Rating: 
Summary: Read, Experiment, Learn
Review: This is an excellent unit. Philips makes excellent Compact Disc Recorders. The CDR775BK is a good unit. Unfortunately, you have to use 74-minute CD-R discs. 80-minute CD-R discs generally will not work. Once you read the manual and do some experimenting most of the other misconceptions about this exceptional unit should be cleared up. The unit has dual record and play trays so it is quite simple to make CD copies. It is important to note that if you wish to make copies from vinyl recordings your turntable must have a built-in pre-amplifier and you must patch this into the analog inputs otherwise, you will get very little signal strength and it will be virtually inaudible. My friend had that problem very problem. I had him use the phono-input (phono-inputs pre-amplify the signal from the turntable) to his receiver and then send the signal from the record-out on the back of the receiver into the analog inputs of the CDR775BK. That worked. You can also get a phono pre-amplifer and accomplish the same end. All in all this is a very good unit but you really have to read the manual.
Rating: 
Summary: 'reviewers' here are CLUELESS, or 100% LIARS LIKE BU$H & CO.
Review: this is an outstanding indestructible product made by Philips Electronics, one of the developers of the CD format (previously owned a Magnavox [manufactured by Philips] CDB650 player which I bought in March 1987 and played every day for 2 hrs. minimum until Spring 2001 when its laser finally gave out - that's 14 straight years).Philips CD player and burner units are extremely well-manufactured electronic components designed for years of reliable use, unlike 99% of the BIC lighter/landfill material on the shelves out there. well first of all - it's an *AUDIO* component recorder, so you have to use *AUDIO* CD-Rs. *computer* CD-Rs WON'T WORK IN THIS UNIT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? high-quality audio CD-Rs are preferable - look for Made In Japan (*not* Taiwan, China or Singapore) or go online and get Mitsui, now Made In Colorado at their factory there. 80-minute or 74-minute *doesn't matter* (but audio does, of course). I've burned over 400 CD-Rs with this unit so far. I don't make 'compilation mix' CD-Rs, just straight copies - without artificial track gaps - of original discs.
out of those 400, only a half dozen didn't finish burning or were otherwise 'aborted' by the machine. I suspect in these cases that the machine didn't quite have time to *properly initialize and calibrate* the to-be-burned disc upon first placement into the tray. It's important to push the record selector buttons *one at a time* with this unit, otherwise you might 'confuse' it a bit and possibly screw up your disc burn. *always* let the machine completely go through its initialize (less than 1 minute) and finalize (just over 2 minutes) processes with each disc before touching "eject" or any other buttons. for a perfect burn, just: 1. place the original and recording discs into the trays, and close them 2. give the machine about 30 sec to *initialize* the CD-R to be burned, and *wait* for the display to show 0:00 or the disc time 3. select your record mode -
a) Record Fast [double speed recording - manual finalize at end]
b) Record Listen [exact slow speed recording - manual finalize at end]
c) Make CD [double speed recording - *auto* finalize at end] 4. press "record" on those Manual Finalize record modes a) and b), the machine will finish copying the disc, and the display will either show the disc total time, or sometimes 0:00 - then press the "finalize" button. As an 'answer' to your pressing the "finalize" button, the display will then show "Finalize CD? Press Record" - now you hit the "record" button. Finalize takes 2 minutes and 10 seconds. then you can press "eject", and onto your next disc. on the Auto Finalize "Make CD" double-speed record mode c), the player automatically transitions itself into the finalize process at the end of burn, adding 2 minutes and 10 seconds to the already cut-in-half playing time. otherwise same as above. Careful: track lengths of less than 4 seconds are not allowed on this unit. If any of your original disc tracks are really short (less than 15 seconds) the unit may insert an unwanted blank gap automatically. BUY A PHILIPS CDR775 on this site or at internet auctions - THEY'RE AWESOME and because half-baked reviews scared off potential owners, you can find *new* or barely used ones around, for CHEAP!!! buy 2 or 3, so when one finally kicks off you can keep on burnin'!!! enjoy
Rating:
Summary: This item is great!
Review: This item is great. When I brought it home, I was excited and couldn't wait to hook it up. It's kinda of hard to hook it up, but since I'm into electronics, it was easy for me. This item is fast and easy to use.This is a hight tech item.READ THE MANULE BEFORE OPERATING.It'sa complicated to used at first. It doesn't take up a lot of space. Treat this item deliget.If you purchase this item, be carefull with the litle spring on the litle opening door. I earge all shoppers who is buying a recorder, BUY THIS ONE. Philips is a good brand and u get a lot more the you pay for.
Rating:
Summary: pretty good
Review: This item was not only plays cds, it burns cds. I am still trying to burn songs off of napster, though. This item copies tapes too, which can really help.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS THING!
Review: This machine is simply great, I've never ever had a problem with it, at first it's a little difficult to use and I had to read the manual like 3 times, once you understandt it it's really easy to use, I had lots of LP records that weren't able to get on CD and now I burned them on my Philips CDR775BK and it's JUST GREAT! I bet the people who have said they had problems with it it's because they didn't read the manual. BUT THIS PRODUCT YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
Rating: 
Summary: I WASTED MY MONEY!
Review: This unit is bound to freeze up on you. It is just a matter of time before it happens. I've had hellish nightmare experiences with mine. And don't think that since it comes with a warrenty you can easily get any problems corrected, "oh, no my brother". I sent mine off for repairs twice(in 1 month!) and guess what the first night I got it back guess what happened. I've seen some who praise this trash but every other person who owes one is having problems simular to mine. I run a home studio and the loss of time, $$, and CD's (don't get me started on the wasted CD's) is enough to persuade me to no deal with this brand (company) ever again. For about 6 months everything was fine, but when things started going wrong they never stopped. Hey get a computer and a CDRW (even a 4x) and save yourself some fustration. Oh yea I heard the Philips USB CDRW was garbage too. Imagine that!!
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS GARBAGE
Review: This unit is bound to freeze up on you. It is just a matter of time before it happens. I've had hellish nightmare experiences with mine. And don't think that since it comes with a warrenty you can easily get any problems corrected, "oh, no my brother". I sent mine off for repairs twice(in 1 month!) and guess what the first night I got it back guess what happened. I've seen some who praise this trash but every other person who owes one is having problems simular to mine. I run a home studio and the loss of time, $$, and CD's (don't get me started on the wasted CD's) is enough to persuade me to no deal with this brand (company) ever again. For about 6 months everything was fine, but when things started going wrong they never stopped. Hey get a computer and a CDRW (even a 4x) and save yourself some fustration. Oh yea I heard the Philips USB CDRW was garbage too. Imagine that!!
Rating:
Summary: 25 recording sessions so far and still NO problems!
Review: What is the deal with everyone below? I have simply had NO problems with this unit from the moment I removed it from the box. So far, I've recorded LPs, CDs from an external source and CDs from this unit's internal player. And not a single flub to date! And the discs have played fine on all five CD players I have access to, one of which is over 8 years old. Granted, it did take me a while to get the hang of recording, but I didn't mind too much given the fact that my unit came with a free 50-pack of 80-minute Memorex CD-R discs (that's right folks--the very same 80-minute Memorex CD-R discs that everyone below professes not to be able to use). I hate to be a nudge, but...did you people READ the instruction manual? I've followed the straightforward instructions to the letter and have had NO difficulties...PERIOD. Is this "I don't need to read the instructions" phenomenon somehow related to "Husbands-who-refuse-to-use-a-roadmap Syndrome"?
Rating: 
Summary: Inability to use standard CD-RW 700mb, 4x, multispeed discs
Review: When I bought the recorder, I was under the impression that I could use off the shelf standard CD-RW discs. They do not work and I find that I have to use a disc that is "CDRW, Compact Disc,Digital Audio,Rewritable". I have searched all over the area trying to locate this particular disc and have been unable to find it. I finally was able to get through to a Philips representative and ordered their brand on October 4, 2001. I have not yet received the disc and don't know whether I will ever get it. I think this is a lousy company to do business with. John Shaw.
Rating:
Summary: WARNING--DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!
Review: When I first purchased this Philips CDR, I created five CD's and they sounded great! Then the unit started freezing in the middle of recording. I sent it in for repair. When I got it back several weeks later, ALL of the controls were frozen! I then sent it in for repair again, and Philips said it could not be fixed--so they sent me a new one. The new one worked for about 15 CD's, then it also quit working. Philips will NOT refund my money--they said they would just keep fixing it! Don't waste your money!!!
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