LITE-ON IT CORPORATION LVW5045 DVD /hdd Recorder
poor service, poor quality, poor liteon
I was happy with this product, until it started to stop recording shows in mid-program with the error \\"protected source input\\". I wrote to the technical support and I was told that this is proper, that it was a feature to prevent copying unautherized content.<br /><br />Well duh. I wrote again and explained again in great detail that this may be the function, but why does it stop recording a show halfway or partway through it? Why does it allow me to record the show four out of five days, or for three weeks, then it refuses to record the last 20 minutes of one episode? What is the point of a dvd recorder if it won't record your shows?<br /><br />Some searching has shown that I am not the only person with this problem, it is clearly some sort of noise or interference, and the lvw5045 is overly sensitive.<br /><br />The other problems with it (or me?) is I was under the assumption that one could record to HDD while watch a DVD, or visa-versa. No. In fact, you must turn off the unit to record a show. That kills a few of the features, like loading it with mp3s to use as a jukebox, or jpgs to use as a background for a party. (after all, you want to record your shows while your having a party) Perhaps if they were cheaper I could reccommend it, but for the problems it is just too agravating. It's the case of a good cheap product being ruined for me because the technical support either doesn't know what they are talking about (can't read an email either)or are deliberatly lying.<br /><br />The manual is missing a lot of material. For instance, the problem of 'protected source input' does not appear at all.<br /><br />The worst past, I will say that the interface is clean and easy to use, a little confusing at first until you understand it. The timer record function is setup the way it should have been from the start of VCRs and DVD recorders. Because of this, you might find it a bit confusing at first as well. I didn't, but my wife did, but once she understood, she said \\"Thats the way they all should be\\".<br /><br />The quality of the recordings are good in every mode, better than  vcr at its worst and best, but not as good as decent commercialy burned DVD, but thats to be expected. There is the occasional artifact, but they are few and far between.<br /><br />In the end, we purchase a dvd recorder like this one to record TV shows so we can play them back later. If the unit won't do this in a reliable way, then it is really just a big expensive dvd player. Otherwise, you could use it as a jukebox, but the interface is too simple to really be useful for that. You wind up with all your songs on one big list.<br /><br />I hope someone finds this review helpfull.<br /><br />Thank youshe said \\"Thats the way they all should be\\". <br /> <br />The quality of the recordings are good in every mode, better than  vcr at its worst and best, but not as good as decent commercialy burned DVD, but thats to be expected. There is the occasional artifact, but they are few and far between.  <br /> <br />In the end, we purchase a dvd recorder like this one to record TV shows so we can play them back later. If the unit won't do this in a reliable way, then it is really just a big expensive dvd player. Otherwise, you could use it as a jukebox, but the interface is too simple to really be useful for that. You wind up with all your songs on one big list.  <br /> <br />I hope someone finds this review helpfull. <br /> <br />Thank you