Confused Newcomer's Questions About Toshiba D-R560.

[Joliebat]

I purchased one of the first VCRs (back when they were called DTRs!) and have always been able to hook them up and program them. But since they are going the way of the dinosaurs, I have purchased three of these D-R560s to replace the VCRs. I found out I had to have a recorder with a built-in tuner. I have three 26" Samsung HDTVs that give me crystal clear, amazing pictures through an attic antenna. I do not have -- nor do I want -- cable or satellite. Over-the-air channels provide enough entertainment for me. I purchased three HDMI cables to hook up the recorders to the TVs.

All I want to do is use the recorder EXACTLY like a VCR. I want to be able to pre-set the timer to record up to 8 hours of programming, often from different channels on different days. The things I cannot figure out from the owner's manual are:

1. Is it possible to record up to 8 hours from different channels on different days? There is something in the instructions about the fact that it may cut off two minutes of a program after a previous one finishes. What is that about?
2. Will using the HDMI cables from DVD recorder to TV (with antenna going first to recorder) affect the quality of the lovely TV picture I now enjoy?
3. Can I watch a show on another channel on the TV while the attached recorder is recording a different channel?
4. If not, is there any way I can keep my VCRs and have them work after 2-17-09? I'll just send these things back!

Please feel free to email me. I really do need answers. Thanks so much.
Joliebat

[edDV]

1. The delay is about processing a file to disc before it can start another. Alternative is to get a hard disk DVD recorder and record first to hard disk.

2. Yes probably. Split the cable to separately feed DVD recorder and HDTV. Then you can see the difference yourself.



3. Yes (see #2).

4. Yes and no. You can get an ATSC tuner but it won't switch channels to a programmed stack unless your old VCR includes an infrared control device that is compatible with the new ASTC tuner.

[FulciLives]

To do what you want with excellent or at least good quality you need a DVD recorder with a built-in HDD as this will allow you to record many hours of programming without needing to worry about filling up a DVD disc.

Walmart sells a popular model by Philips. Might want to look at that.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Here are some links:

1.) Philips DVDR3576H/37

2.) Magnavox H2160MW9

Both of these are sold at Walmart. The word that I have heard is that the Magnavox is basically a clone of the Philips but it is cheaper and slightly newer with some improvements making it perhaps the better choice.

[wabjxo]

..

[Joliebat]

Thank you so much for answering my question about the Toshiba D-R560. I had never heard of HDDs, so could someone kindly answer another couple of questions? I am honestly swimming with sharks out here since I don't understand half the references in the posts I've been reading!

1. If I sent back the Toshibas and got the Magnavox mentioned, would I still need a splitter to keep the recorder from messing up my great HDTV signal? Can you split HDMI cables?

2. Do the HDDs not use discs at all, just record on to an internal disc like a computer? Then do you just erase it and start over? Does it record only 6 hours? So you definitely have to watch that program on that set, right? It sounds as if HDDs eliminate the strange gap in trying to record one show after another. (Lordy, I am SO going to miss my trusty, easy-to-use VCRs!)

3. I don't want to do anything but record TV shows and play them back and be able to use the machine to watch DVDs of movies and TV shows I've bought or rented. Will an HDD do that?

Thanks again!

[wabjxo]

..

[edDV]

...
1. You wouldn't need a splitter cuz DVDRs don't send any internal signal thru its coax connection. The coax on a DVDR just "passes thru" the signal, so your HDTV is the same signal as it is now.

I was assuming he wasn't getting the looped coax path to the TV because he said he couldn't watch one program and record another. The splitter just bypasses the DVD recorder giving a separate signal to the HDTV tuner regardless of DVD recorder menu settings.