Apex DRX-9000 & general confusion

[blue58]

Just picked one of these up and I am confused about several things. The manual it comes with is horrible!

#1 Manual states "new dvd +r & +rw's make take up to 30 minutes to format the first time you use them? Yet there is no "format" option anywhere (other than "erase" which I believe is for wiping out pre-recorded RW's. So how, why or when do I format? If I use one touch or timer recording "up to 30 minutes" makes it a bit difficult to get the source timed to the recording. I probably don't understand it correctly but the manual is no help.

#2 DVD +R I believe I can record to this in segments, but how does this work exactly? Can I continue to add (& possibly even erase) until full and/or I'm ready to finalize? If so does the media have to stay in the recorder 'til I'm done...i.e. when I take it out can I put it in later and keep going or is it "finalized" when I remove?

#3 Finalize & Compatible. I have these as 2 separate options, I think I understand finalize but what EXACTLY does compatible do, and why wouldn't I just use it always if it makes it compatible with other players? Again the manual doesn't explain at all.

#4 FujiFilm discs...the manual has a recomended/not section that's almost useless, it does however list YUDEN, are these FujiFilms?

Thanks for any help.

Mark

[musher70]

First Question IS, WHY BUY APEX?
HOw much did it cost ya?
Apex drives only last a year or so,
Thinking i would get a decent one,
so i got a Panny....

[leebo]

I so love it when a question is asked and the first response is "Why did you buy that crap?"

I can't speak for your 9000, but my Pioneer DVR-7000 writes to the RW disc every time I eject it so it can find the current blank section the next time I insert it again. It won't play on another player until I finalize it however.


BTW, no one told my Apex it was supposed to break down more than 3 years ago. Think I can still get a refund???

[qpskfec]

I have a Philips DVDR985, I expect the apex to be similar.

#1 If you insert a blank +r or +RW disc, after the very first recording, it takes a couple of minutes (not 30) to add the Philips logo backround for the menu, as well as some other housekeeping info for the disc. (Most likely creating the video_ts folder and .ifo/.bup, etc.) After the first recording, it will only take a few seconds for the disc to be ready for another recording to be started. +RW are always ready to be played in another player, no finalization needed. A +R disc must be finalized before you can play it in another dvd player.

#2 +R, write once only, cannot be erased. All new recordings added at end of last recording. Insert/remove disc whenever you want. You must manually finalize disc when desired.

#3 Not sure what compatible means. +RW does not need to be finalized, as it is always compatible. Finalizing +R makes it compatible.

[blue58]

Musher, yeah that was helpful, ya dork!

Actually since I've played with it now a bit and updated the firmware, have done a timer, VHS, TV, Satellite & commercial DVD copy....pretty sweet unit for $399 at local Sears. All I've got to do is figure out the above questions. I pretty much see that the 30 minute format is bogus...the +R & +RW I've tried so far record to immediately. I talked to the Apex support guy and he was clueless...it was obvious he was just making things up.

leebo, thanks for the reply....I got a handle on that, but it was specifically the +R I was referring to about multiple recordings/finalize.

Haven't tested the Fuji's for compatibility in other drives yet.

[FulciLives]

Just picked one of these up and I am confused about several things. The manual it comes with is horrible!

It's an APEX stupid.
You probably could have bought the PANASONIC DMR-E50 for around the same price.

Like DUH!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mopar7]

One of Apex's good points, along with Samsung and Sharp, gee, they are supposed to play the -R and +R's.

[mopar7]

Go to the dvd media here, Fuji is listed as Taiyo Yuden's, so they should work. One other was too, one of the Verbatim brands I think it was.

[leebo]

Hey FulciLives,

Whats an Apex stupid? Is that any easier to use than a regular Apex???

[FulciLives]

Hey FulciLives,

Whats an Apex stupid? Is that any easier to use than a regular Apex???

You will never be able to convince me or anyone else that uses logic as to why anyone would want this crapola DVD recorder by APEX when the PANSONIC DMR-E50 is around the same price.

It just dosn't add up. Unless you are freakin' stupid.

So blah on you

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mopar7]

oops, shoulda kept readin', +R is Ricoh japan, the -R is Yuden.

[mopar7]

Geez, why don't you Apex haters just keep it to yourselves. I have 3, all hacked, 2 of them older than my friends Pioneer 343 that is having problems outside of his warrenty with store bought dvds. And Pioneer is supposed to be a good brand. The older ones were easily hacked and played everything and yes, cheap. I got maybe $220 invested in 3, my friends one was $150.

[leebo]

Well, actually, my Panasinic died one month after the warranty expired. My Apex lives on.

More to the point, when someone posts a question about an Apex (or any other brand), it's not at all helpful to try and make him (or her) feel stupid for making the purchase.

If you hate Apex, don't buy one.

[txpharoah]

Ignore them. Apex is fine. I wouldn't get near a Panasonic. Maybe a Pioneer. I'm looking at the Apex myself. But that's not helping you...

Keep reading or call Apex and ask. Experiment on a +RW disc. After all, you can always erase it if you make a mess.

[blue58]

Thanks all, that and a little more experimentation has cleared almost everything up. And so far I'm very pleased with the Apex...didn't want to go mail order route with this as I wanted the option of exchanging it locally if needed and not spending alot of time screwing around. Which I will NOT be doing, the menus and manuals are kind of cheesey cheap, but now that I've got it mostly figured out I'm very satisfied. I'm not doing professional video production here, mostly just wanted a VCR type replacement, and this looks good. Since my first post I've recorded our wedding tape, Super Bowl XXXI and a DVD movie.....so it's doing exactly what I need it to.

Thanks again.

[leebo]

Since my first post I've recorded our wedding tape, Super Bowl XXXI and a DVD movie.....so it's doing exactly what I need it to.

A DVD movie? A hollywood DVD?
That's interesting because my Pioneer 7000 has circuitry built in to detect Hollywood movies and refuses to record. Maybe Apex didn't include that "feature".

[FulciLives]

Since my first post I've recorded our wedding tape, Super Bowl XXXI and a DVD movie.....so it's doing exactly what I need it to.

A DVD movie? A hollywood DVD?
That's interesting because my Pioneer 7000 has circuitry built in to detect Hollywood movies and refuses to record. Maybe Apex didn't include that "feature".

Many commercial DVD release are free of any form of analog/digital copy protection. I should stress this is not "normal" but there are MANY out there like that.

For instance I collect horror movies and one of the biggest labels (Anchor Bay Entertainment) hardly ever uses ANY form of copy protection.

So just be carefull "jumping" to conclusions.

Also please note that you can buy a DVD players that has ALL forms of copy protection "blocked" and such a player can be used as a source for playing back a DVD movie to be recorded (for back-up purposes of course) to a stand alone DVD recorder. However most so-called "hacked" players ONLY have the MACROVISION removed but you also need to remove the CGMS/A digital/analog copy protection.

The JVB DIGITAL website has such DVD players. Please note that NOT all of the DVD players they sell have both MACROVISION and CGMS/A disabled BUT they do have a few that are like this. Most of them are PANASONIC players. A good basic player (for those of us in the USA) is the PANASONIC DVD-RV32 model which JVB sells for a mere $159 and although that is a good $60 or $70 more than you can buy it in a retail store it IS a hacked copy protection free DVD player so the price is more than worth it IF that is something you NEED for backing BACKUPS on a stand alone DVD recorder such as those made by PANASONIC, PHILIPS, PIONEER or even (gasp!) APEX hehehe

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mopar7]

Some of the cheaper movies and XXX are free of macrovision. What did your tape to dvd look like? What speed were the tapes recorded in? I imagine sp or lp since they were valueable.

[blue58]

Macrovision is turned off on the source player.

Tape to DVD looked (to my untrained eye) just like the original.

Recorder tuner & av input volume is kind of low.

Overall this is a nice recorder for the price, it is however pretty crappy as a player.

FujiFilm DVD's don't play at all in my other DVD player, but it is old and crappy. They play perfectly on the PC, I went ahead and ordered a 25ct spindle of the +R's from Best Buy, about $31 after rebates.

Finalize goes very fast and makes it compatible as well...I guess the compatible separate option must be for RW's.

Final note, the APEX's that are on shelves now do need the firmware upgrade which is easy to do, BUT don't burn the CD using XP's built in stuff, my guess is this uses Joliet format (long file names) and the upgrade requires ISO9660. Easily done with Roxio by selecting that format, took a minute or 2 to upgrade once I had the right disc.

Only thing other than low volume that is not resolved is the AFF or Zoom feature (I use for widescreen to get rid of the bars) does not work in playback on the Apex. I let them know about these and hopefully another FW upgrade will be released.

"Pros" most likely won't be happy with the Apex, those like me who want a basic recorder/vcr replacement at a low price will be.

Thanks for the help!

[leebo]

Again: What DVD Movie did you "back up"?

[Gil T Pleasure]

#3 Finalize & Compatible. I have these as 2 separate options, I think I understand finalize but what EXACTLY does compatible do, and why wouldn't I just use it always if it makes it compatible with other players? Again the manual doesn't explain at all.

If you add chapter marks after the recording is finished, you have to "Make Edits Compatible" in order for the other DVD players to recognize the edit points. If you don't, the edit points are not accessible to the other DVD players.

[ScottBroker]

Is there a way to totally copy a dvd with the drx-9000 from my other dvd player?

[FulciLives]

Is there a way to totally copy a dvd with the drx-9000 from my other dvd player?

As has been stated before in this thread some original store bought factory produced DVD videos have copy protection and some do not.

In order to make sure that you can copy any DVD disc regardless of copy protection you will need a way around the copy protection.

There are basically two methods of doing this.

1.) Use a DVD player that defeats the copy protection. Use this DVD player to play back the DVD you want to copy. Simply plug it into the stand alone recorder and bingo you can copy it.

2.) Use any DVD player even one that will pass the copy protection along but use a device inbetween the player and the recorder that will eliminate the copy protection.

For option one you can buy one of the PANSONIC units from JVB that have copy protection hacked to be OFF (see my previous post in ths thread) ... there are also other brands that are like this in that they have a way to eliminate the copy protection. My Cyberhome CH-DVD 500 can do it. A good resource for this would be the NERD-OUT WEBSITE as they have an excellent message forum section devoted to different DVD model/makes and the hacks (like copy protection OFF) that some DVD players can do.

For option two I believe your best bet would be the AVT-8710 Time Base Corrector

This stand alone unit is a TBC (Time Base Corrector) that also is known to remove all forms of copy protection including both MACROVISON and CGMS/A and it is both of these that are on copy protected DVD videos and even sometimes on VHS videos as well.

This device is $179.00 but consider it good money spent as it allows you to use ANY model/make of DVD player as a source plus the fact that it will work with any video source be it VHS or CABLE TV etc.

Simply plug a video cable into the video out of your DVD player (or VHS VCR etc.) and connect to the AVT-8710 then run another video cable from the AVT-8710 to your stand alone DVD recorder. Audio can go straight from the source to your recorder.

No more copy protection worries.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ScottBroker]

My player removes the macrovision fine. I am tired of "play the movie" then recording it on the recorder. Is there a way to make a copy of the entire disk?

[FulciLives]

My player removes the macrovision fine. I am tired of "play the movie" then recording it on the recorder. Is there a way to make a copy of the entire disk?

This can only be done on a computer using a computer DVD burner and special software.

What you are asking is not possible with any brand/model/make of stand alone DVD recorder.

It also pays to be very specific when you post. It saves both you and others time and frustration.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mopar7]

He said his player removes macrovision, and that is possible, I have 3 that do.

[FulciLives]

He said his player removes macrovision, and that is possible, I have 3 that do.

Well again that is why I said he needs to be more specific because originally it sounded like one thing but now it sounds to me like he wants to make a TOTAL copy i.e., with the menus and all the goodies etc.

At least that is how I took it and if that is WHAT he mean then as you know that isn't possible with a stand alone DVD recorder.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[56init]

Dude, have you ever had any of your DVD players lazer shit the bed? Did you find a replacement dvd loader for it?
Some of the @%***!^@ Apex DVD player use a IDE loader that can be replaced. That is a Good Point. The APEX DRX 9000 Recorder also use a IDE connection. Damm I said Apex again! Apex Apex Apex Apex

xepA xepA


Tushshey!

[FulciLives]

Dude, have you ever had any of your DVD players lazer shit the bed? Did you find a replacement dvd loader for it?
Some of the @%***!^@ Apex DVD player use a IDE loader that can be replaced. That is a Good Point. The APEX DRX 9000 Recorder also use a IDE connection. Damm I said Apex again! Apex Apex Apex Apex

xepA xepA


Tushshey!

What the hell are you going on about insane lune ?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[56init]

O' notten. I just figure that you probable pay some one to change your oil!