BenQ JH300 DVD Recorder - VideoHelp.com

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BenQ JH300

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

$250

7.8/10
6 votes
Read 7
comments
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DVD Player features:
Video formats:
~~DivX~~ JPG
Audio formats:
MP3
Other features:
Progressive Scanning

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Region code free hack

DVD Media comments for this DVD Recorder (click on the link to read the comments):
1 Sony 4xDVD+RW (SONY....S11) comments, 1 good, 0 mixed, 0 poor.
Post your DVD Media comments here

Comments

7 comments, Showing 1 to 7 comments

BenjaminQ from Canada reported April 18, 2006:
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	8 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
This is my first dvd recorder (i still use my vcr :)), so I don't have much to compare this with... but I'm pretty impressed so far. Some of the features I found that were nice: - Extremely quiet - Timer system, which only works when power is off as with most timer system, alerts you 5 mins before a timer recording if you have the power on (it flashes "power off for timer recording" or something like that, it could get annoying, but it's still nice to have a reminder while the power is on) - Dynamically "mark" chapters as you are recording or even during playback if DVD+RW (this could be a regular feature with all dvd recorders, i dunno) - Thumbnail shots of the titles on the DVD (where each title is each recording instance) -- this is likely a standard in most recorders, but in case it isn't... this is really useful - The "standard" vs "sport" recording as described in one of the previous comments... although I haven't fully tested it yet, this is really good - "Night Mode" which basically automatically adjusts sound effects so they're not booming (as the manual states "You are therefore less likely to disturb your neighbours with this thoughtful feature without reducing the fun of entertainment due to low volume" haha) small gripes: - The menu isn't that intuitive... but isn't too bad... one thing to note: to "cancel" an operation, u normally just hit the "System" button (or when editing a timer recording, hit the "Timer" button) <-- the cancel option isn't shown on screen, just the accept option - I use the dvd as a tuner for my setup, so it would have been nice if the LCD front display showed the channel I was currently on, or at least the time <-- or, it would be nice to have a button to display this information on-screen (rather than going to the system menu or something) - the Remote control isn't layed out that well (i always get the repeat/stop/back/forward buttons mixed up with the up/down/left/right buttons) -- but I suppose you'd get used to it eventually - not much support on the web (i.e. no downloadable manual from the BenQ site, no firmware upgrades, etc.) -- as a matter of fact, i think i read somewhere that this model is being discontinued (tho, I could have gotten this confused with another model i was looking at purchasing) As you can see, my gripes are really nit-picky :) I am really happy with it, especially for the price... it does exactly what i want it to do: replace my vcr (including timer recordings, which was really important for me) as well as record shows, etc., so that i can later transfer it to my computer (BTW, I got this from 2001 Audio Video for $100 Cdn... I wanted to get it from Factory Direct, but they were out... so I went to a nearby 2001 Audio Video, and as luck would have it, they had the same model for 30 bucks cheaper)

Nathan Marshall from Canada reported January 11, 2006:
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:
A great DVD+RW recorder, with lots of features but a few flaws make this from being a 10. 1. The remote is not ergonomic, the dvd control and menu buttons are the same shapes and on top of eachother, it takes a while to get used to but is ok after that. 2. No component input, only S-Video. There is progressive scan/component output though. (Component is Blue/Green/Red). 3. Macrovision protection is enabled, the only way to play-through that I could find is using a laptop with VLC through S-Video Out. WinDVD does not work. Otherwise it is perfect, burns great, burned discs work in a cheap Protron player, a Philips surround system player and my ThinkPad R51's drive. You do not need to finalize +RW discs, and I find that Sony 4x +RW made in Japan work great. You can literally watch what you just recorded 2 minutes earlier on your laptop / DVD player.

the wordsmith from Canada reported August 06, 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	8 of 10
~~DVD-RAM~~
Comments:
Further to my earlier postings, I notice this is now on sale in Toronto area at 2001 Audio (whatever) for $199 Cdn. This is $50 less than I paid four months ago, and at this price is something of a bargain. Unlike my earlier purchase, a Daytek P30, this has a really sensitive stereo TV tuner and records AC3 audio. I find that movies played back on my Panny home theatre system offer first class surround sound. The menu system is a bit hard to navigate, and the fast forward is also a pain (combined with chapter advance, so it is easy to do the latter by mistake) but given the overall quality of the recordings (using a Philips codec chipset)I highly recommend this unit. I believe it is shortly to be discontinued, so grab one while you can at this low price. BTW, I was originally informed that this model did not have MTS tuner, but I have since done sound tests using Audacity (neat little program BTW) and I can confirm that it does indeed record stereo right off the air, one of the few that does.

Ahmed Menaidy from Saudi Arabia reported May 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?	60 days	7 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
It has a solid feel and seems a good quality recorder. I dont like the ergonomics very much, but once you're used to it, its OK. This is the first DVD recorder I buy, so keep in mind as I comment. Another thing I dont like is that when you're recording something, then press the stop button, it suspends the screen image a few seconds, then loads up an empty spot for next segment/chapter to be recorded without returning you to the source you were watching. I have noticed it does sometimes get hot (in a well airconditioned room). When I eject a CD, it feels hot as well as the top of the player. DVD+RW's have recorded well so far with no errors. One DVD+R went bad (Imation) when I put the recording in pause mode for about 5 minutes. I suspect it gets hotter in this stage and may have gotten the hot CD surface slightly mis-aligned to the laser causing an error. DVD+RW's dont need finalizing. I put them into my PC and they work fine.

the wordsmith from Canada reported May 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?	30 days	8 of 10
DVD-RAM?
Comments:
Anyone who has read my earlier posts regarding Daytek (which I still have and love), Malata/Sears (timer issues) and LGR435 (won't record a full 2 hour program) will probaly wonder when I am going to settle down with one model. Well, so does my wife! The BenQ was to be the ultimate purchase until I discovered that it did not have a stereo tuner, despite my having been assured by their tech support dpartment that it did. To their great credit, they are going to replace it for me when the new stereo model comes out in a month or two. So barring TV audio recording issues, how does it measure up? Well for starters, the previous poster on this forum made two errors - one of fact, the other of opinion. First off the DVD+RW discs cannot be finalized, because they simply don't have to be. This wasn't Rob's fault, but the manual (which can't distinguish +R from +RW). The manual is pretty but sparse, and poorly illustrated. As to the comment about the machine running hot, I do not know where this is excessive, given the fact that my retailer had this machine running twelve hours a day as a demo, and by seven in the evning it was barely warm. Now admittedly it was out in the open in the middle of the store, but I still do not think overheating is a problem despite there being no obvious ventilation slots on the machine and no noise from any cooling fan. Performance is on a par with my Daytek (ie pretty good) with the added advantage of a three hour mode. The menu system is not very intuitive, but then none of them are as good as the Liteon Daytek Guider system. Chapter advance and fast forwarding can be a little frustrating, as can the zoom feature (which is too frustrating to even bother with) but I don't use these features enough to be bothered by them. Notwithstanding the non-stereo tuner issue, sound quality is damn good for mono ouput (stereo from stereo sources of course). This model has a sports mode, which I assume to be VBR as distinct from the CBR which would be the standard on this machine. I did notice some blockyness on some of my ealier dark scene backgrounds in slower speeds, but once I switched to sports mode this seems to have been corrected. I leave this setting switched on permanently now as most of the movies I record have a fast action scene in them sooner or later and the variable bit rate (VBR) gives smoother imaging in fast moving shots. I have had no problems with an assortment of different +RW media, but the machine does reject the Daytek formatting and insist on "erasing" the "unknown content", which is not a big deal. Another weird thing is that it will automatically erase and record over an older recording if you are not careful. This can be a time saver if you don't have time to set up a new disc for a hasty recording session - just make sure you don't wipe something you planned on keeping. The chipset is one developed jointly with Philips, and should be fairly decent. Like the DoMiNo it is an attempt to bring down production costs by reducing the parts catalogue (several codecs and systems modules on one chip) - only time will tell. All considered, this is a good looking box with above average performance. It isn't a real competitor for my love of the Daytek P30 due to the mono tuner, but hopefully the new model will fix this when it arrives. Overall a recommended purchase if you can still find one around for under $250 CDN.

Rob from Canada 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?	7 days	8 of 10
~~DVD-RAM~~
Comments:
I've used this recorder for 1 week. It does what it's supposed to do. Makes nice recordings with DVD+RW and DVD+. Bit fussy sometimes. Makes you wait occasionally for a menu to come up. Editing features are time consuming and manual does not give you much help. Cannot finalize DVD+RW discs. Runs a bit hot. Put in a well ventilized place and you shouldn't have too many problems. The disc drive is Benq which is the same drive put in Dell computers so it is proven. The chipset is Phillips. That explains the +R and +RW format only. Bought the extended warranty package just to be on the safe side. Discs burned on this machine are easily edited with Sonic MyDVD and Neo Studio 6.0 Neo will even give you Dolby Surround with the Neo DVD dolby plugin. All in all I'm happy so far. Also was a breeze to transfer my old VHS tapes to DVD.

Brent from Canada reported February 24, 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:
Is this recorder any good? I haven't seen any reviews on it, anywhere! How does it compare to the LiteOn 5101? Is it a new model or has it been out for a while? TIA

7 comments, Showing 1 to 7 comments

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Write support / Read support
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~~DVD-R~~ = Is not supported
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