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

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/235603

This link has all the info on the emerson 05 model since it came out and what I have donewith it.

 

Wolf, I have the Sylvania version of this same unit, DVD-90DF picked it up at Sears on sale a coupla wks ago for $150. It seems to wrk fine, even plays DVD's copied on my computer, without microblocking like my older panny player. Even surround thru my system has more dimension then my panny. The pic quality is good, but not as sharp as my panny.

 

Thanks everyone for the help. However I am still having the same problems. Let me try to give some more info to see if it will help produce a solution.

First of all I purchased my new emerson when I was stateside on forlough. (I live out in the bush of West Africa.) We have DSTV satellite system with a UK connection cable. I have been able to convert the cable to fit the American input via video/audio jacks or S video, and even the antanea.

The picture and sound is very sharp when I have my emerson on VHS mode. However when I switch it over to DVD mode it zooms in and displays a sharp black and white picture. Sound quality remains the same. I have been able to make progress to get a clear picture and sharp sound when I record in either VHS or DVD mode. However the problem is it records in black and white and zoomed in.

I can dub back and forth VHS to/from DVD and the quality is sharp and in color. When I play any VHS or DVDs they are sharp both picture and audio. (FYI - just in case anyone else purchases british DVDs they are not capatible.)

I welcome any advice as there is no reliable service reps in the area. I do not want to record only in black and white until my family returns stateside in a couple of years.

 

Jungle man gives us a thought here,
If you have Emerson EWR20V5>the tv format its equipped for is NTSC (American eh) I bet you are trying to record tv that is in PAL format-not compatible. If you're most anyplace other than US-North AMerica, you'll find the tv signals arein PAL format I believe. Check www.lyngsat.com for the birds you are getting your tv from, and see what format they are showing for the system you watch.
HTH
charles

 

Me thinks you have hit the nail on the head. I kept thinking that it sounded like copyright protection but this would make sense. That would explain the b/w. I wonder if there is a converter or something.

 

Yep Im pretty sure thats it, after I google a while and found 'format'converters and multi-format recorders on sale. And, if he doesnt have a local-format TV (or a recorder that converts to his tv's format), he's still in the same boat!

 

didnt read the whole fourm but in my opinion Emerson products are pices of crap!!!

~Domreis

 

I finally got an answer back from Emerson. They said to buy a DVD recorder cleaner and try that. I picked one up at Wal-Mart for about $13.00 and tried it. It worked!! The machine now does not reject any disc (even the 4x) and formatts when necessary. I would recommend this approach to anyone who is having the same trouble I had. Now please allow me a follow-up question? I use only Maxell discs but have seen generic ("GQ [great quality]") discs on sale at Fry's electronics for $8.50 for 50 discs. Heck of a deal for a DVD-R disc (17 cents apiece). Has anyone had any good/bad results from these? Recommendations for us all?

 

Thanks for help. Ok let me see if I understand what everyone is saying.

Yes my TV is Pal system, not for sure if I can figure out what the DSTV satellite system is but probably PAL. The emerson is American or NTSC system. So they are not capitable in the record mode but are in the general watching mode? Is this correct?

So in order to record on a NTSC from a PAL system I would need a converter? What type and any idea the price or how to secure them?

What do you think would happen if I purchased a cheap local VHS PAL system recorder and recorded on it then dubbed them on the emerson to DVD? Sounds like a lot of work but I am over here with 100+ DVD -R disc

 

I dont think you'll have any luck dubbing from a PAL dvd recorder to a NTSC recorder, jungleman, still got a mismatch (unless you find a multi-format machine to dub from. That Emerson is NTSC only.) Long as you're playing back dvds or vhs tapes recorded in ntsc, you can watch just fine. Hit your search engine for alternative machines, I found one place called world-imports that advertised a bunch of them, but there are other sellers that offer multi-format recorders, and PAL-NTSC converters. Good luck!

 

Anilyb,

The only way DVD-RW 4x would work in your unit is if you bought one that was already upgraded from the factory.

The box your unit came in would have been labled or had a sticker on it to that fact.

No original unit that has not been upgraded with the upgrade disc would be able to record on a DVD-RW x4.

As for the GQ discs, 8.50 sounds good but I've heard horrible things about GQ discs. Stick with the Verbatim or Maxells.

Have you tried using 8x discs in your unit?

Seriously, check your box to see if it says you can use 8x discs. If so you don't even have to worry about finding 4x discs as the 8x's are found almost everywhere.

 

We have one of those DVD recorder works fine except you can't find any blank DVD to record on. The clerk at Walmart said this is discontinued item. so there for I guess I have a dinosaur. Back from Fred Flintstone days. If you are old enough to remember the 8 track players back in the late 1960's thru eairly 1970's what a hunk of junk. As a player it's fine but as a recorder not worth anything. I been to 7 stories around Dallas Texas looking for blank dvd that I can record on.. Bottom line I think I'll see about a new machine that will do everthing. Good luck if you have one

 

I'm sorry that you are having a bad experience but I have to say that mine does a very good job for me. I use Maxell's x8 most of the time and they work just fine. I can find these everywhere...Wal-Mart, Office Depot, Best Buy. If you don't have the upgrade from Emerson and all you can use is the x4 then call them and get it. You'll be glad you did.

Jesse

 

Thank you I didn't know about an upgrade I'll do that today. (Sunday) March 5, 2006 I'll let you know what happens.. Will called emerson and they said they would send me what I need to upgrade. That was last Sunday March 5, 2006. Will this is Friday March 10, 2006 and still waiting to hear from emerson. Maybe it's too soon. But I'll keep you posted on what happens... March 18, 2006 Got the updated DVD and it took 3 minutes to update my recorder. Thanks To all of your help. I didn't know that there was an update for my recorder. Thanks A Million For Your HELP

 

oldhommer all you need to do is order the update firmware disk from emerson, they'll mail it to you. I think you might be able to download it and burn it to a disk if you have another recorder, also. Or have somebody burn it for you. You dont have a dinosaur. This technology changes fast. My emerson has burned a ton of disks so far, long as you buy good quality disks (NOT MEMOREX) you'll be fine. I have the updated model '5', and Im burning with Verbatim 16X disks (though it only burns at its max speed which is 8x,Im sure) Good luck with the upgrade.
charles

 

Has anyone had a chance to check out the new Emerson with Hard Drive that Walmart has on their website. I haven't seen one in any of Walmart stores in my area.
Emerson EWH100F 80 GB HDD/DVD Recorder/VCR Combo

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4529488

Have a Good one

 

Hmmm......looks like a nice unit.

 

Hey just look at the spec's and it's a DVD +R/RW. What happen to the DVD -R compatible with my Emerson 104 recorder. Did they change?
Hope not!!

 

mistake..I have 2 Emerson "20V4" not 104V. The new one only plays DVD+R?

 

Wait, that lies, it only records on DVD-R, & DVD-RW. I've seen these for about a month in my local Walmart, & it says DVD-R, & DVD-RW, right on the box!

Here's my earlier announcement:http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/299147