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  1. Originally Posted by turp7622
    tjdmobile,

    I would love to see a forum dedicated to the Pioneer DVR. Let us know if you start it up and we will be there.

    I think the 220 has a lot of potential as it is the first low cost/ high feature DVD Recorder that works like it should.

    I have been scouring the internet looking for information on the 220 and have only come up with this one thread for info.

    We need a Yahoo Group or a Forum like this to really dig into this machine and help those that are out there looking for a low cost alternative.

    One thing I found of interest when I went to go buy this was that there was only ONE model of +r/+rw available at WalMart. When I origianally bought the cyberhome there were 2 or 3 + models available. I am finding it harder to find the + recorders out there.

    Another interesting thing I saw was a Pioneer 225-S at Best Buy in a Blue Box. The 220-s is in a green box. I could not see any difference in the description but there was no floor model and there is nothing on the net about a 225-s. all I had to go on was that the box said Pioneer DVR-225-S. I would love to know the difference but as I said before there is just no info available.

    Lets get a Group or Fourm Going!!!!
    i dont think there is any difference.. me and a guy on this forum were trying to figure out the difference between the pioneer dv-270, dv-271, & dv-275.. he wound up calling pioneer and they explained that the 270 is the "wal-mart" version of the unit. aside from aesthetic (box, labels, etc), there is no physical difference..

    i'm thinking of buying this machine.. one purpose i intend for this recorder for is recording football games.. i planned on using 2 dvdrw's, one for each half.. then bringing the discs to my computer after the game was over.. cut the commercials, CCE the video so it will fit on a dvdr (maybe dual layer dvdr by then).. but one thing that concerns me is that if at half time when i want to take out the first disc, will it take 20 minutes to finalize the disc.. halftime is only 15 minutes. am i getting this wrong?

    does the machine record in ac3 audio? if so, at what bitrate?
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  2. Depends on what mode you are recording on. Video mode takes only a minute or two to finalize. The VR mode can take up to 20 minutes. but you do not have to finalize before taking the disc out. you could just stick in the second disk and record your second half then finalize both disks once the game is over.

    I do think it records ac3 but not sure on the bitrate.

    overall this is an excellent recorder even if it was a hundred dollars more.
    TURP7622
    Former Cyberhome Owner
    Current Pioneer DVR-220-S Owner
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PioneerDVD/
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  3. sounds good.. i plan on archiving the entire season (and hopefully superbowl championship) of my football teams season this year..

    and it would be cool to watch the games over and over.

    by the by, i saw this unit at wal-mart today for $248
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  4. I bought a 220-s a few days ago. It had to go back to Wally World due to some shortcomings.

    I think that first problem, for this otherwise feature rich DVR, is that it has no WEEKLY/MONDAY-FRIDAY/DAILY recording features when using manual input. It forces you to enter and re-enter programming information constantly. (It will allow Daily/Weekly recording modes if you use VCR Plus+ programming which would be nice assuming you have cable AND your shows start and stop in a timely fashion AND you have a VCR Plus+ programming guide for every channel you recieve.) I do quite a bit of recording and I use a DirecTV, so the lack of scheduled recording was a real problem.

    I've read some good things about the video quality here, but I personally am not seeing it. I tested in 2hr and 4hr recording modes and it has a lot of noise - solid fields of color dance, moving objects have aurora-like effects, and text gets rather blurry. Yes, it is watchable and yes, it is better than VHS (debatable in 4hr mode), but it isn't better than S-VHS.

    In the 5 or 6 burns that I made while testing the DVR-220-s, it coastered once on an edited VR disc when finalizing it (the disc had plenty of free space). I don't know how common a problem this is as my testing was hardly extensive, but that raised a caution flag for me.

    I should also mention that I own a JVC DR-MV1S which is what I was using for a measuring stick. I paid $440 for the JVC and $320 for the Pioneer. In terms of quality, the JVC flat-out blows the Pioneer away. The JVC records at a full-bore 720x480 and it looks better in 6hr mode than the Pioneer does in 2hr mode. The JVC's Hadamard noise reduction REALLY makes a huge difference in the output the unit produces.

    Anyhow, my advice would be to save a little more dough and ratchet-up to the JVC (or something like it). Yeah, you will lose Chase Play but the quality of the output produced by the JVC is miles ahead of the Pioneer.

    Topdecker
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  5. The 220 does respond to record and stop Pioneer VCR commands that can be set in the directv or dish satalite systems. when doing this you program the recording on your sat reciever and it controls the start and stop of the recording on the 220. this allows any setup of recording schedules that your satalite will allow.

    I have not had any problems on quality till I hit 4 to 6 hour modes. For the price this is the best sub $300 recorder out there.
    TURP7622
    Former Cyberhome Owner
    Current Pioneer DVR-220-S Owner
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PioneerDVD/
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  6. If you have the money,definately buy the better recorders. If you are like me and my wife is dying that I would spend $300 to begin with and $350 and up is out of the question, then the DVR-220-s is a great machine. Yes there are much better recorders out there! but for under $300 there is not.
    TURP7622
    Former Cyberhome Owner
    Current Pioneer DVR-220-S Owner
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PioneerDVD/
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  7. Originally Posted by Topdecker
    The JVC records at a full-bore 720x480 and it looks better in 6hr mode than the Pioneer does in 2hr mode.
    This has to be one of the most ridiculous statements I've read from this board. The JVC can record 720x480 resolution at either XP or SP mode, but certainly not at LP or EP mode. At EP (6-Hr) mode, the resolution is only 352x240, which is VCD resolution, and you claim it beats the Pioneer's SP mode at 720x480? Wow, JVC should hire you as their marketing cheif.
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  8. Sorry, Synergy. it should have read that the JVC looks better in 4hr mode than the Pioneer does in 2hr mode. Thanks for catching the typo. I haven't even tried a 6hr recording yet and the advance info about resolutions is appreciated.

    Topdecker
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  9. Originally Posted by Topdecker
    I bought a 220-s a few days ago. It had to go back to Wally World due to some shortcomings.

    I think that first problem, for this otherwise feature rich DVR, is that it has no WEEKLY/MONDAY-FRIDAY/DAILY recording features when using manual input. It forces you to enter and re-enter programming information constantly. (It will allow Daily/Weekly recording modes if you use VCR Plus+ programming which would be nice assuming you have cable AND your shows start and stop in a timely fashion AND you have a VCR Plus+ programming guide for every channel you recieve.) I do quite a bit of recording and I use a DirecTV, so the lack of scheduled recording was a real problem.
    Topdecker, what are you talking about?

    If you are referring to manual mode being the quick graphic scheduler, then this is partially true. If you use the normal scheduler, you can fully configure the timer. Everything from M-F, M-Sat, Weekly, Daily, etc. You can also set the name of the resulting program ahead of time. It has the best timer function of a standalone I have ever seen. Since this unit does not have guide +, you don't get "TiVo" functionality, but just short of it.

    I have 3 M-F timers which I use, and haven't touched them once since I entered them. Every day, they record to disk, I finalise the DVD-Video disk (2 minutes), and it plays in the set top player, menu includes actual show titles. Very convenient.

    TJD
    LDW 5001, Nov 2003. Pioneer DVR-220-s, May 2004. Haup PVR-250 (2) Ver. 15 + 16. Slowpoke P4 1.8Ghz, 500 gig . Dish DVR-510 - 100 hrs. DirecTV RCA. DLP HD HT Projector at 170 Inches Diag. Tivo Gen. 1 with 180 hours
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  10. I am very happy with my DVR220s. My close Walmart did not have it, but the Superstore had a big stack of them. Love it!
    Fred
    Panasonic DVD Recorder E50. (Standalone).
    Dlink DSM320 Media Lounge.
    Mitsubishi 50" 4:3 TV.
    Home built AMD XP2000 system with LG DVD Burner (WIN98SE).
    eMachines T3882 with Liteon DVD burner (WINXP).
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  11. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Synergy
    The Zoran (Pioneer) will start to falter at 4-hour modes
    Just to clarify, Pioneer DVD recorders (starting with the 510H and 310) use Renesas Technology (a Japanese design firm) chipset, not Zoran, as stated in their brochure which can be downloaded from the following link:

    http://www.pioneeraus.com.au/home_entertainment/dvdplayersandrecorders/dvr310/support/brochures.html

    The DVR-510H-S and DVR-310-S come with the
    industry's first 1-chip recorder engine, a revolutionary
    development from Pioneer in cooperation with a
    leading device manufacturer, Renesas Technology
    Corporation.
    Smurfy's problem is that he likes to make blanket statements without telling (or maybe knowing) the full story. LSI Logic chipset may be the best among those off-the-shelf products, but it takes more than the chipset to make a good recorder. His continuing bashing the Panasonic models while praising the JVC really amuses me since JVC is also owned by Matsushita. So either way, the money eventually goes to the same corporation.
    Read this:

    "Current DVD recorders available in the retail channel using Zoran-based processors include models from Toshiba, Sharp, Pioneer and Sony. We expect that high quality, affordable DVD recorders will top the list of "most wanted" consumer products for the 2003 fall selling season."
    Middle of the page: http://www.zoran.com/ar/record.html

    Is ZORAN lying?
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
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  12. Originally Posted by lordsmurf
    Is ZORAN lying?
    Apparently not, just look at the following link for yourself, DVD recorders powered by Zoran:

    http://www.zoran.com/products/powered_by_zoran/dvd.html#dvdrecorders

    Yes, Pioneer did use Zoran chipset for its DVR-3000 model which was never sold in the US, BTW. The Sony RDR-A11 and Sharp models listed in the above link were based on the Pioneer hardware design, noticed that the Sony RDR-A11 was an -R/RW machine and again was never sold in the US, and Sony had since started using its in-house chipset in the later DVD±RW models. So the only Zoran-based model actually sold in the US was the Sharp DV-RW2U which was likely based on the Japanese DV-SR100/200 models.

    So let's summarize, Zoran-based encoding chipset was indeed used by some of the older Pioneer, Sharp, Sony models, but they were never sold in North America except the Sharp DV-RW2U. Better get your fact straight if you still want to write your article.

    As for Toshiba recorders, they "may" be the only manufacturer still using Zoran-based chipset, but I really have no idea since Zoran's chipset isn't the most advanced compared to other off-the-shelf designers, especially LSI Logic's one-chip design. Maybe Toshiba owners of the RD-XS32 could enlighten us?

    If anyone understands Japanese, the following link has plenty info complementing what just mentioned:

    http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/link/recorder.htm#2

    BTW, just saw your latest post on the chipset topic:

    https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=938489&highlight=#938489

    still stretching the same message without checking all the facts? Is it really so unthinkable that manufacturers use different chipsets for different models?
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  13. Member lacywest's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by turp7622
    Depends on what mode you are recording on. Video mode takes only a minute or two to finalize. The VR mode can take up to 20 minutes. but you do not have to finalize before taking the disc out. you could just stick in the second disk and record your second half then finalize both disks once the game is over.

    I do think it records ac3 but not sure on the bitrate.

    overall this is an excellent recorder even if it was a hundred dollars more.
    $100 more of what ?? What item are referring too ??
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  14. Member lacywest's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Topdecker
    Sorry, Synergy. it should have read that the JVC looks better in 4hr mode than the Pioneer does in 2hr mode. Thanks for catching the typo. I haven't even tried a 6hr recording yet and the advance info about resolutions is appreciated.

    Topdecker
    Well since we are catching typos ...

    "This has to be one of the most ridiculous statements I've read from this board. The JVC can record 720x480 resolution at either XP or SP mode, but certainly not at LP or EP mode. At EP (6-Hr) mode, the resolution is only 352x240, which is VCD resolution, and you claim it beats the Pioneer's SP mode at 720x480? Wow, JVC should hire you as their marketing cheif."

    yeah yeah ... I know ... picky picky picky :P
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  15. Originally Posted by Topdecker
    I bought a 220-s a few days ago. It had to go back to Wally World due to some shortcomings.

    I think that first problem, for this otherwise feature rich DVR, is that it has no WEEKLY/MONDAY-FRIDAY/DAILY recording features when using manual input. It forces you to enter and re-enter programming information constantly. (It will allow Daily/Weekly recording modes if you use VCR Plus+ programming which would be nice assuming you have cable AND your shows start and stop in a timely fashion AND you have a VCR Plus+ programming guide for every channel you recieve.) I do quite a bit of recording and I use a DirecTV, so the lack of scheduled recording was a real problem.
    actually, it does have this feature.. obviously you didnt read the manual or arent smart enough to navigate simple menu's.. i've had this dvd recorder for 2 weeks and it has performed wonderfully.. the video quality @ 4 hours is much better than i expected (for 352x480).. 2 hours looks really good & 1 hour looks great.. a friend of mine has the same unit & his wife uses it to record her favorite soap opera while she's at work.. it saved her some money on her directv bill, because she doesnt have to have the soap channel.. for shits sake, she's a woman and figured it out on her own..

    the only gripe i have about this dvd player is that the audio bitrate is 256k.. i think 192 would have been sufficent.. its not that much of a difference, but its only dolby digital 2.0.. ahwell, not a big deal.. the video quality difference probably isnt even noticable..

    i really like being able to enter the time of recording within 5 minutes (to fill a disc), instead of just being stuck with 1,2,4 & 6 hour modes..

    this is a great unit for the price.. and my pioneer dv-270 can read the dvd-vr discs without finalizing
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  16. Originally Posted by lacywest

    $100 more of what ?? What item are referring too ??
    Well I guess since this thread is about the Pioneer DVR-220-S I would start there.
    TURP7622
    Former Cyberhome Owner
    Current Pioneer DVR-220-S Owner
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PioneerDVD/
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  17. Member lacywest's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by turp7622
    Originally Posted by lacywest

    $100 more of what ?? What item are referring too ??
    Well I guess since this thread is about the Pioneer DVR-220-S I would start there.
    hmmm ... your saying ... even it was priced a $100 more ... the features are worth it.

    I thought you were talking about some other unit ... that you paid another $100 bucks for ...

    Since we are on the subject ... the chip being used to make the decisions.

    So what is in this unit a LSI or Zoran chip ??

    And is it the same chip as the JVC unit that is receiving alot of praise.

    At the Walmart I go to [ 1 mile down the street ] there was three Pioneer units there. $297 or $299 ... not sure exactly ... they were there a few days ago ... about 3 boxes.

    I've worked two grave yard shifts since then ... I'm a tinge on the tired side. I have to be back at work in about 9 hours ... doing a swing shift.
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  18. Has anyone by chance compared the Pioneer to the Emerson ewr10d4 also new to Walmart. Its $224. I've been trying the Emerson but plan on trying the Pioneer once the store gets one in stock.
    The Emerson seems to work reasonably well, it supports a 10 hour mode that's surprisingly adequate except for some jumpiness on some videos.
    The worst problem I've seen is that when recording in DVD-VR mode, it eventually seems to corrupt the filesystem and trashes all the recordings. Not sure if thats a hardware or firmware problem.
    Has anyone experience this type of problem with the Pioneer? ie after doing lots of recording and deleting on one DVD-RW?
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  19. 10 hour mode? deer god.. and i thought 6 hour mode was slightly crazy..
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  20. Thanks for all the OWNERS of Pioneer DVR-220's here, but this DVR-220 thread contains surprisingly little information on the topic of DVR-220!

    I have a question, if anyone has opened one up. Since it's a slim model, is it still a Pioneer IDE drive inside, replaceable like in the older Pioneer models?

    This is an appealing unit and I would like to own one for at least 7 years, like my Sanyo VHS VCR ($350) which is still working after 9 years. I think the DVD recorder market is mature and there's no need to wait any longer, as the quality will likely go downhill with disposable $200 units coming, like how a decent VHS can't be bought today. The DVR-220, like the Panasonic DMR-E55, inherits the technologies and high-quality circuitry of their fancier HDD models, and that's what separates them from those $200 disposables that are tolerable for a year or 2. It also helps if a unit is made in Japan, again, if a 7 year lifespan is considered. If the mechanism or laser dies in the DVR-220 I'll replace it with another Pioneer drive (~$100, OEM drive), so I'd like to know whether it can be done!
    Thanks
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  21. I'd say the DVD recorder market is far from mature. Better noise reduction techniques continue to show up, (the Emerson has a quite good 10 hour mode), and other recorders seem better in 6 hour mode (Philips). Higher capacity DVDs are on the verge of showing up, dual layer DVDs and blue light DVDs. Prices are dropping like a rock and units are improving. Higher end features will show up in lower priced units, HDD, i-link.
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  22. mcjwang...

    The Pioneer DVR-210-S uses a Pioneer DVR-A106 drive inside the unit. The drive can be replaced if it's broken, but there is a possible chance that no replacement will be needed because the drive proves to be reliable. I currently own a Pioneer DVR-210-S right now, and I can predict that it will last at least 7 years trouble-free. I hear that the Pioneer DVR-220-S no longer uses a computer drive in the unit, so once the drive is out, you have to trash it because very few electronic technicians service DVD players or recorders.

    At this period of time, your nine year old Sanyo VCR will be in need of repair soon. When it reaches somewhere at least twelve years old, the STK regulator in the power supply will go out, causing the front display of the VCR to dim while the VCR mechanism is moving. This is a very common problem found in old Sanyo VCRs and is not repairable because the part was discontinued some years ago.

    Otherwise, good luck with your new DVD recorder purchase. The 2004 year of DVD video recorder models may be the last year of good quality before they become cheaply made.





    Walt(er) Chan
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  23. Pioneer DVr-220-S DVD Recorder has great navigation menus with thumnails. However, I recorded a whole bunch of DVD-Rs in video mode and finalized them and I still can't play any of them in my home dvd player. My PC couldn't even read them. Now, DVD-RWs are playable but only if they are finalized. This recorder Sucks !!!

    I tried Imation and Memorex DVD-Rs and still this unit produces unplayable disks. They will only play in the recorder unit and that's it !!!

    I think the DVD+R format will beat the hell out of DVD-RS !!!
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  24. well after a month or so of messing with this recorder i've discovered that finalized discs are very incompatible with everything. it doesnt really matter to me though. i always use dvd-rw's, and i always take them to my PC to extract the contents, snip out commericals & then record.

    my method is this;

    use ulead disc creator 3, it will extract to mpeg(s)
    use womble mpeg vcr to copy out the segments i want from the mpegs
    use an authoring program (usually TDA) to author the mpeg files.

    i wouldnt reccomend capturing @ fine (1hr) mode, its got about an 8mb video bitrate w/ LPCM audio.. when you copy out segments with womble, it compresses the audio to 384kbps mp2.. if i'm capturing an hour or less, i always go for MN31. its got a bitrate near 9mbps (better than fine) and uses 256k ac3, which womble wont **** with. i wouldnt use lpcm anyways.. its kind of a waste.

    a gripe i have about this dvd player is the fact that it wont play PAL DVD's.. it will play PAL svcd & vcds though.. i thought sony fixed this problem.. the dv-260 & dv-270 dvd players played them just fine, and this dvd recorder was released after those players were released.. annoying.. maybe a firmware upgrade in the future?

    another thing, i think if you capture above 2 hours, but less than 4 hours, it captures to a weird ass non-dvd-spec resolution. i think its 544x240(maybe 480).. that really pisses me off.. pioneer needs to have their recorder capture to dvd spec. i dont care if up to 2 hours is full d1, and over 2 hours is half d1, make it ******* dvd spec.

    and yes, i'm aware you can patch the headers, but i still dont like that shit.

    thats about it.
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  25. Hello

    I have a fundamental question. I want to use this unit to capture Tivo-recoded movies. I currently use an S-VHS recorder to do this.

    What I'd like to know is if I have a 4 hour film to record, will the resolution/quality be visibly better using this recorder than using an S-VHS? I'm assuming that that variable bit rate could improve the quality.

    Thanks much for any assistance.

    JP
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  26. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    Jeex, that's VR format 544x480. Are you using RAM?
    Can you not use DVD-Video format on DVD-R or DVD-RW?
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  27. Member
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    Just bought this recorder and hooked it up today... Pushed play on my VCR (with a family video installed) and record on the DVD Recorder, finalized the disk, brought it to my stand alone machine and it worked great... Time to read the manual and the forums to figure out how to make the best of it... My goal, like some of you is to be able to burn home videos and then take them to the computer for editing...

    Maxx
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  28. Originally Posted by lordsmurf
    Jeex, that's VR format 544x480. Are you using RAM?
    Can you not use DVD-Video format on DVD-R or DVD-RW?
    i'm using dvd-vr mode (on dvd-rw's). if you capture at;

    FINE (1HR) = 720x480 w/ LPCM audio
    SP (2HR)= 720x480 w/ 256kbps audio
    LP(4HR)= 352x480 W/ 256kbps audio
    EP= i have no idea, and i dont think i'll ever use this setting.

    there are also other settings, MN1 through MN32, that are like 5 minute incriments.. if you capture over 2 hours and under 4 hours, you get 544x480.. atleats in dvd-vr.. i've tried capturing to dvd-video, but i cant get the discs to extract an mpeg or even playback on other dvd players (even after being finalized).. maybe maxxxcorp knows something i dont..

    if i could capture 3 hours of video in dvd-video mode and have it be in dvd-spec, that would be great. but right now i refuse to do that, if i'm going to be authoring it to a dvd-r.. the only time i'll do that if its just something i want to watch once.. then i can watch it on the recorder or on my other pioneer dvd players (dv-260 & dv-270)..

    help me out here, i'd love to be able to record 3 hours and have it be in dvd spec.. that'll be great for when football season rolls around.
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  29. Member
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    [quote="jeex"]
    Originally Posted by lordsmurf
    maybe maxxxcorp knows something i dont..
    Not likely since this is my first standalone recorder... The only changes I made to the setup were to record in video mode and dropped the time down to one hour... Not saying there weren't more changes as I flipped thru the settings... Maybe it was beginners luck?

    Last night I used AutoGK to rip the DVD and convert it to an AVI file... Was going to use Video Explosion to cut out all the stuff I don't want but it would not recognize the video portion of the file... It might be because I used the Xvid CODEC... Trying it again with the DivX 5 option to see if that makes a difference... the Xvid AVI file did play in media player just fine... Anyhow, that is still moving thru Virtual Dub and is only at 16% so at the moment, I can't tell you the results...

    Maxx
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  30. I bought this unit from Walmart for $297.00 and I like the way it looks and the many editing features it has. However, I was extremely frustrated with fact that this unit produces unplayable DVDs. I did go thru the whole process of recording and finalizing the DVD-R, but still couldn't play the finalized dvd-r in DVD player. DVD-RW work fine!! I tried Imation and Memorex DVD-Rs, and still produced stupid coasters !!! Another bad thing about this recorder is it will only record on the "-" format and not the "+" format. To me DVD+RW are much more superior that DVD-RW for one thing: DVD+RW doesn't need to be finalized to make it play in your DVD player
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