anyone have either emerson dvd recorder from Walmart and do you like it?

Found a secret menu for EWR10D4:

Press CM Skip and hurry and press 2 5 1

It is some kind of test mode. See if I can get it do anything or find any others.

 

Glad I found this forum--I just ordered an Emerson EWR10D4. Having just read all of this forum--it seems like it will really help me figure out the machine. I am fairly certain that most electronic devices are designed in the deepest pits of hell, just to make you suffer. I bought my Emerson for $110, new, so I will take a chance. I have relatively simple tasks I would expect from it, and I think I can get answers from those on this thread. When you talk of "firmware" from Emerson...is that a fix? and how do you get it? I read earlier that Funai is the manufacturer of this machine--is that right? I have seen many Funai products used in business and they have a reputation for longevity and durability.

 

>When you talk of "firmware" from Emerson...is that a fix? and how do you get it?

Well, out of the box, these recorders (at least the ones we all bought) only like DVD-R that are 4x maximum. 8x discs do not work. The Firmware is the software that runs the recorder. The manufacturer has issued upgraded firmware which they supply on a CD which you run in the machine to upgrade it. That allows 8x discs to work. I have taken the easy way out and bought 100 4x discs while they are still available, and so have prolonged the inevitable. By the time I use up 100 discs something else will have come along anyway.

>I read earlier that Funai is the manufacturer of this machine--is that right? I have seen many Funai products used in business and they have a reputation for longevity and durability.

Yes. The machine works fine, the issue is only that technology of the DVD-R blanks on the market has exceeded the capability of the stock machine. I would hope currently shipping products work with 8x but I havent seen anything posted here about that.

Right now I can get 4x DVD-R from WalMart - its their house brand, Durabrand, I think. You have to look pretty close to see the 4x designation.

BOTTOM LINE: Try a DVD-R 8x blank. If it works, you are all set. If it does not work, either order the firmware upgrade (see previous posts) or stock up on 4x blanks.

 

I bought 2-3-paks of Maxell today at the "Big W", DVD-R 4x. I think that it is confusing when technology overlaps itself and we all have to deliver pizzas at night to keep up with the expense. I am a retro person..I wait a couple of years and usually get what works and much cheaper. I have a Compaq Armada M700 that sold for $3695 in 5/2001. I got it for $400 11/02, and it is superb machine, it's a "business" version (from Enron's bankruptcy sale) and they are made a lot more solid. So, now I am adding a DVD recorder to play with. If I copy a DVD sometime...will it be usuable on my friend's computer of will I end up like Diogenes with that lamp in the night trying to find a compatible machine? Can anyone clarify one thing for me...is a CD-R for data/music or can it be used for DVD also? I got dizzy at Wal-Mart going over all kinds of discs...and I could not find an "Associate" to clarify...I was on my own.

 

cds can hold movies but you can not play them in all dvd players and plus the quality is much worse unless it is on 2-3 disks and you must constanly swap disks just buy a dvd burner and save yourself some trouble.

 

Hey JMARK:

The DVDs created should be compatible with your buddies computer. It is not universally compatible with all devices though. My PS2 won't play the audio created by the device.

Use TMPGENC DVD Author (free) to crop the edges of your movie and cut out any of the stupid commercials.

CD-Rs can be played on some DVD players. Most players support Video CDs. Some players support S-Video CDs. You can create these using something like NERO. A few players support DIVX movies (mpeg4) and a couple support WMV movies. You can create what is called a MiniDVD with a CD but good luck finding a dvd player that will play it. Many DVD players can player MP3s off of CDs or play audio CDs. DVD video is so much higher in quality though and DVD-Rs are cheap. Point is DVD-R are not the same thing as CD-Rs. DVD-Rs single layer hold about 4,700,000,000 bytes (4.37 GB), dual layer holds twice that, and CD-Rs hold about 700 MB (734,003,200 bytes).

You can not use a CD-R as a DVD-r, it can be only used for data/music.

HOpe that clarifies it for you.

 

Booser--
You know this stuff pretty well! What is the double layer you speak of on some DVDs? Is that a 2-sided disc (I have gotten some like that from Netflix)--or--is the 1-side more dense? I suppose when you find a disc that will work--then use it and don't rock the boat. I have a general question for all of you--I see alot of "re-furbished" components for sale. Has anyone bought any of these and what was your experience? I spent HOURS looking for a DVD recorder and a VCR/DVD player with only VHS recording. I saw some items there in huge numbers refurbished--I avoided them--at least something was wrong with them.

 

Jmark:

Dual layer is a way to hold twice as much information on a single side of a DVD-R or DVD+R disc. New DVD burners support them most of the older ones don't. Some can support them with a firmware upgrade. They are still expensive (around $10/piece) but allow you to burn dual layer pressed DVDs in full quality (as in don't compress with CloneDVD or DVD Shrink.)

 

Hi All,

Thanks for the discussions on this thread. It cleared up my problem of some DVD-R and -RW working while others didn't. I still facing the problem that my old DVD player that worked when conndected to my TV will not work now when I connect to the input slots on the Emerson EWR20V4. I'm using the Red/White/Yellow cable connected to the input triplet on the Emerson. I also tried plugging into the front of the Emerson.

Has anyone else been successful at plugging in another input device?

TIA,
Richard

 

It works fine for me. I have four devices hooked to it (through a video switch). Old DVD player, VCR, Playstation, and a Satellite Receiver. Try borrowing cables from your neighbors to see if they are bad.

Try using S-Video as the input or make sure that if you are in the US or Japan, your player is NTSC or if your in Europe, PAL. PAL appears Black and White on an NTSC screen.

 

I got my Emerson (Funai) DVD recorder this week--but---YIKES! the owner's manual is 100 pages long! I got it for $110, from a Pawn Shop in Maryland...new in the box...on eBay. At the risk of sounding dense--I also have a TDK CD burner. A question--if you wanted to save archived photos, is it better to use one or the other for that use?
I do have USB 2, if it matters.

 

Also - on the Emerson you have to go into the SETUP screen and tell it what input jacks to look at. If it doesn't "SEE" your device it probably is looking at the wrong input.

 

Hey Booser108,

Thanks for your suggestions.

Here's my basic hookup (which works fine):
1. Cable to Emerson.
2. RCA connectors (Red-White-Yellow) out from Emerson and in to TV
(So this cable triplet is fine.)

I added to this (which doesn't work):
3. RCA connectors out from my Sharp DV-S1U video player in to my Emerson.

I tested the second set of RCA cables as follows:
4. I disconnected the RCA connection at the TV and switched the Sharp connection from the Emerson to the TV.
When I played a commercial DVD, it worked fine.
(So this cable triplet is fine, too.)

Is there a way to tell the Emerson to ignore the primary (cable) input and use the secondary input, the RCA cable set?

Thanks in advance for any futher info you may provide.
Richard (RLM240432)

 

Hey Rick,

I just noticed your suggestion. Thanks.

Is your suggested method of using setup to have the Emerson use a particular port documented in the manual.? Can you cite a page number or list the sequence of choices here?

Again, thanks for your help.
Richard (240432)

 

Hi,

Maybe some one can help me because I am completely confused with my Emerson DVD Recorder(DVD-R/RW). I purchased it a while back sometime last year around October and it's been working great until now. For the last 3 days I can't record anything. I keep getting an error message saying something like "Recording Error", "Can Not Record On This Disc", "E4 0000000" or "E4 EA03738B". I have been buying the same discs since I bought the machine, which are Maxell 4x DVD-R's and Memorex 1x-2x -RW's. At first I thought it was a bad box of discs, so I purchased new ones, but it still is coming up with this error. Sometimes it will let me record, but then when it writes the movie to the disc I get the same error message, or the error message pops up when I try finalizing the disc, usually when it hits around 60%.

I'm also getting this message with DVD-RW, maybe 2 out of a pack of 5 discs. On top of that when it does record on to a DVD-RW, on the 2 or 4 hour settings the movie starts to skip or freeze frame if you will call it that, around the last 30-60 minutes of the Disc.

I have tried many discs, roughly 20 now of -R and -RW and had nothing but problems, even with purchasing new discs, sometime I get lucky and an old disc will write or finalize for me. I'm using Maxell 4x and Memorex 1x-2x -RW's. I never had a problem in the past, so I'm completely lost here.

I found this site and I'm hoping some one can help me.

Do I need to buy a kit and clean the unit?

Is it this Firmware or software needing to be updated?

Or maybe it's the unit as a whole and I should toss it?

 

Ohh, sorry before I forget. I read something above about an update for the software. Would it be that?

If it is, does this mean the unit will still be able to record/play 1x-4x plus 8x discs or does this mean I have to transfer all my movies to the newer type of disc speed (8x) and trash my old ones.

 

Hi all

If there is a "software" fix...how would you load it in the recorder?

 

Hey jmark.

There is a software fix. It is a firmware upgrade. You need a CD burner and say NERO.

 

just alittle FYI

this firmware update also works on the symphonic sr90ve it a clone of the emerson.

(i got the sotware CD from a display we had at walmart).
thanks for posting how to use the CD since there techsupport is only open limited hours.

 

This is additional information to my previous post, regarding telling the
EWR20V4 which of 4 input jacks to monitor for incoming signal.

When you turn on the unit at first, BEFORE you put any blank media into it,
the display will tell you which jacks are being monitored. L1 means the
jacks on the rear. L2 means the jacks on the front.

The manual (page 38) describes one method of selecting them. Using the
remote, type in the digits 0-0-1 to select L1 (rear jacks) or type in 0-0-2
to select L2 (front jacks). This, however, does NOT allow you to further
choose between the RCA/S video jacks. So I would suggest you forget this
method entirely and use the SETUP MENU method, which allows you to select
from all 4 possibilities in one place:

1. On the remote, press SETUP. The SETUP and DISK icons will appear.

2. Highlight the SETUP icon and press ENTER.

3. Now highlight the SELECT VIDEO icon and press ENTER.

4. Now you have a menu to select L1 (rear jacks) or L2 (front jacks). Use
the up/down arrows to pick one, and press ENTER.

5. Now a submenu will appear prompting you to select either VIDEO IN (the
RCA triple jacks) or S VIDEO in. Use the up/down arrows to pick one, and
press ENTER.

6. Press SETUP again to exit the setup menu.

All done!