Report

A freindly operational recorder / Report August 14, 2005
This recorder is friendly operational. One touch button dubbing makes it easy to record in DVD & VHS. It has a good editting features for you to write and delete your recording images. The short fall is it has only 4 recording modes - XP/SP/LSP/EP.


TOSHIBA'S ABYSMAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.. / Report June 16, 2005
Buyer beware...

I bought this model's predecessor, the DVR-3 last November. Never worked. sent for repair ($20 mail fee) - still didn't work. Sent back for exchange in May($13 mail fee). Toshiba has had my unit since May 13th (almost 5 weeks) and has not replaced it. In spite of 6 or 7 calls and e-mails, still no replacement. I am starting to think they have no intention of replacing my unit even though they have my cash. Whenever I contact them I get the same line - 'we are looking into other options' (whatever that means), and we will call you - surprisingly, no calls. Obviously I will never buy from Toshiba again and think other (potential) customers might appreciate this tidbit of info...buyer beware!!


Different format from D-VR3 / Report May 31, 2005
I used to have a Toshiba D-VR3. But it keeps switching channels during cable recording when I have more than 3 preset timer recordings. I sent it back to Toshiba for repair. They could not fix the problem, so they replaced it with a D-VR4.

But I found out D-VR4 records DVD discs in a different format as D-VR3. I usually record programs or videos to DVD discs, then extract the mpeg files to my computer and edit them there. I have no problem with those mpeg files generated by D-VR3. But my software does not accept those mpeg files created by D-VR4. With smaller files (like less than 1GB, about 30 minute in SP mode), they may be acceptable. But if it's larger than 1.5GB, they will either crash my software or treated as corrupted files.

I finally found a video encoder software that can take those mpeg files created by D-VR4, and convert them to a more conventional mpeg formet that can be accepted by my editing software. Depending on what encoders you use, some takes minutes and converts to a file about the same size as the original one, some takes hours and doubles the file size. I found TMPGEnc MPEG Editor a good choice for this purpose.

One good thing about D-VR4 is it formats and finializes DVD discs faster than D-VR3. Maybe that is where it compromises the mpeg format.

Toshiba D-VR4 DVD Recorder/VCR Dual Deck
Delivering true multi-media versatility at a remarkably affordable price, Toshiba's D-VR4 combination DVD recorder and VCR opens a world of video recording and archiving options while saving valuable shelf space. It's a 4-head, hi-fi stereo VCR and a full-featured, progressive-scan DVD player that handles your DVDs, CDs, MP3 music discs, and JPEG-filled digital-photo discs, all wrapped into a component that stands just 3 inches tall. The recorder can store up to 12 hours of audio/video--whether broadcast programming or copies of your home movies to share with loved ones--on a 4.7 GB double-sided DVD-RAM disc and 6 hours on a write-once DVD-R or recordable DVD-RW.
The D-VR4's disc recorder offers the flexibility of recording on both DVD-RAM--perfect for instant chapter access and for multiple rerecordings--as well as DVD-R, the most widely compatible of the many DVD formats (great for sharing camcorder footage with loved ones). DVD-RW compatibility lets you erase and rewrite, though relatively few players and computer drives will play back DVD-RWs. DVD-RAM discs can be read, written, and erased more than 100,000 times.

Time Slip lets you use the device like a digital video recorder, or DVR. Because of DVD-RAM's speedy transfer rate, you can view the recorded portion of an ongoing program from the beginning, while still recording the show in progress.
In addition to recording new video content, the D-VR4 lets you transfer and even enhance your favorite video recordings to durable, space-saving discs--a terrific way to archive, preserve, and access your movies and family videos.
For top-of-the-line playback quality, the D-VR4 is equipped with a 10-bit/54 MHz video digital-to-analog converter capable of great color purity and detail. When connected to a high-definition or HD-ready television through its ColorStream Pro component-video outputs, the D-VR4 delivers a progressive-scan DVD picture. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

The D-VR4 also features Toshiba's Digital Cinema Progressive (3:2 pulldown reversal) for DVD playback. DVD mastering commonly introduces a distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown reversal digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.
The deck's abundant connections include 2 composite-video and 1 S-video input, 2 sets of stereo analog (left/right) RCA inputs (with a choice, for DVD recording, of uncompressed, linear PCM or, to conserve disc space, Dolby Digital 2.0 audio encoding). The DVD and VCR sections share a single composite-video output and stereo analog audio output (saving input space on your TV or audio receiver), while the DVD player also offers the component-video outputs mentioned above, an S-video output, and a pair of digital-audio outputs (1 coaxial, 1 optical) for channeling Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel surround signals to a compatible digital surround receiver.

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