Any opinions on the Sharp DV-HR300?

Hello,
I'm from Singapore and have a DVHR300A for two months now. It's a great machine and does everthing I need, only it's a bit slow and the UI could be better. I just noticed a small glitch with the machine in that if I turn it off (using the standby button) for an extended time, say overnight, it will always default to channel 1 when I turn it back on. However, if it is only off for short time, say 10 mins, the channel will be the same as what it was set to when it was turned off. I'm just curious if your machines behave the same way.

 

Hi Lehe,
From a very quick scan of your model's manual (HR300U?):
It's the same basic hardware and operation as the other region models, the differences most likely being in the firmware; but the tuner also handles CATV channel frequencies in addition to normal TV frequencies. This suggests that the tuner would most likely be different hardware.
I suspect that the MR hack would change the video output only to PAL (if you were lucky) and you could get away with a hardware PAL to NTSC converter. In this case, the front end tuning for recording programs directly would be unchanged, recording in NTSC, but converting this internally to PAL on the video output.
If it does not work that way, you would lose your CATV tuning ability and/or direct recording ability.
However, if you were using an external cable/set top box with video output, that may not matter. In that case you would only lose the ability to record on a different channel to the one you are watching.
I'm not familiar with US cable frequencies and formats, so all of the above may be rubbish! Mine (and the forum's) collective knowledge of the MR hack is not much - it's all an experiment in the absence of Sharp help and information. Good luck!

 

Thanks EA5E,
When I used the firmware it did change output to PAL and since I didn't have an PAL to NTSC convertor I couldn't really tell if I still have the option to change the tuner from VHF/UHF to CABLE. I guess I should have checked harder. I assumed that it was default to CABLE, but when I got it back from Sharp it's default was UHF/VHF. Maybe it would work great with a PAL convertor. Hind sight is always 20/20. I can't try again because if it doesn't work I can't send it back to Sharp.
Anyone with a U model want to give it a stab?
I guess I can always just copy the DVD's and take off the region code and for that matter even convert to NTSC.

Thanks for the help.

 

Thanks majorusa.

What i am asking for is a very basic functionality, that has been there in ordinary TV and VCRs for ages. They all have some kind of internal clock (with or without battery) that keeps the time going on as usual, whether the machine is powered on or not.

I am surprised to note that the sharp recorder has to be always be on standby to retain the time, and any power off will reset it back to default.

anyway, if this is a "feature" of sharp, then I have no choice, but SHARP, i am really disappointed

Regards,
Vinai
vinai@gmail.com

 

Bought a HR300 in Singapore last week. Bought it back to Indonesia, which means no warranty. It has lasted ONE WEEK. Made one DVD with a Melody-R. Tried to make another with a Melody-RW when it hung up. Cannot get the disk out. Both HDD and DVD lamps flash continually. Have tried variuos ways to reset but no success.

Any help would be gratefully received or next step is the hammer.

 

Paitonii,

In a couple of instances where this has happened to me I've just unplugged the unit from the mains for a minute or so. POwered back up and of it goes again.

Having read this forum for a while I also belive there is a reset button behind the flap on the front of the unit which may also acheive the same thing. I haven't had cause to try this though.

Regards

Mark

 

Hi leisureya. Yes, you are right. The 300a does flip back to channel 1 if powered off overnight. Another issue is that it requires constant power to keep the clock running. I was switching off the recorder and TV every night, and the next evening, when I switch both on, the first thing it asks is to reset the time.

regards
vinai

 

Thanks Mark

I have tried the reset button, unplugging while powered up and leaving overnight, the DVD& channel up button reset. Nothing.

Will have to open it up and try and find a way to get the disk out.

Regards

John

 

Paitonii
Try unplugging the machine, then plug it back in, then hit the dvd eject button first. This will turn on the machine and eject the drawer as soon as it's booted up. Works most of the time for me.
Don

 

Anyone know of a firmware update for the DV-HR300U? It seems that when the hard drive is max'd with stuff on it, I get this "disc can not be played back" error message when trying to finalize a disc. What has worked before is copying everything on the hard drive to disc while "not" finalizing, then initialize the hard drive, then put the discs in and finalize. Love the machine, but I'm throwing out way too many discs.

 

don2blues

Don

Thanks for that one it worked. Then managed to re-initialise so have put the hammer away.

Just as well as our local Sharp service center has never heard of a HDD-DVD recorder.

Regards

 

Hi All..

I have a 350S.
I am trying to do the Drive 1.43 firmware upgrade. My drive is currently on 1.34.

When I insert a CD-RW with the new firmare then I see 300 on the display and after about 10 secs I see 300E and the dvdrom ejects the CD.
The drive is still on 1.34.

Any ideas as to why this might be happening?

MM

 

Hi! Read my thread on the previous page on how to do the update. Be sure to copy all the files on the CD-RW. Try to re-burn the CD provided is not working. What software version do you have on your Sharp? What burning software are you using? Looking forward for your answer.

Majorusa

 

Hi, good people. I'm sorry if this question is already answered. I have sifted through most of the thread, but haven't seen anything.

Anyway: I have the HR300S. The firmware is 00000010b (approximately..), and burner firmware is 1.43 (upgraded myself). The store made it multi-region for me.

Recording to HDD works great, but my HDD is full, and I want to save off a few Morse episodes to DVD-R. I can use DVD-RW, but I want to save these shows, so there is no need for the more expensive dists. Now to my problem:
I can't properly record to DVD-R! I have several different experiences, all with some Fujifilm DVDs, which should be okay. I have similar DVD-RWs, and they work nicely. The main problem has been that recording (and dubbing) stops after one hour. I'm almost 100% certain I was recording at SP, and the Sharp told me I had ca 2 hours worth of space. Now, the second time I tried, I was dubbing a show from HDD, and I decided to use the "you decide the quality" setting (forgot the name of it). It now properly recorded the entire show, but I can't play it back. When I get to around 30-40 minutes, it starts skipping (maybe earlier, I have been using skip to move forward), and after 1 hour (apprx) it goes to an almost stand-still, and sometimes just starts from the beginning. After watching once, and experiencing this, I tried to finalize the disk, but the same stuff happens.
The strange thing is that my other DVD player can play it back fine.

Another problem I have is that it won't read some Traxdata DVD-RWs I have, but that's probably just because they are incompatible, somehow.

Anyway, if anyone can shed any light on this problem, I'd be most grateful.

 

my dad wants a dvd recorder and i been searchin around the shops and checking online reviews. Couldnt find any sharps. From checking out various reviews i'm thinking of telling him to get a pioneer.

If u guys didnt have a sharp, what would u get instead?

 

Hi! Sharp is a good DVRecorder. My first choice was Sony RDR Hx 900. It's better and faster than this one, but also more expensive. Hope that this helps.

 

Hi Wook Don't know where you are living but there are Sharps available in the UK see:-
http://audiovisual.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/sbs/100304323/12038067.html
I also read good reports on JVC and Liteon costing around GBP 300
Cheers Silver

 

Hi again Wook I seem to recall from a previous post that you are in Australia? I was in Sydney and Perth a few weeks ago and
saw the Sharp 300 and 350 for sale in several electrical stores
Cheers again Silver

 

Hi Majorusa..

I copied both files to a blank CD-R and CD-RW using Stomp, Windows XP burning and CopyToDVD.

The version on my Sharp is currently :
Model 0351 R02 Date 04/11/19
Ver : 120
Tuner 1.94
Drive 1.34

MM

 

Hi! What Serial number is your machine? The serial number is on the back.
Are the files named "drive.ver" and "RWS1_HR350S_143.DRW"?
Majorusa