DVD Recorder with DishHD

[bowens]

I'm in need of a new DVD player and was thinking about getting a recorder. I have a 211 right now but I don't really want to pay $100 for a 622 and then $5 a month on top of that plus buy another DVD player anyway. This is the one I was looking at. I just happened to see it when I was in Walmart the other day. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5358642 I know I won't be able to record in HD but will it still record widescreen from the HD channels? It also does HD upconversion so this should make the picture look a little better. I just hope the picture doesn't lose much between downconversion and upconversion. You can't rewind while watching live tv with a DVD recorder right? I really just want to use it to record programs while I'm not home. Could I use it with the timers on the 211 like with a VCR? I was planning on getting DVD-RW so I could use them over and over. They had a pack of 15 for about $10. What do you guys think?

Thanks,

Brent

Edit: One more question. I had seen on some Upconverting DVD players that the unconversion only works with the HDMI output, but I just read a user review on cnet that said this one works with HDMI or component. Could this be right?

Edit #2: I'm looking at the manual on the rca website and it is talking about watching satellite through the DVD player. Hook the satellite up to the dvd player with composite cables and then dvd recorder to the TV with HDMI. If I did this would the recorder also upconvert the SD signal that I send through it like it would a dvd? That would be great!

 

[bowens]

Anybody? Nobody has ever used a DVD recorder with a Dish receiver?

 

[Poke]

Well I will be able to tell you in the next day or so I should get my Sony DVD Recorder in this Friday. Will have it hooked up to my 211 will let you know how it goes.

 

[bowens]

Sweet thanks. Either post it here or send me a PM.

 

[LER]

I use a LG DVD/VCR (SD) recorder with my ViP-622's 2nd output with no trouble at all.

I just run RCA's between them, and from the DVD-Recorder back to another input on the below mentioned Toshiba.

 

[bgsmallwood]

I bought this DVD recorder myself. Of course, when I bought it the price was a still reasonable $139. It is a fairly good recorder although I had to take the first one I bough back because it kept locking up. I bought it because I wanted the HDMI and because it has a builtin DivX decoder so I can download DivX content from the internet, burn it to DVD-RW, and then play it on the TV.
I think the upconvert only works on HDMI but it doesn't look much different than using the component connections anyway and letting my TV do the scaling.

 

[downriver]

I use an upconverting Sony DVD player with my 942, It upconverts ONLY with an HDMI connection. I record to a Panasonic which I have set to default to 16:9.

I am pleased with the Sony DVD player which was only about $120. It does a real good job with the DVD's recorded on the Panasonic.

 

[Poke]

Yeah the Sony I order is the RDRGX330 it ran around $140.

 

[Squiglee]

FYI, I have a Samsung DVD-HD850 DVD player that is supposed to only upconvert thru the HDMI port. But there are widely known hacks that will allow the unit to upconvert thru component. Just do a search on that unit AND upconvert and you will find forums discussing the series of actions (pushing buttons on the remote) necessary to unlock that capability.

 

[bowens]

Well, I picked up this recorder last night. I hooked it up to my 211 via s-video and to my tv via component. It came with an HDMI cable but I have DVI on my tv so I have to get an adapter. I set up a timer to record American Idol and it worked perfectly. I especially like the Advance (commercial skip) button during playback. I didn't have a chance to play a regular DVD on it yet but hopefully I'll try that tonight. As someone mentioned, I am looking for a way to unlock the "upconversion through component." If I can find how to do this I'll let you know. That would be great so I could save an extra $15 or so.

 

[bowens]

I was wondering if it is possible for the 211 to control a DVD recorder like it does a VCR. I would like to be able to set up a timer on the receiver and have it automatically start the dvd recorder. Is this possible?

 

[bgsmallwood]

I was wondering if it is possible for the 211 to control a DVD recorder like it does a VCR. I would like to be able to set up a timer on the receiver and have it automatically start the dvd recorder. Is this possible?

The Vip211 doesn't have an IR blaster to do this. I wish it did.

 

[bowens]

The Vip211 doesn't have an IR blaster to do this. I wish it did.

Are you sure? It has the VCR set up. I don't have a VCR in that room so I wasn't able to test it but the ability is there.

 

[JimK2]

http://tinyurl.com/ytxehb

 

[bgsmallwood]

OMG, you are correct. The manual says there is a front panel IR blaster in the 211 that can bounce the IR signal off of ceilings and walls to turn the "VCR" on and start recording.

I used code 528 for this particular RCA recorder and it does work. I created timer for Hogans Heros and it changed channels and started recording on the DVD recorder. This is going to be very useful.

 

[bowens]

Cool, thanks. I'll try it at lunch. You have this same model DVD Recorder?

 

[bgsmallwood]

Yes, I have the same RCA recorder. I bought it at Walmart before they went on sale for $99.

I am very happy to know that I can use the timers with this recorder.

 

[bowens]

Good. I tried it yesterday but I think I used the codes from the 311 User Guide. I don't remember 528 being in there. I will try that at lunch. I hope this works. It's kind of a pain to have to set 2 timers to record a program.

 

[howie14]

I'm not very confident in the blaster. I've been using it with a VCR-my DVD recorder is in another room at this time-and it has failed to turn the recording off at times. That's not as big a deal with DVD or HDD, but it's potentially a disaster with VHS.

 

[bowens]

Sweet, code 528 worked. I've used the blaster with my 311 and a VCR quite a bit but we'll see how well it works with the DVD recorder. Thanks for all the help. I've also got a DVI to HDMI adapter on the way. I bought it off of eBay for less than $5 shipped. Hopefully there will be a pretty good improvement in picture quality once I hook it up that way.