Forum Archive Home -> DVD Recorders -> Philips 3595 -- I do NOT believe this!!!
Philips 3595 -- I do NOT believe this!!! | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 01 18:56 | ||||
| I've had this machine TWO WEEKS and already I have problems with it! Some recordings (not all) are stuttering, the picture freezing then jumping forward, some won't allow me to fast forward or rewins. I'm currently trying to watch a programme that's freeing every fe wminutes! This is NOT what I spent 300 Euro for!!!
It's going back to the shop at the weekend, and I'm going to try to get my money back. I'm REALLY pissed off at this! People warned me about Philips but I didn't listen. It's obviously a dodgy hard disk, but after TWO weeks? (Sound of gnashing teeth and frantic searching for the Philips hotline for complaints...) | ||||
| FulciLives posted 2008 Apr 01 22:43 | ||||
| Pioneer is the shit when it comes to stand alone DVD recorders.
Although older models tended to have the burner die pre-maturely they seem to have fixed that (knock on wood). - John "FulciLives" Coleman | ||||
| hech54 posted 2008 Apr 01 23:53 | ||||
| I love my old Philips but I'm not stupid....I won't buy another one....I know I got lucky with mine.
:) | ||||
| samijubal posted 2008 Apr 02 00:13 | ||||
| Another Philips product to end up refurb. What a shocker. | ||||
| SmokieStover posted 2008 Apr 02 01:16 | ||||
| Are you sure it's not the broadcast? I have seen it live on analog cable. Most common on a CBS re-broadcast station from Champaigne, IL, which is many, many miles out of antenna range. Also occurs on a CBS station out of Quincy, IL. We have gone thru ever changing problems in the last year on all our re-broadcast stations, other examples:
1) CFN out of Springfield, black screen and no audio.....may last for minutes or an entire program hour. 2) CBS out of Springfield and Quincy.....audio that may either break-up with too much bass, or audio which cycles from too low volume to too high, often changing from one syllable to the next. If one station is bad, the other is always better. 3) Have even seen stuttering and freezing on analog cable networks, and when it happens there, it can go on for hours. Only way to know for sure is to record at same time with a VCR.....they never screw up. :) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 02 07:40 | ||||
| No it's not. I use a SKY box, which takes the signal digitally from a minidish outside my house. I can watch the channel and it's fine, no breakup or anything, but I've even recorded from our local national station (RTE) and it can be the same.
It's definitely the hard disk, and I'm kicking it back where it came from! This is NOT on, not two damn weeks after I shelled out on this machine! FC, I'd love to get a Pioneer, but I have a feeling they're just going to offer me store credit, and they dont do Pioneer in that shop, so I guess I'll have to take the best I can get. No more Philips though! :evil: | ||||
| orsetto posted 2008 Apr 02 23:13 | ||||
Abso-friggin-lutely: go Pioneer, while you still can. I have been buying-using-repairing every model of Pioneer recorder for the last three years. All were/are great with the exception of the horrid corruption-prone TVGOS on the 2005 models and the tendency of the burners on all pre-2006 models toward earlier than expected failure (which is a common issue with all mfrs, its just bizarre and annoying that Pioneer's DVR burners were fragile while their exact same models marketed for PC use were/are very durable). Based on my own experience and reports on forums, the 2006 and later Pioneers (from the 640 on) are damned close to bulletproof: Pioneer obviously was rattled by the hatred they received from the funky 2005 models, so they came roaring back in 2006 with excellent burners, excellent HDs, reliable firmware and circuitry, and the most reliable glitch-free editing available. Since Pioneer is suffering thru hard times of late, its anyones guess how much longer they will keep producing their current models. The profit margin on these things is razor-thin, the investment to keep up with the worldwide digital-TV-tuner transition is immense, and Pioneer is dropping product lines right and left to keep themselves solvent. At any moment they could begin selling crap recorders OEM'd for them to slap their name on. So if you want a good recorder that will last you three years, grab a Pioneer NOW while you still can. (As expected all along, the decent Phillips 3575 has proven a lucky exception and Phillips is now back on track selling junk again. If you can find a 3575 or a Pioneer, this would be the time to buy. Good units in the USA are now a memory, leftover stock is dwindling fast: tick-tock, my friends....) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 03 07:25 | ||||
| I have the option of getting the Philips 3575, close to the same price. You think I should go for that? | ||||
| FulciLives posted 2008 Apr 03 08:57 | ||||
| If I recall I think the 3575 is the one Philips model that LordSmurf said was a decent alternative.
- John "FulciLives" Coleman | ||||
| orsetto posted 2008 Apr 03 09:32 | ||||
| If they will let you exchange the 3595 for a 3575, by all means take it. The 3575 was apparently a one-time exception from Phillips rotten history of DVD recorders: it ain't perfect, but it's the next best thing to a Pioneer in the current market. The only issues they've had are tuner-related and most units still sitting in stores have been updated by now. Minor tuner and editing issues are covered extensively by member wabjxo in his threads here and over at AVS Forum. Based on wabjxo's reports alone, the Phillips is the most thoroughly documented DVD/HDD recorder ever released. You can buy it with confidence that any issue you encounter has been covered from two dozen angles in this forum. :lol: | ||||
| samijubal posted 2008 Apr 03 10:52 | ||||
| Yea, listen to Smurf's suggestions because that went so well with the JVC. His didn't have problems so who cares about the dozens of people who did have problems. | ||||
| orsetto posted 2008 Apr 03 11:22 | ||||
C'mon, now- play fair :roll: . LordSmurf merely agreed with the basic, pre-existing forum coverage of the Phillips 3575. He did not go into the same exhaustive depth as he did with the JVCs. So far LS has not posted anything inflammatory for or against the 3575 that anyone could reasonably debate him on. | ||||
| Seeker47 posted 2008 Apr 03 12:44 | ||||
So -- none of the follow-on Philips models turned out to be any good ? I was under the impression that some other recorders (including the 3575) must have had DL burning capability, but I'm shocked to discover that the Pio 640 was almost the only one ? I say this even though Lord Smurf never thought much of the DL burning implementation in any DVDR. Personally, I have not noted a clear and conspicuous problem -- at least any consistent one -- in the DLs I've made with the 640. They seem to play o.k. on most of the standalone (non-Pio) players I've tried to play them on. Maybe I haven't done enough of these to see the problem, if there is one ? Assuming I did run into a problem with one, and the disc was of some importance, I'm thinking it could still be ripped on the computer, then re-burned with IMGBURN, with the 32K gaps, setting a better layer break, etc. | ||||
| victoriabears posted 2008 Apr 03 16:48 | ||||
| Just one suggestion on the faulty Philips, reformat the hard drive, see if that cures it.
I think all brnads have their problems, my least problematic brands are Panasonic/Toshiba, never tried Pioneer and find JVC to be erratic between models. | ||||
| pinetop posted 2008 Apr 04 06:31 | ||||
I'd like to try a Pioneer. I live in Chicago and have BB,CC, Frys, and Tweeter. None of these chains carry the Pioneer recorders. The Pioneer website doesn't even list a DVD recorder as being available. Am I missing something? No hijack intended. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 04 07:44 | ||||
Thanx, but the problem is, say I do that, and it sorts the problem, but then the defect comes back again? I'm then out of my 28-day-return period. Plus, last night it decided it was receiving no signal from the TV, even though I double-chcked all connexions, and had a media drive running off one of the other SCARTS, and that worked fine, as did the telly! No, this unit is possessed, and I'm performing an exorcism. As Groundskeeper Willie once said --- "Ach! Back to the loch for YOU, Nessie!" | ||||
| orsetto posted 2008 Apr 04 10:58 | ||||
If you're in a hurry and want shopping convenience look for one of the remaining Phillips 3575s in stores or online: its a decent unit with the bonus of the only close-to-reliable ATSC digital tuner put into a recorder so far. If you prefer a Pioneer, shopping gets a bit trickier: Pioneer dropped out of the US market last year to avoid having to add an ATSC digital tuner, among other reasons. Their recorders are still available in Canada, if you have friends there they can buy one for you at Canadian megastores like Future Shop or Best Buy. Or, check online for dealers who will ship from Canada. I bought several for myself and others thru Canadian eBay dealers in overstock/surplus goods. No problems with any of them. Current North American models are 450, 550 and 650: the 450 (160gb HDD) is the easiest to get, the other models are more expensive/harder to get because they add larger drives (pointless) and USB sockets (even more pointless). The 450 is sweet at under $250 for new or "open box". Alternatively you can sometimes find the excellent last USA model 640 second hand for a good price. At this point I'd recommend avoiding used Pioneers older than the 640: their burner repair parts are becoming scarce. | ||||
| zoobie posted 2008 Apr 04 12:13 | ||||
| excellent post orsetto
lmao @ Trollheart :D | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 04 16:36 | ||||
| Hmm. Why exactly are you laughing at me??? | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 04 17:08 | ||||
| Trollheart, maybe it's your Irish accent!? :D | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 06 12:38 | ||||
| Faith and begorrah, d'ye tink so? Is he after bein' slaggin' me accent, is that it now? I'll mallevogue 'im! :) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 06 12:40 | ||||
| Seriously: I've managed to exchange it for a 3575, which I just hooked up today. Reading the manual seems to indicate the same thing with editing, ie that you can only hide, not delete scenes, but I haven't tried that yet. Obv the manual appears to cover both models, so perhaps they're just being general.
Other than that, it seems to be exactly the same machine, hopefully minus the problems I had with the 3595! Well, I'll let yez know how I get on (so I will!) ! :) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 06 13:38 | ||||
| OK, have now checked and there is no delete section, only hide. Bit of a disappointment, but not the end of the world...
Nevertheless, I'm keeping the receipt for THIS one VERY handy!!! | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 06 14:25 | ||||
| I believe the "Hide" is probably the same as the U.S. 3575's Delete Section since nothing is really "deleted" in the 3575, just instructed to be skipped... I don't have an option to "Undelete" it. The only time a title or parts of it are "deleted" is when the Title itself is deleted, and then it's not actually deleted but the space has been "opened" for overwriting... same as in a computer where you can always recover stuff if it's not yet overwritten cuz it doesn't really delete it either.
One thing of note might be that, since they call it "Hide," you might have the advantage of physically retrieving it again by "Unhiding" which would actually be better than Deleting in my 3575 cuz you never know when you might want to make it whole again? 8) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 07 07:32 | ||||
| Yeah, you do, as it says in the manual how to "unhide" sections (I haven't tried that yet, and hadn't on the 3595 either --- usually when I cut something out I want it gone. But now that you mention it, it IS handy if, for instance, I cut something out by mistake... almost like an Undelete key)
I never told yaz the end result, the last straw -- I thought the machine failing to recognise the TV signal was it, but it wasn't. Day before I brought it back, the machine started recording for no reason (no timer set), and would NOT turn off, no matter what I did. The only way I could stop it was to unplug it. Just as well I'd decided to take it back, as that would have been just too much! | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 07 21:49 | ||||
I can see why zoobie hasn't been around anymore :sulkoff: ... I'd be running scared too if I knew I was going to be mallevogued! | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 13 10:12 | ||||
| OK, and now for the latest --- the 3575 has started showing signs of the same faults! It's cutting out, dialogue disappearing for a few seconds. picture freezing then moving on, all the fun I had before!
Now, I have realised that the place I had the recorder had hardly any space to left and right, ie it was in the slot quite tightly (video cabinet), so I've now moved it to on top of my telly. Manual says don't put it on top of other equipment, but tbh there's nowhere else I can put it. I'm running some test recordings now. If this doesn't cure its behaviour I fear I'll have to take it back again, and this time I'm going to have to demand my money back, as I'll be done with dvd recorders, and will get a Hauppage PVR instead. Let yez know how it turns out... | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 13 10:53 | ||||
| NO SPACE TO LEFT OR RIGHT... FOR A WHOLE WEEK! ARGHH!!
The U.S. 3575 has INTAKE vents on top right side of case, with fan on back. The laser diode's worst enemy is HEAT! HDD isn't too fond of heat either! You suffocated your 3575! What's the penalty for DVDRslaughter in Ireland! Hey, I just realized, this is your 2nd DVDRslaughter! You might be the first SERIAL DVDRslaughterer in Irish history!? :D :D :D | ||||
| zoobie posted 2008 Apr 13 13:19 | ||||
| and he wants to know why I'm laffin?
*chortles* | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 13 15:28 | ||||
| Yes, yes, yes! I know! Stupider than a very stupid person doing something extremely stupid, in a really stupid way!
Now that I know, I have moved the recorder and lo and behold! First test, two hours plus of recording and during playback no problems at all. So I guess that was the problem all along? Couldn't someone have been psychic and suggested this? :) Hope it'll be ok on top of my telly now! First experiment successful, will run some more and see how we go. TH, now on the run from the DVD Homicide Squad...! :oops: | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 13 16:10 | ||||
| Your pardon from the Gov'ner just came thru.
However, how long and hard did you use the machine while murtelizing it? Hope not too long or hard cuz the heat could have done some damage that might make its life a little shorter... hard to know, of course. | ||||
| Seeker47 posted 2008 Apr 13 20:45 | ||||
As a general proposition, heat buildup is bad for ALL electronics and computer gear. (Dust, smoke, or pet hair ain't real good for 'em either.) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 14 07:51 | ||||
| To be fair, most of the time the machine was either on standby or turned off. I recorded very little since last week, maybe three progs, as I was most watching stuff off my media drive, so hopefully I haven't damaged it too much.
Not to forget, the previous 3595 was nearlt THREE WEEKS in that position, so probably no wonder it died! D'you reckon its new home on top of my TV (CRT, not LCD, big fat one) will be ok? If not I'm going to have to start daisy-chaining SCARTs and find some way to get the antenna lead from my SKY box to stetch up to the shelf above the TV... | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 14 09:38 | ||||
| On top of a CRT TV should be OK. I've had mine on one and couldn't feel any heat. The heat from my LCD is wicked... thankfully, it's too thin to set anything on top of! | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 14 12:03 | ||||
| Cool! Thx wabjxo! | ||||
| usually_quiet posted 2008 Apr 14 15:03 | ||||
| If your recorder is directly on top of the TV, it won't get too warm but it's probably not sitting securely.
I solved a similar problem with a VCR by using a plastic shelf that fits on top of the TV. The front of the shelf rests on the TV itself, and the back is leveled by means of large bolts with "feet". It is held in place with self-adhesive pads. It isn't a decorator's dream, but it keeps my VCR level and prevents it from slipping off its perch. I don't know if this kind of item is available outside of North America, but it seems like it would be. I found the one I have in a mail-order catalog, but I have seen them in stores and on the internet. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 14 16:20 | ||||
| Thanx, but my TV is VERY wide and flat, and there's plenty of room for this slimline DVD recorder on top of it.
If I tip it, it doesn't even start to move, so unless I hit into it at speed (why?) or the cat knocks it down, it should be secure enough. Thx tho! | ||||
| usually_quiet posted 2008 Apr 14 18:00 | ||||
| Actually, I would worry about the cat deciding that your new recorder was worth investigating.
One time my ex's cats wrecked the built-in rabbit ears on a TV while we were sleeping. They used to chase each other around the apartment all night long for fun, and that night they decided to jump up onto the TV, although they never showed any interest in it while we were around to see. | ||||
| Seeker47 posted 2008 Apr 14 19:30 | ||||
This may not do you much good, and I can't find any links or pictures at the moment, but a couple years ago I purchased one type of solution for some relatives. You may have seen one of those TV swivel stands at one time or another. The one I bought was two-tier, with a shelf compartment underneath the TV. We mounted a Pioneer 520 in the compartment, and if the position ever needs to be adjusted, the whole thing swivels as one unit. This one was made by a company in Florida, if I recall, and I bought it new, on Ebay. (But I don't see such an item there now.) It was made of pressed wood, painted, with a good quality ball-bearing deal underneath, so it won't swivel too easily or inadvertently. Inside the compartment, there was enough room left on top for another slimline component on top of the 520, and at least a couple inches clearance to either side, so airflow was not going to be an issue. The main limitation is I don't think they made one for anything larger than a 27" tv. I also think I may have seen something like this made out of a nicer real hardwood, but then you are talking a lot more money, and something hard enough to find that you might not do much worse having it custom made. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 16 16:09 | ||||
| OK well thanks for that, but my TV is a 32 inch, and as I said it's one of the old-style widescreens, ie very very fat! It's also seriously heavy! I recall almost busting a gut trying to get it up the stairs to my room when it arrived. I was equally worried about putting my back out as letting the damn thing fall! Wow, that was scary!
Anyway, this is what it looks like at the moment (that's it on top, obviously!) The thing near the bottom right corner, nearly out of shot, is my set-top SKY box, which gets my satellite signal from the minidish outside my house. dsc00643.jpg | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 16 16:13 | ||||
| And here it is from the side, to give you an idea of how deep the telly really is, and how secure the DVD recorder should be! :)
BTW the cats aren't let into my room anymore... dsc00644.jpg | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 16 16:22 | ||||
| Faith and begorrah, man! Now I see the root of all your problems... the Budweiser! :D | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 16 16:40 | ||||
| not mine, I hasten to add! (hic!) :D
Nah, they're empty boxes filled with DVDs, as I'm too cheap to go out and buy a DVD rack! :) | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 16 16:53 | ||||
| Yea, but could still explain the "wonky" behavior of the DVDs you're playing in the 3575 as they have an organic media layer that's absorbing the Bud fumes... DUI... DVDing Under the Influence! :D | ||||
| usually_quiet posted 2008 Apr 16 18:48 | ||||
| Well, if you really think it's secure, that's all that counts.
For comparison, the frame around my CRT TV is 15 cm deep, My VCR is 23 cm deep, and my DVD recorder is 32 cm deep, and I still wanted a shelf, in part because the legs/rubbery pads on the bottom of these boxes weren't in contact with anything. Only the nice, smooth bottoms would have been resting on the TV. All I'd have to do is bump the TV hard while getting something inside the cabinet beside the TV, and off they'd have gone. | ||||
| FulciLives posted 2008 Apr 17 09:44 | ||||
| I see the problem now ... DUST ... I've never seen so much dust in my life other than in the movies when someone goes into a "haunted" house.
I suggest dusting and then putting some sort of air filter into that room :P - John "FulciLives" Coleman | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 17 16:16 | ||||
| Oi! I'll have you know, that TV has just been dusted about two days ago! :) | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 17 16:19 | ||||
| Anyway, that dust is on the telly (mostly at the side, where I dont often clean) and on the SKY box, neither of which should interfere with the working of the DVD recorder.
In any case, it's been sussed now that the actual problem was attempted suffocation of a DVD recorder, ie not giving it any room hardly at all on either side of the cabinet (you can see where it was, bottom left side that is now empty apart from some remotes), punishable by being known as a prat for the rest of my life! :D | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 17 18:17 | ||||
| AAARRRGGHHHHH! It's doing it again!!! :evil:
Just tried recording somehing on timer, got about three seconds of stuttery video then it shut off! Holy Christ on a unicycle! :x Do a fe more tests tomorrow, but it looks like it's headin' back to the shop. Again! Am I cursed never to have a working DVD recorder??? Maybe I should go with a PC-based PVR... | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 17 18:21 | ||||
| Sounds like copy protection. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 17 19:14 | ||||
| Doubt it. I recorded the prog before ("Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles") and no problem.
Will try further tests overnight and tomorrow. Any way I could check if it WAS copy protection? Why would that be on a TV prog tho? And if it is that, would a PC PVR get round it? These, and many more questions, to be answered in the next thriling episode! :) :? | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 17 20:10 | ||||
Not sure about Ireland, but some TV providers over here put copy protection on childrens' programs and some protect EVERYTHING they send to subscribers, trying to force them to rent their set-top box. Any Americans over there running or advising your TV networks/service providers??? | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 18 07:20 | ||||
| Well, I've recorded off this channel loads of times.
Anything on the 3575 that would indicate copy-prtection? My old Panny used to flag such progs with a symbol, so that after it had recorded you could see why you hadn't got a complete recording... Also checking the status of the channel, but I'd be surprised if it was encoded. | ||||
| jjeff posted 2008 Apr 18 07:37 | ||||
| Yes I know the little symbol you are talking about. I think it's two squares somewhat on top of each other. I don't believe the Philips does such a thing, but Wajos the expert on the 3575.
On Panny's it seems like it will just record the thumbnail(with the little icon) but nothing else if trying to record a CP'd program. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 18 07:45 | ||||
| What it actually does is it records about ten minutes of the prog then switches off. And yes, that is the symbol. It's a good idea: at least you know then why your recording failed!
There is actually a way around this, if anyone has a Panny. If you do the recording on timer, it CAN'T switch off! It keeps trying to, so you end up with tiny little one or two-second gaps in the recording, but if you really want to see it and aren't that bothered about that, it's a good way to defeat the copy protection... Wish Philips did something similar... Anyway I recorded 6 hours (the max) of channels last night, so will check when I get home and see if any of it came out. If not, then it's the same problem, and this time it can't be blamed on inadequate/non-existent ventilation! | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 18 08:14 | ||||
| If your EU 3575 is like the North American version, the 6-hour max is for Pause Live TV. Max. recording time in one continuous session is 12 hours. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 18 11:51 | ||||
| Mmm, no I think it's six hours, according to the manual. I started recording at about 1 AM and when I woke up this morning (about 7:30) the record light had gone out, so that would seem to prove that.
People on another forum have theorised that the channel may have been accidentally encrypted (apparently it's happened before), so I'm going to check that out when I go home. Hopefully that's the case. I don't really fancy bringing this machine back again --- there's nothing else there that I want really. | ||||
| Seeker47 posted 2008 Apr 18 12:22 | ||||
The flip side of that, diagnostically speaking, is that if there are ANY channels that you can reliably record (say, some public service or local community channel, which presumably would never be copy-protected), it can't be a recording defect in the Philips . . . though I suppose it could still be some sort of oversensitive, false-positive thing like what has been reported for some other DVDR models.
Unless some heat damage was already done, by the time you relocated it. All it might take is for some capacitor to go. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 18 13:12 | ||||
| OK, the tests have come back and they're not good!
A six-hour recording yielded about three seconds of stutter before it shut itself off, and just now I tried to record seven minutes of tv and got the same result. So it's back to the loch for ye, Nessie! :x Trouble is, I now really need to get my money back, as there's nothign else in the store I want, and to be honest I'm starting to go right off DVD recorders. Seems impossible to get a good one! Unlikely that they'll refund me though... | ||||
| zoobie posted 2008 Apr 18 14:28 | ||||
| with your luck, they'll probably give you credit | ||||
| LCSHG posted 2008 Apr 18 14:55 | ||||
| If it were my store I would take bACK the Phillips in the box and with erything as was sold and Give back the Money
> ONE Condition < He NEVER step foot in the store again --- EVER | ||||
| jjeff posted 2008 Apr 18 15:22 | ||||
| Actually I had a bout with 5 Panasonic EZ-17's. They all died anywhere from 2 days up to 45 days. The problem I had was the first one lasted the 45 days and the store only had a 30 day money back policy. After 30 days I would either have to send it in for repair or they would exchange it for a new one. After the 3rd one I just wanted my money back but they would not do that. By the 5th one they changed their mind. When I asked them if I should try the EZ-28 (when it came out) they said if I did, to NOT buy it their :D
Actually I didn't and my EZ-28 has been working fine(knock on wood) for 30 days now. | ||||
| victoriabears posted 2008 Apr 18 16:05 | ||||
| Yes there are folks in life who just do not get lucky with electronics, I also have a theory that some humans have negative irons or something which electronics fight against.
I see it all the time in my computer training work, some people sit down and work and nothing goes wrong, others, its jams, switches programs,all sorts of things. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 18 19:07 | ||||
| OK, I've had two DVD recorders in the last four weeks, and neither have cut it. As I tend to watch a lot more of my TV through download these days, via my Iomega Screenplay Media Drive, I'm thinking maybe a hdd recorder ain't for me.
So I'm now possibly looking at one without hdd, and they have the Sony RDRGX350B, whch from the little I've read of reviews, seems to be very highy rated. The other they have is the Samsung DVDR149. Assuming they're not going to give me my money back, these would seem to be the only two choices. So, any comments? | ||||
| orsetto posted 2008 Apr 18 19:57 | ||||
| Your problem might actually be having the recorder anywhere near that behemoth television. On a hunch, I visited a friend of mine who has both the 3575 and the same (I think) 32" Sony CRT set you seem to have in your photo. She has a huge wall unit with the TV in the middle and the 3575 on an upper left-hand shelf a good three feet from the TV. I moved her Phillips to the top of the TV and sure enough, stutters chokes and false CP positives any time we tried to record to the HDD! That 32" TV has a massive flyback transformer and power supply that may be leaking just enough EMI to foul the sensitive circuits in some DVD/HDD recorders. Apparently the mfrs of our new toys don't think any of us still use CRT displays, so they don't shield them. Yikes! It could be coincidence, or it could be your TV may not cohabit well with some newer recorders.
BTW, in the States Sony DVD recorders are notorious for rampant overreaction to anything that even smells like CP, especially when hooked up to satellite. Not sure if that would apply where you are, but you may want to try every ploy in the book to get the store to refund your money rather than exchange for the Sony. | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 18 20:54 | ||||
| orsetto, great info on the TV interference test. I put a link to your post in my "3575 Features..." thread. | ||||
| KeepItSimple posted 2008 Apr 19 00:53 | ||||
Yep. Keep what you have and move on to other things. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 19 02:38 | ||||
| Orsetto
Thanks very much for that important info. However, I should point out again that I had a Panny DMR HS2 for six years running with this tv. OK, it wasn't on top of it, it was beneath the SKY box, ie the bottom right hand slot in the picture, but I never got this sort of hassle. So, would a DVD recorder without hdd be the way to go, or should I just go back to the old VHS? :) Seriously: I'm considering it! Thx guys TH | ||||
| usually_quiet posted 2008 Apr 19 08:45 | ||||
| The fact that your old recorder was fine doesn't mean much. It was further from your TV, and it's possible that your old Panny was shielded, CRT TV's being far more common 6 years ago. I've often seen people state in these forums that the earlier models were built much better than what is available at present. | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 19 08:53 | ||||
| ... and the HS2 was UNDER the skybox, which prob. shielded it further.
Nope, Trollheart, no way the charges are being dropped. In fact, the Guvmt is ADDING a charge of EmiAssault to the DvdSlaughter, both Class 1 felonies! Have a nice day! :D | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 19 11:51 | ||||
| Well, wonder of wonders, I got a refund! :D
After explaining how I had tried two of the same model (nearly), and bemoaning the fact that there was nothing else really left in the shop I wanted, I asked what were my options, and she asked me did I want a refund? After checking with her boss she said that would be ok, so the money will be credited back to my card! Woo hoo! :D So now I need advice (other than "Get lost!") --- what should I do with my money now? I'm basically looking at three maybe four options:- 1. Get a DVD recorder without hdd 2. Get a SKY PLUS box (basically a subscription-run PVR with integrated HDD --- this would take the place of my current SKY box) 3. Get a PC-based PVR (Hauppage WinTV etc) and hook my telly to the PC and so record onto the hdd of the PC, then transfer the files to my Iomega for viewing on my telly 4. See if I can get a TIVO in this country and I guess 5. Try again with a hdd dvd recorder, though that's probably very unlikely now... So, any suggestions? And may I say, thanks to all for your help in getting this sorted, for your advice and insight. Much appreciated! :) TH | ||||
| wabjxo posted 2008 Apr 19 11:57 | ||||
| Get a new, modern, flat-panel TV... you're probably killing yourself slowly from Electromagnetic Radiation!
Then, get whatever you want cuz you won't be able to set it on top of the flat-panel TV! | ||||
| jjeff posted 2008 Apr 19 16:34 | ||||
| What many people in the states are doing is getting the subscription HDD for all their time shifting and then getting a simple(even tunerless) DVDR to off load things they want to keep. This way you can get true HD for most of your programming and have a simple, cheaper DVDR for backups.
I don't really know anything about PC cards and unless TiVo is in Ireland it would not work. It needs to get programming downloaded daily as well as Tivo does not work with SAT service(at least in the states) only cable and OTA. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 19 17:34 | ||||
| Thx, but there's no point in my buying an LCD TV, as I'd also need a HD SKY box, otherwise the progs I receive would not be in HD, plus HD tellys are still reasonably expensive over here. Not intending to overstretch my budget, so HDTV is a while off for me. | ||||
| victoriabears posted 2008 Apr 19 17:54 | ||||
| Given that PVR's are easier to program (?true?) go that route and from the decide what you want to archive onto disc, if transferring from a PVR is allowed/possible, here in Canada, TIVO comes with a dvd recorder and can transfer to that from its HDD.
With this hobby its easy to get embroiled, take a few days/a week off , do something else and often the solution comes along. | ||||
| Trollheart posted 2008 Apr 20 05:34 | ||||
| Thx Terry.
I'm definitely not rushing into anything this time. I'm going to do plenty of reseach and decide what's the best solution for me. Until then, I have a standalone DVD recorder without hdd that I can use to record the odd prog I want to watch, that'll do me for now. Thx again all! |
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