Lite-On AllWrite LVW-5005 DVD/CD Recorder
A problematic DVD recorder over the long haul
I've owned one of these for a year now & it has some serious problems.  <br /> <br />After the first 4 months, I would be recording tv shows to a DVD & this would be done partially until the DVD was filled. I would delete the shows from my PVR as they were recorded to the DVD, even though the DVD was not finalized. Then after awhile I found that if I turned off the DVD recorder & back on before the DVD was finalized, the DVD was now considered an 'Invalid Disk' & the disk was basically broken. This happened after 4 months, not right away. <br /> <br />So I started using the DVD recorder to record without turning the DVD recorder off & doing all finalizing after it was done. Eventually this stopped working as well. If I didn't record immediately to DVD at some point it would stop recognizing the disk.  Even if I did finalize the disk, take the disk out, turn off the machine & try to play it in the LVW player, it would try to prepare the DVD as if it was blank & stated 'Invalid Disk', though the disk would play fine in any universal player. <br /> <br />I complained to their Tech Support & they had me ship the unit back to them so they could replace it. Six weeks later, I got an LVW & it played & recorded fine. I could even fill up a DVD & it would still finalize. However, after another 4 months or so, it is having the same problems as it did before. Currently I have to record from the PVR to the DVD recorder at about 4 hours at a time (2 movies per disk basically or 4 1-hour tv series) & then finalize right away, otherwise, it breaks the disk. I can't even leave a blank DVD in it overnight without it ruining it. <br /> <br />Having to deal with these constant problems just to record to DVD is a real hassle & I'm entirely frustrated with this unit. Keep in mind that I have cable TV & record a lot to my PVR & thus the LVW receives a good 10+ hours a week of recording to DVD disks. I suppose if I seldom used it, it would've lasted longer. But I've  lost confidence in LiteOn & will never buy their products again. If I could, I would give the rating 0 stars.