if it's important to you you must specifically look for that feature. If the tuner isn't important to you then you've got more choices.

[Peacedog]

Thanks, The tuner's not a big deal, not really looking for that feature. I've been looking at the Panasonic models. You mention that they're quirky, in what way? How reliable is the JVC model? Thanks again.

[jjeff]

I've never owned the EZ-48 combo but I've read about many problems with that unit. My uncle tried 3 and they all would lock up terribly when trying to remove channels after the initial channel scan. Lockups seem to be a big issue among other things.
I had a EZ-28 without the VHS which again made nice recordings but would lock up or not record scheduled events a couple times/month.

Initially the JVC seemed to have problems with copy protection trying to record to DVD. Apparently they've updated the firmware and new reports seem to be more favorable.
If you don't care about the tuner and would like something cheaper then I believe Walmart carries a few Magnavox or Philips (Funai made) combos between $100-150. I haven't really read much about those models and would be a little leary of something too cheap.

The largest thread on the EZ-48 I know of would be this one on AVS. They also have a small thread on the JVC which is my second link.
Lastly if you don't need the tuner then a Panasonic EA-38 might work. It's a tunerless combo and because it lacks the tuner(which seems to be at the heart of a lot of the EZ-48s problems) it seems more reliable. I have not seen much posted on the EA-38.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1014536
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1062805

[Peacedog]

Thank you so much for the information and links. That JVC is looking pretty good, with the firmware update of course. It's carried at my local Sams Club and seems like a solid unit from all of the reading. Thanks, again.

[mrmazda]

I bought a Panasonic EZ something (37 maybe) 28 months ago. 9 months afterward I sold it to someone who didn't need a digital tuner, then bought I think an EZ47. I really didn't like the software much, but its lockups drove me nuts, so before warranty expired I took it in for repair. The repaired unit came back with physical damage, so I refused to accept it. Circuit City called a few days later to give me my original purchase price back, plus a portion of the cost of the original extended warranty. I then bought an EZ48. Before 30 days passed I took it back for a refund. It was no better than the one I took in for repair.

[jjeff]

Yes their was the '07 EZ-37 (no upconverting, combo) and the '07 EZ-47 (upconverting combo), IMO the EZ-x7 line was very buggy and not really worth the trouble. As I said before the '08 EZ-48 may be a little bit better but it still has problems. For a new combo the only one I'd remotely suggest would be the tunerless EA-38.

[orsetto]

As others like jjeff have noted, the problem with all current combo decks is their really awful ATSC tuner/timers. Mfrs just cannot seem to get a handle on the combination of digital tuning and unattended timer. The only recorder that has a good one is the Magnavox H2160, but that is a DVD/hard drive combo (no vhs) and rather more pricey than your SV-2000. There are scattered reports that the current Magnavox version of the SV-2000 has a decent tuner not far off from the high-end H2160, so if you've been happy with your Funai you may just want to stay with the same mfr (Funai makes Sylvania, Phillips and Magnavox, which are usually decent if low-end, they also make very poor Toshibas which should be avoided). Other than the inexpensive Funaibased machines, the only recommendable combo is the tunerless Panasonic EA-38 which is very rugged and reliable. The JVC is a crapshoot: some love it, some have had very bad luck with it, and if you buy it on an off day it can be way overpriced. JVC is now made by LG, which has had a very spotty history with DVD recorders.

The simplest answer depends on budget: at $150 or so, opt for a Wal*Mart Funai model, at $200 or so, go for the Panasonic EA-18 unless you really need the tuner- in that case you could risk the JVC. Try to buy from a store with a full refund policy. And don't forget, if you only timer-record one or two shows a day, you can use a govt-coupon-sponsored accessory ATSC box with any tunerless recorder (the Zenith DTT-901 and Channel Master CM-7000 beat anything built into a recorder and can be had for $25 with the coupon).