Rating: 
Summary: Room for Improvement
Review: 1. Noise of Fan and hard Disk
2. Remote does not have following features
DVD: Open/ Close from Remote
Cable: Cannot change volume
Cable: Cannot get Program INFO as available on cable box.
TIVO info is wrong at times
3. Does not change Channel's if IR port is used. It is successfull in changing channel on first attempt in only 40% times.
4. TIVO does not allow watching a different channel while it is recording. Its a documented feature in mannual which can be done by keeping TIVO in standby more and watching other channel but doesn't work.
Else, great product. Wish there was a DVD recorder alo build in.
Rating: 
Summary: A good VCR replacement and progressive-scan DVD player
Review: A few weeks ago, my VCR decided to retire itself. Although machines don't have personalities, I think it knew it's days were numbered as all of my movies were replaced with DVDs and its only use was to tape the television shows I'd miss.With it's demise, I was left with a dilemma: go without, buy a new VCR, or do something different. I couldn't see spending another $50 on a new VCR, and then I remembered that the New York Times reported a few months ago that Toshiba was developing a Tivo/DVD combination machine and thought that might fit the bill. After a bit of investigation online, I went to my local Best Buy to check it out. I was lucky enough to find it on sale for $399 and found an open box unit for $349 (all before a $50 rebate). Since I was in the market for a progressive scan DVD player (my old DVD player wasn't progressive scan, which I sold) as well anyway, I decided to buy the unit. Setting up the unit was fairly simple, but time consuming. Most of the time is spent waiting for Tivo to dial in and get its program information. Total setup time was about two hours. The unit can use a regular phone line, as well as a cable modem, if available. The unit uses the standard Tivo menu, which is extremely user-friendly. Users get a free trial of the Tivo Plus service, which includes things like the season pass option, two-week program guide, and so on. After the trial is over, users have the opportunity to either pay to upgrade to Tivo Plus or go with Tivo Basic. Tivo Basic makes the unit act like a VCR, meaning that you can pick your dates and times to program, but you can't tell it to, say, record the new episode of "West Wing." The Tivo Plus service is certainly addicting, and I think many will be tempted to pay to retain the service. On regular TVs, the Tivo output is very good, though on HDTVs, the picture tends to be grainer when recording from cable and watched on our 55" Mitsubishi HDTV. The recordings are on par or better than what you'd see from a VCR. Again, I think it's just that our TV makes the picture look bad versus a problem on Tivo's end. Fast-forwarding through commercials is quite nice with the Tivo unit. Unlike VCRs where you must rewind in order to see the first few seconds after blowing through commercials, the Tivo automatically backs you up to the previous minute, so you almost always start right after the commercial ends. Maximum recording capacity is advertised to be 80 hours, but in reality, when Tivo records at the highest quality, it should be noted that capacity drops to approximately 23 hours. And because there is no DVD-R or DVD-RW in the unit, users cannot burn programming onto a DVD (though transferring to a VCR is an available option on this unit). The DVD player function of the machine is quite competent. Tests of "Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones" and "Finding Nemo" were on par with that of our current Panasonic progressive scan DVD player. The machine is fully capable of playing back DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks. The only complaint about the DVD player function is that the eject tends to be a bit on the slow side, compared to other machines. The machine is equipped with all outputs, ranging from the standard coaxial cable connections all the way up to component and digital outputs. My only beef with the unit is its remote control. Although it does an OK job of operating the unit itself, buttons are in rather weird places. The menu button for the DVD player is at the very top, which isn't natural for a DVD remote. And although it can be programmed to operate your TV and receiver, there are no seperate buttons to turn each of those components on and off. Instead, it turns both on and both off. The remote doesn't allow toggling between units, so turning the volume up on your receiver may not be possible with this remote. The remote isn't capable of allowing users to change their TV modes as well, so going from normal TV to, say, input 1 or component 1, isn't possible using the Toshiba remote. The remote also does not feature a backlight, which makes it harder to see in the dark. The unit is considered a "media server," though I did not get an opportunity to test out other advertised functions, such as picture viewing and so on. For those who are tight on space, need a way to record programs, and need a progressive scan DVD player, I'd highly recommend this unit. Those who want to burn programs onto DVDs might better be served with some other Tivo-equipped units coming onto the market, which are more expensive than this Toshiba.
Rating:
Summary: Declining asset...jt
Review: As is my general experience with Toshiba products, this is a quality item. It is constructed to outlast the warranty, which is an important consideration in the increasingly disposable world of consumer electronics. As an early adopter, this product introduced TiVo into my home. Now, I wouldn't have a TV without it. TiVo reduces the frustration and increases both the pleasure and the usefulness of television.
However, my advice is to skip the DVD player/TiVo combination and buy the Toshiba TiVo/DVD burner combination (Toshiba RS-TX60 DVD Recorder with 160 GB TiVo Series2 Digital Video Recorder), which enables one to burn the keepers (at 24X) without the mare's nest of cables that crisscross my video room.
This unit works flawlessly except for a time lag when shifting from TiVo/live broadcast to DVD, which is quite long --- too long for my taste. I hope that this defect is removed in the newer model. As soon as someone scorns my advice and buys my used SD-H400, I'll report my thoughts on the burner model...jt
Rating: 
Summary: Love it.
Review: First, a summary of key points:
1. You need Tivo. No, really, you do. One week of Tivo and watching old-fashioned TV will make you angry. I only watch the TV I really like, and I watch it when it's convenient, as opposed to missing good shows because they're at inconvenient times and then settling for dreck those times when you want to watch but nothing's on.
2. If you're also in the market for a DVD player, get the combo unit and simplify your life. Yes, of course you can watch a DVD while Tivo records.
3. The DVDivo, as I like to call it, includes free basic Tivo service. The free trial of Plus service will probably suck you in, but still, if all you want is to be able to manually record your favorite shows, this is Tivo without a subscription cost. Now, to address some of the issues mentioned in other reviews:
1. Noise. If I'm sitting near the TV, and I'm watching a very quiet show, I can sometimes hear the fan, but it's very very faint. I don't have my Tivo in an enclosed cabinet, and I can honestly say noise is never an issue for me - the Tivo is certainly far quieter than my computer, the heating/cooling system, the refrigerator, or all the other background-noise sources in my apartment.
2. Image quality. I'm using pretty shoddy coax cable lines, and the live image through Tivo is still fine - just as good as without the Tivo. Unless you have a huge TV or HDTV, image quality is probably more dependent on your coax cables than the Tivo. With Basic service, your only option is to record on best quality, which is equivalent to seeing it live. If you upgrade to Plus, you can choose to record at one of four quality levels. I nearly always record at the lowest or second-lowest setting - yeah, it gets a little grainy, but for most shows, it doesn't matter.
Rating: 
Summary: Installation Nightmare
Review: For a non-technical person such as myself, it was impossible to get the Toshiba SD-H400 to work. It comes with 4 (that's FOUR) different manuals and it was impossible to understand how to hook it up. After several days of trial and error, I had a technical savvy friend trying her skills to hook it up, to no avail. Finally, my friend called Toshiba's customer service, and after almost an hour on the phone, we got it to work.
But that wasn't the end - trying to understand how to operate it was another task... Finally, I gave up and returned the product.
On the other hand, I now have a DVR from my satellite company, which works great, and I did not have to open the manual!
Rating:
Summary: Yes, it is noisy
Review: I bought the Toshiba 3 weeks ago before a 2 weeks trip so I could record a few season finales :-) (Since we have Comcast cable, the VCR wouldn't do) Installation was without any problems, and with Tivo Plus and a Season Pass (still on the 45 day trial), everything recorded. Even hooking the unit up to the wireless network was easy (although I used a non-supported D-Link DWL-120). Two problems: The first one is not limited to this unit but appears to be a TiVo problem. Some recordings (or sometimes even live TV) will have a severely distorted sound. No apparent reason, and rebooting appears to get rid of the problem, at least for a while (see www.tivocommunity.com for discussion about this problem). The real problem is noise. It is not the hard drive, it is the fan. It is constantly running at high speed and creating a whirring noise that can be heard even around the corner in our dining room. Since you can't turn the unit off, there is never a quiet moment now. Like another reviewer wrote, the noise level is about that of a rewinding VHS tape. I will probably return the unit and try something else, as we can't stand the constant noise. I can't even imagine how someone could use this unit in a bedroom or studio. Too bad, everything else worked just great!
Rating:
Summary: A good machine!
Review: I bought this a month ago and it's a pretty good little machine. I was surprised by the size of it -- I thought it would be a lot bigger. The Tivo interface on this machine is the best feature -- Tivo Service rocks. One note is that this one comes with Tivo Basic -- a limited (but still good) version of the service. You get a 45 day free trial of Tivo Plus (the regular Tivo service). The Tivo unit is just a Tivo Series 2, 80 hour unit. I'd like to point out that the network issues in the reviews of this machine is not unique to this one. It's a problem with all Tivos. This machine supports several USB network adapters, including the Microsoft MN510, which is still available in stores (most of the supported adapters aren't available anymore). The DVD player is excellent -- great picture quality. It also plays MP3, which is a handy feature if you have the machine hooked up to a stereo.
Rating:
Summary: TOO NOISY!!
Review: I cannot believe no one has mentioned the noise created by this machine! The exhaust fan runs constantly creating an audible, continual hum. It's about as loud as a VHS tape rewinding in a VCR - but it's constant! I have only had the unit for a week, and otherwise it has performed well. But the noise is driving me crazy! I immediately exchanged the unit thinking this must be a flaw in the machine we received, but the replacement had the exact same problem. I don't know if this is a result of the TIVO device itself or whether it is the Toshiba model in particular; but if you plan on doing any quiet activities in the room where this device is located, this will become a problem. When my husband was dropping off the original Toshiba, the shipper said this was the 5th drop off she had received in a week. At least one other gentleman had raised the same complaint, the unit was simply too noisy for his bedroom. Even if you are watching TV at a low volume, the noise from the machine overpowers the TV. We love the freedom TIVO offers, so we're considering either purchasing a cabinet with the doors to help with the noise or buying a water foundation to mask the constant drone of the fan. I am still surprised no one else has noted this problem.
Rating:
Summary: Why did I wait so long?
Review: I finally left the stone age and retired my DVD/VCR combo and bought
the Toshiba SD-H400 DVD/DVR combo. I'm kicking myself for waiting
so long to do it. The DVR with TiVo Basic is so much more capable
than the VCR. Here some of the benefits over a VCR: 1. Watch a recorded show while recording a show.
2. Watch recorded shows in any order. No more fast forwarding/rewinding
to watch the show you want.
3. No more programing 2 VCRs to record all the shows you want when going on vacation.
4. Record more shows than you can watch in a week to have something to watch
when your primary shows are repeats. It has 4 recording quality modes. The medium quality (2nd to lowest) is
similar to the lowest quality in a VCR which is fine for most shows. You
can get about 45 hours of shows in the mode. The TiVo Basic has alot of capability
for me. You can use a trial offer of the Plus service but I haven't tried
it yet. The Season Pass feature of the Plus service sounds the most interesting
but I'm not sure Plus is worth a one time $299 or $13/mo. The TiVo manual
describes the extra capability of TiVo Plus. This is good to get an idea of
the extra features so you can be ready to use them in the trial period
to see if they will be worth the extra money. The only downsides I see now is that I don't think any companies are offering
to upgrade the Hard Disk in the Toshiba. The other is that it does not seem
easy to incoporate all the features of the provided remote into a learning
universal remote (at least my old Sony one). If you were thinking of getting a DVR but the cost of the machine and full
Plus service is too high, then a DVR with TiVo Basic is a great choice.
Rating:
Summary: Tivo is the key
Review: I purchased the Toshiba SD-H400 about three weeks ago. I had previously owned a Tivo Series 1 recorder. What you basically are getting is a DVD player and Tivo Series 2 box that is light integrated. The functionality for recording is exactly the same as a regular Tivo Box. This means that it is designed to record from broadcast. By broadcast I mean cable or satilite. If you are looking to record things from you DV-Camcorder this is not the box for you. Also if you AV Input setup is complicated (use satilite for some channels and cable for others) this is not the box for you either. What this box excels at is convient recording for television programs. The plus of this box is it supports DVD playback. The DVD playback uses the standard Toshibia menus (not Tivo). The box is in one of two forgrond modes: Tivo Playback or DVD playback. Recording in the background can always occur. I like the Tivo EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data and find it easy to use for recording. My wife likes a single remote system that needs to switching (e.g. TV Input, etc). The box is easy to use and has some options for upgrade. Currently I have upgraded to Tivo Plus and the Home Media Option (this enables playback of MP3, WMA with plugin, and JPEG images from the PC). This is nice due to no hassle of finding the CDDA to play. I would highly remomded this system to people looking for a DVR and wishing to simplify their system setup. For expert users it is cheaper to get seperate units for the same funcionality. One nice thing about the combined box is digital audio output and progressive (including HD) output is enabled from Tivo. This is not possible with the seperate units.
| 
