Any one have a ilo DVD Recorder With 80 GB Hard Drive, DVDRH04, from Wal-Mart,is it a good recorder?

Hi, I decided to update my firmware recently on my DVDRHD04. I read everything I needed to know before updating on Gtrman's site and did what he said to do and I still got an error message while it was updating. The thing got to 99%, paused for a while, then gave me the error message. The tray opened and I took the cd out. I tried closing, but wouldn't close, I tried to go to the setup menu, but it was blank and the whole thing froze, I could not get out of the menu. I unplugged it and plugged it back in. It told me Hello and the tray closed half way, stopped, then, closed the rest of the way. I turned the power off and turned it back on. It asked for a cd, I put the update cd in and it started reading it. Apparently, it updated this time, at least that's what it's saying in the setup menu, that I have the latest update. I haven't really messed with it that much afterwards, so I don't know if everything is working correctly, or not. It still has my old settings from before I updated, I didn't have to do those again.

I was just wondering if it actually did update the firmware, or did it update half of it, or what? Should I try it again with the same update, or should I get the version I had before I tried updating, then, try updating that again?

 

Hello, I have a DVDRH04 and it use to work great (until November). It is now constantly locking up while writing or finalizing a DVD’s. I have updated to the latest and greatest FW but have not reset the system and wiped the drive yet. I hooked up the HDD to my PC to save the movies before wiping it. I am not able to play any movies from the DVD drive.

I am under the impression that most of my problems are with the DDW-451S DVD drive. Has any one tried to replace it with a better drive? I am thinking about putting in a 16x DVD +/- into it but I am not sure if doing so would create a compatible issue. Any suggestions?

I am also looking into putting in a larger HDD. Anybody know what the max size it will handle?

Thanks All

 

Wow! What a thread! New guy here. I just bought an ILO DVDR04 and am just starting to use it. My wife got me the 6 disk DVD set of Band Of Brothers for Christmas. I had trouble with a few of the DVD's freezing. I'd let it sit for a while and it will start up again for a few seconds then freeze again. Sometimes it's better...sometimes it's worse than others. My first thought on this was "heat" but I have it sitting alone. Nothing on top and nothing under it. After spending a couple of days reading this forum, I have updated to the latest ILO (not the hacked one yet) update. I guess I'll see if this does anything for it.
My other issue is I'm trying to figure out how to set this thing up to be able to record satellite. I only have DishNetwork satellite...no outside antenna. I have their HD receiver and my TV is a 60" Mitsubishi HD TV. The back of the satellite receiver only has a satellite in and an 8SVB RF input for receiving both analog and digital off-air broadcast (for if I ever get an outside antenna and yes the receiever has a seperate tuner for off-air programming). Can I setup this DVD recorder to record off of just the satellite? If so, can anyone direct me as to how?

 

the way I did it when I had DirecTv was to run the cable from the dish into the satellite input, then from the output to my recorder, from the recorder to my vcr (using it as a RF modulator only), and from the vcr to my tv. I then used the remote for my satellite to turn it on, the remote from my vcr to turn it on, then tossed both of those remotes to the side and used the ILO remote to control my tv channels.

 

badlander
I use my 80 gb dvdrh04 with a Directv receiver.
I just use the s-video jacks from the receiver to the dvdrh04 and then to the TV. I think I have to have the dvdrh04 set to channel 3 and the tv set to input1
Good luck, I am on my third dvdrh04 in a year. I send it off because it won't read the dvd's that it makes and then won't do anything with the dvd record part. They keep sending me ones that they have fixed. This last one has worked almost a week, so I am hoping.
When they work they really work well, I wish they would fix their problems.
again Good Luck
bob

 

Hi guys! Just got a DVDR05MU - apparently it was not the way to go! Right out of the box it will not read [bold]any[/bold] media except music CDs! Tried the firmware downloads but it won't read the disk. And I am using one of the recommended brands Imation DVD+RW. This sucks!! Any ideas before I take it back to Wally World or throw it out in the street?

 

Okay no one was at tech support either!

 

Ok. Let me make sure I understand. Since my Satellite receiver only has the SAT IN but no SAT OUT...I can still do this? The way I have it setup now is Satellite going to Sat In on the receiver. Then I'm using Component connections (R,B,G) from the Sat to the TV and audio from Satellite to AV receiver. The ILO DVD is basically the same way. Component connection to TV and Optical Audio to AV receiver. I can view DVD's just fine. In order to record though....I will have to have something setup to act as a RF modulator between the DVD and the satellite though right? Gheesh! This stuff used to be easy!

 

Oh well. I gave up. It shouldn't take this much work just to enjoy watching a DVD. This thing kept freezing up on just about every DVD I put in it. New DVD's....old DVD's....didn't matter. So, back to Wally World it went. I found out too that you need a special recorder to even get the Hi Def signal thru your recorder. HH Gregg had one for $650.00!! I think I'll be waiting a bit before I look at getting another DVD recorder. Thanks for all the help though! Good luck with those ILO's. Just seems that you've got to have alot of patience and time to even get them to work! I've got better things to do....

 

badlander,
Maybe I didn't make myself clear. You connect the satelite to satelite in on the satelite receiver.
1st option Use the s-video jacks on the satelite receiver and connect the other end of the cord to the ilo s-video in jacks. Set the ilo channel selector to ch 3. Use another s-video cord from the s-video out jacks on the ilo to the s-video jacks on the tv. Set the Tv to channel to input 1.
2nd option use a cord from the output jack of the satelite receiver (same kind of jack used from the satelite receiver and connect it to the ilo input jack. s-video is better.
on your ilo remote press the source button - select s-video in first option. If you are not using s-video select the tv option.
The ilo website shows you some good pictures on how to hook it up.

Your satelite reciver is the only channel changing you do. You cannot select a different channel from the ilo or the tv.
On mine I use s-video and I also run the rf to a vcr and then to the ilo. That way I can put old vcr tapes onto a dvd.
Good luck
bobe

 

Based upon my experience, I'd have to say that "good luck" could only mean getting it back to Wal-Mart before the 30 days return period is up. Without a lot of work, switching on and off, punching and repunching switched, I can't even get the tray to open to use the damn thing as a player.

 

WARNING -- I just dodged a bullet. In complaining to ILO about the piece of junk they sold me (through Wal-Mart), I got a reply from them with the following email address:

Support_iLo/ILOHELP%LITEONIT@Liteonit.com

Of course it didn't work when I replied to them. Great techies!!!

But more importantly, I discovered from this flawed address that they seem to be affiliated with LITEON, which I was considering buying. Now I know better. I don't think I'll ever again buy electronics from Wal-Mart either.

 

It has never been a secret that the ILO was made by Lite-On. It is possible that ILO stands for Inadequate Lite On. They were a special (cheapo) version of its bigger Lite-On brother made exclusively for and sold only by Wal-Mart. From what I have read here I am thankful that I have only had minor problems with mine in more than a year of service. It will currently not read Rs and I am afraid to put a commercial dvd in it for fear it will ruin it. However, it faithfully records to the HD and will duplicate to RWs. When it finally gives up on me, I will not replace with ILO or Lite-On, but with brand name. I have always received a response from support. Well, I only wrote them twice.

 

This thing is a piece of shit. Maybe I shouldn't complain, it did last almost a year before it became completely useless. Now it won't play or recognize any of the disks it has burned and finalized. It reads them as either blank or invalid.

 

Has anyone tried replacing the dvd optical mechanism with an aftermarket one. Would that solve the problem with the reading?

 

Following advice of ILO technical support, I have successfully used a Phillips DVD Laser Lens Cleaner to "reset" my ILO so that it will read R's. However, at some undetermined point or as a result of some undetermined cause, it will suddenly again refuse to recognize rs and attempt to treat them as rws, thus ruining them and anything recorded on them. I would suggest trying a lens cleaner to see if that works. Any tiny speck of dust can potentially cause a problem.

 

Thanks Daturner I will try that. On the upside of my problem I was also pissed that I couldn't transfer media from a just-finalized DVD R back onto my hard drive for viewing at a later date. I then used a DVD RW to do it. I took the finalized DVD R from my ILO and put it in my computer CD tray, then placed a blank DVD RW in the DVD tray, then used a DVD copying program (Nero) to transfer the media to the DVD RW. I put the new disk in the ILO tray and it immediately recognized it and happily transferred all my videos back to the hard drive. It's a round about way of doing it but atleast I won a small one. But I will pick up a DVD cleaner next time I'm at Wal-Mart.

PS--Dayturner you said that at some undetermined point your ILO again refused to read discs. What was the length of time before it started doing it again? A week, month, 3 months? As long as it isn't too often I can live with regularly cleaning it.

 

Sometimes it is longer than other times. If I could figure out the cause (and I may do some experimenting to see if I can induce the condition) I will then understand. I also have another dvd recorder and it could be a problem of intermixing the rws, so I have been trying to keep them separate. I have also done the stick-it-in-the computer-to-copy trick. But once an r has been ruined by the ilo trying to read it as an rw, it is ruined for any use. When you put an r in the drive, see if the little red r lights up or if the rw lights up -- over on the right side of the readout screen on the ilo. For me, I could eliminate the problem by using only rws in the ilo, but stuff you want to save, you'd rather have on the less expensive r.

 

You wrote:

"For me, I could eliminate the problem by using only rws in the ilo, but stuff you want to save, you'd rather have on the less expensive r."

why not do the opposite of what I did? Stick a DVD RW in the ILO, burn what you want to it, finalize it, then stick it in your computer and burn the content straight from one drive to another (CD drive to DVD drive), with a DVD R being in the receiving drive, using Nero. Then erase the DVD RW either in the computer or in the ILO and use it again. A small hassle, but not very much.

 

By the way Dayturner, I went to Wally World today and bought a Phillips DVD cleaning disc and it worked like magic! The damn ILO works like it did brand new. Thanks for the tip.