Sony DVD Direct VRD MC6 - Anyone tried it?

[EricS]

Saw this unit at Costco the other day. Little DVD recorder with a built in LCD screen. Was thinking about picking it up to do some transfers from a Sony HI-8 camcorder via FireWire, and also convert some old VHS/standard 8mm tapes. Has anyone tried this unit? How is the encoding quality? I have an JVC M10s, but I am trying to avoid using it as it flakes out every now and then and I am trying to extend its lifetime.

Thanks

[dlcampbe]

Hi, I have the Sony VRD-MC6 from Costco and I used it to record from my DirecTV DVR. My problem is that I can record a live broadast, but if I try to playback a previously recorded program from the DVR the signal is blocked.

I haven't tried recording from a camcorder or VCR yet, but the quality of the DVD I did produce is just fine.

[jjeff]

I have no experience with this recorder but Sony DVDRs in general are the very worst for false CP problems. It sounds like dlcampbe is experiencing CP problems, not surprising for a Sony. It will probably record from a camcorder just fine though.

[lordsmurf]

It's a total piece of shit, well known for audio sync problems, false anti-copy, and bad AGC on input.

If you want a secondary recorder, the Sony DVD recorder from Walmart is a better buy.
Or Amazon for few dollars less: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I59HSW?ie=UTF8&tag=thdifa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=17...SIN=B001I59HSW
NOTE: The bad reviews at Amazon, for this particular machine, are mostly left by clueless folks - ignore them. While there are still some anti-copy issues, it's not as bad as the device you asked about. The other issues are user error.

[ruach]

Hey LordSmurf -- you say it's a "known piece of junk" -- can you post a few references for this claim?

I have the need to purchase about 14 DVD recorders to record live events, and the appeal of this unit is that it claims you can upload a customized background menu/scheme for use on its DVDs. While I've read of some older Toshiba DVD Recorders having this capability, I can't find other DVD recorders which can do this.

Bang for the buck, ths MC6 sounds perfect for the job (albiet small, and possibly not stackable). I'm curious if it would overheat when run over a long duration.

Does anyone here have any first-hand experience with the MC6? Any other alternatives for DVD burning with customized menu (without involving a PC)?

[Misty Mountain]

There seems to be truth about false copy protection. While it works fine recording straight to disk, I can't copy those disks. These are nothing but vcr to disk copies. Other than that, so far it works fine. (as long as I don't need copies)