Balance DR4111 DVD Recorder

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Balance DR4111

Write
~~CDR~~
~~CDRW~~
DVD-R
DVD-RW
~~DVD-R DL~~
DVD+R
DVD+RW
~~DVD+RDL~~
~~DVD-RAM~~

Read*

CDR
CDRW
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD-R DL?
DVD+R
DVD+RW
DVD+R DL?
DVD-RAM?

*based on user reports.

Desktop, Firewire

$150

3.8/10
21 votes
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DVD Player features:
Video formats:
JPG
Audio formats:
MP3 ~~WMA~~
Other features:
Progressive Scanning

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Region code free hack

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Comments

32 comments, Showing 1 to 25 comments

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topcop41 from United States reported November 27, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	270 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
I am following up on my earlier post. This DVD recorder is horrendous. I purchased two and one will not even play a store bought DVD; let alone record one. The other one still functions but when you record from one DVD player to the recorder; the audio is out of sync with the video-sort of like watching one of the old Godzilla movies from the 70's if you catch my drift. Save your money and stay away from this piece of junk!!!

Dave from United States reported July 24, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	Few DVD-R DVD-RW DVD-R DL?	Few DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	90 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
the Balance DR4111 is a piece of shit. The 1st unit I received from Walmart has the remote system failed within a week. The 2nd one which I've for 3 months now cannot finalize with +-R disk. I use EP mode so that I can put 2 movies onto a single disk. After I finished the 2nd movie & press 'stop', sometimes it hungs or quits too early. When try to finalize, again process quit prematurely & entire disk info were lost. Sometimes after power down (pulling the cord), I may be able to recover the 1st movie. I already put a fan to blow hard on it during recording. Doesn't help. It does work with +RW since it doesn't need to be finalized & subsequently I can copy content with computer dvd drive to +-R format. For those who want to copy from DVD, forget using DVD recorder. Get free download of 'dvd shrink 3.2' which will remove region code, copy protection & compresses down from dual layer to single layer. Quality comparable with original.

*WalMart Dennis from United States reported April 27, 2005:**
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R DVD-RW DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	120 days	10 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Well, I still have the Balance DR4111. It bacame my secondary unit. I bought a Pioneer 220S which is a much better unit. The Balance has a very redeeming quality. It records from my Phillips 642 (0531 firmware) flawlessly. I have tryed many original DVD movies and they all would record. For it to record successfully one needs to start recording with the drawer of the Phillips 642 open. That way the Balance recorder will receive a signal from the player: 1) Turn on both units and load discs 2) Leave player drawer open with disc 3) Start recording--TV screen will show players logo 4) Close player drawer and go thru menu as usual 5) Continue recording until complete--DO NOT USE PAUSE DURING RECORDING. If you pause recorder it will not resume recording-it will sense the macrovision. This procedure is solely for archiving my DVD's.

*WalMart Dennis from United States reported February 27, 2005:**
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	30 days	8 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Re: the bending when recording from a VCR Tape --- Initially I did experience the bending on top as others described when recording from a VCR tape. There is no bending now. My first recordings from old tapes resulted in bending at the top. The Balance was sitting dirctly on top of the VCR. By moving the Balance away from the VCR resulted in elimination of the bending problem. I recorded the same tapes using the same VCR with the Balance isolated from the VCR. The results were great. Perhaps the magnetic field of the VCR caused the problem. I have the VCR and DVR routed to and from an A/V. P.S. I spend s lot of time at Wal*Mart--I work there.

topcop41 from United States reported February 25, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	14 days	10 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
So far, this balance dvd recorder is excellent. I purchased one a month ago from Walmart for about $138 but had to send it back because the timer did not work properly. Walmart has a great return policy and I took it back and re-ordered another Balance DVD recorder after having tried Ilo and Sanyo(both of which were terrible). I am very pleased with my new Balance DVD recorder. The only problem is that it will not copy some commercial DVD's with Macrovision installed on them. Although it does record some others without the Macrovision. It is very easy to use.I highly recommend this purchase for the person who is just looking to record daily television programs; make backups of home videos, etc. I have no complaints so far.

Walmart Willy from United States reported January 30, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	30 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
I too found a replacement in the SANYO DRW-500. Only about $40 more too. See my review at: http://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorders.php?DVDname ... 0#comments It has a STEREO tuner... which I feel is a "must" if you plan to totally DITCH your VCR. Walmart Willy

Ace, Miami from United States reported January 28, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
After returning my unit for failing to recognize discs that it created, I found a more reliable/comparible replacement for $40 bucks US more. Checkout the Zenith DVR413. Zenith was bought out by LG (Korean Co.), which means hacks (ie. region free) are already available. If Balance can correct their quality control issues, this would be one of the best recorders out there (cost wise). I tried the LiteOn LVW-5005, but the Costco units were manufactured in August 2004 (no hacks posted for that month)...and also my unit had a problem with DVD-R discs, so I returned it. Happy hunting.

linuxOwnzU from United States reported January 28, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	10 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
I gave it a 10 because it seems great so far. Bought it online at walmart.com for $138. Couldn't find a walmart near me that actually stocks or has people on the phone who know what im asking for. UPS delivered it to the wrong address at first. remote worked for a while and after a couple hours it seems like it don't work. I will try again later. Luckily i still have my apex 1500 remote and that works sorta - display buttons on apex1500remote sends input change signal. Haven't found record button yet. But a record button is on the front panel. Also have my one for all "man's super remote" aka urc-8811b00 and that set as an apex dvd player works too. I will call "one for all" and they should add this player's code to their list then I can update my remote and things will be cool again. It seems like the first thing you should do it put a disc on it and record quickly. I tried to access the menu with an empty disc and it seems like weird things where going on when navigating the over menu. After recording a few seconds and stopping now the menu seems to work. I like the remote that came with it but I'm wondering how to get it to work again. The batteries fit losely and I don't like it. it uses 2 x aaa. When i hooked the rf in from cable tv to the back and used rca to the tv I was getting a hum. So I use a vcr to change the rf to rca and rca in to the recorder. The player comes with 1 dvd blank. The manual seemed like I was getting a real treat but alas it's a bunch of foreign languages. So the manual is not very useful. To record with the settings you want, you'll probably get to the menu and set the default recording options to whatever quality/speed you're looking for and then exit the menu and then press record. It would've been better if they had the current settings onscreen and then you could pick what you want first and then press record when your ready but I guess it's almost the same. I have to get a dv cable to have a four pin to four pin cable - I think no one has this cable with their camcorder. If you can't find a cheap computer store with a 10.00 cable near you, then you should go to circuit city and buy the monster cable for $34. Best buy ... etc had lame cables for $30 - so if you have no option get the real monster dv cable for $34. One of the main attractions for me for apex and this new dvd player was the goto button which allows me to jump to the time I want in a playback. Goto 05 minutes, goto 10 minutes - way better than fast forward. When I got it out of the box, the front panel was not on all the way - so I had to give it a little punch to make it seemless like the way it should've been. Things that could've been better: Have the 6pin 1394 jack and the 4pin 1394 jack so people don't have to buy a cable to hook their dv camcorder to this machine. Have usb & ps/2 keyboard jack so I can type my titles in. Remote that hold batteries better remote that works 100% of the time

Zane from United States reported January 22, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
This DVD recorder was returned immediately because it would not recognize any DVD of any format. The banner "DVD" page was extremely poor video quality using an S-video connection as were the menus. It was purchased via Walmart.com because of the price and having both formats. Please do not waste time with this piece of equipment.

patwill from United States reported January 21, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR CDRW	DVD-R DVD-RW DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	7 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
The product was so poor that i was compelled to submit a review. After opening the box i was excited at the remote design and look of the recorder. The unit installed very quickly powered up ok and i was set up after initial install in about 5 min. First the tv tuner really stinks, the picture is very soft and blurry. Second when tying to record from its av inputs front or rear the top of the screen always has a one inch bend in the picture. Third after recording a test dvd which appeared to burn and finalize ok , it would only playback on the original recorder. The burned disks; after many burns + and -, simply would not play on ANY player that i tried them in.

Ragtop156 from United States reported January 20, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	~~MP3~~ ~~WMA~~ CVD?	2 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR......Was really anticipating getting this unit, based on manufacturers specs.....When it arrived I was in for a whole lot of aggravation.....The unit turned on ok, but would not open the disc tray door.....After 2 hrs coaxing finally got the tray door to open, hooked unit to vcr in and out outputs.....put in dvd+rw, it recorded good, but playback was another story,.....This unit is very difficult to navigate, the simple task of hitting record and then changing record speed and then finally viewing the playback was EXTREMELY hard and laborous.....The remote would work and then stop working, even the front manual controls did not respond......STAY AWAY FROM THIS UNIT.....The instruction manual was printed in a foreign county, so the pidgeon english did not help.....This unit had a VERY GOOD BASIC PREMISE, to record & play on both the + & - formats........IT FAILED TO DELIVER THE GOODS......I took mine back to WalMart and obtained a refund - MINUS THE $7.50 SHIPPING CHARGES.....Be forwarned......Pass this unit up and spend a few dollars more and get a brand name recorder, one that works........

Chuck from United States reported January 20, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Dave, because your tv (like mine) is older and only has an RF input, you are gonna need a doodad called an RF Modulator in order to see anything your DVDR (or any DVD player) is putting out, whether it be a setup menu or a an actual DVD. Walmart sells them for about 17 bucks and Radio shack as them for about 25. The wiring the support guy had you do (Cable box into the VCR, then VCR into the inputs of the DVD) is almost there, but the last mile of just connecting the DVD's RF out jack to the back of your TV will not work. What you are going to need to do is get an RF modulator (the one I use is a Philips I think , and I got it at Walmart. it's only about the size of an eyeglass case.). It should have two RF jacks on the back, one marked ANT IN and the other TO TV. It will also have 4 RCA jacks (L/R In and L/R Out) plus one Video RCA jack. There's two ways you can do this, one if you still want to actually use your VCR to record from the TV, and one if you don't. If you don't care about using the VCR to record any more: Run the coax cable from the cable box into the RF In jack on the back of the DVD. Run another coax (you may end up needing to buy a separate 6 or 10 foot length of coax with push-on type connectors at end end) from the RF OUT jack of the DVD to the ANT IN jack of the RF Modulator. Connect the VCR's video and audio output cords (RCA plugs) to the red, white and yellow inputs on the back of the DVD. IF your VCR isn't stereo, and only has one audio output, you will need a "Y" adapter so you end up with two audio plugs to plug into the DVD. Now connect RCA cords from the DVD's L/R Audio and Video OUTPUTS to the L/R Audio and Video IN jacks on the RF Modulator. Finally, run a coax cable from the TO TV jack of the RF Modulator to the back of your TV. You will be left with two empty jacks on the back of the RF Modulator. That's ok, you would use them only if you wanted to connect it to a separate audio system, like a stereo receiver. Keep your channel setting on the DVD always on channel 3. (or 4 if that's what is is in your area). You now should be able to see the setup menu if the machine is actually putting it out. If you put a pre-recorded DVD in the machine, it should just start playing and you should be able to see it. If your DVD is either off, or in TV Tuner mode (probably a channel # showing on the display), you should see whatever tv channel your cable box is tuned to, and if the DVD is powered on, record it. When you put the DVD into (not sure what the mode will be called, but prolly something like AV or AV-1 or AV-R(for Rear), you will see whatever the VCR is putting out, and should be able to record it. IF you still want to us the VCR to record as well, shoot, it's getting late and since I don't have a Balance unit to test the next configuration on, I'm not gonna try to describe it...

Dave G. from United States reported January 19, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	2 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
OK..jus for shits n giggles (not that im really gigglin) i called the balance-digital 800 number before i return my unit and just pay for a better machine..in ONE ring i got a live person who had a tech call me back..which he did in 10 minutes...i told how i have mine hooked up (from standard cable box rf into the balance rf in then rf out to my old television which only has that one rf input connector....then my VCR rca jack outputs into the rca inputs on the balance unit) now this hookup when turned on to set up never gave me any set-up screen menu...the TV station i was watching just remained on..not to mention the remote not responding very well as far as i could tell from just on/offing the DVR (basically told him it acted haywire) also i happened to pop a tape in my VCR to at least see if it would still transmit video to my tv and nothing...TV program just stayed on...heres what he told me to do...connect my cable coax back to the VCR like i had it normally , then stereo RCA jacks from VCR to DVR input....and finally leave the DVR rf output cable running to the TV...he said this should allow the DVR screen to display but also told me that this way i wouldnt be able to record from the VCR to DVR....which is one of the main reasons i wanted a DVR....Im gonna switch the hookups and try but now im not to sure i would wanna keep it anyway if id have to run seprate VCR to the front inputs everytime i wanna copy tapes...he tried to tell me the balance rf in/outputs wont work like they did normally with just my vcr hooked up because my tv is too old....im far from knowlefgable with newer audio video technology these days but i tend to not believe thats a cause of the problem...anyway when all said n done im doubting that my machine is working correctly anyway...im just gonna try the new connections to kill time before i go to walmarts and just get a better machine...eventually when i get a large screen type TV at least i know i'll have more than enuff input output connections to prevent this daisy chain mess i ha`ve to deal with right now...my dissapointment and frustration is gettin to me now tho as i was excited at the thought of hassle free way of recording stuff like TV concerts and movies onto dvd instead of forever rewinding and FF vhs tapes to see whats on them...im rambling againso im done for now except to thank you guys for all your info

Chuck from United States reported January 19, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
I think I may have unfairly mailigned this machine. I returned it to Walmart today for a cash refund. An brought home the ILO DVDR04. While the ILO was at least responsive to the remote, I could not get the setup screen to come up. I called their tech support line and got in after about 5 minutes. Guess what? The RF input/ouputs on the ILO are NOT connected internally to an RF modulator, as I had assumed. If the same is true for the Balance unit, then it may have been ok and displaying the setup screen, I just couldn't see it.

RickW from United States reported January 19, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
~~CDR~~ ~~CDRW~~	DVD-R DVD-RW DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	21 days	8 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
My "qualifications" as a reviewer may be a low however, I can say that my Balance has worked fine from the get go. I was a bit surprised that I was able to backup our children's VHS "Baby Einstein" videos with any Macrovision problems. Primarily I will use it to make DVD copies of our digital video camera home movies.

Ace, Miami from United States reported January 19, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	21 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Dave & Chuck, Thanks for having participating in our efforts to find the best & worst that are out there... After 3 weeks of playing around with the super nice features of this unit and praising it as a 10...I finally had to succumb to the truth..."This company has a great idea, but unfortunately the cheap labor and parts used to save us money, does not save us the aggrevation endured"! Hey, I only removed a zero from my score! My machine died...well, not completely...it still records, but you do not get the option to finalize the disc...instead, you press "disc oper" and realize that the disc you just created is "Unknown & Unrecordable"...what the ....? Even after ejecting the disc and reinitializing it..no good..I finally gave up after wasting 5 other discs (different manufactures) with the same problem...I took my own advise and returned it. Walmart.com gives you the option to take returns back to a local store...So, I did and put my money down on the iLo DVDRH04, but check this out...the customer service associate didn't allow me to write the problem down on the return slip...she said that the return slip was good enough...ok...sooo..who's responsible for finding the problem?...and who's the culpret that's gonna re-ship this unit to the next victim? Like I said, Balance has a great idea, but I think quality is a low priority. Dave, you must have owned a previous DVD Recorder...I say this because the first time that I copied a movie on this unit, I kept hitting "menu" and "title, but nothing happened...then I realized that I needed to hit "select" in order to bring up the title menu...I thought it was me!...check it out good...if you run into any of the same problems that we did..take it back without hesitation...you have 90 days...if it lasts that long. Walmart Willy...what can I say... Thanks for the info guys!

Chuck from United States reported January 18, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
The whole thing is just really bizarre to me. It's like they didn't program the chips before they shipped the units or something. I don't buy that they are damaged in transit. I've bought tens of thousands of dollars of electronics in the last 25 years and I can count on one hand the number of electronic parts that have outright failed at any point, never mind not worked at all. Fer crissakes, my Panasonic "ReggieVision" VCR still works, and I've had it since 1983. I don't care if it works when I get up in the morning, I'm returning it to the store. Maybe I'll try the ILO for 10 bucks more. The reason I wanted the dual format is because I have a stockpile of -R's for the burner in my computer, and most of the DVD Recorders are +Rs. Who knows who "Balance-Digital" really is, I think they're just an importer or a shell (or worse). I wonder maybe if I take the cover off the thing, it'll be filled with heroin. I called the tech support line, and you just get in an endless loop of press 1 for customer service, it rings once, and then you get the message again. LOL! Somebody at Walmart was totally asleep at the switch on this one.

Walmart Willy from United States reported January 18, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	21 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Chuck; I think a LOT of these units shipped in a non-working condition! My first one didn't work at all (just like yours) - My second one had severe video imput problems (and UPS also delivered mine to the wrong house too.. what brain dead idiots they are!). My third one (yes I decided to give it another shot) has the same problems as the second. It records in stereo and plays in stereo through the RCA connectors. But the RF input/output is MONO. That means that if you want to record from the tuner (TV, cable, etc.) then you need to rout the signal through a VCR first and then INTO the RCA ports. This would be a great little unit if the damn thing WORKED RIGHT. It has better features than the ILO DVDR04 but seems to generate lower quality on all recording settings. I think that it is due to poor input on the system. A real shame. It really is a neat system, they just seem to have shipped lots of TRASH units that don't work and the ones that do work seem to have slight problems. By the way.. I e-mailed Balance Support three weeks ago and they never wrote back. Walmart Willy

Chuck from United States reported January 18, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
OK, 4 hours later and still the electric blue HELLO mocks me. Whatta pice of crap. Are they shipping these things over here without programming them? About the mono tuner - does that apply just to RF input, or also to directly inputting audio and video via RCA plugs from a digital cable box? What's the effin point of having Left and Right inputs if it doesn't record in stereo?

Chuck from United States reported January 18, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	1 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
OK, bought this online from WalMart, cause they didn't have it in the store. First, they didn't ship it for two weeks, then the UPS guy delivered it to the wrong house. So I catch the UPS guy today and ask him about it, and he goes and retrieves it from the house he delivered it to yesterday (still unopened) Huzzah! Now I get it hooked up, and....nothing! I can get either HELLO, or the incorrect time, and even that only by using the remote from 3 inches away. The tray won't open even by pushing the button on the front of the unit. ROFL. Does this thing need like an hour to warm up or something?

walmart willy from United States reported January 15, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	21 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Ace; I agree... I wish more people posted. Also, there may be some simple firmware sollutions to some of the problems we are seeing (other than the tuner issue). Unfortunately I never heard back from balance support at all. It also appears that walmart.com has removed the balance from the site? I can confirm the hummmm when recording from the tuner on the balance unit. Buyers should also know that the tuner is MONO (just like most of these low-end machines). While the ILO DVDR04 has a mono tuner as well, it does not create a hum on the tuner. If you buy this unit to record from TV (cable, etc.) through the tuner... you will probably not be happy with the sound of your recordings. MONO and a pretty noticable hum. You'll need to use a VCR as a tuner to get good TV/cable/etc. recordings. thanks ACE for your in-depth posts!!! Walmart Willy

Ace, Miami from United States reported January 15, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	14 days	9 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Walmart Willy, I am glad to see that you tried another unit and posted your comments...seems like out of 4,000 hits, only five of us actually purchased this unit and posted what's good and/or bad! Meaning to say, it would be nice to read other reviews, other than ours that is, to see what else turns up. Anyway, here are a few other comments: 1) I figured out why my remote only worked 1 to 2 feet away...it was a quality control issue. The remote receiver, located near the clock on the face of the unit, was pointed downward. Since everything else on this unit appeared to work, I hesitated sending the unit back for replacement...so I fix it myself. I was able to lift the mirror film up far enough to push the remote receiver back & up at a 90 degree angle...works fine now. 2) Although I do not have bending on my output picture or on any burned discs...I tried the zoom function again and did notice a small black spot in the lower left hand corner of the "panned out" picture. However, it is only present during zoom & barely noticed. Unfortunately, my other players don't have a zoom feature, so I can't tell if it is present on my pretty-close-to-perferct burned copies. 3) The Lite-On LVW-5005 seemed to be popular, so I read the reveiws. Everyone seems to be excited about being able to burn in 3-hour mode after dowloading a hack...whatever that means. Anyway, they complained about a humm being present when recording from the unit's tuner...guess what...this unit does the same thing! Don't know how I missed it, but if you burn a television program from the onboard tuner, the disc will contain and playback with some sort of humm on the background...who would've thunk it! It's a good thing that most people with burners don't often copy from a tv tuner source. 4) You were right about not spending too much on video enhancers, when you're trying to keep cost down; however, I actually purchased my "vidtrackusa" a couple of years ago, after my first recorder purchase, Panasonic DMR-E30. At that time and even today, there are not many hacks available in the US to defeat macrovision on it. It worked so well that I always recommend it in all of my reveiws. What I actually did was run all of my (Laser Disc/VCR/Multiregion DVD/Standard DVD) Players throught a 4-way selector box, to my prefered DVD Recorder, via "vidtrackusa". This way, I never have to fuss about which unit has copy protection and/or a hack installed that may or may not work? Since there is no firmware or specific hack involved, I can continue burning movies for as long as I like, regardless if my burner dies or gets replaced by something new and improved. Although I have several burners, I never got in to downloading, extracting/filtering and re-burning movies...too much time, effort and work. Burned discs on this unit play on the following players & burners that I own: Stand-a-lone Units: Sony DVP-CX870D; Pioneer DVL909; Panasonic DME-75vs (Combo DVD/VHS) and of course on the Balance DR4111. Portable/CPU Units: HP XH485 AMD/1G (Laptop); Plextor PX 712A; Panasonic DVD Burner II SW9571 and Slimline LF-P567CU (DVD-R only). I also have a Cyberhome CH402, which is now region free after a hack; however, it does play any of my burned discs from either unit...but that's another story. Well, hope the comments on this forum are useful to folks that are waiting for an on-line miracle machine...that's been tested, hacked, rated and reveiwed by others...Go ahead, spend a couple of bucks and post your comments...at least with Walmart you get 30 to 90 days on returns...what have you got to lose?

Walmart Willy from United States reported January 14, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	14 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Well. I guess I love punishment, because I went out and purchased a 3rd balance unit. Here's what I found out: This unit still has the "bending" problem at the top of the screen when copying some old VHS. I have a memorex DVD player, Sampro player, Cyberhome player and Lite-On computer based player. Also a DVDR04 ILO recorder. The "R" disks created on this unit play fine on the Memorex, Sampro and ILO... not on the Cyberhome or Lite-on. The "RW" disks created on the balance played on the memorex and only sometimes on the ILO. Well. At least this one creates better disks! The ILO DVDR04 still seems to create more "compatible" disks than the DR4111 and the ILO DVDR04 seems to have a crisper signal input (resulting in better VHS to DVD in some cases). But... as ACE mentioned the DR4111 has a nice chapter editing feature and lots of extra's. if you are lucky enough to get a working unit and are also lucky enough to get one that doesn't create bending of the video from old VHS.. then you might be happy with this unit. Note: I was able to "fix" the bending problem by running the video signal through the ILO DVDR04 first. As ACE also stated, I'm sure if you have a video enhancer that it will probably also fix this problem. if you plan to record primarily from cable, etc. Then you might be happy with this unit. If you are planning to record old VHS tapes... you might run into the "video bending" problem and need a video enhancer to help create a stable picture. Also, after you buy one of these make sure you try the created disks on as many players as you can to make sure that it is creating playable disks! I'm not sure if I am going to keep this 3rd unit. I like the chapter editing feature alot and it has more usable extras than the ILO. Walmart Willy

Walmart Willy from United States reported January 11, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R? DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R? DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	14 days	1 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Ace; You're very lucky to have picked up a working unit. I ordered 2 from walmart.com and came up with duds both times. No offense, I understand why you recommend buying a video enhancer for $75 to use with this unit... but the idea is to SAVE money. If I wanted to spend $225 total - I'd get a much better DVD recorder to begin with. The unit should have a stable INPUT out of box. Also, the stuff you wrote about macrovision is true.. it will cause problems with COPY PROTECTED MATERIAL when playing through a VCR to a TV. That is indeed why they tell you to connect it directly to a TV/monitor. However, I had the opposite problem with this unit. The image that was INPUT into the unit (VCR TO DR4111) always came up distorted at the top even though the video being sent to the DR4111 was -NOT- copy protected in any way. I compared this unit directly with an ILO DR04 and the ILO did not have ANY such problems. The ILO was running the basic "out of box" firmware. The ILO has a much sharper picture from INPUT and therefore created nice stable recordings from old VHS tapes. I used the zoom feature on the BALANCE DR4111 to zoom OUT and view the recorded video within a black square (to see all edges). The video recorded with the BALANCE unit always had "bending" and distortion on the top of the screen. The same video on the ILO had no such distortion. All disks I created on the BALANCE would not play on 4 other DVD players. I tried all formats (DVD-R and RW both + and -) with the same results. The disks recorded on the ILO played on all 4 of my players without a problem. I purchsed TWO balance DR4111 units, one completely non-functional and the other with the above listed problems. I e-mailed tech support at balance digital and never got a response. I really like the features of the BALANCE system (great remote and as you stated.. excellent zoom, chapter editing etc.). It's just a shame both units I purchased didn't work correctly. Could you tell me if the unit you have can actually record a signal from a VHS tape without distortion on the top of the screen? (use zoom out ability to check).? It would be a great deal if it actually worked! I had two units that didn't. thanks, Walmart Willy

Ace, Miami from United States reported January 11, 2005:
Read features:						Time used:	Rating:
CDR? CDRW?	DVD-R DVD-RW? DVD-R DL?	DVD+R DVD+RW? DVD+R DL?	VCD? XVCD? XSVCD?	SVCD? SVCDSubs? SVCDTracks?	MP3? CVD?	7 days	No rating
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Matt, The Operating Manual doesn't specify the maximum write speed on media, so try and burn your laptop stuff on a 1X - 4X Disc and see if it works. I own a HP XH485 Laptop, which will playback LEDA (1X) DVD-r [burned from Panasonic DMR-E30] and Spin X (4X) DVD+r [burned from Balance DR4111]. I haven't tried 8X media on this unit yet. It is possible that your Laptop is picking up errors from the 8X disc. Your Sony burner may have error correction built in... Good Luck.

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OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer.

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The manufacturer of the main chipset the DVD writer/recorder is based on.

Write support / Read support
DVD-R = Works
~~DVD-R~~ = Is not supported
DVD-R? = Not tested

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FireWire = Computer desktop DVD Writer with IEEE 1394/FireWire/i.Link connection (some standalone desktop dvd recorder supports this also but then it is usually to connect your DV camera to the recorder)

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