Отзывы о Сплит-система FUNAI RACI-SM35HP.D03
121 отзывов пользователей о FUNAI RACI-SM35HP.D03
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Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Damaged Funai Combination VCR and DVD recorder.
I received this product in damaged condition. The VHS cannot be ejected. I unfortunately did not open it until more than 30 days after I received it because of work travel obligations. MY claim was denied. The seller did not respond to me. I was sent to the manufacturer who gave me three repair shops all of whom are out of business. I am now stuck with a product that is not repairable. My local repair shop said that the machine is very cheaply made and the replaceable parts are not available. This product is a waste of money. I just share my disappointing experience with this product.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Worth the money!
This unit did the job I needed. I had to copy a messy DVD to a good clean dubbing with a lot of junk deleted out of the original. I asked, in the forum, if someone knew if the unit could be paused for I saw no button on the closeup of the unit. (They needed to have a picture closeup of the remote. ) I got a yes from someone who told me the button is on the remote. Thank you so much for that for it was that answer that convinced me to buy it. I also called Funai and they said the same thing. I also found out that they are the manufactures for Magnavox. The unit isn't easy to use. You have to read and refer to the directions all the time. The directions don't tell you always, that the buttons are on the unit or the remote. If something goes wrong with the remote or you lose it you will not be able to use the unit. I had to buy a splitter because all the displays has to be on your TV, they are not on the unit. So to play a DVD that you are dubbing you need to have that playing unit hooked to your TV. You also need to set the Funai up using the same TV. That is where the splitter comes in or you'll be changing wires on the backs of the units. (I bought, but haven't received yet, a RCA 2 way audio, video switch selector box for $5.10. from Amazon.) When you are coping a tape to a disc, I saw no indication that the tapping was completed. You have to stay with the tapping, (dubbing), operation if you want to shut things down at the point where you want to stop dubbing. There is a timer but I didn't know for how long I needed to copy. The unit is as large as a VCR. Don't lose the remote or the directions!
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
A very good stand alone DVD recorder/player with a VHS deck thrown in at a very good price.
My machine was among the last of these made. It works well for both DVDs and standard VHS tapes. Basic functions were easy to do, but some options for DVDs require more effort to learn and utilize. The main reason I did not give a 5 star rating is that while the VHS portion works well and it does have full stereo playback and record, it does not handle S-VHS tapes. I have many S-VHS tapes that I want to transfer to DVD, so I must play them on an external machine. Luckily, this machine has S-Video inputs on both the front and rear jack panels, so the transfers are easy to do with an external machine playing the tapes and feeding the DVD recorder. I have not used the internal dubbing function. Overall, this is an excellent device for viewing either disc or VHS format media, and it works well for making DVDs from external sources. Finding good stand alone DVD recorders is not easy these days (unless you are buying a computer with a DVD burner included), so grab one of these if you are lucky enough to find it.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Nothing on this machine works.
I never used this item until today, just never got around to hooking it up and testing it out. When I tried it, I pushed the on button, and 10 seconds later it shut off. I tried it several times, it did the same thing. I tried a different outlet, did the same thing again. Plus when I put a VHS tape in the machine, it become stuck and wouldn't eject.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Funai Combination Concerns
I have a few concerns about this unit. Page 31 of the Manual reads, "You can program the unit to record up to 12 programs within a month in advance. Daily or weekly program recordings are also available." My tuner is my cable box. My cable box cannot be set to go on and off or automatically change channels. I have to be present to manually select channels when required or select all settings to the same channel and then leave the cable box on constantly. I think the information on page 31 is somewhat misleading.
I recorded a program from Public Television. I wanted to make a copy on my computer. The computer didn't recognize the file formats. I took a look at these with this result: VIDEO_TS.BUP; VIDEO_TS.IFO;VIDEO_TS.VOB;VTS_01.0.IFO;VTS_01__.1.VOB;VTS_01_3.VOB. I am unable to convert these files to formats that I can work with. I would appreciate information on this if anybody should have it.
I recorded a program from Public Television. I wanted to make a copy on my computer. The computer didn't recognize the file formats. I took a look at these with this result: VIDEO_TS.BUP; VIDEO_TS.IFO;VIDEO_TS.VOB;VTS_01.0.IFO;VTS_01__.1.VOB;VTS_01_3.VOB. I am unable to convert these files to formats that I can work with. I would appreciate information on this if anybody should have it.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Good Combination VCR-DVD Recorder.
The Funai (I had never heard of this brand before I purchased this) seems to work well as advertised. If recording from VCR to DVD make sure that you use the unit to format your disks. Recording from VHS to DVD is a slow process as you record at the same speed as playback so a 1.5 hr tape will take 1.5 hrs to record to DVD. I prefer using DVD-RW media as after finalising I can then take the file (the file format of this unit is VOB) to my PC and convert the VOB files (it makes one file per GB of data) to any preferred video format. I can then erase the DVD-RW and re-format in the Funai and record a new VHS tape. The converted file can be edited then be written to any DVD.
The unit comes with remote, batteries, RCA cables (red, white, yellow) manual and quick guide. There is no HDMI cable included.
The unit comes with remote, batteries, RCA cables (red, white, yellow) manual and quick guide. There is no HDMI cable included.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Very versatile product! Great!
I love this thing. I just hook up my HDMI cable to the Funai ZV427FX4 Combination VCR and DVD Recorder and it outputs all the, uhm inputs (??). What I'm saying is I have an A/V security camera that I used for my old Sony VCR (before it started eating tapes). Well I thought I needed have it connected to the RCA input on my HDTV (my HDTV's Yellow Video RCA input is damaged from pulling cables in and out when switching from VHS to S-Video), but nope it was passed through the HDMI connection. Cool! Watching VHS tapes just got fun again! Well, I only bought this to really watch VHS, and have my old camera connected. I have a modern WiFi security cam that I can monitor with my Note IV, but this Funai allows me have the TV tuned to the L1 rear input so it looks like it's recording to the onlooker. Point it this set rocks. What i learned is (1) by pressing the HDMI BUTTON in the remote you can switch to various HD modes from 480p to 1080p. By default is it set to 1080p so SD or 720p it will either stretch the image or have it pluck in the centre of the screen until you explicitly set HDMI format setting. (2) By connected my A/V switcher (which has my Dreamcast, PS2, & Wii connected) into the front (L2) S-Video port I am now able to play my DC, Wii & PS2 in 1080i or 1080p!!!!!!! Aaaaaauuugghjhhhh!!!!!!! Wheewwoo OK. Anyway, I have not tried the DVD recording as yet. Update this when I do. PLUS I FOUND YOU CAN RECORD YOUR PLAY SESSION TO DVD WHILE YOU'RE PLAYING!!! (Probably, I just assume as such while reading the manual). UPDATE: DEC 7, 2015 - I have since used the DVD recording feature to record my play session from my Dreamcast and PS2 and both were flawless on a Memorex DVD-RW 4x. While the manual guarantees Memorex DVD-Rs only, the DVD-RWs works great. Now the Verbatim DVD-R recorded, but because I forgot to have a signal going through the L2 port, it stopped recording after 5 seconds, and auto finalized (I had it setup that way) since it couldn't detect a clear signal. It all happened so FAST. I mean, you push that one button and then BOOM! it starts recording. I was able to record my PS2, stop and record my Dreamcast without any problems.It even tells me I have 17min left on that DVD-RW. Since my Wii is connected to Component, I cannot record to DVD from that connection as the Funai ZV427FX4's Component ports are for OUTPUT only. Still...this was awesome investment, just wish I made it sooner than now. Yay!!
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
No tracking indication
Once you figure out how to use it, this unit functions reasonably well. My biggest complaint, aside from the complexity of the instructions and controls, is that there is no onscreen scale for setting the tracking on a video tape. You can push the tracking buttons up and down on the unit or on the remote, and it does change the results of the picture, but there is nothing to show you where you are in the tracking scale range. This is very frustrating. You can't make a note of where the tracking works best for any particular tape because there is no scale to make a note of. You have no idea if you are near either edge of the tracking adjustment. You just blindly poke until you have a picture that you like for that viewing.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Defective - had to return
I bought a used one through Amazon Warehouse deals. I used the VCR to go through all my old videos to determine which ones had content I wanted to transfer. That part worked great. Unfortunately, the DVD player didn't work at all. It wouldn't recognize any DVDs--even those that work fine in my other player. Since I bought the Funai VCR/DVD recorder to transfer said videos to DVD (and ultimately convert to mp4 on the computer) this was a huge disappointment. But Amazon made it so easy to return. I plan to purchase another one after the holidays--hopefully one that works this time.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Not a standard VCR TV recorder
Number 1, if you are looking for a standard VCR that will record directly from Cable or an antenna, this is not it. The device does not have a TV tuner nor anywhere to connect a coaxial cable to.
This device will play previously recorded VHS tapes and disc and will also play standard DVDs, not Blue Ray.
You can also record from tape to DVD. So if you have home movies on VHS or old TV shows you recorded and want to keep this will work for you. You can also record, according to the documentation, DVD to VCR but it may not work if there is security on the DISC.
This device will play previously recorded VHS tapes and disc and will also play standard DVDs, not Blue Ray.
You can also record from tape to DVD. So if you have home movies on VHS or old TV shows you recorded and want to keep this will work for you. You can also record, according to the documentation, DVD to VCR but it may not work if there is security on the DISC.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
The Funai Combination VCR and DVD Recorder did not work ...
The Funai Combination VCR and DVD Recorder did not work. I could not get it to record from a VCR tape to a DVD. I sent it back and after 3 weeks the company that sold it to me returned the money to my VISA account. By the way I took it to three different electronics repair places to fix it, but they all said they don't work on Funai products. I was hoping that it could be repaired and not be sent back.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
this device is identical to a Magnavox unit I bought several years ago (another great product which bit the dust when my 2 year
This unit works perfectly. I use it to dub VHS material over to DVD. As far as I can tell, this device is identical to a Magnavox unit I bought several years ago (another great product which bit the dust when my 2 year old shoved toys in the VHS deck). Even the firmware and remote are the same. This unit is about as simple as it gets for dubbing. One caveat, however - neither this unit, nor its Magnavox counterpart, will dub VHS tapes copyright protected with Macrovision. I suspect this was done to cover the company against copyright violations that users could commit with this device. This is not a deal-breaker for me, as I use it for home movies, training videos, and other content not protected by Macrovision.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Great product, very good supplier, but a defect led me to return it for a replacement.
I purchased this item in order to dub VHS tapes of family events to DVD, and it's designed to do this very well. However, editing titles is somewhat clunky. I returned mine because some editing functions did not work: I could not split a title, delete part of a title, or manually add a chapter break. I called Funai customer service and the technician confirmed that the unit was defective. I briefly explored having it repaired through a Funai authorized repair center, but it would have involved hundreds of miles of driving and weeks of waiting. So I returned it to Amazon and ordered another one. Sadly, Amazon won't let me order a replacement from a reseller - I have to return the item and reorder it. Also, the same item is now priced $20 higher by that reseller, Kotula's ($199 instead of $179) so I have ordered the new one through another seller offering Amazon Prime. This should not be considered a bad review of Kotula's (I hope they read this) or of the product (I expect sample defects once in a while). But the main reason I'm not recording from Kotula's is that the defect might be common to a manufacturing lot, and by ordering from a different supplier, I may be slightly less likely to have the same problem. Fingers crossed!
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Did Not Last 3 Months
Within 2 months I started having sporadic problems: dvd door wouldn't open--would stay on vhs regardless or remote or manually trying to change to dvd setting--dvd dwr opened next day; week later a dvd would not start on next episode; couple weeks later dvd would not play; finally the dvd drawer would not open with the same inablitity to change to dvd settingas like the first time. Sending it back before 90 day warranty expires.
Never used the dubbing. This does make a very good dvd recording set on SP, the highest level.
This is the 3rd DVD/VHS combo I have bought since May that I have had problems with:. Toshiba (not purchased at Amazon) stopped worked after 4 months. Phillips would not operate correctly, & now the Funai in less than 3 months.I also purchased a refurbished Samsung DVD-VR375 for another room & I am keeping my fingers crossed. In 2008 I bought a new Samsung DVD-VR375 and it last 8 yrs., so it is very frustrating to purchase a new machine and have it stop working after a few months.
Never used the dubbing. This does make a very good dvd recording set on SP, the highest level.
This is the 3rd DVD/VHS combo I have bought since May that I have had problems with:. Toshiba (not purchased at Amazon) stopped worked after 4 months. Phillips would not operate correctly, & now the Funai in less than 3 months.I also purchased a refurbished Samsung DVD-VR375 for another room & I am keeping my fingers crossed. In 2008 I bought a new Samsung DVD-VR375 and it last 8 yrs., so it is very frustrating to purchase a new machine and have it stop working after a few months.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Fantastic option for transferring vhs videos to DVD
I decided to go with a new unit even though it was very expensive and not readily available. However, the unit has worked fantastic to copy all of the video tapes of school activities for my two daughters that graduate high school in 1999 and 2001. I transferred key segments from about 70 vhs tapes to 44 DVDs, with only a few issues. This is a great option to transfer valuable videos to the digital domain. Highly recommended, though costly for a new unit.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Funai ZV427FX4 Combination VCR and DVD Recorder
I was surprised to learn that this recorder records directly to a DVD disc. It also allows the DVD disc to be played on any other player (except Blu-ray). It will also record real-time programs and has a timer you may set up to 7 hours in advance. It will record off your DVR and you may pause it during commercials and restart record leaving no breaks in the movie (may sure to pay close attention so you won't end up with part of a commercial on your recording. I may also, as a back-up, record longer movies (recorded or real-time) on the VHS recorder which won't fit on the DVD disc. You may also pause the VHS to pass commercials. A good value for the price.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Way more uses then I originally thought.
I am by no means technologically gifted, but, slowly, with plenty of google searches, I am finding out just how AMAZING this contraption is. I don't know all the technical mumbo jumbo and I bought it solely to preserve my military video tapes to DVD, but I also managed to figure out how to record my LP record albums onto DVD-R's!!! How awesome is that?! I now have perfectly recorded CD music right off the vinyl album...the way it's meant to be heard! Are the directions easy to understand? Meh. Since I am not savvy with electronics and how they hook up it took several tries to understand where I even needed to be in the directions manual. I would then need to read it several times to understand whether I needed to be at the machine, or on my computer, or staring at a TV (which I didn't realize until a month later was mandatory to program and perform such recordings) Overall it's really great and I can't wait to "slowly" learn all the capabilities.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Works well. Beware of the user manual.
I have had this product for 6 months and am finally feeling more comfortable with it. I had a similar unit, an LG, that finally gave out. I bought this unit as a replacement.
I like to edit my Hi 8 home movies and this machine is edit friendly. The users manual leaves much to be desired. I still keep bookmarkers in it because it doesn’t follow a logical order. It spends entirely too many pages on how to play VHS tapes and DVD discs. I’m sure the people buying this unit already know how to play tapes and discs.
There are symbols on the “top menu” that are never explained in the manual. The only way to see how much time is left on a disc is to be recording something. Had to call customer service to get that info. But it does a clean recording, the pause works really well during recording, and the finished recording looks and sounds good.
I bought this model after a significant price raise. There aren’t many options for a DVD recorder out there to choose from. So if you have home movies or old tv shows on VHS you want to keep, this will do the job.
I like to edit my Hi 8 home movies and this machine is edit friendly. The users manual leaves much to be desired. I still keep bookmarkers in it because it doesn’t follow a logical order. It spends entirely too many pages on how to play VHS tapes and DVD discs. I’m sure the people buying this unit already know how to play tapes and discs.
There are symbols on the “top menu” that are never explained in the manual. The only way to see how much time is left on a disc is to be recording something. Had to call customer service to get that info. But it does a clean recording, the pause works really well during recording, and the finished recording looks and sounds good.
I bought this model after a significant price raise. There aren’t many options for a DVD recorder out there to choose from. So if you have home movies or old tv shows on VHS you want to keep, this will do the job.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Great duplication process, albeit confusing
I purchased this unit with hopes of copying well over 100 VCRs onto DVDs. So far, the first one I did came out great. The second did not work, however, I think it is more my fault than the unit's. The unit comes with a rather large and LONG set of poorly written instructions. The instructions to have you simply copy a VCR to DVD has you going to several different pages and deciding what needs to be included in what should be a one page/one or two step process. When I have more time, I will read all or the pages required to complete the what should be a simple task. For now, it sits in a den waiting for me to clear time to actually spend time to get to this (after the rest of my "honey-does").
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Not the perfect solution, but a solution nonetheless...
The bottom line is that if you have home videos with copy protection, you will need other things to make this work, but if you're just trying to transfer old home videos (without copy protection) to DVD, it will work on its own just fine. I hope this helps.
Pros
-The unit showed up within the timeframe I was given.
-The unit was the unit pictured.
-The unit plays DVDs and VHS tapes
-The unit has many different out lines including an HDMI which is nice.
Cons
-The unit's DVD tray cover is broken in the down position (it's used (remanufactured), and only cosmetic, so I didn't bother returning it for the price of $113.00).
-The unit will only record programs that are not copy protected. So if you are buying this unit in order to transfer your old Disney (or any company that uses some kind of Macrovision protection) tapes to DVD you will need to have a couple of other things: 1. another VCR to play the tape from and 2. you will have to have a video stabilizer to run the video signal through in order to copy the tape to DVD (I purchased an XDIMAX Grex 7.4 from Amazon also after doing a bit of research). Of course, there might be some kind of software hack for the unit itself which would bypass the copy protection unit, but I never investigated that route.
Pros
-The unit showed up within the timeframe I was given.
-The unit was the unit pictured.
-The unit plays DVDs and VHS tapes
-The unit has many different out lines including an HDMI which is nice.
Cons
-The unit's DVD tray cover is broken in the down position (it's used (remanufactured), and only cosmetic, so I didn't bother returning it for the price of $113.00).
-The unit will only record programs that are not copy protected. So if you are buying this unit in order to transfer your old Disney (or any company that uses some kind of Macrovision protection) tapes to DVD you will need to have a couple of other things: 1. another VCR to play the tape from and 2. you will have to have a video stabilizer to run the video signal through in order to copy the tape to DVD (I purchased an XDIMAX Grex 7.4 from Amazon also after doing a bit of research). Of course, there might be some kind of software hack for the unit itself which would bypass the copy protection unit, but I never investigated that route.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Piece of crap!
DVD does not work. Funai customer service is useless. Don't buy from Warehouse Deals, Inc.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Viewing recordings works fine.
It has limited ability. It doesn't do as much as my previous DVR, but those are no longer available. Especially have trouble with the VHS drive which spits out the tape when I turn the DVR on and when I push the tape back it, the DVR shuts off. I have to do this numerous times before it works properly. Also when dubbing from VHS to DVD, I have to stop the recording between shows and restart it when if finishes writing to get separate program listings; otherwise it would be just 1 big recording from beginning to end with no way to pick out individual shows. Viewing recordings works fine.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Good Standard DVD player
Once you set the unit up, it is very user friendly -- you won't need the owner's manual to operate it. Set-up can be a little confusing. The S-video connection appears to be an input -- it is not. The only input for this unit is the basic video, audio-left, audio-right connections. Once I had the connections worked out, everything worked like a charm. The unit records well for the resolution level it was designed. The replay viewing of the recorded DVD is actually pretty good.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
that's what it is good for. One button recording
Machine does what it says it will. transfer [vcr to dvd] and [dvd to vcr]. Will also up convert to 1080p. Downside? only excepts {dvd-r} and {dvd-rw}. Unless you already have allot of different types of disks it wont matter. A bit to get used to if you are looking for timing recordings. really does not matter that it has no tuner. Just using it for dubbing. that's what it is good for. One button recording. nice. plain vanilla title editing nothing famcy. upon recording you are able to have chapters timed segments of the movie, you pick the time blocks, also nice feature. ok. good little machine. satisfied.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Disappointing Results From Funai
It just doesn't work. The manual with instructions is not clear. I had to call Funai customer service for help. To date only one VHS tape has transferred to a DVD disc. I have made several attempts to replicate that success. but all subsequent efforts have failed. It seems such a simple concept to preserve your VHS tapes by transferring them to a DVD format, but the actual process is anything but simple. Since the unit contains a VHS mechanism on the left and a DVD mechanism on the right, one might hope to push a button once each side is toaded. I bought the correct blank DVDs in quantity from Amazon and intended to transfer classic VHS feature films I own.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Grab one fast! These are the last VCR player/recorders that will be made.
As stated in the literature and news reports, this is the last model of VCR player/recorder that will ever be made. This one is great because it records both DVD and VCR and copies (called dubbing in the book) VCR to DVD. (Not released material, but your home tapes. It understands the copyright laws!) The reason I did not give it 5 stars is that I had hoped that it would upscale the source material when going out to HDMI output. It does NOT. VCR tapes look bad on new sets. I have an arrangement that does up-scale, but that requires one more device. I already have a spaghetti patch behind the console!
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Get it while you can
Buy it while you can if you need to dub off your old VHS tapes onto a DVD. This is the last of its kind, from anyone. The VHS--->DVD dubbing deck is going extinct. The real saving grace of the Funai is it has an HDMI output with full stereo audio pass thru
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Poor VHS playback
This unit is just fair. I wanted to copy old VHS to DVD. My 15-30 year old VHS tapes would not play well on this unit. If the tracking is off, the DVD recorder will stop recording. I connected my JVC VHS tape deck to the line 1 input, and I had no tracking problem, even with a 30 year old video tape. The Funai unit made a DVD copy of it. So be ware, the VHS playback on this Funai may not be adequate for your old tapes.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
VHS Transfer to DVD
The equipment gets the VHS Transfer to DVD job done after you figure out the 'Remote's Selection Sequence' to Transfer the VHS' contents to the DVD. I found that the 'Philips DVD-R, 4.7 GB, 120 min, 1-16x speed' is suitable for the Funai Combination VCR and DVD Recorder
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Just bought this yesterday to convert 100 VHS tapes.
I had an old Panasonic DVD/VCR recorder and it finally died. I thought about taking the 100 VHS tapes I have to a professional place to get it done, but at $25 a pop ($2500!!), this machine looked like a better deal. It is very, very easy to 'install.' Unlike my last one, I didn't have to deal with red/yellow/green/blue/white jacks, trying to figure out what goes where. They do have that option, but one HDMI cable did the trick instead.
Directions are simple and clearly printed. I only had to look at a few pages because I'm only interested in the dubbing part of it. I don't care about any other features. However, we do watch DVDs on it as well, and we were amazed at the quality. Our old Panasonic had really gotten bad and we didn't even realize it. This new one has a great picture.
You can't watch and tape TV through it (no tuner), but we have a DVR with our satellite dish, so we didn't need that.
It does the job easily. I thought about getting a Toshiba, but several reviews seem to indicate that it was a bit more difficult to dub. This machine is simple, IF you follow the simple, illustrated directions.
I had never heard of Funai, but for the price I was willing to give it a try. Since I have no clue how long it will last I bought the extended warranty (cheap). If it gets all my videos done, it will be more than worth the price.
IMPORTANT!!! You need to have DVD- (MINUS) not PLUS. This unit will not work with PLUS (DVD+). DVD- are easy to find. After looking at reviews, it seems that not all recordable DVDs are created equal. I ended up ordering "100 Taiyo Yuden/JVC 8X DVD-R 4.7GB Silver Thermal Lacquer DVD-R." These appear to be the best quality and last the longest. Amazon has the best price for them.
EDIT on April 18, 2014: It's still going strong. The dubbing is even easier than I thought. I put the VHS in one side, the DVD in the other and just press the "dub" button on the remote. I don't have to set anything up or do anything else to start. After it's finished, you do have to "finalize" it, but that's not hard at all. Simple directions are included.
Directions are simple and clearly printed. I only had to look at a few pages because I'm only interested in the dubbing part of it. I don't care about any other features. However, we do watch DVDs on it as well, and we were amazed at the quality. Our old Panasonic had really gotten bad and we didn't even realize it. This new one has a great picture.
You can't watch and tape TV through it (no tuner), but we have a DVR with our satellite dish, so we didn't need that.
It does the job easily. I thought about getting a Toshiba, but several reviews seem to indicate that it was a bit more difficult to dub. This machine is simple, IF you follow the simple, illustrated directions.
I had never heard of Funai, but for the price I was willing to give it a try. Since I have no clue how long it will last I bought the extended warranty (cheap). If it gets all my videos done, it will be more than worth the price.
IMPORTANT!!! You need to have DVD- (MINUS) not PLUS. This unit will not work with PLUS (DVD+). DVD- are easy to find. After looking at reviews, it seems that not all recordable DVDs are created equal. I ended up ordering "100 Taiyo Yuden/JVC 8X DVD-R 4.7GB Silver Thermal Lacquer DVD-R." These appear to be the best quality and last the longest. Amazon has the best price for them.
EDIT on April 18, 2014: It's still going strong. The dubbing is even easier than I thought. I put the VHS in one side, the DVD in the other and just press the "dub" button on the remote. I don't have to set anything up or do anything else to start. After it's finished, you do have to "finalize" it, but that's not hard at all. Simple directions are included.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
I have used two different type DVDs that were recommended by the product
Original Review:
It was able to copy two DVDs. I am now at 10 failed DVDs. I have used two different type DVDs that were recommended by the product. At this point I have ruled out that every DVD I buy is bad and determined it is the DVD Recorder. I gave this to my mom for Christmas, and by the time she opened it the warranty was lapsed. I would love to return/replace this in the desperate hopes that I might have gotten a bad Funai Combination VCR and DVD recorder, but I as of now I would say this product is worthless.
Update:
I was able to reach out to Funai and after a little bit of effort, I proved that I bought this within a year. They were not the quickest to respond. However, they replaced the device. The new one works very well.
It was able to copy two DVDs. I am now at 10 failed DVDs. I have used two different type DVDs that were recommended by the product. At this point I have ruled out that every DVD I buy is bad and determined it is the DVD Recorder. I gave this to my mom for Christmas, and by the time she opened it the warranty was lapsed. I would love to return/replace this in the desperate hopes that I might have gotten a bad Funai Combination VCR and DVD recorder, but I as of now I would say this product is worthless.
Update:
I was able to reach out to Funai and after a little bit of effort, I proved that I bought this within a year. They were not the quickest to respond. However, they replaced the device. The new one works very well.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Three things. Two good, one not so much...
I've had this for just a couple days, but here's my first impression.
1. It does dub VHS to DVD pretty well. There is no getting past the quality of old VHS source material however. I picked this unit up to salvage what I could of family videos dating back to mid 1980 on. And that it does. What I really need to do, tho, is work thru the instructions on how to set up titles and chapter sections before "finalizing" the recording as needed in order to play on other DVD units. Hopefully that means "bookmarking" break points, and possibly even using those to then drop out material you'd rather not included on the finalized disc. But I know I'd like to edit this material, possibly on a PC, but how to get this over from the DVD to the PC to an MP4 format or something similar, i haven't as yet worked out. Even so, just getting archive DVD copies of these old VHS tapes is a good usable first step in and of itself.
2. One reviewer commented that you you need the remote to eject a VHS tape, that there is no eject button on the VHS side, just DVD. That is not correct. The VHS stop button doubles as eject when you push a second time after a tape has stopped. So that's good.
3. ### NOTE ###. In rewinding 10 VHS tapes to their beginning, this unit snapped off THREE leader tapes, rendering the tapes unusable without first "repairing" using hints on You Tube. These are family archival tapes. Irreplaceable. And this unit apparently has no ability to detect when nearing the end of a tape. It just hits the end and goes snap. Granted, these are 30 year old tapes. But the only reason I see to buy one of these units is to copy over 30 year old tapes. So this is inexcusable. Except for one thing. So far, I've been able to "repair" the three tapes so as to be able to read and rewind. And once I have copied to DVD, I'll likely not need to read these VHS tapes again. Still, it's the principle of the thing. If I had a ton of tapes to convert, I'd recommend a separate rewinder. For destroying old tapes, I really should have rated this one star. But I haven't a lot of tapes, and, so far, I've managed to work around the issue. And, in truth, it may be that ANY unit would have snapped these tape leads, as they are indeed 30 years old. I just found to be disappointing. So I settled on three stars.
Update: 12/10/2015
1. I've repaired three additional VHS tapes, otherwise, so far, so good.
2. I did have one VHS tape come up with the proprietary restriction error message on a 3rd party transfer of older 8mm movies. Either the 3rd party added a signal to the tape to bring business back to them for additional copies, OR, it might have been from the Three Dog Night song dubbed in for the sound track. Or it might have just been some random thing on the tape that triggered. I got around by using VHStoDVD by homestech (which is royally panned by reviewers itself, but worked fine for me), for which I still needed to have a VHS player which this unit served.
3. For initial DVD blanks, I am using Phillips White Inkjet printable DVD-R's, with no issues, for which I picked up a pack of 50 for $9.99, and I'll transfer to more archival quality DVD's later once I figure out how to add titles and chapters.
Update: 12/17/2015. Regarding repairing snapped tape leaders...
1. I think this must be a common issue with old tapes, as the YouTube videos I found were from 3rd party services who explain how they handle when they encounter on tapes people submit to them to copy. So this may just mean to be forewarned that this can happen.
2. You need to follow the instructions on how to remove five screws and remove the one side cover.
3. I found that the tape snapped in the very same place on all tapes -- about a half inch from the end of the tape. So this is an obvious weak point. And leader tape is plastic. And plastic gets more brittle with age.
4. I would not mess with their instructions on how to reinsert and attach the lead. I could not get the little pinning piece back in place to save my life. So I took a hint from another suggestion. Simply reinsert the pinning piece after removing the half inch lead section, and then use clear packing tape (not scotch tape as they suggest) to tape the lead to the take up reel from BOTH sides -- which secures the tape REAL WELL, and is quick and easy to do. Simply trim the width to match the tape. I used lengths of 1.5 inches with .75 inch on the tape, and the rest then on the take up reel. Then reassemble the cassette. My guess is that the repair is now likely stronger than the original.
But that's my experience.
1. It does dub VHS to DVD pretty well. There is no getting past the quality of old VHS source material however. I picked this unit up to salvage what I could of family videos dating back to mid 1980 on. And that it does. What I really need to do, tho, is work thru the instructions on how to set up titles and chapter sections before "finalizing" the recording as needed in order to play on other DVD units. Hopefully that means "bookmarking" break points, and possibly even using those to then drop out material you'd rather not included on the finalized disc. But I know I'd like to edit this material, possibly on a PC, but how to get this over from the DVD to the PC to an MP4 format or something similar, i haven't as yet worked out. Even so, just getting archive DVD copies of these old VHS tapes is a good usable first step in and of itself.
2. One reviewer commented that you you need the remote to eject a VHS tape, that there is no eject button on the VHS side, just DVD. That is not correct. The VHS stop button doubles as eject when you push a second time after a tape has stopped. So that's good.
3. ### NOTE ###. In rewinding 10 VHS tapes to their beginning, this unit snapped off THREE leader tapes, rendering the tapes unusable without first "repairing" using hints on You Tube. These are family archival tapes. Irreplaceable. And this unit apparently has no ability to detect when nearing the end of a tape. It just hits the end and goes snap. Granted, these are 30 year old tapes. But the only reason I see to buy one of these units is to copy over 30 year old tapes. So this is inexcusable. Except for one thing. So far, I've been able to "repair" the three tapes so as to be able to read and rewind. And once I have copied to DVD, I'll likely not need to read these VHS tapes again. Still, it's the principle of the thing. If I had a ton of tapes to convert, I'd recommend a separate rewinder. For destroying old tapes, I really should have rated this one star. But I haven't a lot of tapes, and, so far, I've managed to work around the issue. And, in truth, it may be that ANY unit would have snapped these tape leads, as they are indeed 30 years old. I just found to be disappointing. So I settled on three stars.
Update: 12/10/2015
1. I've repaired three additional VHS tapes, otherwise, so far, so good.
2. I did have one VHS tape come up with the proprietary restriction error message on a 3rd party transfer of older 8mm movies. Either the 3rd party added a signal to the tape to bring business back to them for additional copies, OR, it might have been from the Three Dog Night song dubbed in for the sound track. Or it might have just been some random thing on the tape that triggered. I got around by using VHStoDVD by homestech (which is royally panned by reviewers itself, but worked fine for me), for which I still needed to have a VHS player which this unit served.
3. For initial DVD blanks, I am using Phillips White Inkjet printable DVD-R's, with no issues, for which I picked up a pack of 50 for $9.99, and I'll transfer to more archival quality DVD's later once I figure out how to add titles and chapters.
Update: 12/17/2015. Regarding repairing snapped tape leaders...
1. I think this must be a common issue with old tapes, as the YouTube videos I found were from 3rd party services who explain how they handle when they encounter on tapes people submit to them to copy. So this may just mean to be forewarned that this can happen.
2. You need to follow the instructions on how to remove five screws and remove the one side cover.
3. I found that the tape snapped in the very same place on all tapes -- about a half inch from the end of the tape. So this is an obvious weak point. And leader tape is plastic. And plastic gets more brittle with age.
4. I would not mess with their instructions on how to reinsert and attach the lead. I could not get the little pinning piece back in place to save my life. So I took a hint from another suggestion. Simply reinsert the pinning piece after removing the half inch lead section, and then use clear packing tape (not scotch tape as they suggest) to tape the lead to the take up reel from BOTH sides -- which secures the tape REAL WELL, and is quick and easy to do. Simply trim the width to match the tape. I used lengths of 1.5 inches with .75 inch on the tape, and the rest then on the take up reel. Then reassemble the cassette. My guess is that the repair is now likely stronger than the original.
But that's my experience.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Does what it claims
Product does what is advertised, but not all that it should. It does not record on dual layer dvds, one has to use -r or -rw discs and the remote control buttons should be easier to read or be backlit. On the plus side, one CAN record cable broadcasts if the unit is attached to the outputs on the back of the cable box. Since I purchased a couple months ago the unit is now about $25 cheaper.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
My Magnavox version died and I bought this one. Does the job but a few features are missing
About three years agoAbout three years ago I bought the Magnavox version of this unit (Funai made that two but licensed the Magnavox name). I found it easy to use with a lot of options and converted about 50 VHS tapes to DVD (with many more to go). I was happy until last month the unit would not eject the DVD it burned. I tried everything and searching the web found that this was common with this unit. It was out of warranty and the repair bill would be more than a reconditioned unit. I was told this Funai unit was the same thing so I bought a reconditioned model and planned to do a lot of transfers in the 90 day warranty period.
When I opened it it looked the same as the Magnavox one. In fact the Magnavox remote worked with it.
I did find a few differences – some were not important, others were.
The Magnavox uses DVD+R blanks or DVD-R blanks. The Funai uses ONLY DVD-R ones.
The big difference for me is the time settings you can use for a DVD. (The amount of time it will hold.) Of course the longer the time the less quality to the copy. I recorded VHS at 2hr, 4 hr and 6 hr speeds). And sometimes I would record a 3 hour show at 4 hour speed.
The Magnavox offered speeds of 1 hr, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours and 8 hours (and actually gave you about 10 or 15 minutes extra. The Funai limits you to 1hr, 2hr,4, hour, 6 hr and 8 hour) and only 2 minutes extra for each.
You should remember that this unit has no tuner to record from a TV. But that should not be the reason you buy it. It seems to be the ONLY units out there now that will convert your VHS tapes and a reconditioned model will do the job. The instructions take a while but once you’ve done it, you can crank out copies. There is a function to put titles on the chapters but it’s frustrating so I just write the titles on the DVD itself with a sharpie.
You’ll see lots of reviews reminding you that you must “Finish” the DVD you’ve made in order for it to play. There’s a nice option that lets you set it for “Auto-finishing” when the DVD is full. I liked that.
If transferring old home videos or TV shows you recorded before wide screen TV came in, you have the option of recording it at 4:3 aspect (letterboxed with black bars on the sides) or 16:9 Wide screen. I’d recommend setting to 4:3. If not it will fill your wide screen TV but will stretch the image horizontally and everyone will look fat. Us the 16:9 only when the original was 16:9.
And I real important reminder – this machine will NOT convert any COMMERCIALLY produced DVDs like your favorite movies. They were all “copy protected”.
I recorded MANY live TV shows on my VHS recorder (concerts on MTV and movies on TCM) and it’s great to transfer them to save space and set chapter stops every 5 minutes so I can scan through FAST – something you can’t do with VHS tapes.
I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.
Steve Ramm
“Anything Phonographic”
I
When I opened it it looked the same as the Magnavox one. In fact the Magnavox remote worked with it.
I did find a few differences – some were not important, others were.
The Magnavox uses DVD+R blanks or DVD-R blanks. The Funai uses ONLY DVD-R ones.
The big difference for me is the time settings you can use for a DVD. (The amount of time it will hold.) Of course the longer the time the less quality to the copy. I recorded VHS at 2hr, 4 hr and 6 hr speeds). And sometimes I would record a 3 hour show at 4 hour speed.
The Magnavox offered speeds of 1 hr, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours and 8 hours (and actually gave you about 10 or 15 minutes extra. The Funai limits you to 1hr, 2hr,4, hour, 6 hr and 8 hour) and only 2 minutes extra for each.
You should remember that this unit has no tuner to record from a TV. But that should not be the reason you buy it. It seems to be the ONLY units out there now that will convert your VHS tapes and a reconditioned model will do the job. The instructions take a while but once you’ve done it, you can crank out copies. There is a function to put titles on the chapters but it’s frustrating so I just write the titles on the DVD itself with a sharpie.
You’ll see lots of reviews reminding you that you must “Finish” the DVD you’ve made in order for it to play. There’s a nice option that lets you set it for “Auto-finishing” when the DVD is full. I liked that.
If transferring old home videos or TV shows you recorded before wide screen TV came in, you have the option of recording it at 4:3 aspect (letterboxed with black bars on the sides) or 16:9 Wide screen. I’d recommend setting to 4:3. If not it will fill your wide screen TV but will stretch the image horizontally and everyone will look fat. Us the 16:9 only when the original was 16:9.
And I real important reminder – this machine will NOT convert any COMMERCIALLY produced DVDs like your favorite movies. They were all “copy protected”.
I recorded MANY live TV shows on my VHS recorder (concerts on MTV and movies on TCM) and it’s great to transfer them to save space and set chapter stops every 5 minutes so I can scan through FAST – something you can’t do with VHS tapes.
I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.
Steve Ramm
“Anything Phonographic”
I
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Not useful for recording, just watching and transferring video tapes
Claims to support cable TV boxes, but has no way to change channels (no IR blaster) and NO SCHEDULED RECORDING, so you might be able to connect a cable TV box, but there isn't anything useful you can do with it. Basically this unit is good for just playing video tapes and transferring them from tape to DVD. Do not buy if you want to record anything.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I bit finicky on the process but works great once you figure out the steps
I used this to transfer some VHS to DVD. I bit finicky on the process but works great once you figure out the steps.
Here is the process that I found, sorry I don't remember who to give credit to.
1. Because old videotapes may not track well when they have been unused for several years, fast forward to the end of the tape and rewind the tape before attempting to copy it. The recorder may refuse to copy a tape if it does not track well.
2. Eject the videotape. Apparently Toshiba DVRs (both the 610 and 620) can balk if the videotape is inserted before the DVD.
3. Push the DVD button and insert the blank DVD.
4. Press Record Mode (not Record) button and set the speed (I use SP).
5. Press the Setup button and select Recording. Select Dubbing Mode. Select VCR > DVD.
6. Press the VCR button and insert the videotape. Press Play and then Pause (not Stop) at the point slightly before you wish to start copying.
7. Press the Dubbing button. Push Stop when you want to stop dubbing. You can then insert another videotape to dub onto the same DVD, until it is full.
8. You can add titles on the DVD disk with the Top Menu button by selecting the part you wish to title and clicking on Edit and Edit Title.
9. After adding titles, you should finalize the DVD by pressing the Setup button, selecting DVD Menu and then Finalize (this may take a few minutes). Then you should be able to play the disk on another machine. I have been able to play finalized disks on my Sony DVD player.
Here is the process that I found, sorry I don't remember who to give credit to.
1. Because old videotapes may not track well when they have been unused for several years, fast forward to the end of the tape and rewind the tape before attempting to copy it. The recorder may refuse to copy a tape if it does not track well.
2. Eject the videotape. Apparently Toshiba DVRs (both the 610 and 620) can balk if the videotape is inserted before the DVD.
3. Push the DVD button and insert the blank DVD.
4. Press Record Mode (not Record) button and set the speed (I use SP).
5. Press the Setup button and select Recording. Select Dubbing Mode. Select VCR > DVD.
6. Press the VCR button and insert the videotape. Press Play and then Pause (not Stop) at the point slightly before you wish to start copying.
7. Press the Dubbing button. Push Stop when you want to stop dubbing. You can then insert another videotape to dub onto the same DVD, until it is full.
8. You can add titles on the DVD disk with the Top Menu button by selecting the part you wish to title and clicking on Edit and Edit Title.
9. After adding titles, you should finalize the DVD by pressing the Setup button, selecting DVD Menu and then Finalize (this may take a few minutes). Then you should be able to play the disk on another machine. I have been able to play finalized disks on my Sony DVD player.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
End of an Era. Great VHS to DVD transfer unit last of its kind.
So much easier to transfer Tape to Disk, then to digital, I've tried computer software to transfer analog to digital, They take forever, sometimes wont work and the quality is poor. Also this unit is the SANYO unit, they just changed the name. same remote works on both. Depending on the quality of the tape will determine the quality of the DVD. PS, The company that produces this unit will stop producing VHS machines, they are the last company still making them. I don't know how many are left in stock, but for this price you can't complain. The age of the VHS is over.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Amazon's customers beware!
It took me past two months to discover that the DVD of this item froze playing DVDs after 90 minutes. When seller exchanged it, the new unit played VHS with streaks in the video, and noise in the sound track. Now seller does not seems to respond, and it is beginning to look as though Amazon steered me into a $389 loss. Their eagerness to help stops with communication from a "no-reply" site.
If you purchase this product, make sure to check all of its functionality, play a full VHS tape, and a full DVD. I have received two units, both defective, but I did not notice the defect of the first one immediately, the second one was found defective immediately.
If you purchase this product, make sure to check all of its functionality, play a full VHS tape, and a full DVD. I have received two units, both defective, but I did not notice the defect of the first one immediately, the second one was found defective immediately.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Buy A Different Brand
I would never recommend this product or company to anyone. I received the item yesterday,hooked it up and found the DVD part works fine for playing and viewing on a tv or monitor but when you play the VHS part it does not show on a monitor,sometimes it will come in and out and be covered with static. Since the dvd workds fine obviously it is hooked up properly. I tried both new and old vhs and 3 different kinds of monitors and they all acted the same way. This is my first experience with a Funai product and I am not impressed at all!
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Convert All Your VHS Tapes to DVD!
I purchased this to copy old VHS tapes to DVDs. It was easy to setup and operate. If your VHS tapes are all 2 hr SP (Standard Play) you should have no problems. I was able to successfully copy over 50 VHS tapes that were 20+ years old. At the recommendation of others, I used these DVD-R disk without a single issue.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Save Your Money
Bought this product -- VHS/DVD Recorder -- new in July, 2017. It stopped being able to record on any DVD disc in early June, 2019. Disappointing. So far, obtaining any service from the manufacturer -- Funai -- is proving elusive. From the beginning, very fussy about the type of blank DVDs, whether -R or -RW, it would accept. Now, will not accept any DVD-R/RW disc regardless of manufacturer. Price was $450 less for new unit in 2017. Certainly not worth the current nearly $1,000 price for 23 months of use. Sadly, DVD recorders are a dying breed. Perhaps this explains why.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Adequate And Affordable
This was the closest thing I could find to buy, compared to the DVD recorders from five to seven years ago. I use to do a lot recording off the TV. It was a decent price. It's actual recording quality (DVD) is okay. Better than some, but not near the quality of my old Panasonic DMR-ES15. This will not record any DVD+ disks. It does not allow you to title the entire disk. It does not allow you to create a thumbnail of your choice. The on screen graphics are very cheap looking. It takes about three times longer to 'finalize' a disk than any previous DVD recorders I've had. This unit, and others being sold new at this time, seem like a step backwards in technology. None the less, if you are looking for a decent unit to dub VHS tapes over with, this is adequate and acceptable. I do record programs off TV to watch on this unit, but I doubt I'd ever record something off a broadcast to keep, because this unit is not capable of that kind of quality. Bottom line is, it's adequate and affordable.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
A Good VCR/DVD combo; a bit pricey, but these combos seem hard to find these days.
Very good. I would rate it a five star if it was a bit more simple to use. The manual is well written and covers the installation and operation thoroughly. My main purpose in purchasing this particular unit was to be able to dub old VCR tapes onto DVD's so that old videos of grandchildren (now in their 20's) can be viewed on modern DVD players. After paying attention to the detail covered in the manual, and using CORRECT DVDs I was able to successfully dub tapes. The machine is easy to use strictly as a VCR player. The machine was easy to install using a HDMI cable.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Big mistake......do not buy this unit!!
Don't waste your time and money on this unit. It formatted the first two discs and then refused to format any additional discs so that transferring more VCRs to DVDs was not possible. On top of this, the unit would not finalize the two discs that actually did end up with transferred recordings so these discs could NOT be played on any other unit. A giant disappointment all around.
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
ok
This DVD recorder is ok, not great. The picture quality is pretty good (as long as your original VHS tape is good). It is pretty simple to use. However, I am fairly experienced with a DVD recorder, using a Panasonic recorder, that I loved but is no longer manufactured, until it died. The Panasonic made a lot nicer menus that were much easier to make. Also, I am not excited about the inability to pause while dubbing. (Sometimes I want to edit out commercials, etc) I did hook up another VCR and was able to pause recordings that way. Since there are few DVD recorder options any more, for it being what it is....All in all a decent recorder if you don't need something fancy and for not a lot of money.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Good VHS Tape to DVD Recorder
A couple of comments first:
1. This Funai ZV427FX4 combo VHS tape-to-DVD (and DVD to VHS tape) recorder is NOT the same machine as a Magnavox ZV427MG9 (I own both), and
2. Magnavox does NOT own Funai; the Magnavox trademark for North America is licensed by Funai from Philips.
There seems to be some confusion about these points among reviewers.
I've been please with this machine's abilities to transfer content of my many old VHS tapes, both commercially recorded and home-produced, to DVD. Quality of the DVDs, of course, is no better than that of the original source material. Nonetheless, having a DVD makes the material more easily searchable, playable on cheap and available DVD players, and more importantly, archived on media more stable than the original VHS tapes, some of them now 25 years old.
Sharing my old tapes with grandkids is a non-starter - they may vaguely remember VHS tape from early childhood, but they darned sure don't own any VHS machines, or have any desire to pay for the few new machines they could find today. They do have DVD players.
This Funai ZV427FX4 and the related Magnavox ZV427MG9 are similar, with one major exception: The Funai will NOT record to DVD+R blank or re-writable discs; the Magnavox will. Both machines will record to DVD-R blank or re-writable discs. Both machines will play back DVD+R or DVD-R discs recorded and "finalized" in standard DVD video format using either of the machines, or various computer-based video editing programs.
Both machines insert at the front of any DVD recording a ghastly-looking title block. User manuals indicate there is some way to get rid of this ugly title rectangle, and other title rectangles appended after the end of the DVD video/audio recording. I haven't figured out how to remove these title blocks, and haven't spent a lot of time pursuing the matter.
Neither machine is rated by the manufacturer to record DVD (+/-) R - DL (double layer) discs, and I haven't tried this. Both machines have built-in record mode selections which - according to user manuals – record on standard single-layer DVDs, and for recordings with longer time spans, at reduced DVD quality.
Both machines produce recorded DVDs in standard definition (not HD). All this info, and much more, is available from downloadable user manuals at the manufacturer's Web sites.
Some terminology in manuals for both machines is either technically incorrect ("dubbing") or misleading ("deleting titles"). "Dubbing" is used incorrectly – as it widely is – to mean "Duplicating". True dubbing means to replace existing material within an overall existing production with new material, audio, video, or both. "Deleting a title", to those accustomed to editing in either analog or digital devices, or with computer-based editing programs, means exactly that: delete the title to a recording or assemblage of video/audio, leaving the production / recording intact . In manuals for these combo recorders, "Delete a title" means "delete the entire recording which has a selected title", so beware. Instead of deleting only a title, you may inadvertently delete an entire recording, which you can't recover.
A surprising benefit of this Funai machine is that it will play back S-VHS (Super-VHS) tapes, even though the machine is NOT spec'd as a quasi-S-VHS device. Playback of a number of my own recorded S-VHS tapes shows a minor amount of "flagging" (short horizontal streaks) in the playback, but if you have S-VHS tapes and no S-VHS or SQPB (S-VHS Quasi-Play Back) machine, this Funai offers a way to view your old S-VHS tape content.
Playback of VHS tapes and DVDs is consistent with quality of the source material. We use the DVD playback capabilities from the Funai's HDMI output to view DVD movies regularly; quality is good. VHS tape playback looks somewhat fuzzy on our HD TV set, but that's to be expected, since VHS native definition is even lower than digital SD.
All-in-all, the Funai ZV427FX4 combo VHS-DVD recorder has been a good purchase for us. We can watch VHS tapes or DVDs, and transfer video content to DVDs from our old VHS tapes (or vice versa, if for some reason we wanted to put DVD content on VHS tape). Some of the machine's limitations are irritating, particularly with respect to quality of longer (more than 2 hour) DVD recordings, lack of support for DVD+R format, technically incorrect terminology, and confusing user manuals, but for the price, the Funai ZV427FX4 is a bargain. A five-star machine would not have the limitations of this Funai (and its similar Magnavox cousin).
1. This Funai ZV427FX4 combo VHS tape-to-DVD (and DVD to VHS tape) recorder is NOT the same machine as a Magnavox ZV427MG9 (I own both), and
2. Magnavox does NOT own Funai; the Magnavox trademark for North America is licensed by Funai from Philips.
There seems to be some confusion about these points among reviewers.
I've been please with this machine's abilities to transfer content of my many old VHS tapes, both commercially recorded and home-produced, to DVD. Quality of the DVDs, of course, is no better than that of the original source material. Nonetheless, having a DVD makes the material more easily searchable, playable on cheap and available DVD players, and more importantly, archived on media more stable than the original VHS tapes, some of them now 25 years old.
Sharing my old tapes with grandkids is a non-starter - they may vaguely remember VHS tape from early childhood, but they darned sure don't own any VHS machines, or have any desire to pay for the few new machines they could find today. They do have DVD players.
This Funai ZV427FX4 and the related Magnavox ZV427MG9 are similar, with one major exception: The Funai will NOT record to DVD+R blank or re-writable discs; the Magnavox will. Both machines will record to DVD-R blank or re-writable discs. Both machines will play back DVD+R or DVD-R discs recorded and "finalized" in standard DVD video format using either of the machines, or various computer-based video editing programs.
Both machines insert at the front of any DVD recording a ghastly-looking title block. User manuals indicate there is some way to get rid of this ugly title rectangle, and other title rectangles appended after the end of the DVD video/audio recording. I haven't figured out how to remove these title blocks, and haven't spent a lot of time pursuing the matter.
Neither machine is rated by the manufacturer to record DVD (+/-) R - DL (double layer) discs, and I haven't tried this. Both machines have built-in record mode selections which - according to user manuals – record on standard single-layer DVDs, and for recordings with longer time spans, at reduced DVD quality.
Both machines produce recorded DVDs in standard definition (not HD). All this info, and much more, is available from downloadable user manuals at the manufacturer's Web sites.
Some terminology in manuals for both machines is either technically incorrect ("dubbing") or misleading ("deleting titles"). "Dubbing" is used incorrectly – as it widely is – to mean "Duplicating". True dubbing means to replace existing material within an overall existing production with new material, audio, video, or both. "Deleting a title", to those accustomed to editing in either analog or digital devices, or with computer-based editing programs, means exactly that: delete the title to a recording or assemblage of video/audio, leaving the production / recording intact . In manuals for these combo recorders, "Delete a title" means "delete the entire recording which has a selected title", so beware. Instead of deleting only a title, you may inadvertently delete an entire recording, which you can't recover.
A surprising benefit of this Funai machine is that it will play back S-VHS (Super-VHS) tapes, even though the machine is NOT spec'd as a quasi-S-VHS device. Playback of a number of my own recorded S-VHS tapes shows a minor amount of "flagging" (short horizontal streaks) in the playback, but if you have S-VHS tapes and no S-VHS or SQPB (S-VHS Quasi-Play Back) machine, this Funai offers a way to view your old S-VHS tape content.
Playback of VHS tapes and DVDs is consistent with quality of the source material. We use the DVD playback capabilities from the Funai's HDMI output to view DVD movies regularly; quality is good. VHS tape playback looks somewhat fuzzy on our HD TV set, but that's to be expected, since VHS native definition is even lower than digital SD.
All-in-all, the Funai ZV427FX4 combo VHS-DVD recorder has been a good purchase for us. We can watch VHS tapes or DVDs, and transfer video content to DVDs from our old VHS tapes (or vice versa, if for some reason we wanted to put DVD content on VHS tape). Some of the machine's limitations are irritating, particularly with respect to quality of longer (more than 2 hour) DVD recordings, lack of support for DVD+R format, technically incorrect terminology, and confusing user manuals, but for the price, the Funai ZV427FX4 is a bargain. A five-star machine would not have the limitations of this Funai (and its similar Magnavox cousin).
Скромный эксперт
13.10.2020
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I'm generally electronic device literate, but have to concede ...
I'm generally electronic device literate, but have to concede I was unable to overcome the operation of this device. I've owned every major brand of DVD/VCR device since Sony brought out the Beta recorder, but this one stumped me!
In desperation, I purchased a Toshiba, after returning this one, only to discover that the system setup of the Toshiba was really a Funai in disguise. Solution; go into attic and retrieve and old, functional JVC.
To be fair others may not have any problems with the function of this device.
In desperation, I purchased a Toshiba, after returning this one, only to discover that the system setup of the Toshiba was really a Funai in disguise. Solution; go into attic and retrieve and old, functional JVC.
To be fair others may not have any problems with the function of this device.
Скромный эксперт
26.09.2020
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Lost a lot of money on this deal.
Didn't work one time. I purchased this in Jan of 2015. Due to obligations, I didn't get around to using it until April of 2016. It sat in a protected cabinet in my living room all that time. Today I tried it for the first time and the video heads went out within 20 minutes. Naturally, I waited much too long to find this out, so I'm eating $150.
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