apex recorder 374.00

[jobedo1]

apexDVD recorder 374.00 at walmart,magnovox DVD recorder 488.00

[i-on-s]

i would'nt trust that apex dvd recorder at all or any apex products cause they are cheaply made and break easy.

[jobedo1]

apex recording
when you record with dvd recorder , is it like a vcr record 15 min stop for commercial and keep doing this till you have the whole movie or show? or do you have to record every thing and then edit the capture

[Gil T Pleasure]

You can pause it like a VCR or you can record the whole show then hide the commercials.

Previous discussion of the Apex DVD recoder:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=160966

[kenmo]

How would it compare (quality wise) with a tv capture ?

Also, would you be able to record to an DVD-RW and then put that DVD-RW into your computer and then edit the MPEG ?

[Gil T Pleasure]

Yes you can but you have to use DVD+RW instead of DVD-RW disc.

[telemike]

Can you back up your old vhs tapes with macrovision? What will work with the Apex?

[coyote]

I have tried backing up vhs tapes with macrovision on another machine (not apex - hell...not mine...my friends mom's machine)

And....sorry to say....nope...didn't work....the machines LED came up with Copy Protection Error.

[txpharoah]

i would'nt trust that apex dvd recorder at all or any apex products cause they are cheaply made and break easy.

I don't think I'd be that ruthless. True, I say "you get what you pay for", but as with any rule, there are sometimes exceptions. Mintek and Apex are two of them, making fine products at lower-than-normal prices.

I know they've made a few lemons in the past, but they were few, so I can understand if you had one of them. I'd be angry still too.

I myself plan to buy an Apex recorder (or at least give one a good try), but I plan to wait until Walmart sells them for $200. The price right now is bloated, and will surely drop in months. And with Walmart being the primary outlet for the DVD players, I see the recorder being added to the lineup. After all, Walmart now carries digital cameras, CD burners, and other mid-range electronics and computer components. This fits perfectly.

A DVD recorder is the lazy man's DVD burner, being little more than a digital VCR. That's what I need. Sometimes I simply want it on DVD, and don't care about menus and other issues. I can always dump it to the PC and cut/edit it later if I really need to make it pretty.

If you want to break Macrovision, buy a TBC.

If you don't like DVD+R, too bad, as that's slowly becoming the consumer media format. That's why my computers are equipped with -R drives, as I'm not a consumer with this equipment. However, the lazy-man VCR purchase would be strictly home timeshifting usage.

[louthewiz]

The apex dvd recorder SUCKS big time do not buy garbage I just got the panasonic e20 and im in dvd heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gil T Pleasure]

@louthewiz:

Why do you say the Apex DVD recorder "sucks big time?" Have you had a first hand experience with it?

[rvl123]

i would'nt trust that apex dvd recorder at all or any apex products cause they are cheaply made and break easy.

Suprisingly enough, the cheaper Sony DVD players(i.e. the non-ES line) have many OEM Apex parts in them.

I will only buy Sony's camcorders and video game products.

Sony (the non-ES line) is not what it used to be. Even the ES line of DVD players, receivers, etc. will not match a comparable Denon or Onkyo.

If I wanted a standalone DVD recorder I would go for the Apex, but I'll wait till they become like VCRs.

My 2 cents.

[louthewiz]

Yes i had a bad experience with that crappy machine and ive learned a valuable lesson in this ,when you buy cheapo you get cheapo and ive reviewed the video quality and the panasonic beat it hands down so if you want take the pepsi challenge and see the difference;;; 8)

[Gil T Pleasure]

@louthewiz:

Fair enough. At least you are not dogging the Apex DVD recorder just because the company decided to go with DVD+RW format.

[KDH]

Interesting to see on NPD's website that Apex have the third highest market share of the US DVD player market
SONY 14.8%
TOSHIBA 13%
APEX 9.6%
PANASONIC 8.4%
SAMSUNG 7.7%

KDH

[thayne]

Despite its low price tag, no corners are being cut in terms of encoding quality and advanced feature sets designed into Apex DVD recorders, Vehling said.

The Apex DRX-900W DVD recorder includes progressive scan, instant and programmed recording from TV broadcast to DVD+RW disks and enhanced recording capabilities at either high quality or long play. The system supports playback of DVD, VCD, Dolby 5.1, JPEG and MP3.

http://www.commsdesign.com/story/OEG20030602S0114

[txpharoah]

Yes i had a bad experience with that crappy machine and ive learned a valuable lesson in this ,when you buy cheapo you get cheapo and ive reviewed the video quality and the panasonic beat it hands down so if you want take the pepsi challenge and see the difference;;; 8)

I'd like to take the Pepsi challenge because I don't believe you. It just came out. It's not even in stores yet. The machine is not even a month old. How long did you have it? An hour? A day? What is supposedly so wrong about the video quality? Specifics, not just "bad" and "sucks". Sorry bud, I gladly give people the room to review a product and have an opinion, but I'm calling BS on this one. You've probably never seen it other than a JPEG/GIF image online, much less used it.

[zanos]

That is way too expensive for an Apex. They should lower it to the 200 dollars or less.

[jtoolman2000]

You know what's really funny? Of all my DVD players, and I have 7 scattered thoroughout the house, the one that I can truly say has taken a licking and keeps on ticking is my good old Apex 690 or whatever the hell it is. I hacked it and I want to, I can throw a commercial DVD in it and copy it to vhs with no Macrovision problems. For whatever reason this piece of "CRAP" as many others seem to refer to it has performed admirably. By the way, without discussing brands, the range of players I own goes from $39 to $399. The $39 is a tiny little Mintec ( Apex ) and an $80 Apex 690. Both these players will play just about anything. So much for the "Apex makes junk " theory!

[Erwin]

"I'd like to take the Pepsi challenge because I don't believe you. It just came out. It's not even in stores yet. The machine is not even a month old. How long did you have it? An hour? A day? What is supposedly so wrong about the video quality? Specifics, not just "bad" and "sucks". Sorry bud, I gladly give people the room to review a product and have an opinion, but I'm calling BS on this one. You've probably never seen it other than a JPEG/GIF image online, much less used it."

I don't know if his review checks out, but it is in stores. My SEARS store has had the Apex DVD Recorder this month right next to the new Panasonic and Philips DVD Recorders. It has a pretty decent looking case for an Apex. The one thing I didn't like though is how they made the A/V input door on the front (It's a peice of plastic that comes off like a fisher price toy or something rather than having hinges). It is $389 which is pretty decent for a DVD Recorder, but why get this when You can just as easily get a Philips for $379 or last years' Panasonic DVD Recorder for as low as $359. I am not a big fan of Apex, but what they have done is bring alot of people into DVD and they drove the prices of other DVD players down. I believe Apex introduced the first DVD player below $100 and now $50. They're players do perform well when it comes to XVCDs, XSVCDs, and DVD-Rs, but I would rather have a Pioneer which is just $19 more. My friend just got one of those tiny Apex players and I was pretty impressed with it's JPEG player.

[PRT]

FWIW, Amazon.com doesn't have the Apex in stock yet (listed at $399.99), but the page says that it is eligible for this promotion:
Special Offer: This product qualifies! Buy $250 or more of electronics offered by Amazon.com and get a promotional certificate for $50 off your next Amazon.com purchase. Here's how (restrictions apply). Offer ends July 27, 2003.

Oh yeah, free shipping, too.

[oldfart13]

What I want to know is what is "under the hood" of the Apex (and other) DVD standalones. We know that some like the Panasonics, Sonys and Pioneers have Time Base Correctors and real time filtering. A few like some of the Philips units can control external boxes (satellite receivers, digital cable boxes). Some new Pioneers will have TiVO. What does the Apex have for your $400US??

[louthewiz]

The reasons I said the apex sucks is because I purchased it because I wanted to have dvd-r and a dvd+r set top recorders. First thing is the build quality was so bad I was not happy with it then the recordings I made with it from direct tv using monster s-video and THX audio sound cables the recording looked like a vcr recorded it ,and my panasonic's copy of the same movie was 10 times superior to the apex so I took it back to sears the same day and thats the first and last time I purchase that crappy brand .....

[txpharoah]

Thanks. Now this review is a bit more fair, though I've got some questions.

The reasons I said the apex sucks is because I purchased it because I wanted to have dvd-r and a dvd+r set top recorders.

1. Huh?

First thing is the build quality was so bad I was not happy with it

2. Build quality? As in the drawer?
3. And the metal/plastic casing?
4. What did you not like about it?
5. Or something superficial like wrong color, wrong shape?

then the recordings I made with it from direct tv using monster s-video and THX audio sound cables the

Test environment looks okay...
6. What were your test media?

recording looked like a vcr recorded it ,and my panasonic's copy of the same movie was 10 times superior to the apex

7. What were the quality settings? Let's be sure the playing field is level.
8. How long did you have this thing? An hour? A day? A week?
9. Any more details as to why it "sucks"?

FYI: Since I'm considering this as a future purchase, I'll be listening to what you say, not trying to pick on you. Just be fair. I'll say right now that the Panasonic machines did NOT impress me at all, so I'm not even considering those as an option. If anything, I'd take a Pioneer, but considering the excellent APEX DVD Player track-record, I think they deserve a chance before I decide.

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[txpharoah]

The chipsets used in these machines do not have inbuilt Time Base Correctors or other noise reduction methods as part of their spec, so they need to be added as part of the Analogue circuits.I have already heard people having problems recording from VHS sources on the Apex, and that taken against the cheap price of these machines suggest the answer to there being anything more than a cheap Phase Lock Loop input circuit is a very suspected NO!

Alright, how would address my situation, in reference to the suggestion for this device?

I have a datavideo 1000 TBC if I ever decided to back up tapes with a recorder (probably never happen since I have two full computer studios, and a third as a backup). I would only use the DVD recorder for timeshifting (recording tv shows and movies), probably using a mid-grade setting, goal of getting 3-4 hours per disc. I could always rip the movies and re-make menus on my PC if I wanted it to look "pretty".

While your complaints are valid, I don't think they would necessarily apply to myself and my intended use. Do you think I'm missing something here?

[Gazorgan]

My Apex 1201 'plays dam near anything' and runs under $50 US everyday price ($39.95 on sale every other month or so).

Now in keeping with Apex's philosophy, I suspect that once the production run is settled in, these boxes will be pretty amazing. I know the 1200 had problems that the 1201 addressed and produced a demanded product.

Ultimately the market will determine if people want to archive the recording (not the original purpose!!!) or just time shift. Realistically it's supposed to replace the VHS tape machine, with a more durable/portable media. The fact that you can copy/edit/clean it up is just a bonus, but you can do this with VHS if you have the equipment.

As to the backing up of your VHS tapes......tough. Macrovision has been 'required' in the US for some time, and no new release is going to ignore it. Technically speaking it's a very simple thing to defeat with a little soldering and cutting.

[CaseyComb]

Paid $60 for my Apex unit
Paid $150 for my Region Free Sampo
Paid $300 for My Sony

Made the Apex region and macro free in 2 minutes using a remote code. Plays discs flawlessly. The only type of disc it wont play is any XVCD or XSCVD variants.

BTW the Sampo plays regular VCD's like shit and the Sony wont read anything burned.

Gee let me think...have I gotten my money's worth...yes I believe so.

It's a bit like buying a Mexican made Stratocaster, youre hedging your bets that you don't get the 1 out of 10,000 that was assembled wrong.

I can't believe people still bitch about Apex. Really how much did it set you back.

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[txpharoah]

PhilipL, I work professionally with video. I'm very well aware of compression, etc, just wanted to know if the device had any defects.

And much of what you just said I'd disagree with entirely.