What is your opinion about LITEON LVW-5001/Gateway AR230

[smartblue]

Hi, Just want to know your opinions about LITEON LVW-5001 or LITEON OEM Gateway AR230

[donpedro]

You are missing oneoption.

"I am planning to buy one and give it a try"

[gtruta]

For me the AR-230 is generally ok to good, with a few disappointments. It records great in SP mode (2 Hour) with great quality. (I can’t tell the difference between it and my Digital Dish Network PVR 500 Satellite feed). I upgraded the firmware to the latest from the gateway website and now it seems to finalize DVD+R’s for use with other players very well. I use FujiFilm DVD+R’s and Optodisc DVD+RW’s(from www.supermediastore.com – 1 dollar a piece) and HP DVD+RW’s. Both work very well. I have to say before I upgraded the firmware the Fuji DVD+R’s finalization did not always work. TDK DVD+R’s never worked. I have heard Imation work well too. I would use Fuji, or Imation DVD+R’s, and others may work now as well with the 1139 firmware upgrade. The new firmware said that it is supposed to increase media compatibility and since the upgrade of the firmware I have had no problems with my Fuji’s DVD+R’s. It works very well with DVD+RW’s. In general, I have had no problems with them at all with DVD+RW’s (OptoDisc and HP). For 300 dollars it has excellent recording quality (even EP (4 hour) is ok for children’s shows or things you don’t need great recording quality on.). Once in a while it locks up but it generally works fine (even computers do that). It pauses great when you record things off TV so you can edit out commercials. I would say if your anxious to get a DVD recorder and don’t need the recording ease of a PVR or TIVO it is worth it despite the negatives about it. The Liteon 5001 is the same unit as this and you can get the Lite-on about 30 dollars cheaper but Gateway does give you a 1 year warranty with it, which is comforting with this unit. It not the highest quality unit but is fair to good quality, and generally works if you use DVD media it likes. I have made about 20 DVD’s so far successfully and discarded a few of them before the firmware upgrade. Things are going ok now. Not Bad.

[hobbes4444]

Fairly happy with my Liteon 5001. Have had some problems with CRC errors when trying to rip some discs made on the Liteon discs to my HD. Wish it had a one touch recording function and manual chapter mark inserts. But on the whole it is a nice VCR replacement for a mere $250.

In response to the previous post, the Liteon also has a full 1 year parts and labor warranty (extendable through a Repair Master extended wty for $30 for another 2 years. . .)

[leftybp]

Hi, I have made about 300 DVD's with my Gateway without problems, no updates either. But now I have a problem, I dropped it and broke the connection where the power cord plugs in. the number on the board is ADT tech LVW 5001. anyone know where I can get one?? I have tried Gateway and Lite-on.. no help there.. contact me at billydpowell@verizon.net

[Timoleon]

...getting in on this sleepy thread.

My Gateway AR-230 finally died last night after three years of mostly trouble-free use. It was ancient --- one of the old "1121" Lite-On numbers, and I never flashed it until *after* it died last night. I was pissed because I was looking forward to copying the new Dr. Who episodes that have just appeared on SciFi.

Anyway, I was able to do the Lite-On firmware and driver upgrades on the thing, and the Gateway screen was replaced with a Lite-On badged screen which told me I was up to the "1180" upgrade. Still no dice --- won't play nuthin' and won't record nuthin'.

I took a break from work this noon and drove over to the local Best Buy and purchased the Lite-On LVW-1107HC1 recorder on sale for $99.00 It's supposed to record to plus and minus disks, and play everything but the kitchen sink (and Nero Digital). Doesn't have s-video, but I guess with a progressive scan recorder/player you don't need it. I also bought for eleven bucks the Memorex CD/DVD Lens Cleaner disk with the six little brushes, in hopes of maybe helping the psychotic AR-230 --- but I won't hold my breath I'll find out tonight how all my scheming and planning has turned out.

[leftybp]

Hi, I went out and bought the 1107HC1 at best buy also. my AR-230 has a bad power board (where the plugin is) if you dont get yours going, how about parts? contact: billydpowell@verizon.net

the 1107 is doing fine so far..

[Timoleon]

just a follow-up...

So far I'm very happy with the new Lite-On. It plays DiVX files without any problem, as long as you give them an avi extension. I must say that I was very surprised at how nice my single CD backup of my copy of The Brothers Grimm looked on my 32" Toshiba 32A43 tube set. Grimm has a lot of dark scenes in it, and I didn't notice much in the way of artifacts or blotching in the playback.

One little niggling problem, though. I also have a JVC XP-NP10S DVD player, and the Lite-On remote affects both machines at the same time

My Gateway AR-230 did not respond to the Memorex lens cleaning kit. I guess I'll take the machine apart and play with it, and hope that I don't get blitzed by some dreadful electric shock from some capacitor or something...