Philips 3575/3576 and Magnavox H2160 Features, Setup and Operation

[TBoneit]

[quote="wabjxo"]

Its clear to see that it is a DN thing with all their receivers. There is no getting around it to get straight WS through analog (S-video or RCA). You just have to zoom and cut off left & right or just record with black borders on top & bottom and edit on computer. Its long and time consuming the second way, but at least you get the full picture.

In trying to determine if I should "de-list" the VIPs as being capable of sending WS via analog, I ran across this CNET review, where the reviewer seemed to successfully copy a WS program to DVD...
I'm 99% certain the HBO HD "Sopranos" show is shown in WS??

"We also came away impressed by the Dish Network ViP622's downconversion capability, which is important for TV2 watchers and DVD archiving. We recorded a few episodes of The Sopranos from HBO HD to DVD, and the downconverted standard-def picture didn't have the issues we've noticed on some DVRs; in fact, it looked pretty good, significantly better than the same episode on the standard-def HBO2 channel. In our experience, the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD, a common high-def cable box, does an inferior job downconverting HD shows to standard-def."

I also found this avs thread where a new user was asking about settings for SD and HD, and it sounds as if the 622 can send both in various formats?

Of course, you may already know all this stuff!?

Well I haven't had time to try out the TV2 RF or Composite output to see what is there. I've been busy watching the Olympics.

I did a test using the HD Net test pattern and 622 set to 16:9 for TV1 the S-Video was chopping all four sides somewhat. If you have the HD Net test pattern for reference I can do a screen cap that you can compare. I Also need to do more testing by setting TV1 to 4:3 just to see what it outputs that way. As well as trying TV2.

[wabjxo]

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[davideck]

I have noticed that my 3575 spins up the HDD for about one minute at midnight. Is there a reason for this, and is there a way to disable it?

[wabjxo]

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[davideck]

Thanks, wabjxo.

[SLINKY]

I'm wondering whether it's worth replacing my Toshiba XS 32 and giving it to my folks and getting the Philips DVDR3576H/37 or maybe just buying one if the price is low enough. It seems OK but I'm hearing that manufacture is cheap and the options for recording are putrid. It seems that there won't be any more HDD video recorders soon but the option is just using your PC to do the same thing, which seems easy enough.

[wabjxo]

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[SLINKY]

I'm wondering whether it's worth replacing my Toshiba XS 32 and giving it to my folks and getting the Philips DVDR3576H/37 or maybe just buying one if the price is low enough. It seems OK but I'm hearing that manufacture is cheap and the options for recording are putrid. It seems that there won't be any more HDD video recorders soon but the option is just using your PC to do the same thing, which seems easy enough.

I think you'd be happier with the computer.

Thanks for the advice. You are probably right from what I hear. While I'd love the HDD the experience is allegedly hell after owning any decent DVR made by Pioneer, Toshiba or Panasonic.

[wabjxo]

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[wabjxo]

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[TBoneit]

I'm wondering whether it's worth replacing my Toshiba XS 32 and giving it to my folks and getting the Philips DVDR3576H/37 or maybe just buying one if the price is low enough. It seems OK but I'm hearing that manufacture is cheap and the options for recording are putrid. It seems that there won't be any more HDD video recorders soon but the option is just using your PC to do the same thing, which seems easy enough.

I think you'd be happier with the computer.

Thanks for the advice. You are probably right from what I hear. While I'd love the HDD the experience is allegedly hell after owning any decent DVR made by Pioneer, Toshiba or Panasonic.

I wouldn't say hell........

I Own the 3576 and a Pioneer 531h.

The problem was getting used to the differences in phrasing and the way things operate.

Granted the 531h is a better machine in some ways. I can't get New factory warranted Pioneer hdd DVD recorders in the USA from a store. The other difference is the Philips hooks up to my basic cable and tunes in the HD locals.

Last night I recorded the Olympic closing ceremony from the NBC HD feed. I edited it, Burned & finalized the disc and ended up with a WS version of the closing. If I do that with the Pioneer I end up with a SD channel 4:3 recording with lower quality as well as 4:3 instead of a sharper higher quality 16:9 DVD.

Bottom line I'll be using the Pioneer for recording off of the DVR and the Philips for local channels.

I ran Windows XP MCE for a while and it was OK. I had to remember to keep plenty of disc space and avoid heavy disk intensive operations while recording that could cause a problem with the MCE recording process.

After the recording was done I had to edit out commercials or start and end of movies, Author and burn. I have since gone back to using DVD recorders with a hard drive instead.

[wabjxo]

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[orsetto]

Phillips is still evolving, and possibly improving, the 3576 recorder concept even though it remains on course to be discontinued next year. A new Magnavox model H2160MW9 has recently appeared at Wal*Mart for $237: an apparent clone of the 3576 but some reports indicate improved firmware, better tuner and corrections to some minor complaints that put people off the 3575/3576. The reports are still too few in number to be considered reliable, but I'm hoping as more people pick up this unit and express their opinion it will prove to indeed be an improved 3576 variant. If so, I want one: though I prefer Pioneers for a lot of reasons, the integrated ATSC tuner and timer of these Phillips units will become ever more valuable as we approach the analog TV cutoff in the US next year. So far I am underwhelmed by the outboard ATSC converter boxes I've tried with my Pioneers, which is making ownership of a Phillips or Maganvox a more attractive proposition than it was the last time I had one.

[TBoneit]

I guess the Magnavox would be interesting to me as a backup recorder if it has QAM capability for the tuner. If it wasn't for wabjxo's great posts revealing that the 3576 has QAM I'd have never of know from the box it comes in or from the Philips website.

It or the Philips as a spare interest me. If they have the same features and the maganavox is cheaper then price rules.

[wabjxo]

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[TBoneit]

Except I'm a Costco member so the Sam's club price is useless to me.

Thanks for the info. As something to buy and run for a couple of weeks to be sure it is OK and then store away as a spare price does matter.

[wabjxo]

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[wabjxo]

Changed page 1 to add the Magnavox H2160MW9, which is a virtual clone of the Philips DVDR3576H/37.

[wabjxo]

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[wabjxo]

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[orsetto]

Oh, wait, I suppose some people COULD think the "CH" is for ordering "CHinese" food, but even then you'd think they'd just HAVE TO try the button and see if a takeout menu pops up on screen?

Is it any wonder DVD recorders don't sell in great numbers? I'm beginning to question whether this is really due to them being "too complicated", or because the average consumer in North America has long term microwave brain damage from their constant tedious cell phone usage. Jeez-us!

[RabidDog]

ANd the Pizza button dont work neither!

[wabjxo]

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[wabjxo]

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