GoVideo DVR5000 DVD-VCR Combo

• Play DVDs, audio CDs, MP3-encoded CD-ROMs, or VHS tapes
• Watch a DVD while recording a TV show to the VCR
• Joystick remote with glow-in-the-dark keys controls both DVD and VCR decks as well as your cable box
• Dolby Digital decoding, DTS output, and choice of optical or coaxial digital audio outputs
• Will copy only non-Macrovision-protected DVDs to VHS

This is a nice combination...just don't know what to do with my fairly new VCR now...that has so far performed wonderfully.

I recieved my GO-Video player for Christmas and it is my first DVD player but so far I have not been disappointed, with the one exception of the player to skip on occassion but this is fairly infrequent so it has not really hampered my viewing pleasure. The setup was quite easy as the console basically sets itself up from the info on your TV and the instruction manual is laid out quite nicely if you need to make any changes yourself. The button configuration on the player itself is laid out nicely as well and is not cluttering or confusing. Operation of the DVD player is smooth and quiet.

As for the VCR side it performs just as well and is just as quiet and smooth as its DVD counter-part. The operation of the console from the remote control is easy to figure out and the button configuration is well organized and also giving you the freedom to use as your TV remote. I usually have trouble with console remote controls as they are generally too small for my hands but not so with this remote. Button size and spacing makes it easy to operate for us big handed people.

Overall this is a great system and while not as sleek as a normal DVD player, it is a dual system afterall, it has a great design and looks quite nice (alot better than its older dual-VCR siblings of yester-year). However for its price there are a lot better DVD players I am sure you can get BUT if you are replacing a VCR or have a lot of VHS tapes and wanting to step up to a DVD system without getting rid of all your old VHS tapes then this is the system for you.

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The DVR5000 is a great idea that is also well executed. At first I was skeptical that the idea of a combination DVD/VCR would result in a good product. Not so with this system, both units are very nice. First, the DVD supports just about everything you'd want in a decent quality player (Dolby Digital output/decoding, S-Video outputs, etc) as well as some nice "extra" features such as the MP3 CD support. The VCR side of the box also supports everything you'd expect out of a VCR these days.

Hooking up the unit is pretty simple and the instruction book does a good job of guiding you through just about any configuration.

Using the unit is also pretty easy. Controls for both units share the same remote, and in many cases the same set of buttons on the remote. Usage of the remote is generally intuitive. The only downside is in the on screen menus. While they are pretty easy to navigate, some menus aren't accessible at certain times (for example, the DVD setup menu is not accessible while a DVD is playing). Neither the menus nor the instruction book give any explanation behind this -you kind of get the hang of it as you use the machine. Finally, if you are using the S-Video output for the DVD player you'll find that the on screen menus are not viewable via this output. To see the menus you'll have to switch your TV to the VCR input. The documentation is actually very clear about this, but it is annoying nonetheless.

My only other concern is about Go-Video's customer service. I sent them an email via their website and never received a response. It wasn't a major issue so I haven't pursued it any further, but it makes me worry about the overall quality of their support.

Overall I recommend this box. It combines two great units into one space saving, high quality device.

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I work on DVD players.. actually I diagnose the problem, inform the owner and then dispose of them. Virtually every DVD player under $1000 has a disposable brush type spindle motor which will often fail after about 1500-2000 hours disk spin time. These motors are not replaceable. The machines are designed to last typically 2-3 years before replacement.

The DVR5000 has a digital brushless spindle motor. A motor not found in DVD players unless you purchase a Pioneer DVD-V7400 $1400 Industrial rack mount machine. What gives the DVD-V7400 reliability is the brushless motor... the near identical motor found in the DVR5000.

The DVD spindle mechanism...the most critical part of any DVD player... contained within the DVR5000 will probably outlast the DVD format altogether. Meanwhile, you will go through 4-6 Toshiba or Pioneer machines in the same timespan.

Unfortunately, the DVR5000 has too much stuff crammed into too small of a space. The power supply is almost three times the size of a standard DVD player.. and likewise generates 3 times as much heat. The VHS deck takes it share of power as does the high torque DVD brushless motor.

Go-Video made a mistake of not allowing sufficient ventilation of the chassis AND the inclusion of a forced air cooling system (a fan). They also placed the DVD decoder board directly above the power supply. When things heat up, electrical alignments of the decoder board drift, laser output diminishes and then the DVD stutters.

I installed a cooling fan tapped off of the power supply. The fan turns on automatically when the unit is on.

Since the fan installation, all skipping problems have gone away. The machine runs cool inside, the laser now tracks properly. FYI, DVD lasers are very senstive to heat; their output drops significantly with rise in temperature.

It is very unfortunate that this overheating issue was overlooked by the engineers. Otherwise this could have been a flawless and easily the most successful and reliable machines on the market.

I give the machine a 5 rating despite the temperature problem due to the exceptional quality and longevity incorporated into the DVD mechanism. Truely independent thought from an independent company from the disposable thought of this day and age.

The DVR5000 WAS NOT designed to have a 2 year lifespan like the "quality name brand" consumer grade equipment. Looking at the componentry and exceptional construction of the DVR5000 machine, it was designed to have a trouble free 10 year lifespan.

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I've had my DVR5000 for about a week. It is very simple to use and setup. If you have countless VHS tapes and want to enjoy the new DVD medium without a messy look, this is the unit you should get. All the connections are included for whatever type of system you have, even component hookups are included. My unit seems to work flawlessy and having the ability to switch between DVD, VHS and TV internally is a big plus. One feature I really like is the Zoom control (2x and 4x) not found on many DVD's out there. Sensory Science is a relatively small company but seem's to take pride in the products they sell and with the DVR5000 you get the best of both worlds..

I held out on purchasing this product because I'd never heard of Go-Video. I did a lot of research and couldn't find anything negative about the product. So several months later, I purchased it.

The first nice thing is the space saved by combining the VCR and DVD into one unit. Then, there's the ease of connecting to your TV and stereo. With my other VCR & DVD player, I have to use a lot of Y (F/F-->M) merge cable sections in order to have the VCR and TV go through the stereo/TV. ... With this, the unit handles the switching between DVD/TV/VCR at the touch of a button.

Another nice feature of the DVD part of the unit is it remembers where you stopped a DVD. So even if you turn the unit off for the night, the next day you can turn it back on, switch to DVD and hit play to pick up the movie right where you left off. My JVC player won't do this!

The VCR side provides a clean picture and it even shows a graphic bar for tracking purposes (while in auto-track or manual-track). I found this helpful for recordings I have kept off an old VCR but now play on the new one. Another "kewl" feature on the VCR side is the status bar when rewinding/fast-forwarding tape. And when it comes to rewinding/fast-forwarding, it does it rapidly! It actually can rewind faster than my stand-alone tape-rewind machine!

The unit WILL play MP3 CD's but make sure you have better CD burning software and use better quality disk. At first the unit refused to play my MP3 CD's but once I upgraded my software, the new CD's played perfectly!

Bottom line, I am glad I made this purchase! In fact, I bought a 2nd unit!