Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder

• Combination DVD player/recorder with camcorder-ready DV (i.Link), component-video, composite-video, and S-video inputs
• Record from TV directly to DVD; up to 6 hours video recording per side (either DVD+R or DVD+RW)
• Progressive-scan output for seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Motion-compensated Noise Filter, Virtual Time Base Corrector (for better-than-original copies of old video tapes)
• Favorite Scene Selection simplifies editing of your home movies; VCR Plus+ simplifies timer programming

Ok, you probably read lots of other reviews by now, but here is a summary, of what you will get for your money. But first, keep two things in mind, when you read other 'low rating' reviews :

1. This DVD Recorder is by far one of the less expensive ones but what you get for your money is truly amazing.

2. In electronics, there are always 'lemons', but with Amazon's great customer service, it is very easy to exchange a unit, that does not work properly.

Ok, so here is what you get when you purchase this DVD recorder.

A DVD recorder that records on DVD+R and DVD+RW in amazing picture and sound quality. Depending on what quality level you choose, the picture is clearer than on a pre-recorded DVD or (on the lowest quality selection) as good as a VHS tape. The sound is truly amazing.

When you copy from DVC to your DVD recorder using the Firewire link, you might get some distortion when playing the recorded DVD on another player. But if you use S-Video and the highest quality setting (M1), then there is absolutely no difference between the original and the copy.

The reaction time of the DVD player is a bit slow, when you press a button. But once you get used to this, it really isn't a problem.

The DVD+RW discs do not need to be finalized in order to play them on another DVD player this is a huge advantage over the DVD-RW format. In general, DVD+R and DVD+RW is much more likely to be compatible to other DVD players than DVD-R and DVD-RW. DVD-ROM is really not a DVD format and is hardly ever compatible to another DVD player.

Even this DVD recorder does not have a hard disk, it is still cheaper, to buy this unit together with Tivo (the total will be about $ 600.--) than another DVD recorder with a hard drive. This way, you will get all the Tivo benefits and copying from Tivo to this unit is a breeze !

Operating this unit is extremely simple and it is very easy to organize your DVDs (titles, index pictures, chapters etc.).

The DVD player is excellent and supports the most recent sound systems. The picture quality is truly outstanding.

My verdict buy this unit ! It's a fact, that in 2 years from now, it will be as 'outdated' as the more expensive recorders that are out now but for the price, you really get your moneys worth ! And the DVD+R and DVD+RW discs that you record on this machine will still be 'top of the line', when it comes to picture and sound quality, in many years from now.

Buy Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder Now

Bought this June 4th, 2003

Earlier that day I also had purchased the Panasonic DMRE-50s. The Panasonic DVD-R / DvdRam unit is back at Circuit City.

I'm using the DVDR 75 as we speak.

There are a few things to like and some maybe not so.

1st of all, I love the format DVD+RW. The unnecessary task of finalizing the disk sells me. My first attempt was a few SpongeBob episodes. it went like this.

Inserted Philips DVD+RW disk into drive

Selected appropriate inputs and cable channel

Pressed Record

Pressed Stop

Split a few titles into separate episodes (very easy to do)

Edited the names

Assigned each title a custom image thumbnail (from a frame in the show) (Very easy to do)

clicked eject

took the disk to my daughters room and inserted disk in old DVD player

and prayed ..........

I was amazed. It took less than 20 seconds for the title screen (think DVD MENU) to show up.

All my little editing and naming and picture thumbnailing all perfectly intact!

One button got a selected title playing (daughter chose it from the picture)

There was no significant lapse for title to begin playing, NICE!

No formatting, No finalizing, No disappointed daughter, NO KIDDING

But, I did find a few disappointing features here:

There are no real helpful buttoms on the unit itself (Menu, Rec Mode,etc...)

So, if you lose the remote you'll need a new one

Component input was inviting, but it will not accept Progressive Scan?

So, my HDTV Cable Box is now a "Watch 1080i, Record 480i tuner" 1 star

I have used optical audio out for years, but welcomed the Coax Digital Out as it allowed me to get the recorder away from my receiver.

I Would've been 99% satisfied if this unit would record Progressive scan and if there were a few more facia buttons, but for the price I paid it's well worth it.

Honorary mention goes to the iLink (FireWire) front input

All things being equal, I like this far better than Panasonics DVD-R units. Despite the Panasonics having a few more unit placed features, it doesn't allow recording to a DVD-RW format besides RAM, and RAM to me is useless because I can't play it back on anything but the Panasonic units that record RAM.

DVD+RW is clearly the more user-friendly format and the Philips DVDR 75 handles it quite well

4.5 stars

Read Best Reviews of Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder Here

I think the Philips DVDR75 Recorder is wonderful. It is a welcome replacement to my VCR; this is my first DVD recorder (other than the one on my PC); I never owned the DVDR985. Connecting was truly easy. Cable provides my TV and all I did was physically replace the VCR and appropriate connections with this DVDR 75. [The cable signal goes from the wall directly into the cable box; from the cable box to the DVDR75; then from the DVDR75 to the TV]. Philips included a "DVD+RW" disc in the box (the unit is not designed for DVD-RAM or DVD-RW rewriteable discs) and that is what I have been using to learn how all this works. We recorded at the M1 quality (1 hour of recording) all the way up through the M6 (6 hours of recording). There is a noticeable difference between M1 and M6, but I assure you the M6 quality is far better than my deteriorating VCR. My next purchase is going to be the Sony KLV 30XBR900 30in LCD TV and I can't wait to see what happens then...

It is important when using the remote to WAIT after pressing a button or combination of buttons (like SYSYEM and then MENU) and to pay close attention to the message(s) on the unit as they are displayed. There is distinct processing time involved which needs to be respected (like on a computer, too much clicking too fast can cause immediate frustration)...

Want Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder Discount?

For $399, you just can't beat it!!!

Here are the positives:

Very easy to setup, was up and running in 10 minutes

Impressive image quality even at M6 (6 hours recording mode per DVD), the quality was better than my VCR's, and I mean, A LOT better!!!

For everyday recording, M6 is great. If you want to keep them and get great image quality, use M4 (4 hours per DVD) or better (noticeable difference between M6 and M4).

Great compatibility so far has played every DVD's I've put in there, including the ones I burned on my computer without a glitch. My other DVD players have played DVD's burned on this one without a glitch either.

Same on the timer record function has been flawless

They have a very cool feature that allow you to hide chapters within movies, so if you make the commercial break a chapter, you can then hide it so it doesn't play during playback.

Love the fact that it uses RW's as well (My first recorder could only use R's).

Now for the negative

A bit difficult to navigate It does get some getting used to. The buttons on the remote are labeled strangely for what they do. I.e. while playing a movie or recording, the system button will show on-screen display. I was looking for a button that said display, silly me.

Though the 'hide chapters' feature is great, I wish you could delete them and gain the time back again to record. At this time, if you 'hide' 20 minutes of commercials in an hour show, though the time spent watching it will only be 40 minutes, it will still use one hour of your disc.

A bit of a delay when you push a button on some features (about half a second), which has a tendency to make you feel it did not get it. Not with every buttons, just some. A little weird.

If recording something, if you press the stop button, image will freeze for about 5 to 10 seconds, while it writes. Make sure you press the pause button instead, if you don't want to miss what is playing on TV at the moment.

480i on Component as opposed to 1080i

So with those negatives, why did I rate it 5 Stars?

Simple Bang for Buck! This is $390! I can't expect it to do everything I want for that price, and the negatives are more things I wish it had or did a bit better, not things that are of major concerns as far as what it does. If I had paid $490 for it, I would have dropped it to 4 stars, but considering the price, this is simply a great unit that does what it says it does.

I highly recommend it! The only ones I saw that did more things better started at $699 (ones that include a HD).

As far as the few negative reviews I saw here, I think every company has some bad units out.

My recommendation?

Just like anything else you buy, if it doesn't work right from the beginning, return it and get another one. You probably have a bad unit. Make sure you buy from a company that has a 15-day return policy. If it works fine for the first 15 days, you should be fine, if it doesn't, return it and get another one. Especially it it's a major brand. One bad unit doesn't mean every unit made is bad.

Just my 2 cents. Hope this helps.

I checked to see if it does what it advertises and I found it does a good job. However, I found that an old movie I had on a DVD+RW did not play anymore in another DVD player after I played it on the DVDR 75.

There is not as much lapse time when changing from one channel to another as in the previous Philips model 985. However, the remote control is not a universal one as the one that comes with the latter. This means I have to have another remote control for the TV volume.

The worse flaw is that when it is on it gets very, very hot. It has a fan built in (a fairly noise one), but it is not enough. I don't think this is going to do much for the life of this model.

Philips customer service, although very cordial and prompt, is useless because it is such a new model that they can't help you on anything especific to this unit.