DVD RECORDER (Is LG RH-7624 the Best Model?)

[swordfish1]

Be sure to also read the other LG recorder threads if you haven't already.

I no longer own the unit. I returned my 3rd unit and accepted the cash refund from Makro.

I may try the Sony HX910 next.

if you get it, post your experience please

 

[Gamer]

LG or Sony

Okay, after reading so much about problems with the LG's, what is the better option in your opinion...the LG RH7624W (250GB model) or the Sony RDR-HX710 (160GB model)?

I cannot afford the HX910 but the HX710 is available to me for the same price as the LG...I have always preferred Sony personally...what u all think? I want to go buy it tomorrow...either one that is...

thanks

 

[Milano]

I cannot afford the HX910 but the HX710 is available to me for the same price as the LG...I have always preferred Sony personally...what u all think? I want to go buy it tomorrow...either one that is...

I reckon go for the Sony. Where and how much can you get the HX710 for?

 

[swordfish1]

Okay, after reading so much about problems with the LG's, what is the better option in your opinion...the LG RH7624W (250GB model) or the Sony RDR-HX710 (160GB model)?

I cannot afford the HX910 but the HX710 is available to me for the same price as the LG...I have always preferred Sony personally...what u all think? I want to go buy it tomorrow...either one that is...

thanks

yep try the Sony and let us know if it is any good

 

[Gamer]

Okay, great, thank you. I will go for the Sony. I will order it today and hopefully have it in my grubby little mits soon - it needs to be ordered in for me from JHB. I will post pics and my thoughts on it once I get it, although I am not any kind of hardware reviewer at all.

 

[Gamer]

Great news! I managed to get a Sony from some stock that was in Durban. Am leaving now to go fetch it...will post some news on it tonight if I have enough time.

 

[Milano]

Good news...be sure to report back with a review.

Still wondering...where are you buying it from and how much is it??? because when I phoned a retailer they said Sony was out of stock of the HX-710 and would only have in Jan '06.

 

[Gamer]

Hi all,

Milano - I have answered your question by PM.

I got my HX710 late this afternoon. I took a quick snap shot as you can see - my trusty Sharks mini ball in it's rightfull place .

My black Pioneer 5.1 channel Amp underneath it looks ugly now with this beauty on top of it. Ordered the STR-DE698S 7.1 channel Sony silver amp so hopefully have that in a day or two to complete the set. Also noticed that the HX710 is wider than my Pioneer amp.
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/7208/mynewrdrhx7102vv.jpg

Haven't had much time to muck about with it yet. Have hooked it up...that was easy...just ripped out my old VCR and plugged in the aerial cables and ripped out the old black Pioneer DVD player and used the existing S-Video and Optical Audio connections that run to the amp and plugged them straight into the HX710. Upon switch on it asks for language, then ?some how? auto detected the date and time from who knows where, then scanned for channels and then waited for the next command, ready to go!

The remote control is quite long, expecially when you extend the cover that houses the record buttons. I am not too fussed about the remote, I won't be using it once I program my kameleon (http://www.oneforall-int.com/english/products/urc/URC-8206.htm) to operate the HX710.

I am busy recording Survivor right now using the HDD but when I was mucking about earlier I was fascinated by the Pause Live TV function. I really like that

It was region locked to Zone 2 but now is region free ...playing all my Zone 1 and Zone 4 DVD's including RCE titles.

Okay, that's about all I got time for now, I wanna go mess about some more with this thing!

 

[Milano]

I just bought the Sony HX-910 this afternoon from Hirschs.

I got home, opened the box, and the first thing that struck me was the long empty packet. So I keep looking...BUT THERE IS NO REMOTE IN THE BOX. Then I notice that there is black pen ink on that soft film stuff that covers the DVD. Also, there is double taping on the box. I swear they just sold me a returned item.

So I immediately phone the store but it is 5:10pm so there is no reply. Anyway I reached Allan Hirsch at the other branch and he says he will look into it and sort it out tomorrow.

I am extremely pissed off I am going to have a drink.

 

[Gamer]

Man I am sorry to hear that! I have this habit of opening boxes in the store before I leave. I did that yesterday with my HX710 and checked all contents. I am sure they'll sort it out tomorrow, but I know that doesn't help you now! Sorry again...that really sucks.

 

[Milano]

Yeah, good point - should always check the contents before leaving the store.

Anyways they arranged a remote this morning so all is sorted now.

I have only had a few minutes to play with the Sony HX-910 but first impressions are:

The Good:
1. Seems you do NOT need to power off the unit for timer recordings.
2. You can chase play the currently recording title.
3. Battery backup.
(In theory - have not tested any of the above yet)

The Bad:
1. No Zoom feature
2. No Bookmarks feature
3. No Picture in Picture (PIP)
(Only had a few minutes to check it out so I may stand corrected)

The Ugly:
1. On-screen display is pretty lacking. The LG was far superior in terms of giving you an overall view of the system status.
2. Disc Navigation: Was far superior on the LG. The thumbnails were much larger so you could actually see the images. Used to give a preview and play through the each title while in menu (Sony does not).
3. Playback Navigation: Was far superior on LG. Better rewind and FF speeds with the LG made navigation easier.

So overall I would take the LG before the Sony EXCEPT for the fact that the LG was totally unreliable (although we have yet to test reliability with the Sony). Plus at half the price it was a bargain.

The LG was a fantastic unit so I was really disappointed it had so many issues.

Yeah it was weird the way it sucked the time and date from somewhere automatically (?)

At the moment I am recording so will report back once I have some content on the HDD.

Cheers
Milano

 

[swordfish1]

1. On-screen display is pretty lacking. The LG was far superior in terms of giving you an overall view of the system status.

wow, I can't imagine being worst than the LG, they may have as well not put a display at all I need my glasses to see what the hell is saying next to the timer on the LG, the icons and the status indicators are so small that you can barely see them from 50 cm away!

yeah the navigation on the LG is quite good once you get use to it. I wish they had sorting on the music ....

waiting for further comments on sony so I know how hard to try to keep my LG unit

thanks

 

[Milano]

Hey Swordfish1,

I was referring to the on-screen display (as in the display/graphics on the actual television screen).

Like for example, on the Sony it displays 241/250GB to show available space. Who thinks in terms of GB's??? Obviously the way LG did it by showing "xxx hours free" is better as most people think in terms of hours when recording rather than in terms of hard disk bytes.

Cheers
Milano

 

[swordfish1]

Hey Swordfish1,

I was referring to the on-screen display (as in the display/graphics on the actual television screen).

Like for example, on the Sony it displays 241/250GB to show available space. Who thinks in terms of GB's??? Obviously the way LG did it by showing "xxx hours free" is better as most people think in terms of hours when recording rather than in terms of hard disk bytes.

Cheers
Milano

sorry I was thinking of the display on the player, the LG one sucks big time

about the hours vs GB, I guess you are right, although I am one of those people that will much rather have the MB figure than the hours one

the problem is that you are using the same disk for both video and audio, so obviously you cannot measure everything in the "same" hours, but you can measure everything in GB or MB without a problem.

I think they should have both, that is so simple to do

by the way, how much was the sony if I may ask, and is it the 250GB one?

 

[Milano]

Yeah, you have a point it would be best to offer both stats ie. hours & GB.

It is the Sony HX-910 with 250GB HDD. Paid R6200.

I haven't done any editing yet but I didn't notice any "Combine" option. Divide and A-B Erase are there. I guess it must be there...Will check this weekend when I have more time.

 

[swordfish1]

Yeah, you have a point it would be best to offer both stats ie. hours & GB.

It is the Sony HX-910 with 250GB HDD. Paid R6200.

I haven't done any editing yet but I didn't notice any "Combine" option. Divide and A-B Erase are there. I guess it must be there...Will check this weekend when I have more time.

and does it have a ethernet link?

I don't quite like the dvd menus that the LG creates. Do you know an easy way (some software) after creating a DVD with the LG to edit that DVD on the PC and to replace the menu structure etc, but without recompressing the video. Well, when I say edit the dvd I mean burn it on RW disk, copy to PC, change stuff and then burn it on R disk or whatever.

Another question about the sony, is it faster than the LG? I mean if you copy a CD full of MP3s onto the disk how long does it take?

thanks

 

[Milano]

Nope I don't recall there being an ethernet link and as far as I can tell it doesn't even allow you to copy mp3's to HDD. And I still can't see any function to allow you to combine titles. I would still take a reliable LG unit over this Sony (if such a thing existed!).

I have no first hand experience of DVD menu editing software.

 

[Gamer]

No, no ethernet link.
I haven't tried copying MP3's to the HDD - I didn't buy it for that reason. I have a Xbox with a 200GB HDD that stores all my Divx and MP3's with digital output that sorts out all that kind of stuff.

 

[swordfish1]

No, no ethernet link.
I haven't tried copying MP3's to the HDD - I didn't buy it for that reason. I have a Xbox with a 200GB HDD that stores all my Divx and MP3's with digital output that sorts out all that kind of stuff.

geeez that sucks, if you can't copy the MP3s to the HDD it renders the unit useless for me as that is my main use for it I have my entire music collection (including tons of normal CDs which I converted to MP3 as well) on my LG one and it works great, besides the inability to sort them!

the LG and all other dvd players/recorders do have optical audio out too, I am using it at all times.

I don't play games so a dvd recorder is far better option for me, hope my LG doesn't blow up some day

 

[Gamer]

swordfish1 - yeah, each to their own I guess...

I just love sony products...never had one let me down ever and the quality in picture etc etc when their products are compared side by side on show room floors usually show the sony superiority over the other cheap korean brands...besides the back service from people like LG and Samsuck is simply appalling.
I am slowly chucking out all my other brands in my house and have just got my new sony 7.1 amp (chucked out the 3 year old 5.1 pioneer) and the sony plasma is on order now...three big "To me, Love me" Christmas presents this year!

milano - you can combine titles...use the playlists to combine.