PAL/NTSC DVD/VCR combo that will play DVD+R's w/o A/V synch problems?

[wetcamelfood]

Hi, I'm in the US & have a video converter & have many region 1 & 2 discs and PAL & NTSC VHS tapes.

I bought a Samsung DVD-V6800 thinking this would solve my needs of needing a PAL/NTSC DVD/VCR combo but when I play my DVD+R's they had Audio/Video synch problems but didn't on my soon to die NTSC only Sony DVD/VHS combo. I found the +Rs worked better than the -R's (I use Taiyo Yudens)

So someone recommended I get the LG RC389H deck but the reviews I could find of this online don't seem to be very good.

Others have suggested I get separate decks & suggested the Pioneer DVR-660H as they fel this would resolve the A/V synch problems on the +R's but I couldn't find many if any reviews online that would back this up.

So I thought I'd ask here before I relent to going the separate decks route. Does anyone here know of a PAL/NTSC DVD/VCR combo that will play DVD+R's w/o A/V synch problems?

I'd like to use my tax refund check on one, but perferably/naturally the RIGHT one.

Thanks in advance for the replies.

[hech54]

Combos are garbage. It's time to rethink your strategy.

[jman98]

To put it another way, it is almost impossible to make combo players become region free. It's always been like that. Add to that the fact that Samsung and Sony players in general are among the most difficult in the world to make region free and you are basically looking at some very long odds. I'd suggest that you give up the combo idea and try to find one of the very few models still available in the USA that can be made region free. Supposedly a few of Philips players and maybe a few Pioneer models can still be made region free. Not much else can be.

No modern DVD player has issues with + or - media by the way. I've never heard of any sync problems on any DVD player when playing DVDs. I've only heard of sync issues when playing Divx using VBR MP3 audio.

[victoriabears]

Region encoding is easilly overcome by backing up the dvd, the backup is then region free, its really the pal/ntsc issue that needs to be overcome.

The vhs's that you have?,,is the material available on dvd anywhere in the world, as its wise to convert them to dvd soon as the tape will be disintegrating.

Thats how I solved that issues myself mostly, then all you need is a dvd player that is region free and converts pal to ntsc, eg: Pioneer 420-v-k.
Its seems getting a good combo that will convert vhs pal to ntsc is difficult, and yes as has been said, they are generally not a good solution.

If the vhs side of your combo works okay,(does it really convert pal vhs to ntsc or do you have a multi tv?) a seperate dvd player will be better.

[wetcamelfood]

Yeah the VHS side of the Samsung is fine, I go from the Samsung as my "player" through the video converter to my Sony DVD recorder from 2004 that will die soon (for VHS to DVD, and yeah the only stuff I have on VHS and will get on VHS is stuff that has never been availbale on DVD and most likely never will be regarding the VHS's I plan to buy in the future. I do look for other region DVD releases of movies I'm interested in and that's the main reason I want a deck that will play all regions).

The Samsung does play those store bought DVD-Video discs with no synch problems, just the +R's I make, and because they play with no synch issues on the Sony this is how I know it's the player and not the discs.

Basically, I only want to use the Sony as my recorder (I record off TV to a Verbatum DVD+RW then rip that to my Vista tower then edit, rencode and burn my masters onto the DVD+R's for keeping/playing) and find a deck that will play the Taiyo Yuden DVD+R's).

So OK then I'll forget the combo idea but can anyone recommend a DVD player or recorder (I assume players are cheaper but less likely to play the +r's w/o issues?) that will play the DVD+R's I make with no A/V synch problems? Naturally the less I spend the better but I don't mind paying more IF IT MEANS the unit I buy works in this way, so any suggestions are appreciated.

[hech54]

DVD player or recorder (I assume players are cheaper but less likely to play the +r's w/o issues?) that will play the DVD+R's I make with no A/V synch problems?

I let this slide the first time because I was hoping you typed something wrong....but...could you please explain how you have come to the assumption that +R discs are the problem with your sync issues. I'd love to hear it.

[victoriabears]

The best player currently is the Pioneer 420, and it can be made region free:-

https://www.samstores.com/details.asp?ProdID=14157

already region free for you !

The only time I have had + R dvd problems is when they have not been set to dvd-rom booktype, but that is when burning on a computer.

It is known that issues do occur with recordings on one recorder and playing on another player, a suggestion, backup the av synch dvd to a dvd-r on your computer then see if the dvd-r plays okay.

Certainly equipment made in the last 2 years or so is less fussy than models earlier. It has also been said that TY blanks are less reflective than many and I suspect that means older equipment or worn lasers might cause problems.

DVD recorder wise is a bit of a minefield but they are available from B& Photo or sam stores, depends what you want and you pays your money, etc.

[wetcamelfood]

DVD player or recorder (I assume players are cheaper but less likely to play the +r's w/o issues?) that will play the DVD+R's I make with no A/V synch problems?

I let this slide the first time because I was hoping you typed something wrong....but...could you please explain how you have come to the assumption that +R discs are the problem with your sync issues. I'd love to hear it.

No what I said was because the +R's I make on my computer play OK on my 2004 Sony DVD player but don't on the new Samsung player, this is how I know it's the PLAYER and NOT the discs.

[wetcamelfood]

Wow the Pioneer 420 would be steal for me IF it will play my +r's without the synch issues.

I just tried the backup deal and both the -r (& the +R for that matter) played fine on the computer drive.

I used to use ULead for buring on XP and it was hit or miss regarding which discs would play on my Sony deck but ever since using Roxio the booktype/setting thing hasn't been a problem as all those discs have played on the Sony & Samsung decks (albeit with the synch issues on the Samsung)

Yeah that's why I was confused that the Sony is so old yet it plays those with no synch issues yet the newer Samsung deck has the synch issues.

Well this Pioneer 420 price is great if this will play the +r's OK (since I was prepared to pay in the 400s for the DVR-660H so I'll look into this one, thanks!

[victoriabears]

If you can buy locally with no shipping then you can always return and turning a standard 420 into a region free one is easy:-

I used fuji cd, tried memorex and would not work, why the hell the brand of blank makes a difference, who knows !!

use the 420 section, cp 1252 version upgrade:-

http://www.pioneerfaq.info/index.php?question=Firmwares

and read the notes about how to burn the cd

UPGRADING:
1. Turn on the player, and open the disc tray.
2. Put the Firmware Update Disc on the tray, and close the tray.
3. A screen will be displayed inviting you to push the "play" button to start the update.
4. The player will load the data, and the tray will open again. Remove the Firmware Update Disc from the tray now. Leave the tray open. The update process will complete in few minutes.
5. Wait until the update process finishes and the DVD logo is shown on the screen.or wait 5 minutes
Press and hold the enter until the machine turns off, turn it back on and the menu for files should be wider and its region free.

Attention: DO NOT unplug the power cable or turn off the player during the update process.

[jman98]

DVD player or recorder (I assume players are cheaper but less likely to play the +r's w/o issues?) that will play the DVD+R's I make with no A/V synch problems?

I let this slide the first time because I was hoping you typed something wrong....but...could you please explain how you have come to the assumption that +R discs are the problem with your sync issues. I'd love to hear it.

No what I said was because the +R's I make on my computer play OK on my 2004 Sony DVD player but don't on the new Samsung player, this is how I know it's the PLAYER and NOT the discs.

I've been on this forum for years and I cannot emphasize this enough - I have NEVER NEVER NEVER heard of a DVD player playing true DVD video with a sync problem. NEVER. This makes me wonder if your "DVDs" are actually Divx/Xvid videos burned as data discs to DVD discs. Or if somehow you have this problem for real, it makes me wonder about your disc creation methods. Use GSpot to examine the video on one of these problems discs and post a photo here of what it says. Maybe something will stand out to us that is wrong in what you are doing.

[victoriabears]

Yes, I hesitated to suggest that your software/hardware methods may be causing the synch problem and it is the sony dvd player that is solving it, when other dvd players do not.

Certainly Ulead caused me some problems before I ditched it, and if your PC is doing other things at the same time as encoding it will cause synch problems often.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PANASONIC-AG-W1-P-WORLDWIDE-CONVERSION-VCR_W0QQitemZ330393830306QQ...item4ced01c3a2

is the multi vcr I keep returning to, I used mine to play a vhs on Christmas Day (White Christmas on vhs -ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh), and it looked great on my 46" sony lcd, and thats using phono connections.

This is a funny old hobby, and all the latest techno gear is not always the answer.

[wetcamelfood]

Yes, I hesitated to suggest that your software/hardware methods may be causing the synch problem and it is the sony dvd player that is solving it, when other dvd players do not.

This.

I'll do all that codec stuff if I have to but as I say I'm a newbie (I probably should've asked this on the newbie board here instead) & I'd prefer to at least try to find another player like my old Sony that "will correct it" so I guess I'll go with the Pioneer you mentioned above assuming this is one that wil do this.