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Review on πŸ“€ Humax DRT800 DVD-R/RW Recorder and TiVo Series2 DVR Combo by Dustin Miller

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Extremely easy to use, picture quality not certain

I don't want to go through all the Tivo features but they really are amazing and not advertised at all. This Humax device has all of these features plus a DVD-RW drive that's perfectly integrated with the rest of the Tivo interface. Burning a DVD is as easy as inserting a disc into the drive and selecting what you want to transfer to DVD from the list. Each show has a percentage after its name indicating how much space the show will take up on the DVD, and the amount of space left on the disc is shown at the top of the screen. This or other Tivo-based DVD recorders have no editing features. When you select a show to copy to DVD, it will be copied in full. As long as the disc is lit, the unit can still record another show and play any show (except shows recorded on the disc). I'm not 100%. I'm sure I'll like the image quality on this device just as much as I did on the standalone Tivo. I think it's a bit different as the format it burns has to be compatible with DVD players (obviously), while the 'normal' Tivo format can be adjusted a bit. The remote is a slightly upgraded version of the standard "peanut" Tivo remote. . The thumbs up/down buttons have been made a bit smaller (makes sense) and a few things have been tweaked a bit to accommodate the new features of this device. Oh I think it's worth noting that ALL Tivo devices don't give as much recording time as they say on the box. This is an "80 hour" unit, which actually means 80 hours on a "basic" quality level, which is pretty bad (could be used for press releases, things like Charlie Rose, etc., but not enough for anything - not even with a lot of exercise). Above is the "medium" quality which gives about 55 hours of recording and that's pretty bad too. "High" quality delivers about 27 hours and is significantly better, as is "Best" with only 18 hours. Of course, you can set up different shows to use different qualities - mix and match on both disk and DVD, although you'll probably use 'High' for most shows. Pros: * GREAT interface for watching and recording TV shows. shows and to record them on TV. I am almost 100% sure there is nothing easier to use on the market. Unlike other DVD recorders or PVRs, this device (and Tivo devices in general) explains what's going on on your TV and what the different options mean in ENGLISH. ) and shows what percentage of the DVD has been burned when you burn it.* While you are burning a DVD, the device will continue to record any scheduled programs and you can watch any previously recorded programs. So the device can actually do three things at the same time, all without user effort: DVD recording, TV show recording and show playback. (Except you can't watch the show while it's on DVD). Cons: *This Humax, like *ALL* Tivo and ReplayTV devices, runs 24 hours a day. There is no true "off" or standby mode. While it's quiet, this can be an issue if you want to place it (or another Tivo/Replay device) in the bedroom. Player. I'm not even sure I like it as much as the Sony VCR I bought to replace. * The DVD-RW drive can use 4x DVD-RW media, but it only writes to it at about 1x speed. That means it takes just under an hour to burn a full disc. (But keep in mind that "high" quality will fit 2 hours on a DVD and it only takes >30 minutes to record a 1 hour show - "medium" quality will fit 4 hours and it takes about a bit less than 15 minutes for an hour show etc.). Also remember that while you're burning a DVD, you can keep using the device for almost anything (many competing products connect the device while burning a DVD).

Pros
  • Playback for DVD, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, A/V-CD
Cons
  • Cable is shorter than other options