I should probably start by mentioning that my first HDD DVR (which I still own and use regularly) is a Pioneer DVR-533H-S (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DVR-533H-S-Design-Recorder-Drive/dp/B000AHSTMY). That being the case, my expectations may have been a little too high, comparing a lofty Pioneer to a lowly Magnavox. Please bear that in mind as you read this review. I'm also a software developer and a gadget geek, so I'm comfortable around electronics.When our local TV stations began broadcasting digital channels, my trusty analog Pioneer DVR began to lose it's usefulness; I could still record digital channels when filtered through a converter box, but I could no longer "set and forget" my recordings, since the channel had to be changed at the converter box. So began my search for a new DVR with a digital tuner.
I found this product (the Magnavox H2080MW8) on clearance at Walmart for around $80 in May 2008; they had two left, so my dad and I each grabbed one. Since that day, I have yet to see another HDD DVR at Walmart.
Anyway, I got the DVR home and immediately began noticing how minimalist this DVR is compared to my Pioneer. The on-screen interface is more reminiscent of a VCR than a DVR, and navigation is extremely non-intuitive. Almost every button on the remote is identical, a series of TINY squares specifically designed to make use in the dark impossible.
Learning to burn discs on this machine should be worth some college credits. Whereas the Pioneer offered a simple (yet extremely customizable) wizard for burning DVDs, this DVR requires the user to know enough on his/her own to make certain settings to the machine in one menu, navigate to another menu to burn, close out of all menus, then navigate to another menu to finalize! Otherwise, you've wasted a disc and a load of time, and you have to do it all over again. Extremely user-hostile, if you ask me.
All of the aforementioned flaws (and more, believe me) were annoyances to me, but I figured that I could live with them so long as the trade-off included me getting to watch, edit, and burn my digital programming. Recently, however, the hard disk in my DVR has been acting up. Days-old recordings become garbled, minutes at a time are corrupted beyond playability, and I've even had portions of one recording show up in another during playback. To me, these are all symptoms of a sick hard disk, one in need of optimization and defragmentation. My Pioneer has a function that allows me to optimize and deframent the disk, as should ANY device that utilizes a hard disk drive; no disk drive can survive a long period of time without being maintained. Alas, Magnavox scrimped on this functionality, which basically makes their hard disks ticking time bombs.
I've owned this DVR for 9 months, and the HDD recording is already becoming useless; without HDD recording, this is just a crappy DVD player. I'm currently in contact with the manufacturer with "high hopes" of getting an exchange unit, but I don't expect the new one to live longer than a year; after that, I suppose I'll try to remove the hard disk and defragment it myself.
A word to the wise: if you have the opportunity to buy a Magnavox H2080MW8, run like hell in the opposite direction.
----------------UPDATE 4/6/2009----------------
I received an exchange unit from the manufacturer (Funai, by the way; NOT Magnavox, as the label states), and I had to get that one replaced, as well; it arrived with a completely non-functioning tuner (neither analog nor digital). The third unit arrived with a DVD tray that refused to open; looks like it will be going back as well.
As it turns out, all of Funai's exchange units are refurbished, which apparently means that they just re-shelve faulty units until someone demands a replacement, then they mail them out to the new owners; it's kind of a fun "grab bag" deal where you get to play detective and figure out what specific problem YOUR unit was suffering from before they sent it to you. As long as they want to continue paying to ship DVRs back and forth to me, I'll keep swapping out my DVR until I finally get one that works.
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Loved this unit until the tuner went out, and then the HDD went out. Now all I have is a dvd player, and it is a little iffy as well. Owned it for 3 years.Read Best Reviews of Magnavox H2080MW8 HDD & DVD Recorder - REFURBISHED Here
I have recorded,erased,transfered over & over to DVD's much from dvr. and vice versa. Many hundreds of hours since purchased.I also from time to time use to record from wireless camera when away. Ive recorded over a week and after knowing all ok I then erased. Just a great piece of equipement. I plan on buy one for my other TV. I'm sure the 1TB will even be better with more storage capability.
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I bought this for $80 at Walmart in 2008 when I moved and decided not to take cable with me. This worked great for about 7 months until I did get cable and then it sat for a few years. I got it back out when I started traveling for work and took it with me. It was stored properly when not in use and I have transported it from city to city in its original packaging. I made sure it was protected from any damage. When I plugged it back in last year I noticed the DVD player wouldn't work. And now, a small power outage has fried it and it has ALWAYS been on a really nice surge protector. This computer I'm typing on, my apple tv, my modem and my tv are all on this surge protector and fine after this power outage, but the darn DVR will not turn on. Spend your money on something that will last. If that's even possible anymore.Update: after asking a tech savvy friend where to go to get a new one, he insisted on looking at it. He took the top off and inside there is a reset button. It says reset button on the board. He pressed it and the power came back. Why do you have to take it apart to reset it?! I almost wasted a machine and more money. Lesson: don't be afraid to take things apart.
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