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RCA DRC8000N Progressive-Scan DVD Recorder/Player

RCA DRC8000N Progressive-Scan DVD Recorder/Player

List Price: $499.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great DVD Recorder
Review: I bought my RCA DCR8000N DVD Recorder about 5 months ago and I love it. The unit records on DVD+R and DVD+RW. It plays DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, S-VCD, Audio CD containing MP3 and JPEG. There are few DVD recorders that can recognize and play back that many formats.

The no fee Guide Plus comes in handy. You simply highlight a program you want to record, press a button and the recorder does the rest. No more setting the date and time to record.

I recommend copying your home movies onto DVD+RW. Then if you make a mistake, you can delete that section and record over it. The DVD+RW's do not have to be formatted to be played in most other DVD players.

The recorded disks from this unit play back on my other RCA DVD player, but not on my 3 year old DVD player.

There are 6 different recording speeds which are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hour. I have a 52 inch widescreen TV and have found the recorded picture quality very good even at 6 hour speed. The 8 hour speed is about equal to a VHS tape recording. Obviously, the quality is better at a shorter recording time of 1 or 2 hours. I have recorded on Sony and Verbatim blank disks without any problems.

I would like to respond to several complaints I have read about the unit locking up. It can take a few seconds, to a few minutes to complete a task. For example when you rename a disk or title, or delete a title, or erase a DVD+RW, it will take several seconds to complete those actions. When you finalize a DVD+R, this is what will take place: The TV screen will tell you to Please Wait. After about 1 or 2 minutes it will go into the Screen Saver. When it is finished, the menu will come back up on the TV screen. The whole process may take 3 to 5 minutes. In the mean time, the unit will not respond to any input buttons you press. The unit can not multitask and must be given time to complete a task.

I have also read complaints about the fan that stays on 24/7, even with the unit off. I have not had a problem with this. The fan noise is equal to, or less than, a desktop computer fan. If your air conditioner is not running and there are no other fans on and it is totally quiet in your home, then you might hear the fan on the recorder, however, this should not be a problem under normal circumstances for most people.

This is a great recorder and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This is not a good buy, I suggest buying 49 dvd movies inste
Review: I got one for Christmas, it recorded great and all. But, we have come to find out that you CAN OMLY PLAY YOUR RECORDINGS on THIS DVD player.

Well, that's just stupid and a waste of money. I could buy 49 dvd movies for what was paid for this machine and I could watch them on any dvd player.

I'm switching back over to recording on the VCR, because it's much more versatile. My freind works evenings, so I record survivor, then we got together on the weekends and watch it. NOT ON THE DVD anymore, I will take a tape next time!!!!!

I'm completely disgusted with this and I am trying to make RCA give my freind a refund. In my opinion, THEY RIPPED HER OFF!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Does Everything Well
Review: I have been using the DRC8000N to convert my VCR tapes to DVD. It works well, the quality is a good as can be expected from old tapes. I have recorded some things off TV as well. The guide + system makes scheduling a snap.

To the reviewer who can only play their DVD's on this recorder. Did you read the section in the manual on finalizing the DVD. If you don't finalize the DVD then you can't play it on another player. I have finalized my DVD+R's and have had no problems playing them on any of the DVD players I have access to.

Overall this unit is great. It does everything it is suppose to do well. There are no quality problems that I have encountered.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Does Everything Well
Review: I have been using the DRC8000N to convert my VCR tapes to DVD. It works well, the quality is a good as can be expected from old tapes. I have recorded some things off TV as well. The guide + system makes scheduling a snap.

To the reviewer who can only play their DVD's on this recorder. Did you read the section in the manual on finalizing the DVD. If you don't finalize the DVD then you can't play it on another player. I have finalized my DVD+R's and have had no problems playing them on any of the DVD players I have access to.

Overall this unit is great. It does everything it is suppose to do well. There are no quality problems that I have encountered.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: So far..............so good.
Review: I have owned the DRC800N now for 4 days. I have used the timer record successfully 3 times. Any familiarity you have with
VCRs and/or DVD players will be helpful in the operation of this unit, but having said that.........it's not rocket science.
The improvement of video quality alone when recording broadcast TV is nice, but like most people my main reason for this purchase was to put treasured family videos onto DVD. I'll
be starting that project soon.
In the course of researching this unit, you may come across a
dissenting opinion about the unit being noisy due to a small cooling fan on the back. Yes it is on constantly, and yes you can hear it. My furnace makes noise too.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Poor Product, worse customer service
Review: I purchased this item 8 months ago. At first it worked great, and it died two weeks ago. I called RCA for assistance and their customer service was poor. They can not look up product registration and they told me that I would have to use the receipt as the only means of proving when I purchased the item. I have one of the first model year DVD players that still works by Sony, and it still works like a charm. I purchased this item for it's price, just to find out it has an 8 month life expectancy, and RCA won't stand behind their product. I will never purchase RCA again, and encourage many others not to purchase RCA either based on experiance.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Machine
Review: I purchased this unit a year ago. It has performed great. I have dubbed VHS tapes to DVD and they come out better than the original. My only complaint is that when I erase a DVD-RW disc the system erases then says please wait,but nothing happens. It never finishes what it is doing, and it locks up everything. The only way to get it to unlock is to unplug the unit and plug it back in ! I don't know if it's something with my machine or a defect in the model.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent DVD recorder..best value for the price
Review: I've used several different makes and models of DVD recorders, and this is one of the best!

First off, the person who said you can't play DVDs made with these on other players is VERY mistaken. The DVD+R and erasable DVD+RW formats will play on the vast majority of DVD players with no problems. Players older than 3 years may not be compatible, but this is minor. 99% of players on the market today will play DVD+R and DVD+RW so compatibility is not an issue.

The machine records in DVD+R and DVD+RW formats but can also play back DVD-R and DVD-RW, as well as VCD and SVCD and of course CDs.

Recordings look quite good, especially at the 1 or 2 hour speeds. The 8 hour picture isn't much good for anything except maybe timeshifting daytime soaps, but since discs are dropping in price so quickly most people will use the better quality modes for keepsake material anyway.

The menu system could use some improvement/streamlining but it isn't hard to use once you figure it out.

For the price, this is the best DVD recorder I've encountered.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great & Easy DVD Player/Burner
Review: This is a great machine for those of the "plug and play" mindset. I recently purchased a used one here on AMAZON and have been experimenting with it. Here are my impressions:

1. Read the manual first, do not assume you know how it works. Reading first will make the recording process easy, rather than frustrating.

2. DVD recordings off the TV are truly great. Remember to set the quality of the recorded image at "1" which is the best/highest setting.

3. The remote is not laid out the best, but with practice it become easier with use.

4. Buy only QUALITY "name brand" blank DVD+R discs. The generic no name will cause a problem during the recording stage and you'll get an error message. Apparently, you DO get what you pay for. A list a recommended brands is included with the manual.

5. Playing "store bought" DVD's are easy, and with a superb picture.

6. READ the manual...it may look overwhelming at first.
7. Recorded discs play well on other DVD player and your PC. Remember to "FINALIZE" your discs when you finish recording, or else they will not play on other machines. This is normal in the DVD burning process.

8. A steal, especially if can pick one up new/used/refurbished. I paid 129.00. These retailed last year at 435.00.
9. Stock up on brand DVD+R discs as it becomes very addictive to record off the TV.


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