RCA DRC8300N DVD Player/Recorder and VCR Combo

• Combination DVD player/recorder and VCR; offers DVD+R/DVD+RW recording, 1-touch copying from VHS to DVD, and progressive-scan DVD output
• Smart Record automatically adjusts the recording mode to fit recorded contents on the available disc space
• Record from your TV, camcorder, or other devices; uses MPEG2 video encoding and MP3 audio encoding
• Disc Library stores a database of titles (up to 400) recorded on the unit, making it easy to access previously recorded programs
• Up to 8 hours recording per single-sided 4.7 GB DVD, six recording modes

In my orignal review I was in love with this unit. Last week however the unit started freezing up while recording. I would unplug the unit and reset it and it would work fine and then for some reason it would lock up again. Finally, it locked up completely just because I tried to open the dvd door while in the TV mode. Not a good sign. I am returning the unit. May look at the new Sony combo.

Original review below:

I could not imagine a more straightforward way to record from VHS, Satelite or even your camcorder. I use the one remote to operate everything, including my TV, Direct TV and of course the DVD/VCR. So far it plays my home made and purchased DVD's as well as my photo cd's. And it has recorded wonderfully from my Direct TV. I am using S-video cables for my connections so the picture is clear and bright. My only regret is that I can not plug in my digital camcorder using a firewire port and will have to rely on S-Video only.

The manual is clear and concise and the onscreen menu is a breeze. I was up and running in about an hour and that was only because my unit was in an entertainment cabinet which does not make things easy to connect.

It is funny to me how these reviews can vary so much from one reviewer to the next. I would recommend this to even the most electronically handicapped. You are guided every step of the way by the manual, or by the onscreen instructions.

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A dvd recorder is a great idea and I would like to say this RCA is a great recorder but the truth is somewhat different. I purchased mine from a local dealer about a month ago. It records fine, the picture is great and the vcr in the same unit is handy. Now for the bad news. After the disk is recorded it needs to be finalized to be able to play in other dvd players. I am experiencing a failure rate as high as 3 out of 4. This is a big waste of time, and disks, as I have to try, try again and hope for the best. My dealer tried to help me but didn't have much experience with the dvd recorders. RCA is no help! Their website is a disaster and out of date, it doesn't even list this model and they have been selling them since June. They doesn't have a 800 number for contact and as for emailing them remember keep the message short. They don't give you room to explain the problem. If I knew then what I know now I would have researched a lot more brands and would probably brought something else. BUYER BEWARE.

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This will teach me to read the amazon.com reviews before buying anything. This unit refuses to read discs (commercial and handmade) literally nine times out of ten. I am a West Wing addict like one of the previous reviewers; I bought this because my old DVD player didn't want to read my West Wing DVDs and I figured it was time for an upgrade. I also test-drove it with The Ten Commandments and several other discs that I know for a fact are the right format and in good working order. Repeatedly, they digitized and froze up.

Using the DVD-RW disc that comes with the unit, I made a test recording last night by transferring a couple hours' worth of material from a homebrewed VHS tape. It played back fine; imagine my surprise tonight when I put the disc in and was first told there was a "disc problem", then that it was formatting the disc and erasing everything I'd put on it the previous day! Imagine if that had been something irreplaceable instead of a mere test recording.

I haven't even gotten started. I'm fairly tech-savvy and I do not expect to be spoonfed; however, I do insist that things work with a minimum of fuss. That there is no one-touch record feature for making DVD-R recordings straight from television, I can (sort of) understand; you have to take time to program in how long you want the recording to be, at what speed, &c., &c., &c. Maybe this is normal for DVDs. But you also have to do this for the VHS, because on this unit, everything is run from the menu. You can't just sit there watching television and make spontaneous, impromptu recordings (say, of historical moments such as a major newsflash) in which you decide where a recording begins and ends. You are not in control.

Did I mention the freezes? I've lost track; enough, perhaps, to start a new ice age. Take the disc out, wipe it carefully, put it back in, and after a bit of stammering the screen turns a gorgeous shade of green. Pull out the plug, put it back in, how many times do I have to do this? Fortunately, I still have my receipt.

Please, save your money and buy something that works.

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I have to concur with the above review of this product while it does have many, many connection options the risks far out weight the benefits I too am returning this item.

I did not even have it out of the box for a day and already one of my disc for the second season of The West Wing failed during

playback I decide after that experience that it was not worth taking the risk of trying out a dvd recording or vise versa.

Take my advise if you are looking for good dvd recorder/ vcr combo do your research and buy a brand that is reliable and performs well no matter what types of disc you are using whether they be pre-recorded dvds or blank dvd+ r disc I have learned my lesson with this unit.

I bought this DVD VCR combo recently to convert my old VHS tapes to DVD. The VCR part of this combo does not work too well. The quality of VCR play back of old tapes (10/15 years) is poor. However, the same old tapes play quite well in another stand alone old RCA VCR. So I am using my old VCR to play the old tapes and using the DVD part of the combo to record it. The manual is neither well written nor well organized. RCA could do a lot better job than that.