RCA DRC8000N Progressive-Scan DVD Recorder/Player

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Manufacturer: RCA
Price at amazon.com: Used & new from $169.99

List price $499.99



Product Features:

• DVD player/recorder stores up to 8 hours per 4.7 GB, or use DVD+R/+RW discs; 17.25 x 3.2 x 14.5 inches (W x H x D)
• Progressive-scan video output renders seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Flash-memory access through front-panel USB input; front AV inputs accommodate camcorders and VCRs for easy access direct recording
• GUIDE Plus+ onscreen programming guide simplifies viewing and advance recording
• Onscreen keyboard allows disc/program titling; uses MPEG2 video encoding and MP3 audio encoding

Product Description:

Combining the recording ability of a VCR and the audio-visual quality of a DVD player, RCA's DRC8000N DVD player/recorder lets you record your favorite television shows and home videos straight to a DVD. It stores digital video in high-quality MPEG2 and encodes audio in space-saving MP3. This is the first DVD recorder to offer the easy-to-use--and free--GUIDE Plus+ interactive TV guide, which makes scheduling recordings a snap. And with the unit's convenient one-touch record feature, recording off-air programs is simpler than ever. The DRC8000N records in six modes: 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, and 6 hours. And, when using timed recording, the DRC8000N offers an option to automatically set the quality level to the best quality that fits its available hard-drive space--ultimately gleaning up to eight hours from a single 4.7 GB recordable DVD. The unit uses DVD+R/+RW. The "RW" format offers numerous advantages. These discs can be played in most computer DVD-ROM drives and DVD players, and they let you append, edit, and overwrite video right on the discs themselves. This means you can record video using the DRC8000N and record data with a PC drive, all on the same disc. There's only one recording mode for both video and data, and the finalization time for a DVD+R is the fastest of all DVD formats. Special features include title and chapter creation for easy access to recorded materials; chapter hide/unhide, which lets you skip playback of selected sections of a recording; text title labeling; user-selectable disc write and title-write protection, and quick disc erase. Recorded discs will playback on most DVD players, and the unit itself plays all DVD and audio CDs. More than just a recording device, however, the DRC8000N is also a first-rate media player, offering MP3 music file decoding and Digital PhotoView, which displays JPEG files (from recordable CDs only) in a rotating slide show format--with MP3 playback during the slide show! A USB input connects to a flash card reader for transferring the digital photos and MP3 files and can decode from flash card without copying to disc for playback and preview. The recorder also offers progressive-scanning when playing back prerecorded DVDs. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DRC8000N is ready to deliver the full potential of prerecorded DVDs. Progressive scanning, called 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 DRC8000N features Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound passthrough, SRS TruSurround simulated surround sound, and IR (infrared) control for both satellite systems and cable boxes to make sure they're tuned to the right stations when it's time to automatically record your programs. Connections include one set of component-video outputs, an S-video input and output (one each), composite-video input and output (two in and one out), analog audio in and out (two in and one out), and a pair of digital-audio outputs (one each optical and coaxial). What's in the Box DVD player/recorder, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, RF cable, RF cable/splitter, S-video cable, and IR blaster with cable.

Description from Manufacturer:Combining the recording ability of a VCR and the audio-visual quality of a DVD player, RCA's DRC8000N DVD player/recorder lets you record your favorite television shows and home videos straight to a DVD. It stores digital video in high-quality MPEG2 and encodes audio in space-saving MP3. This is the first DVD recorder to offer the easy-to-use--and free--GUIDE Plus+ interactive TV guide, which makes scheduling recordings a snap. And with the unit's convenient one-touch record feature, recording off-air programs is simpler than ever.

The DRC8000N records in six modes: 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, and 6 hours. And, when using timed recording, the DRC8000N offers an option to automatically set the quality level to the best quality that fits its available hard-drive space--ultimately gleaning up to eight hours from a single 4.7 GB recordable DVD. The unit uses DVD+R/+RW.

The "RW" format offers numerous advantages. These discs can be played in most computer DVD-ROM drives and DVD players, and they let you append, edit, and overwrite video right on the discs themselves. This means you can record video using the DRC8000N and record data with a PC drive, all on the same disc. There's only one recording mode for both video and data, and the finalization time for a DVD+R is the fastest of all DVD formats.

Special features include title and chapter creation for easy access to recorded materials; chapter hide/unhide, which lets you skip playback of selected sections of a recording; text title labeling; user-selectable disc write and title-write protection, and quick disc erase. Recorded discs will playback on most DVD players, and the unit itself plays all DVD and audio CDs.

More than just a recording device, however, the DRC8000N is also a first-rate media player, offering MP3 music file decoding and Digital PhotoView, which displays JPEG files (from recordable CDs only) in a rotating slide show format--with MP3 playback during the slide show! A USB input connects to a flash card reader for transferring the digital photos and MP3 files and can decode from flash card without copying to disc for playback and preview.

The recorder also offers progressive-scanning when playing back prerecorded DVDs. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DRC8000N is ready to deliver the full potential of prerecorded DVDs. Progressive scanning, called 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 DRC8000N features Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound passthrough, SRS TruSurround simulated surround sound, and IR (infrared) control for both satellite systems and cable boxes to make sure they're tuned to the right stations when it's time to automatically record your programs.

Connections include one set of component-video outputs, an S-video input and output (one each), composite-video input and output (two in and one out), analog audio in and out (two in and one out), and a pair of digital-audio outputs (one each optical and coaxial).

What's in the Box
DVD player/recorder, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, RF cable, RF cable/splitter, S-video cable, and IR blaster with cable.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Excellent DVD recorder..best value for the price Rating:
I've used several different makes and models of DVD recorders, and this is one of the best!

First off, the person who said you can't play DVDs made with these on other players is VERY mistaken. The DVD+R and erasable DVD+RW formats will play on the vast majority of DVD players with no problems. Players older than 3 years may not be compatible, but this is minor. 99% of players on the market today will play DVD+R and DVD+RW so compatibility is not an issue.

The machine records in DVD+R and DVD+RW formats but can also play back DVD-R and DVD-RW, as well as VCD and SVCD and of course CDs.

Recordings look quite good, especially at the 1 or 2 hour speeds. The 8 hour picture isn't much good for anything except maybe timeshifting daytime soaps, but since discs are dropping in price so quickly most people will use the better quality modes for keepsake material anyway.

The menu system could use some improvement/streamlining but it isn't hard to use once you figure it out.

For the price, this is the best DVD recorder I've encountered.

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Comment: A Great DVD Recorder Rating:
I bought my RCA DCR8000N DVD Recorder about 5 months ago and I love it. The unit records on DVD+R and DVD+RW. It plays DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, S-VCD, Audio CD containing MP3 and JPEG. There are few DVD recorders that can recognize and play back that many formats.

The no fee Guide Plus comes in handy. You simply highlight a program you want to record, press a button and the recorder does the rest. No more setting the date and time to record.

I recommend copying your home movies onto DVD+RW. Then if you make a mistake, you can delete that section and record over it. The DVD+RW's do not have to be formatted to be played in most other DVD players.

The recorded disks from this unit play back on my other RCA DVD player, but not on my 3 year old DVD player.

There are 6 different recording speeds which are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hour. I have a 52 inch widescreen TV and have found the recorded picture quality very good even at 6 hour speed. The 8 hour speed is about equal to a VHS tape recording. Obviously, the quality is better at a shorter recording time of 1 or 2 hours. I have recorded on Sony and Verbatim blank disks without any problems.

I would like to respond to several complaints I have read about the unit locking up. It can take a few seconds, to a few minutes to complete a task. For example when you rename a disk or title, or delete a title, or erase a DVD+RW, it will take several seconds to complete those actions. When you finalize a DVD+R, this is what will take place: The TV screen will tell you to Please Wait. After about 1 or 2 minutes it will go into the Screen Saver. When it is finished, the menu will come back up on the TV screen. The whole process may take 3 to 5 minutes. In the mean time, the unit will not respond to any input buttons you press. The unit can not multitask and must be given time to complete a task.

I have also read complaints about the fan that stays on 24/7, even with the unit off. I have not had a problem with this. The fan noise is equal to, or less than, a desktop computer fan. If your air conditioner is not running and there are no other fans on and it is totally quiet in your home, then you might hear the fan on the recorder, however, this should not be a problem under normal circumstances for most people.

This is a great recorder and I highly recommend it.

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Comment: Does Everything Well Rating:
I have been using the DRC8000N to convert my VCR tapes to DVD. It works well, the quality is a good as can be expected from old tapes. I have recorded some things off TV as well. The guide + system makes scheduling a snap.

To the reviewer who can only play their DVD's on this recorder. Did you read the section in the manual on finalizing the DVD. If you don't finalize the DVD then you can't play it on another player. I have finalized my DVD+R's and have had no problems playing them on any of the DVD players I have access to.

Overall this unit is great. It does everything it is suppose to do well. There are no quality problems that I have encountered.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)