GoVideo DVR5000 DVD-VCR Combo
Built to last a very long time - needed a fan installed.
I work on DVD players.. actually I diagnose the problem, inform the owner and then dispose of them.  Virtually every DVD player under $1000 has a disposable brush type spindle motor which will often fail after about 1500-2000 hours disk spin time.  These motors are not replaceable.  The machines are designed to last typically 2-3 years before replacement.<br />The DVR5000 has a digital brushless spindle motor.  A motor not found in DVD players unless you purchase a Pioneer DVD-V7400 $1400 Industrial rack mount machine.  What gives the DVD-V7400 reliability is the brushless motor... the near identical motor found in the DVR5000.<br />The DVD spindle mechanism...the most critical part of any DVD player... contained within the DVR5000 will probably outlast the DVD format altogether.  Meanwhile, you will go through 4-6 Toshiba or Pioneer machines in the same timespan.<br />Unfortunately, the DVR5000 has too much stuff crammed into too small of a space.  The power supply is almost three times the size of a standard DVD player.. and likewise generates 3 times as much heat.  The VHS deck takes it share of power as does the high torque DVD brushless motor.<br />Go-Video made a mistake of not allowing sufficient ventilation of the chassis AND the inclusion of a forced air cooling system (a fan).  They also placed the DVD decoder board directly above the power supply.  When things heat up, electrical alignments of the decoder board drift, laser output diminishes and then the DVD stutters.<br />I installed a cooling fan tapped off of the power supply.  The fan turns on automatically when the unit is on.<br />Since the fan installation, all skipping problems have gone away.  The machine runs cool inside, the laser now tracks properly.  FYI, DVD lasers are very senstive to heat; their output drops significantly with rise in temperature.<br />It is very unfortunate that this overheating issue was overlooked by the engineers.  Otherwise this could have been a flawless and easily the most successful and reliable machines on the market.<br />I give the machine a 5 rating despite the temperature problem due to the exceptional quality and longevity incorporated into the DVD mechanism.  Truely independent thought from an independent company from the disposable thought of this day and age.<br />The DVR5000 WAS NOT designed to have a 2 year lifespan like the \\"quality name brand\\" consumer grade equipment.  Looking at the componentry and exceptional construction of the DVR5000 machine, it was designed to have a trouble free 10 year lifespan.