GoVideo DVR4300 DVD-VCR Combo

Rating:
Summary: Very pleased
Review: The system arrived fully functional and performed exactly as advertised. I'm quite pleased with the system; it's surprisingly capable. Interestingly, it plays my MP3 files without a glitch, something I wish my several hundred dollar 5 disc (MP3 capable) DVD player did.

Rating:
Summary: Did you hear that?
Review: The VHS player sound was perfect, but I could hardly hear the movie when I played a DVD. I bought this unit to go with my new Sony WEGA TV, but the sound output on the DVD side was low even when the TV volume was cranked up to maximum. I called GoVideo to see if this was a known problem and they were not aware of it. I checked all connections, bought new cables, and nothing improved the sound. Unable to resolve the problem, I returned the unit and am still shopping around. The DVD output volume was my only problem, otherwise I thought it was a great machine, so I can only give it an average rating.

Rating:
Summary: DVD portion is adequate, VCR portion is lousy at best.
Review: This applies to the DVD4400. The DVD works more or less as well as other DVD players I have:nothing to brag or complain about,other than the remote control buttons (used to fast forward or rewind) are poorly designed. More often than not you will find yourself skipping forward to the next index point instead of speeding up the DVD. The maximum advance is also slower than other DVDs I've owned. The VCR part, on the other hand, is terrible. It will take a new tape and record (SP or SLP doesn't make a difference)in such a lousy fashion that while the audio is barely discernible(wobbly and glitchy, like listening to a tape playing on a portable walkman with a dying battery), there is no watchable video. It's all lines and garbled view, like watching a scrambled channel, I suppose. The "fast play" feature is also significantly slower than all other VCRs I've owned, approximately 10X at best (as opposed to up to 30X). The one good point about the VCR is that it can rewind the tape to the start quite fast (about a minute or so.) The picture quality is average. I bought it new, so there's no prior owner who could have ruined it. I also used it plugged in with gold-tipped cables, so that's not the problem either. I will NOT be buying future products from the GO people if the rest of their line is as crappy as this product. Fill in your own joke about how the company should have been called "GO AWAY" or "GO ELSEWHERE"...

Rating:
Summary: A No-Brainer
Review: This device is so easy to install and use that I barely needed to glance at the instructions. I'm very happy with its quality and features.

Rating:
Summary: I'm getting a new one!
Review: This product has had problems from the start...when the DVD plays, it makes a VERY loud whirring sound. When I tried to get it fixed under the warranty, they claimed there was no problem at all, and refused to allow me to return it. Now ten months later the whirring sound is so loud, you can't even hear some of the dialog. We're buying a new one, definitely a different model, and giving this trash away.

Rating:
Summary: A nice unit, buy this if you can afford the 5100
Review: This unit has performed great since day 1. I really like the combined output for DVD and VCR -- so you can set the TV to channel 3 or 4 and then play either DVD or VCR without any input changing. You can opt for seperate outputs if you want as well. The DVD player works great and the remote seems better than average also (and is partially backlit). The VCR works great and I like seeing the television while fast-forwarding or rewinding -- especially the progress meter which is shown on screen. The display is very easy to read from a long distance and has adjustable brightness. The clock has an auto-set capability which seems to be working for me using my satellite signal. The unit is very quite, despite what one of the previous reviewers indicated (the reviewer was talking about the 4400 and not the 4300 as well). I can hardly tell if its rewinding because its totally quiet. This unit also can simulate surround sound with 2 speakers and that works great. I also like the way it looks -- very cool looking silver case and the lower section with glass is very stylish. I really am impressed with this product in most ways. The menus are pretty spartan looking but they get the job done just fine and are easy to use. The product does lack commercial skip and progressive output -- but if your on a budget there are no big compromises here. If your into all the features in the world and/or progressive output then spend a little more and get the GoVideo DVR5100 instead.

Rating:
Summary: DVR4300-VCR TOO NOISY
Review: VCR IS TOO NOISY. THE UNIT IS BEING RETURNED. READ AN EARLIER REVIEW REGARDING THIS PROBLEM.

Rating:
Summary: DVD quit on first day
Review: Very dissapointed with this product. The very first time I used it, I tried to watch a new DVD and it kept losing the signal (picture/sound would go away). I replaced the cables and tried different DVDs but this problem continued. The VCR worked okay but overall the product was very slow to respond to any command. I like the idea of having a combination DVD/VCR and the price was reasonable and maybe I got stuck with a bad one. But I would not buy from this company again.

Rating:
Summary: DVD quit on first day
Review: Very dissapointed with this product. The very first time I used it, I tried to watch a new DVD and it kept losing the signal (picture/sound would go away). I replaced the cables and tried different DVDs but this problem continued. The VCR worked okay but overall the product was very slow to respond to any command. I like the idea of having a combination DVD/VCR and the price was reasonable and maybe I got stuck with a bad one. But I would not buy from this company again.

Rating:
Summary: noisy VCR!
Review: We bought the 4400 at Costco. The DVD worked great, no sound problems. The VCR motor makes a horrible, loud buzzing sound. We're returning the unit today.