Anyone check out the new Philips DVDR3400 yet?

[jsganz]

Just wondering if anybody has looked into these recorders.
HDMI output, USB port, records up to
12 hours on Dual Layer discs plus some other features.
They're going for around $169 or so.

[videosean]

Just wondering if anybody has looked into these recorders.
HDMI output, USB port, records up to
12 hours on Dual Layer discs plus some other features.
They're going for around $169 or so.

HDMI = 480p at best I think as I don't have an HDMI device to test it on. You can change the output to progressive in the menu system but I didn't see anything regarding resolution. I can't try the component connections either. Apparently this machine can also play and record NTSC and PAL... that might be worth something to someone. I also don't have a PAL TV/monitor so I don't think I can really test that either.

USB is input only and the manual claims it will only support USB flash drives.

The remote is terrible, specifically the buttons are spongey/non-responsive and I often have to hit a button a few times before the command is sent when trying to use the on-screen keyboard - try it at a store first if you can. Overall this machine would be alot less annoying than it is if the remote wasn't so bad IMO.

The whole system is slower than an older DVDR615 that we have. That makes it an annoying machine to me but will probably keep it simply because it's 2 hour recording mode records about 126 minutes which is enough to capture an entire T-120 VHS tape which often have 123 minutes recorded on them. The 615 only gives about 115 minutes in 2 hour mode. Similarly, 4hrs = 4h4min and 6hrs = 6h6m iirc.

[jsganz]

Yeah, I just got ahold of one at Circuit City's Labor Day sale for $160.
I figured I'd give it a shot. I agree with you on the responsiveness of the remote.
Not the greatest, but I'm sort of getting used to it. The recorder in general is definitely not as "sophisticated" as the two DVDR77's I have, but those used to be priced alot higher in their day. Best thing about those older machines was you could change the backround picture as
well as the index picture. It might be my imagination, but the DVDR3400's picture quality
seems a bit better than the older recorder. I'll have to do some more direct comparisons.
Overall editing is fairly straight forward. The 3400 is also not quite as fussy about which
DVD+RW discs I use. One of the 77's I have only likes the Philips RW's. The new one
also uses DVD-RW's and Dual Layer discs as well, although I have tried those yet.
Of course, since it's Philips....it has a stereo tuner, which is a MUST for me. Many other
recorders around the $100 price range have MONO tuners.

[jolo]

I am so glad that people are commenting about the Philips 3400.

I am thinking of getting one for $150 at Best Buy. For those who have one, I have some questions and would appreciate it if you can share youjr experienaces with me. It would be my first DVD recorder. Here is what I plan to do with the 3400.

• I have and will continue to create Divx video, encode with the latest Divx version 6.25. I have some Divx encode 5.x video as well. Have you played Divx videos? If so, please share on the quality.
  
• I would like to record cable TV shows. I have my cable TV coax connected to my Cable box. Then my box is connected to my TV via Component Video and audio connect from my box to the TV video RCA (left right) cables. I assume that I would remove the cables that go from my Cable Box to my TV and connect them to the Philips 3400 instead. Therefore, the Cable Box output, is the 3400 recorders input.
  
• Since my TV has a HDMI connection, I would connect the 3400 player/recorder to my TV via a single HDMI cable.
  
• I also would like to connect my old stereo VCR up to play some family videos and have them recorded onto DVD on the Phlips 3400. I assume I would have to the VCR output go to the 3400 input's RCA connecters. No S-Video on my ol VCR.
  
• Can a TV show be recorded while watching a different TV show ?
  
• I would use my PC is I want to copy a non-protected DVD or CD to another DVD or CD.
  
• I would never try any editing functions, if there are any, on the Philips itself. I would do take a Philips recorded DVD and bring it to my PC if I want to edit it.
  
• Are their any problems with the 3400 playing DVD +__ R or RW DVDs ? How about playing or recording on a DVD + RL double sided DVD ?

If you have other recommendations, I would like to hear them.

Do you think it is worth it to pay some more to get a DVD recorder/player that has a hard drive. I was thinking that the DVD media is a much slower and less reliable than a hard drive. I wonder if there are less recording or playing issues ?
Divx playing is a neccessity.

Thanks so much,

Jon

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[pierceje]

Does anyone know how to hook up a dvr cable box (Scientific Atlanta 8300HD) to the Philips dvdr3400 using the component video in (ext3) on the back of the dvdr3400? I get a distorted picture. I think I tried both progressive(480p) and interlaced(480i) modes. S-video and RCA work fine.