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    Hi All,

    I'm in the market for a DVD Recorder for dubbing VHS tapes for my mom. Nothing too fancy, but since I dont know what to look for I am hoping to be pointed in the right direction. Looking for a ~$200 Dvd recorder that will convert VHS.

    Are there any models to stay away from?
    Any features I should definitely look for?
    At the $200 price ranges is DL recording a pipe dream? same with HDD?

    Two that I have found are
    Magnavox ZV427MG9
    Toshiba DVR620

    Can anyone offer a little advice to me

    Thanks as always
    Last edited by quxote; 8th Jan 2013 at 10:42.
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    Magnavox is apparently the only manufacturer that still makes them for the USA and Canada. I am not sure but I think the Toshiba ones are older stock.

    You do need to understand that if your VHS tapes have any tracking issues or you are recording old commercial tapes and not telling us that that's your real goal that the DVD recorder may refuse to record them. In that case you will also have to buy a TBC to put between the VCR and DVD recorder. Do NOT under any circumstances buy a VCR/DVD recorder combo. You need separate units for the best results.

    We've got a member who's something of an expert on the Magnavox recorders. Hopefully he will join in before long. By the way, many DVD recorders do not record to DL media. If you find one that does, ONLY buy Verbatim DL discs. I cannot emphasize that enough.
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    jman, thanks for the input. I only buy Verbatim DVDs for everything...but thanks for the tip.

    This is something my Mom wants to do..and she doesnt have a lot of technical knowledge. You mentioned not to buy a DVD/VCR combo....but that is what she wants, she needs something easy to use. The quality doesnt have to be stellar, just watchable. I am pretty sure she just wants to dub home movies.
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    Do you want this done right? If you're just going to buy a combo recorder, then do NOT come back here when it doesn't work for you. You were warned not to do that. You're pissing your money away if you buy a combo. Expect tons of problems. Again, you have been warned. Combo owners used to come here all the time crying about how lots of their tapes wouldn't record at all with their combo units. The ONLY fix for this issue is to have separate units so you can put a TBC between them if you have to.
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  5. how many VHS tapes are talking abut here? if it less than 10 just send them to a pro for less than $20 a tape

    I used this company few weeks ago (I even found a groupon $100 for $40 ) http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-film-transfer-co

    https://www.pixcel.com/
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    Until my recent purchase of an old VCR in great condition that has a built-in TBC, I've never owned or needed a TCB. On the other hand I would NEVER buy a "combo unit".
    My friend back home in the states just bought a combo though...a Toshiba DVR620....and has successfully copied some of his tapes to DVD. They look VERY nice and the audio is excellent(he used the BEST quality settings on the unit because his clips were short). He is quite "techno-challenged" and he managed to record the clips on his own(with my suggestions).
    If it is home movies she is looking to record....be warned that most copy houses back then jammed WAY TOO MANY hours onto those tapes and that will cause problems....no doubt about it.
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    wow jman, thanks you have been helpful
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    MJA, thanks for the info....I think we would rather just convert them at home......like i said before ...not looking for stellar quality..just something watchable.....I am getting the feeling combo units are the "red headed stepchild" here.

    The alternative is send them out or spending $$$ on a VCR and DVD Recorder and TBC?
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    hech54, thanks for the info on the Toshiba, That model is available at Walmart. I understand no one likes the combo units but atleast you actually gave me a little insight on them..thank you
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    Originally Posted by quxote View Post
    hech54, thanks for the info on the Toshiba, That model is available at Walmart. I understand no one likes the combo units but at least you actually gave me a little insight on them..thank you
    Well, yes, I understand the situation. But the word "watchable" is relative. Among many ways to convert VHS to DVD, direct recording to DVD in combo units is among the very worst. As you say, it's the most convenient way. But if you find you're quite dissatisfied with the results -- which is likely -- and you decide you want to archive VHS that you value, you might want to try a better method later. Don't throw away the tapes. You'd be shocked at how many posts show up here by people who ditched their tapes and had a change of heart about which nothing could be done. Bad DVD transfers are irreparable, and not even a pro shop can work with them.
    Last edited by sanlyn; 25th Mar 2014 at 03:33.
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    sanlyn, Yup understandable.......and we always will keep the originals. Personally I have converted homes movies...but I used my computer video capture hardware...but again..this is my mom doing this.

    And honestly I have seen DVD using combo units and didnt think they were all that bad, except for the ugle menus it creates lol
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    Yeah. Some of those menus are dreadful.
    Last edited by sanlyn; 25th Mar 2014 at 03:33.
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    I'll also chime in on the almost all combos are crap bandwagon. The only exceptions might be a few old Panasonics and maybe JVC or two.
    I'd really steer away from the Magnavox and only slightly less from the Toshiba. I have read from one guy on AVS who really liked his Toshiba combo(I think his/her? name was Microlady). Again he/she really liked the Toshiba but most people as Jman98 said wish they hadn't spend the money and get quite frustrated.
    Even though you say your tapes are not commercial, many times the cheap combos read glitches as CP and will stop the recording. As others have said most all combos(except a few old Panasonics) will NOT let you install a filter or TBC between the two sections(VHS/DVDR) which is one big reason to stick to separates.

    Your best bet would be something like a Magnavox w/HDD, decent VCR and possibly a filter/TBC. Unfortunately that route may not be feasible for a small amount of tapes unless you recoup some of your money by selling the items after your job is done. I'd think everything should hold their value pretty well and at least in my area the above items usually don't last too long on Craigslist if discounted from the purchase price.
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  14. quxote, you really need to be more specific about what the heck is going on between you, your mother, and these tapes if we're to give you any useful advice. I mean, if you know how to do captures to your PC, and you've already got the hardware, and you've already been thru the process- why are you not simply doing it for her? Why burden her with a task she's clearly clueless about? If we're talking less than 30 tapes here, then seriously dude, man up and just do it for her yourself even if you think its tedious work and really don't want to be bothered. Trust me on this, its a lot less bother than having her call you 20 times a day to hold her hand, and then blame you for the whole mess when she gives up in disgust a couple weeks after you waste $200 for a unit that baffles her.

    Stop, take a breath, and understand that 9 out of 10 average people consider DVD recording to be rocket science: no matter how intelligent they are, their brains turn to mush when operating a DVD recorder. DVDR does not work anything like a VCR, there is no simple "rewind the tape and do it over" option, and the combo units are barely any easier than dubbing to your PC if the user is inexperienced. The perverse joke of the DVD/VCR combos is that they can actually work quite well, but only in the hands of someone who understands the dubbing process well enough to not need a combo in the first place. The newbies for whom you would think the combo is ideal often end up throwing them in the basement after a month of frustration.

    Now: assuming for whatever reason you can't do this for her, you'll need to analyze the situation completely before gambling on a combo unit instead of just sending the tapes to a service. If your Mom is highly motivated and can take direction from you, a combo may or may not be workable depending on your answers to the following:

    How many tapes total?

    If less than two dozen, you really should consider doing the job for her. If you still have the VCR and PC hardware from your own transfer project, and she has less than 24 tapes, just do the damn things for her a few at a time over the course of a year. You'll save $200 not buying a unit you don't need, and avoid all the stress of teaching a parent new technology that they'll never use again in their lives. Subconsciously, people resist learning fussy complex tasks when they know they only need the skill for a very limited time: it makes it harder to teach them.

    Are these all home recordings from TV or a camcorder?

    If so, then the combo will make passable DVD copies of them and probably not need additional accessories or obsessive fussing during the dubs.

    Are any of these Hollywood studio tapes or copies of Hollywood studio tapes?

    If so, you're up a creek: no sane son would would stick his mother with all the ridiculous extra workarounds necessary to make DVD copies of Hollywood tapes. The combo will flatly refuse to copy such tapes, you would need to connect a second VCR to the DVD section of the combo with a TBC or reliable protection filter wired between the two units. Dubbing would be even less automated and she might need to intervene occasionally if the protection signal sneaks thru and stalls the dub despite all precautions. Before going one step further into this project, weed out any Hollywood tapes she has and make a list of them to buy off Amazon as pre-recorded DVDs. The aggravation involved in getting passable copies of protected tapes is only worth it if you own dozens or perhaps hundreds of them. Even then I'd rather spend my lunch money on the official DVDs: the copies are too much work and rarely turn out well. With pre-2008 movies typically selling for under $5 everywhere, there's no reason to be a DIY masochist.

    Are any of these made from old home movies on 8mm or Super-8 film?

    If any of the tapes were produced from old home movies on film, they are guaranteed to copy for sh*t. Most of the service companies that did this for people did a hack job, the quality of most home movies was awful to begin with, and these tape conversions copy very poorly to DVD without a lot of intervention. If Mom never really watches these tapes and could care less how the DVD copy looks, no problem, but if she expects "nice" she isn't going to get that. She'll be lucky if she can recognize the faces from scene to scene.

    Are these tapes mostly recorded in SP (two hour) mode, or are there a lot of LP (four hour) and EP/SLP (six or eight hour) slow-speed tapes?

    SP tapes will generally dub in passable quality without too much trouble or glitches. But if most of these tapes have 4, 6 or 8 hours crammed onto them, you better plan on moving to another country after your Mom tries to copy them. Countless things go wrong during DVD dubs of slow-speed, long playing VHS. Tracking problems galore, poor playback triggering false shutdown of the DVD because it thinks the tape is from Hollywood, terrible errors and visual glitches in the DVD copy... the list goes on. Probably the biggest disappointment to new DVD/VHS combo users is that VHS does not directly correlate to DVD: with VHS, you could kinda sorta get away with six hours on a tape, but DVD visual quality tanks quite dramatically beyond two hours per disc (unless using a PC or one of the older deluxe DVD recorders with carefully calibrated infinite variable speeds).

    The Magnavox combos go from decent two hour to not-so-hot 2 1/2 and 3 hour per-DVD speeds, the Toshiba combo drops immediately from decent two-hour quality to fugly 3, 4 and 6 hours per disc. Unless she's blind or viewing on a 12" tube TV, Mom will not be happy with a straight-across dub from 6-hour tape to 6-hour DVD. Any hope of passable DVD copies requires splitting a 6-hour EP tape into three 2-hour SP DVD dubs. This means thinking ahead to plan out where the breaks will be on each tape, starting and stopping the dubs, swapping DVDs, keeping track of everything. Not horribly difficult, but not something the average Mom really wants to tackle.

    Personally, I've barely been able to get my own parents to comprehend how to use a combo DVD/VCR player: I wouldn't attempt to teach them how to dub their VHS to DVD for any amount of money. My stress and their disappointment would not be worth it. There is a point of diminishing returns with parents and their VHS collections: unless the tapes are absolute garbage brands, they are remarkably durable, and excellent lightly-used durable Panasonic VCRs can be had for $15 from countless Craigs List ads. If the tapes aren't viewed all that often, and the person is much older than you or me, often the best option is to buy them a couple of clean, good-quality VCRs. Connect one to use, and save the other as a backup. Unless the tapes are stored in a garage in Florida during a heatwave, they should be playable for another 10-15 years minimum. Rushing headlong to make DVD copies only pays off if the person is tech-minded, undaunted by the task, and expects to to outlive their tapes by decades. Otherwise, its a lot of trouble for very little reward vs just playing the tapes themselves.

    And as others mentioned, DVD recorders are deader than dead and almost gone from stores. The last DVD/VHS survivors you can buy new are the Magnavox and Toshiba (which is the Magnavox with a Toshiba nameplate glued on). If you decide to buy Mom a combo, at least get it from WalMart: their return/refund policy is ridiculously generous (you could probably get your money back two months later if Mom hates it). Most other retailers or web stores have limited 7-10 day, only-if-defective refund policies.
    Last edited by orsetto; 8th Jan 2013 at 15:17.
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    Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    quxote, you really need to be more specific about what the heck is going on between you, your mother, and these tapes if we're to give you any useful advice. I mean, if you know how to do captures to your PC, and you've already got the hardware, and you've already been thru the process- why are you not simply doing it for her?
    NOTHING I did worked in talking my dad out of buying an Apex DVD recorder instead of sending the VHS tapes to me.
    NOTHING I did worked when I repeatedly asked my friend who bought the Toshiba DVR620 to send me his tapes(and he only has about 10 tapes with little 10 minute clips on them).
    You might want to lay off lecturing a stranger whose situation you know NOTHING about.
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    hech54, thanks for your help....you are about the only one who actually answered the question rather than trying to steer me away from buying a combo.

    What everyone fails to realize is she WANTS the combo...she WANTS to do it herself. I was just looking for advice on one to look for. YES i understand the quality wont be there....YES I understand it could be a lot better...Yes I could do it if I wanted, that's not the point.


    orsetto, thanks for the man up lecture...that was really helpful. Again..this is something she wants to do herself. and for a $150 Recorder what is the harm

    Worst case scenario: I hook up a separate VCR to the combo and tape from there ..maybe put in a TBC between them.
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    oh...and for "regular" people.....every dub doesnt have to be an Academy Award candidate for editing a dubbing....sometimes people just want to be able to watch something on DVD.
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  18. Nobody is out to get you -- just trying to give an honest assessment of the situation out there.

    I imagine that most opinions of combos is that they are all the same -- one is just as bad as the next. I would just try one out that is in you budget and has a solid return policy, especially if you have lots of EP/LP tapes.
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  19. Originally Posted by quxote View Post
    oh...and for "regular" people.....every dub doesnt have to be an Academy Award candidate for editing a dubbing....sometimes people just want to be able to watch something on DVD.
    Look, I wasn't trying to lecture or be insulting: if it came off that way, I apologize. "Man up" is a casual term thrown around here quite often without meaning anything beyond "theres no easy shortcut solution." Many of us answer this type of DVD<>VHS question so frequently, on and off these forums, that we sometimes go on auto-pilot and forget a degree of courtesy. We forget not everyone is aware that DVD recorders have rapidly vanished from stores, and that there is really only one model of DVD/VHS combo still available to buy new, and it isn't exactly wonderful.

    Again, I'm sorry: no offense was intended by my reply. I just tried to give the broadest overview of the various traps an older person who normally doesn't do these kind of techy tasks could be snared by. A lot of the options we once had for converting VHS to DVD have disappeared over the past few years, at least as new products you can buy in a store with a good return policy. Unfortunately, all that is left in USA are the Magnavox/Toshiba twins: there is no detailed advice to give on these, they are the same recorder other than the Magnavox including an additional SPP (150 mins) speed which is barely distinguishable from its (or the Toshiba's) LP (3 hour) speed. They are adequate, bare-bones combos that aren't the most user-friendly ever sold- but they're all you can buy new today. They won't dub Hollywood tapes at all, and they don't copy most LP or EP/SLP tapes all that well.

    It is of course fine and understandable that your mother may want to do the work herself. We're just addressing various "gotchas" she may encounter with certain kinds of tapes, or if she wants to control how scenes are put together or do any editing: if she has such ideas in mind, the Magnavox/Toshiba may not please her. Edits can be done, but not easily, and they're more difficult if she wants to use archival DVD-R blanks instead of convenient but less-durable DVD+RW. The Magnavox/Toshiba are OK for straight-across uninterrupted dubs, but poorly equipped for editing or customizing. If your mom has any significant plans for editing, she'd need the more advanced Magnavox MDR533 DVD/HDD recorder. You'd connect an external VCR to that unit, record all the VHS tapes to its HDD, easily make all the edits there, then burn the DVDs as high speed copies from HDD. Even better for editing would be the Panasonic EH59, which is incredibly convenient and flexible, but costs more. Whether your mom would find a combo suitable really depends on how much editing she expects to do vs how much the two of you want to invest in a recorder. Note DVD/HDD recorders have excellent resale value, so you could recoup 70% of the purchase price by reselling the recorder on eBay when she's finished all the dubs.

    Regarding the final dub quality, don't misunderstand the replies: no one is trying to be elitist. We're just trying to give an idea of what you can expect with various dubbing setups. The current combos are not great, older ones were better, but you can't buy them anymore unless you want to gamble on used recorders (tricky when a parent is involved). Even the better, older combos had their issues and had to be fought and worked around to achieve decent results. I'm not a fanatic about it myself: I've done hundreds of such VHS>DVD dubs, and they're a big PITA no matter what hardware is involved. I'm happy if I get "passable" results that don't make my eyes hurt: doing better than that requires twice the gear, triple the effort, and mad PC software filter skills. Some of the experts here will accept nothing less than perfect, others like me are willing to accept "adequate." I have way way too many dubs still left on my list to attempt anything better than "adequate."

    The catch is that "adequate" is not that easy to achieve, either: if you just throw a tape in a combo and press the "dub" button, the most common end result is usually "yuck" instead of "watchable." Each tape is different, each person has a different TV and visual expectations. Which is why I recommend getting the combo from WalMart, and letting your Mom try it out for awhile. She may get lucky, it may work just peachy to make good DVD copies of most of her tapes- it does happen that way for some users. If she has trouble, you obviously have the experience and skills to help her. If she still can't get results she wants, return the combo for refund. She'll need to consider (with your input) if its worth trying again with a more sophisticated DVD/HDD model, whether a few problematic tapes should be done by you with your PC setup, or whether to farm the whole project out to a service. No way to know for sure until she tries with her own particular tapes.

    I wish you both good luck, and 100% success with the Magnavox or Toshiba combo. It would be the easiest solution, if it suits her tapes and needs.
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    I have a friend that bought the Magnavox DVR620 as a Christmas present for his wife. I know that your mother just wants it for dubbing VHS to DVD, but just in case she decides she wants to record TV shows, be aware that it does not have a tuner.

    And I think that your mother wanting to do this herself is quite wonderful.

    Brainiac
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    Great post Orsetto and in all fairness I did kind of offhandedly suggest the Toshiba over the Magnavox, based on the recommendation of the person over at AVS who seems to really like his/her Toshiba.

    Brainiac, are you sure your not talking about a Toshiba DVR620? I think Magnavox has different model numbers but I agree with your tuner suggestion, if not too much more money it might be nice to have the option of a tuner, no way to easily add one down the line if she ever needs one.
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    Jeff, you are correct, it is the Toshiba DVR620 that does not have a tuner. That is the model my friend purchased.

    Brainiac
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    Two years later I wonder if everyone's tummies have settled down?

    Now: I still own (and love) my Maggie ZV427MG9, but - as with all relationships - this one has come a cropper a bit and the Ol' Gel has started chewing on the VHS tapes when I try to record /playback on them or dub to a DVD from an existing VHS. I lost a small bit of my first granddaughter being born (AND, as it showed that portion of my daughter's anatomy as what NO Daddys should be seeing past age three, I wasn't TOO upset... I saved the rest of it)(Migod, where DID that woman learn those words?) but I've a lot more tapes of that one growing up and the next one getting squoze out that I'd like to put on DVD so I can torture them in the near future (#1 is 20 and in Auburn for Statistical Analysis, #2 is just 13 and who can resist torturing them at THAT age, I ask ya?) as well as their mother and hubby #3.

    My question is (quite aside from all the arguments as to the efficacy of the combo unit over separate units (I'm 73 and don't expect I'll get very much usage out of an expensive array of electronic chazzerai), if amyone has a BETTER suggestion for a combo VHS ><DVD dubber?

    I can't see why I'd want to dub a DVD TO a VHS, but the VHS TO DVD is a definite gotta-have.

    I know squat about BlueRay other than machinery for this format seems to be W*A*Y outta this retiree's budget, so there y'go.

    An honest question for you to chew on.

    (As Barry Fitzgerald said in,"The Quiet Man", "I thanks yez.")
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    You apparently read the explanations as to why a separate DVD recorder and VCR are the better option, so I won't waste my time repeating the same information. You are correct about Blu-Ray recorders. They won't be any more useful than a DVD recorder for dubbing VHS tapes and cost far more. Plus there are none made with a built-in VHS deck.

    The only US-model DVD recorder VCR combos still being made (or recently discontinued but still being sold) are the Toshiba DVR620 the Magnavox/Funai ZV427FX4 the Sanyo FWZV475F. All are actually made by Funai, but there are some differences beyond the name on the box. For example, the Toshiba DVR620 records to DVD+R and DVD+RW, while the others do not according to their manuals. The Toshiba DVR620 (reportedly discontinued) is probably the best of the three.
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  25. At this late date I usually recommend going to "the source" and buying the cheaper, fugly, Funai-branded unit that is the basis for the prettier Toshiba and Magnavox/Sanyo. All four recorders are exactly the same under the hood, with only minor variations. They all will accept any kind of blank DVD: the instruction manuals are inaccurate on a number of points.

    The Toshiba is the sleekest-looking with the most well known name, but of no better quality than the other three. It is the hardest to find in stock, and the most expensive of the four (you pay up to 40% more for the Toshiba name). The Magnavox is the same unit with clunkier faceplate, and sells for less. The Sanyo is identical to the Funai which is slightly uglier than the Magnavox (or was- the very latest Magnavox version may actually look identical to the Sanyo and Funai).

    At the moment, the best deal on these is the Funai ZV427FX4 thru Amazon for $161.98 including free shipping. The Magnavox seems out of stock everywhere, the Sanyo is $25 more, and the Toshiba typically $60 more. Remember: all these recorders are the same unit, so there really isn't anything other than price to differentiate them. None of them has changed much since 2008: Funai does not continually improve its products, they are a budget mfr.

    All the earlier advice posted in this thread still applies: don't expect miracles. These recorders give adequate results at best, and they aren't paragons of reliability. Buy with open eyes and reasonable expectations.
    Last edited by orsetto; 11th Sep 2015 at 12:16.
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    Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    At this late date I usually recommend going to "the source" and buying the cheaper, fugly, Funai-branded unit that is the basis for the prettier Toshiba and Magnavox. All four recorders are exactly the same under the hood, with only minor variations. They all will accept any kind of blank DVD: the instruction manuals are inaccurate on a number of points.

    The Toshiba is the sleekest-looking with the most well known name, but of no better quality than the other two. It is the hardest to find in stock, and the most expensive of the four (you pay up to 40% more for the Toshiba name). The Magnavox is the same unit with clunkier faceplate, and sells for less. The Sanyo is identical to the Funai which is slightly uglier than the Magnavox (or was- the very latest Magnavox version may actually look identical to the Sanyo and Funai).

    At the moment, the best deal on these is the Funai ZV427FX4 thru Amazon for $161.98 including free shipping. The Magnavox seems out of stock everywhere, the Sanyo is $25 more, and the Toshiba typically $60 more. Remember: all these recorders are the same unit, so there really isn't anything other than price to differentiate them. None of them has changed much since 2008: Funai does not continually improve its products, they are a budget mfr.

    All the earlier advice posted in this thread still applies: don't expect miracles. These recorders give adequate results at best, and they aren't paragons of reliability. Buy with open eyes and reasonable expectations.
    They don't all seem the same to me. There are differences between the Toshiba and the others and its VHS deck is probably slightly better build quality.

    These devices pretty much have to be bought online. I had no trouble finding a reputable online seller for the Toshiba.
    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=605584&gclid=COjLzfiz78cCFYePHw...Y&Q=&A=details
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 11th Sep 2015 at 12:58.
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  27. Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    They don't all seem the same to me. There are differences between the Toshiba and the others and its VHS deck is probably slightly better build quality.
    I understand where you're coming from. But the Toshiba of today isn't remotely the Toshiba that made the incredible XS series of DVD recorders. They gave up mfr of their own machines in favor of Funai OEM in 2007, and never looked back. Toshiba knew what they were getting, and didn't care: they wanted to compete on price but not waste their own resources on production of a profitless, steadily-dying commodity item. Nothing against the Toshiba combo: if someone wants to spend 30% more for it because the brand name makes them more comfortable or they prefer the looks, I certainly hope they enjoy their purchase. But for all practical purposes, Funai is Funai is Funai: they haven't gotten any better with QC over the years, and they don't make any appreciable effort to produce the notably more expensive Toshiba to a higher standard. They all take -R and -RW, with +R and +RW support being inconsistent in the Funai and Sanyo (some owners say yes, others say no, the manual is unreliable). Since 2009, the instruction manuals and spec sheets have been a hopelessly confused mess, apparently written by Siri with the help of Google Translate: worthless for pre-purchase info.

    Having used all of these variations except the Sanyo (which is a new knockoff), I can tell you they operate the same and recorded results are the same. The Toshiba looks nicest on a shelf, and gives the appearance of better quality, but its reported reliability is no better than its Magnavox twin (actually worse, because it sells more so more owners complain about it). Take the top cover off, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart. Funai has not altered a screw in their combo VCR mechanism since 2006: they developed a single VCR module for mfrg efficiency across all their OEM variants. That VCR module has a reputation of less-than-stellar durability: no matter the name on the faceplate, they all crap out sooner than any random older VCR you could pick up at a yard sale.

    So for someone like frayedknotarts, whose Magnavox combo's VCR just recently croaked on him, my suggestion is to go for the cheapest clone of it as a direct replacement. You won't even need to look at the instruction book: nothing will have changed in how the unit functions, and it will finalize your existing discs. If you have many tapes to digitize, and insist on using this last surviving combo design to perform the task, and you know the built-in VCR is fragile, it makes sense to pay as little as possible for the thing. This way if it breaks prematurely, the money you saved by not buying a Toshiba can be put toward yet another replacement. The Funai version typically sells for $160, the Toshiba is price-fixed at $219 everywhere. The Toshiba goes in and out of production at random times, when stocks deplete dealers mark it up to over $400. When that happens, people shrug and buy one of the other variants- with the same percentage of good and bad experience.

    If it were me, and the DVD recording section of my combo still worked after the VCR died, I would just go pick up a $20 Panasonic VCR from Craigs List or Goodwill or eBay and connect it externally. By the time the DVD module or the external VCR dies, you'd likely be finished digitizing all your tapes. Not as convenient as the single combo unit, and more clutter, but $20 beats $160 or more if budget is tight. (For most of my own project, I use a rack of high-end VCRs and vintage DVD/HDD recorders, but the setup is similar.)
    Last edited by orsetto; 13th Sep 2015 at 11:48.
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  28. Member
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    Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    They don't all seem the same to me. There are differences between the Toshiba and the others and its VHS deck is probably slightly better build quality.
    I understand where you're coming from. But the Toshiba of today isn't remotely the Toshiba that made the incredible XS series of DVD recorders. They gave up mfr of their own machines in favor of Funai OEM in 2007, and never looked back. Toshiba knew what they were getting, and didn't care: they wanted to compete on price but not waste their own resources on production of a profitless, steadily-dying commodity item. Nothing against the Toshiba combo: if someone wants to spend 30% more for it because the brand name makes them more comfortable or they prefer the looks, I certainly hope they enjoy their purchase. But for all practical purposes, Funai is Funai is Funai: they haven't gotten any better with QC over the years, and they don't make any appreciable effort to produce the notably more expensive Toshiba to a higher standard. They all take +R and -R, sometimes there's a trivial 2.5 vs 3 hour midrange recording speed difference (both use the crummy 4-hour resolution spec). Since 2009, the instruction manuals and spec sheets have been a hopelessly confused mess, apparently written by Siri with the help of Google Translate: worthless for pre-purchase info.

    Having used all of these variations except the Sanyo (which is a new knockoff), I can tell you they operate the same and recorded results are the same. The Toshiba looks nicest on a shelf, and gives the appearance of better quality, but its reported reliability is no better than its Magnavox twin (actually worse, because it sells more so more owners complain about it). Take the top cover off, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart. Funai has not altered a screw in their combo VCR mechanism since 2006: they developed a single VCR module for mfrg efficiency across all their OEM variants. That VCR module has a reputation of less-than-stellar durability: no matter the name on the faceplate, they all crap out sooner than any random older VCR you could pick up at a yard sale.
    I know the Toshiba DVR620 is not like the early Toshiba DVD recorders, but Toshiba apparently had some input into the design of the product Funai made for them and added a few verifiable niceties. For some people these differences might be worth paying for, even if you don't care about them and the OP might not either. As already noted, the Toshiba has a more attractive chassis, and pretty usually costs more than ugly. The remote control provided with the Toshiba is different. The manual was apparently a little more competently written, because the notes regarding DVD+R and DVD+RW are correct. The Toshiba DVR620 has the ability to play standard def DivX AVI, as well as MP3, and WMA files. The manuals for the ZV427FX4-type Funai-made combos specifically say they do not not play these types of files, which I can believe since the licensing fees needed for playback would add to the cost.

    I have some doubt that the Funai ZV427FX4 models and Toshiba DVR620 could finaize each other's recordings. The Toshiba DVR620 has been around since 2009, and the Funai/Magnavox ZV427FX4 was released in the second half of 2013. I know for certain Funai changed the recording/authoring method used for another Magnavox DVD recorder released in 2014 and it doesn't recognize unfinalized DVDs from older models.

    The DVR620 probably will not be an option for much longer. Toshiba left the US TV market earlier this year, and looking at their website it appears that all of their remaining home theater offerings have gone along with the TVs.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 12th Sep 2015 at 02:34.
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  29. I really don't disagree with you on this, usually_quiet: yes, there are some minor differences. I'm just suggesting that in terms of the task discussed in this particular thread, there is no practical difference. As far as basic copying of tapes to dvd in a single unit, each of these four recorders has the same VCR mechanism and dvd drives, similar remotes, the same on-screen interface, the same recording speeds, the same editing options, the same recording PQ. So if all a person needs is a VHS>DVD conversion machine, any of these four variants will offer the same features and performance in regards to that specific task.

    But as you say, beyond that one task there are a couple small differences that may be significant to someone who intends to also use these machines as their primary TV recording device and media player. Not the best plan today, IMO: the Toshiba's DiVX and WMA capabilities are very limited in scope, the others offer no file play at all, and none of them is truly convenient as a TV recorder. Anyone who wants a versatile playback system should opt for a BluRay player or separate media player: even the cheapest of these will handle far more audio/video file types than the Toshiba 620. For broadcast use, the Magnavox MDR-557 (with HDD instead of VHS) offers much more TV recording convenience for just $70 above the Toshiba 620 price. The ONLY reason to buy one of these DVD/VHS contraptions at all is if you need a quick-n-dirty, single-box way to make DVDs from VHS: in every other respect these four units are all mediocre at best and crappy at worst.

    That said, here are the differences:

    The Toshiba and Magnavox officially accept DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW media. The Funai and Sanyo officially accept only DVD-R and DVD-RW, although there is a wide range of user reports claiming their Funai will work with + media if loaded. There may be significant sample variation there: if you very much prefer + media, obviously the Toshiba or Magnavox is a safer bet. For VHS dubbing, it doesn't matter, as the dubbing mechanism negates the advantages of +RW anyway.

    The Toshiba has the best cosmetics, the other three look exactly alike (utilitarian).

    The Toshiba has a DV input for digital dub from MiniDV camcorders, the others do not.

    The Toshiba will play *some* AVI & DiVX video files from a disc, *some* MP3 & WMA audio files, and *some* jpeg images. The others will only play jpegs.

    The Toshiba has additional dedicated remote buttons for "satellite sync" (useless) and picture zoom (nice), the other three access those features via on-screen menus. Otherwise the remotes are identical, with the Toshiba having a slight edge in button layout.

    The best compromise of features/price is the Magnavox ZV427MG9, but it seems to be discontinued (yet again- but wait a few weeks and it may rise like a zombie). The Funai ZV427FX4 and Sanyo FWZV475F are identical twins of the Magnavox but lack official support for +R and +RW recording, OTOH they are readily available and dirt cheap.

    The Toshiba DVR-620 is the most "refined" version of the same basic design, with the nicest appearance and slightly better remote. Whether it is worth $40 to $60 more than the others is entirely subjective. Depends on budget, brand preference, and what you have in mind to do with it: the only notable feature Toshiba has over the others is a DV camera input. If you don't have a DV camcorder whose tapes you want to make DVDs of, the DV input will be useless to you. Its limited ability to play DiVX and MP3 files from discs is a nice extra, but dvd recorders with this feature inevitably disappoint with file compatibility issues. The Toshiba/Magnavox inclusion of +R/+RW recording certainly makes them more attractive. But the advantages of +RW are largely lost when using the machine to dub VHS, so the Funai/Sanyo being limited to -R/-RW isn't a problem unless you plan to make a lot of edited TV recordings (or have a ton of + blanks already stockpiled). User reports indicate some Funai and Sanyo units may accept +R and +RW for recording, despite the user manual saying oherwise.

    Re the finalizing issue and the mfr's recent firmware changes in the Magnavox MDR557: this may or may not be a problem. All four current DVD/VHS models, including the Toshiba 620, have an early variant of the newer MDR557 finalization interface (no "make edits compatible" setting, no thumbnail selection ability, yes to both VR and Video modes for -RW). They *should* all be compatible with each others unfinalized and VR-DVD-RW discs, but perhaps not discs from older generations of the same design with the Philips "+VR" interface. Anyone who requires finalization compatibility from their new recorder should buy it from a reputable dealer with easy return/refund policy.
    Last edited by orsetto; 13th Sep 2015 at 11:34.
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    As you know, orsetto, the Magnavox DVD recorders released prior to 2013 and the Toshiba DVR620 don't use true Video mode recording on any type of DVD media. They use DVD+VR mode instead, and officially support DVD+R and DVD+RW. (DVD+VR was originally developed for use with DVD+R and DVD+RW.)

    I do indeed suspect that the reason the Magnavox DVD recorder from 2014 I mentioned (the MDR557/F7) no longer officially supports DVD+R and DVD+RW has to do with dropping DVD+VR in favor of something more like true Video Mode recording. Since the Funai ZV427FX4 and similar Sanyo lack official DVD+R and DVD+RW support, I wonder whether they have have also stopped using DVD+VR for "Video Mode" recording. If so, they won't finalize discs recorded by earlier Magnavox models made by Funai.

    Yes, in light of the problem with re-formatting previously used DVD+RW experienced by the OP (not a total DVD recorder newbie) in this thread, I do question if it really is a good idea to use DVD+RW with the Magnavox MDR557/F7, like the Magnavox fanclub at avsforums suggests.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 12th Sep 2015 at 20:50. Reason: typo
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