Cyberhome CH-DVR1600MU with latest firmware (a short review)

[billcsho]

I've added a comment on this recorder a few days back and I've received a couple questions. I think it would be better to start a thread in this forum instead of adding more comments there.
I just got this machine from CompUSA last week during the BF sale for $80AR. It was built in October 2005 and it came with the latest firmware as of today (105N/540). It is an MU unit (not ZU) that I want. I've tested it with recording from TV tuner, DV Firewire, S-video, and RCA video input and they all work fine. There are some minor problems with this unit, such as the audio input level from the back being low, but I am satisfied with it overall. Here are a few features I found that are not officially listed:

Dual format recording: I have tested DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD+RW and they all work. I assume it would also work with DVD-RW too as other reported, but I don't have such media to verify it. All disks have been tested in playing back with Apex AD-1165 and on my laptop.

Recording PAL video: First of all, it plays any PAL DVD or VCD as most DVD players. This unit is set for NTSC output with an NTSC tuner, however, it will take PAL video input from S-video/RCA or Firewire and burn as NTSC. The quality with the Firewire input of the single attempt was not so very satisfied due to the noticeable frame skip presumably during the conversion, however, I have not repeated the test with a different DV tape or camcorder to verify it. When I used a multi-system VHS VCR to output a PAL video in S-video/RCA, however, it records pretty well. In both cases, the aspect ratio is well mantained which is sometimes a problem with some converter.

PAL to NTSC conversion: Since I found I can record the PAL video, it is likely that it can be used a PAL-NTSC converter. Bear in mind that there are many different PAL systems, it may not work in your case. Anyway, I am using video tapes from Hong Kong where they use PAL-I in broadcasting. Again I used the multisystem VHS VCR to play that tape with native PAL-I output through S-video or RCA. The video was input from the back of the unit and output to TV using the S-video out. The tint is a little bit more on the red side but acceptable. The quality is otherwise on par to my panasonic multisystem converter which has only RCA input but can convert any PAL, NTSC, or SECAM. The video converter costs a lot more than the 1600MU though.

Divx/XviD playback: This is probably most controversial feature as there are many standard for MPEG4 compression and there are many optional settings within each standard. To make the test simple and universal, I simply used the version 2 Divxtest CD downloaded from divxtest.com. To make the long story short, it cannot play any Divx3 sample clips but all the Divx4/5/6 ones. The playback quality is very good for any of those clips that can be recognized. The subtitles only work for around half of the tested formats. Some files that cannot be played are not recognized by the player. In order to see what can be played and what cannot be recognized, I run the same test CD in WinDVD on my laptop to see all file formats.

All region code hack: The region code hack (Setup/169518/0) still works with this latest firmware. I have tested code 1, code 3, and all code disk.

Concerns:
This unit still has no cooling fan (same for all Cyberhome units). I notice the recording quality can be degraded if after a prolonged used particularly with the S-video input. I also noticed humming noise from the drive when playing a particular DVD disk in Region code 0 (after region code hack) but other disks are fine.

Listed features:

Live, Timer and Scheduled Recording Functions
Multiple Recording Modes, HQ, SP, LP, EP, ELP, SLP
Continuous recording on one DVD+R/RW Disc
On-Screen Disc Title Navigator gives you quick, easy access to your Recordings
Built-In TV Tuner, Front and Rear A/V Inputs
Editing features with Auto, Add/Del, Hide Chapters
Your recordings are playable on most DVD Players
Recording:
Media: DVD+R, DVD+RW
Diameter: 12cm
Capacity: 4.7GB
Recording Time: Maximum 6 Hours (SLP Mode)
TV Systems: NTSC
Playback:
Zoom, Slow Motion Forward, FF/REW
Repeat, Frame by Frame, Go To, Screen Saver
Multi-Angle, Program Play, Segment Bookmarks
Music/Photo On-Screen Player
Parental Lock
Video:
Progressive Scan
Component, S-Video and Composite Outputs
16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 PS and LB Video Modes
NTSC Playback Support
Multi-Language Subtitles
Audio:
Decoding System: Dolby Digital, PCM
Coaxial Digital Outputs
Stereo Analog Outputs
Physical & Power:
Auto Switching:100-240VAC ~50-60Hz
Weight: 4.6 lbs

[stokefan]

Hi,

Interested in your post, what difference did the firmware upgrade make?

thanks.

[billcsho]

According to other posts, the latest firmware fixed a major problem in sound quality. Since mine already came with the latest firmware, I cannot compare different firmwares myself. Functionally, I don't think there is any difference from previous MU firmware. However, some of the functions I mentioned above was not tested or thoroughly described with previous firmware. Now I have been using it for over 2 months and I solved some other problems. The degradation in video quality during recording from S-video is related to both the Hi-8 camcorder and the 1600. There is no problem if I use S-video output from a DV or output the Hi-8 S-video to a TV. In other words, the 1600 requires strong S-video signal. The Divx/Xvid playback quality is very good (if it is version 3 or above). I cannot tell the difference between the Divx file and the original DVD. It does recognize long file names, but it can only display up to half screen width due to the OSD setting, however, it will display the file name in full screen width when you stop playing that file. So far, it can only display alphanumeric and some latin characters.

[stokefan]

Ahh I see, I have the MU you see, and I can't find that many other people on the net who have the same version, is there any chance you could advise on the following please? No worries if not.

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=289626

Cheers.