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After two months of me calling them repeatedly, they reported that they could not repair it and would buy it back at a prorated price(not the full price I paid). Not only would they not pay for the shipping, but they lost it. Like many of the others, my machine also froze with a DVD still inside after only a couple of months use. When it would not reset, I was told to send it in to Thompson/RCA for repair or replacement. So not only was I not going to be able to replace the product, I was also out the $30 it cost to ship it (not to mention two months wait time & countless hours of phone calls).
The VCR part takes forever to rewind a tape. I paid a lot more for it than it's selling for now. I noticed not long after I bought it that the store where I got it from was no longer selling them new, they only had a few "refurbished" ones. As noted by a previous reviewer there are problems with jamming, freezing and skipping unless you record on certain speeds.I liked that the time automatically set itself after power outtages. Unfortunately although it did reset the time it often lost a day or set to am instead of pm, so programs that were set to timer recordings did not record.It works ok for playback of rented or store bought movies but is not very reliable when it comes to recording tv shows to disc. It seems too many people had too many problems with this model.I have had it less than a year and am getting rid of it this week because I'm sick and tired of going to watch shows that I have recorded and finding that either the disc is still blank (even though the red light came on and the freaking thing said it was recording) or turning it on only for it to say "disc problem" I have thrown so many brand new fresh out of the package not a scratch on them discs because this monstrosity insisted their was a "disc problem" Do not waste your money.
I ordered it on Aug 20 and still havent received it. I ordered manual which I hope will be a much better copy. When I receivee the RCA unit, the user manual was a big disappointment. It was small, and the printing was so small you have to use a magnifying glass.It was printed in mexico. So I havent had a chance to use the RCA unit to date until I receive a satisfactory manual.
You just need to make sure you record on the correct discs. Mine works great. Awesome deal.
Sometimes, I get a loud high-pitched audio tone when it freezes, and sometimes it says "Unable to Record - Media may be Dirty" message, suggesting I clean the media and try again. Plays store-bought DVDs, VHS tapes, and CDs well. I'll try to separate my comments into pros/cons.Pros:1. I tried cleaning the unit and also resetting the unit back to factory defaults, but this has not fixed the problem. I bought a top of the line Toshiba to replace that unit, and it died after a little over a year (sound familiar). type that is hard to read); plus, you REALLY have to look to find a customer service number to call for assistance.Again, I bought my unit for $85, which makes it fine for a simple DVD/VCR playback machine. (Which is the main reason I bought it).
The freeze does require me to unplug and re-plug the unit, as others have experienced.2. Multiple outputs on back which will work with a variety of TVs or receivers.Cons:1. The unit itself is not very attractive (my wife thought it looked like it was from the 1970s).5. DVD/VCR on-screen menu is not very intuitive.3. My advice is to find the cheapest unit possible that fits your needs, regardless of brand. Picture/sound quality is very good (I am using S-video and the Digital Optical sound output).2. So, I went low-rent and bought this unit, and it will probably die after a year (if not sooner).
I have not tried media from another vendor yet, so will try Sony or Verbatim before I abandon all hope of being able to record. However, I will tell you that If I had paid $260 for it, I think I would be a lot more upset than most of you are. Darn thing doesn't record DVDs. Using the remote to navigate the setup or DVD menus is worse -- whoever designed the hardware should be horse-whipped.4. I had a top of the line Sony DVD player (not recorder) that lasted a little over a year (just out of warranty, of course) before it died. Manual and supporting documentation is awful (Xeroxed copy of original manual that is blurry and has 5 pt.
These are brand new DVD+Rs straight out of the box, so I don't think that is the problem. I'm a little hacked that it doesn't record DVDs, but will try different media as mentioned earlier.Basically, I think all electronics these days are throwaways anyway.
I bought this unit for the same reasons most of the previous posters have. I have the same basic problem as everyone else -- except my unit will only record for about 30 seconds before it freezes.
For the record, I did not buy this unit from Amazon (I bought a refurbished model from another vendor). Instructions recommend using media from "reputable" manufacturers; I am using HP DVD+Rs, which I consider to be from a reputable source.
Plays homemade music CDs and MP3s well. Multiple inputs on front & back, including DV and S-video in on the front of the unit, which is convenient.3.
When it dies (and it will), toss it and get a new one.
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