Toshiba RDXV48 - 160Gb Hard Drive DVD Recorder & VHS Combi With Freeview
from Toshiba
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Customer Rating: 
Model No: RDXV48DT
Release Date: 15/05/2008
Availability: dispatched within 1 to 2 months
Index: Digital & Electronics
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Digital Box Price: £199.99
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Product Description This model combines VHS, DVD & a 160GB Hard Disk Drive Recoding & Playback! All this with a Analogue & Digital Tuner Too!
Easy to use DVD VCR combi  Sent: 04 January 2009
Excellent value for money and easy to use. Would recommend this Toshiba to anybody.
Good but technical & a bit slow to respond. Sent: 21 December 2008
I bought one of these as a Christmas present for my father, but with 55 buttons on the remote control and very small text, it proved nearly impossible for him to use (he's 91). Subsequently I had to buy him the Panasonic DMR-EZ28EB-K- Multi Format DVD Recorder With 1080P Up-Conversion & Freeview - Black which has larger buttons and not as many, plus a supply of Panasonic 3x speed, 4.7GB, 10 pack DVD-RAM Disc as it has no HDD. I am now using the Toshiba.
The Freeview is good, although there is only one tuner. I have the outside aerial plugged into a Grundig GUSTB160IV (no longer available as they are a bit temperamental), which has two tuners, Freeview and a hard disc and from there to the Toshiba. This way I can record everything I want to watch on the Grundig and everything I want to transfer to DVD on the Toshiba. I can also watch another channel on the Grundig while the Toshiba is recording, because with only one tuner on the Toshiba you have to watch what it is recording or watch something it has recorded earlier.
The Freeview EPG is a small box in the middle two thirds of the screen and in extended mode will only show six channels, although it will show eight days worth. It's easy to set the programmes to record; just highlight the program, press OK, press OK again, press return. It sometimes cuts off the first minute of the program if it starts slightly early; I cannot find anything in the manual to change this. You cannot access the EPG if it is recording something.
I am mostly happy with the hard disc, as it records programmes without any of them breaking up or pixelating. When going to the menu showing the recordings, it highlights the first one and starts playing them, with sound, in their own little box; this can be a little bit irritating and makes them slow to more across to find the one you want to play. When zooming through the adverts, it sometimes does not respond to the first press of the play button and carries on zooming through the programme, causing one to have to zoom back.
When playing DVD's I find it to be as good as any other player although it does not seem to be multiregion. I have yet to try recording onto DVD as there have not been any films on TV I want to keep and I'm not too sure which discs to use - the manual is a bit obscure. I may update this review after Christmas.
The video part is okay and has both auto and manual tracking, although if your tapes are old there will still be a lot of interference (there is on mine). I would imagine its main use would be to copy onto video something you have recorded from the TV or want to transfer from DVD. I think if I wanted something on video to be on DVD, I would buy the DVD and throw the old video cassette away.
I have found that if you leave a pre-recorded DVD in the tray and switch it off, the next time you switch it on to watch something you have recorded on the HDD, the DVD will start up and you will need to stop it and then switch over to HDD.
Another thing that annoys me and which has been mentioned by other reviewers, it the cooling fan. It is the same noise as a PC cooling fan and it is always on, even when the unit is on standby. I bought an enclosed TV stand with glass doors and I can still hear it. Do not buy this if you are going to have it in a bedroom, you will never sleep.
Unless you really want a video player for copying to, I would recommend the Panasonic DMR-EX768EBK Freeview+ 160GB Hard Drive DVD Recorder 1080P Up-Conversion - Black, which is similar to the one my father has now but also includes a hard disc.
Excellent Product Sent: 11 December 2008
Arrived within 48 hours, excellent service from Amazon.
Took a while working through the instructions to set up with a second DVD recorder and my Sony surround sound system but what excellent results.
Can hardly believe the quality at such a bargain price.
Thank you Amazon and Toshiba.
Great multi purpose machine. Sent: 06 December 2008
I was in the market for a good solid all round machine that featured-
-A VCR
-DVD Recorder
-Hard Disk Drive akin to a Sky + box
-Freeview DVB
Backing up old VHS tapes was a must for me,and after a few simular machines failing on me
( Older DVD recorders seem to have high fail rate
and tend to break down) i took the plunge and ordered this model.
As of yet i have not given it a extensive playtest but from the strength
of the onboard Freeview mode i was pleasantly surprised of the signal strength i recieved via a normal INDOOR aerial! On a good day most of the channels are interference free and i did not need to change position of the aerial.Ch5?? Ah well...i have Sky for that station anyway :)
I havent sought out a region free code or macrovision bypass code as of yet,but from my experiance Toshiba machines are difficult to make region free,if it is possible at all.
I am pleased with this machine,it does exactly what i wanted it too do.
One Cable Connection?  Sent: 02 December 2008
Found that you require more than the HDMI lead to connect to the TV. If you require VHS playback you must also use a SCART lead. The blurb says that the device is REGZA compatible, well it's not.
I have spoken with Toshiba technical support and they have confirmed both these points and indicated that their Website is technically wrong.
The box has a big footprint, so beware of it hanging over the front of shelf.
The box Front Panel display is set way back. If you place the unit on the lowest shelf you may have to get on your knees to read the time:)
Toshiba RDXV48 - 160Gb Hard Drive DVD Recorder & VHS Combi With Freeview
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Associated digital product categories: Home Entertainment Hardware, PVR, Toshiba,DVD Recorder,DVD,HDD,VHS, 3in1, HDD/DVD/VHS,160gb Hard Drive, Freeview, RDXV,RDXV48,48,RDXV48DT,48DT,DT |
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