Toshiba RD-XS35SU

[mwdxer1]

I guess my question belongs here. I recently ordered a reconditioned Toshiba RD-XS35SU DVD recorder with an HDD. My FTA Big Dish system, the receiver the Pansat 9500, the timer does not work to record. The recorder works, when I click on it, but the timer doesn't. So I decided I would try and find a Toshiba DVD Recorder with the HDD. I have several Toshiba DVD recorders I have had for years, and they all work well. They have been used a lot through the years going back to 2004. Anyway, I have read the DVD burner in the unit only handles -R discs. I thought that odd as all of my other Toshiba DVD recorders handles both + & -. I have also heard that burner can be picky on discs. I was thinking, why not by pass the the DVD burner and go directly from the recorded material on the HDD to the stand alone DVD recorder. The manual looks like the unit has the V/A in as well as V/A out, so I should be able to go from one unit to the other. The stuff I am recording is 480' as best anyway. Does anyone have experience with the RD-XS35SU? Thanks.

 

[harshness]

Sounds like you did your research after you purchased. Is there some reason that you favor DVD+R over DVD-R? A quick survey on Amazon suggests that the DVD-R discs are generally less expensive.

I don't have any insights on that Toshiba model but it was released in 2006 while the recording format battle was raging. DVD-R was introduced in 1997 by Pioneer, Toshiba and Mitsubishi and DVD+R was introduced in 2002 by Sony, Yamaha and Philips). Units that did both formats probably came later.

Re-recording is always a losing proposition in the analog domain. Every (de)generation takes its toll on the content by compounding lossy compression and using a composite video connection in between takes its own bite out of the quality.

 

[mwdxer1]

Having only a Toshiba 32" 720p TV set, pq is not all that big of a deal. I guess if I record directly to the HDD and then run the HDD over to my other Toshiba DVD recorder, would there be any difference in the loss, as even with the Toshiba with the HDD, going to the disc, would still be analog? I can try it both ways. I have read the burners in the those HDD recorders never seemed to last long and they are a devil to get a new one that is compatible. On the other hand, the HDD in the Toshiba is fairly easy to get a replacement if needed. I mainly am buying the Toshiba for the HDD. I can always run the output out to an other Toshiba to copy the material. I have 5 Toshiba DVD recorders. I picked up a couple at Goodwill for very little. These have run for years and heavy use at times. I have been very impressed to the longevity of these Toshiba units. Made in 2004-2007 and they still work well. I bought the extra ones as if one died, I would easily replace it as I knew they were not going to be sold forever.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[harshness]

I've not seen many 160GB PATA hard drives advertised lately but I guess that depends on the crowd that you run with.

Panasonic made some very good DVD recorders and they didn't die young. I have a Toshiba (no HDD) myself but it is really more trouble than it is worth as compared to capturing on a computer.

The big issue that many don't know about is that the better the source, not only the better the end product but the smaller the files are. Fuzzy pictures don't compress nearly as well as pristine images and every generation of compression results in files that are much larger -- possibly exponentially.

At this point I'd imagine that the people that do this all the time would recommend upgrading to one of the inexpensive satellite DVRs and dismiss the analog aspect altogether. I'm betting they're not much more money than a couple of DVD recorders. The answer to the question isn't always doing things the 'round-about way.

 

[dfergie]

I had a panasonic dvd recorder back in the day that did RAM discs also, was happy with until I got into Replay dvr's(before HD), it got smoked in the fire.

 

[mwdxer1]

Thanks again for the replies. My Dish receiver has an outboard 1tb HDD, the OTA Fire ReCast has a 500GB HDD. The only unit I have without a working HDD in the Pansat 9500 FTA Dish receiver. I can plug in about anything up to 3tb, but I have never gotten the timer to work. Since Decades channel is not offered OTA or on Dish here. The Portland station KOIN dropped it for Bounce, I have fired up my old big dish and I get Decades well. But no DVR function with a working timer. The only reason I got the Toshiba HDD. The old stuff I watch is in 480i anyway.
I have used two different Toshiba stand alone DVD recorders. The first one I bought from Costco about 2004-2005 and to this day it works perfectly. A few years ago I found a Toshiba 410 and it works equally as well. I also have one new Toshiba Dual Deck and an other used one.
I have always had good luck with Toshiba equipment since I quit buying Pioneer after their DVD Recorders were made in China. They were junk. The older ones made in Japan were great.
I thought of buying a new FTA Satellite receiver with a working timer, but I figure with the Toshiba the HDD has v/a in and out, so I could use it for nearly any source. Trying to find a stand alone HDD that I can record from any source I guess does not exist. I have looked for one, no luck, so the DVD Recorder idea should do the trick. At least I hope so.
I think I can install up to 250GB PATA and the unit will only use 160GB, but I read it will work. There are a few around in the $50 range, so I may get one as a backup.

 

[waylew]

Still using my ReplayTVs,one for DISH and the other for OTA.The 480p component output looks just fine for me on the 46"Sony.Also have an internal drive in the AZbox Ultra and an external drive on the Freesat V7.
I don't bother with the guides (Wirns) on the Replays,just manual timers.Thru Wirns,using LaHo (last hope) you can still get the clock set and "authorized"at no charge.And it doesn't matter if the box had lifetime or not,they all work now.

 

[harshness]

Unless Decades is using crummy prints, I'd imagine there is much to lose. MeTV's renderings of Hogan's Heros is just short of spectacular. Composite is functional (just as lifeboats are functional) but I know there's a better way given the technology that has come along in the new millennium. There's an added bonus in that it comes in forms that can be much more easily archived.

Paying $50-60 and only getting 160GB of storage (consumed at a faster rate by MPEG2 compression) is a travesty.

Then again, it is a known quantity and you don't need to get your head around a 21st century solution.

 

[Foxbat]

Remember when HDNet had "Hogan's Heroes"? I was amazed at how good that show looked, and to really date myself, I loved watching the old "UFO" on Zoom, since they were using 35mm prints run through an HD telecine.

 

[harshness]

Remember when HDNet had "Hogan's Heroes"?

Now that you mention it, this was one of the first modern transfers I saw. Later there was a 16:9 transfer of Charlie's Angels.

 

[mwdxer1]

Unless Decades is using crummy prints, I'd imagine there is much to lose. MeTV's renderings of Hogan's Heros is just short of spectacular. Composite is functional (just as lifeboats are functional) but I know there's a better way given the technology that has come along in the new millennium. There's an added bonus in that it comes in forms that can be much more easily archived.

Paying $50-60 and only getting 160GB of storage (consumed at a faster rate by MPEG2 compression) is a travesty.

Then again, it is a known quantity and you don't need to get your head around a 21st century solution.

There is little choice as Decades is not available here OTA and is not available on Dish or Direct or cable or streaming . Only my big dish. Decades feed off SES1 is only in SD also. But I mainly want the HDD then on to record to DVD, via the timer. The Pansat 9500 FTA receiver, I have never gotten the timer to work. It will record by hitting the record button to about any HDD I want. I am currently using a 128 GB stick.
Unless I buy a new satellite receiver I can get the timer to work, I am pretty stuck with my options.
Dish network has several diginets, METV, Grit, Buzzr, Bounce, Laff, Get TV, all in SD. METV is available OTA in 720 p though.
Decades is one rare channel to find unless I lived in the large market like LA, which has it OTA, as the majority of diginets are available there.
I guess I can record on the Toshiba HDD at the best pq and then dub that to the DVD. That would probably be my best option. At least I will have access to Decades that way.
I know it is really monkey-fiddling around, but I am a guy (71) that grew up with B&W TV. Even my old Beta VCR gave me 250p. I even watch a lot of old public domain stuff off You tube. Sure I like the best pq, if I can get it. But I would rather have access to it in any decent form, even in SD. Hey, 480i....I would have loved to have had that OTA in the 50s & 60s. Many places I lived (rural) had no local OTA TV, so we watched a lot of snow.... I guess I am not as picky as most people are.
By the way, We recently tried to stream SD on my sons play station to see what it would look like. I think the show was "Family Guy" He has a 42" 4K TV. It was downright horrible. Artifacts-city. It wasn't even watchable.

 

[harshness]

There is little choice as Decades is not available here OTA and is not available on Dish or Direct or cable or streaming.

It appears that Spectrum carries MeTV from KATU on channel 184 (unless they haven't updated the wiring for full digital where you live -- I figured that would be complete by now).