JVC DR-M10SL DVD recorder with progressive-scan playback

Rating:
Summary: CRAP service and CRAP device
Review: DO NOT BUY JVC PRODUCTS!! My unit did not work properly from the outset and I spent weeks trying to get it serviced. Terrible service and the VCR portion of the machine is defective. additionally, the DV input (ieee port) was loose and all my DV dubs got messed up. NEVER AGAIN with this lousy company

Rating:
Summary: 1st review & followup == no star for JVC
Review: I just got this for 1 week now -- mostly been transferring videotape to DVD. What I'm writing here is my first impression, as I've only used a small portion of the features so far. The setup has been mostly straight forward. I like that the inputs are available in the front as well as the back. I like that it has the i.link for Sony camcorder transfer in the front. The manual can be a little confusing. I've trying to setup the menus and title menus, but it seems I only have 1 master top menu. The chapter menus are not configurable. The manual is not much help here. You can enter the DVD title using the screen display of a keypad -- moving aruond with your cursor can be a little tiresome. The reason I got this was that Consumer REports rated it well -- I believe it was the JVC-DRM10SUS. I assume this is the same one. The quality so far is good. I will add another review when I've tried the Sony camcorder transfer and my Dish Network recording features.

Here's is my followup review. I accepted the limitations of the bad menus, terrible manual but the machine went bad on me. It started to freeze in the middle of a DVD playing many times. Finally I returned this system to Amazon -- I think I'll pay a little extra for the Sony GX7 and get more features.

I do not recommend getting this machine - save your money and more importantly, your time. I wasted a month on it. Go for the Panasonic or Sony - their reviews are raving positive.

BTW, how I remove the stars? - I give this product no stars.

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD Recorder, Lousy Instructions
Review: JVC made a solid piece of equipment for a reasonable price with this model. While lacking a hard drive, it records on DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM discs. Many models in this price range do not record to both DVD-RW and DVD-RAM discs at this point in time. It also has a port on the front for hooking up AV, SV, and digital video camera cables, which means a bump up in price on many other models. Recording in VR mode on a DVD-RW or DVD-RAM disc gives you a number of options for editing video before finalizing the disc. I have found the compatibility of these formats with other players to be rather slim at this point in time, however. In most cases, I record in standard mode, which leaves me with automatic chapters made every five minutes on a DVD. This is rather limiting, but it's great for making quick recordings. There is also a handy option to review the video you recorded and insert chapter breaks with the press of a button. Unfortunately I don't understand the purpose of a lot of the features offered on this model at this point in time. The instructions fail to explain what many of them are for. For instance, there is a directory creating option, but the instructions assume you know what the purpose of creating a directory is. Even after creating directories, none of the results actually translate to disc! This has left me to learn the purpose of many features through trial and error, which is very disappointing considering how simple many of them are to use once you know what you're doing. At this point, I find your best option for making full-featured DVDs is on a computer. DVD recorders like this one are designed mostly for making quick recordings off TV or video tape. While they offer some extra features, customization of DVDs could be both limiting and confusing, especially with instructions as found this model. Based on features and price, I feel this model is a good buy. One major consideration in choosing a model is to look at which recording modes certain features are available in. Most DVD recorders lacking a hard drive have their best features available only in VR mode on DVD-RW discs, or when recording on DVD-RAM discs. Both of these formats work great, but compatibility with other players is very limited at this point in time.

Rating:
Summary: Defective product that JVC should extend warranties for
Review: These units have a well documented "Loading Bug" problem. Search videohelp.com or avsforum.com to verify. After as little as a few days, the "Loading" message flashes on screen intermittently, each time wiping the disk clean. The frequency increases until the unit is unusable.

My Loading Bug started at 8 weeks. It was repaired under warranty, but the bug is back at 13 weeks, just past the 90 day warranty period and the JVC service facility's 30 day repair guarantee. It takes 1.5 hours of labor at $90 per hour to fix the Loading Bug. JVC told me, however, they would re-fix the unit as a "courtesy."

Incidentally, JVC offers extended warranties for its products on its website. I tried to purchase an extended warranty for the DR-M10S, but JVC doesn't even offer one for this model.