Sylvania DVR90VE DVD Player/Recorder and Hi-Fi VCR Combo
VCR quality issue is show-stopper for me
I bought this unit after reading the reviews here. I chose <br />it over the similarly priced Panasonic DMR-E75VS primarily <br />because this one records on DVD-RW, which can be read on  <br />any computer or DVD player, unlike DVD-RAM. I decided I  <br />would not need the \\"time slip\\" or \\"flexible recording  <br />speed\\" features.  <br /> <br />I was concerned about the image quality issue other customers <br />have mentioned. So one of the first things I did was a comparison <br />test. I took my old VCR (made by GE) and ran it through my Sony <br />TRV-17 digital camcorder in pass-through mode so I could <br />capture the video on my PC's Firewire/1394 port. I then burned <br />a DVD+R from the PC, which by the way is a very slow process, <br />which I was trying to avoid by purchasing the DVR90VE. Then <br />I took the same tape and copied it to DVD-R in XP speed using <br />the DVR90VE \\"dubbing\\" feature. And THEN I spent several minutes <br />swapping the recorded DVDs in and out of the DVD player and  <br />playing the same segments over again for comparison. <br /> <br />The result of the test was disappointing. The DVR90VE's conversion <br />has subtle problems. Basically the horizontal sync and color <br />reproduction are unstable. The image is slightly wobbly and <br />scintillating. Mind you though, this is in fact very subtle, <br />and I might not have noticed had I not done a side-by-side test <br />and had I not been looking for it based on other reviews here. <br /> <br />There were some positive surprises. I had no problems with <br />media compatibility whatsoever. I did notice at the store <br />that some media boxes do specifically state \\"this media can <br />only be used in 8x drives\\" while others say \\"up to 8x\\" or <br />\\"1x-8x\\". <br /> <br />The DVD recorder itself, when recording direct from cable, is <br />excelent. The XP and SP speeds produce recordings that are <br />undistinguishable from live TV in my 36\\" TV. The LP speed <br />startsshowing subtle artifacts, if you know how to recognize <br />MPEG compression artifacts, around subtitles and rolling <br />tickers. I also tried the SEP speed and found it acceptable <br />for watch-once stuff, but not for a long-term collection <br />recording. <br /> <br />The manual is on par with other complex electronics... very <br />technical, focused on how to access the various functions but <br />not why or when you might need them. <br /> <br />Bottomline: I am disappointed. I was hoping that by bypassing <br />analog cables, with the internal VCR-to-DVR link, I would get <br />a better quality conversion than I get with my VCR-Camcorder-PC <br />arrangement. Based on reviews here, the Panasonic may not be <br />any better. So I'm considering exchanging the unit for a pure <br />DVD recorder, with no VCR. No sense paying extra money for the <br />ultra-cheap VCR circuitry they choise to build into these units. <br />Then I'll just hookup my old VCR through the analog cables to <br />do the tape conversions.