Zenith DVR413 Multi-Format DVD Recorder

Rating:
Summary: brandsmartusa sells this for $148
Review: brandsmartusa sells this for $148. I have already told amazon about this. But strangely they ignore this. if you live near atlanta or in Florida go to the brandsmartusa and buy this item for $148


Rating:
Summary: Decent, but with fatal flaw
Review: How can you ruin an otherwise fine player/recorder by not giving it an S-video in (except in the front input)? In that case, there is no digital sound besides the eye sore of wires in front- not a good trade off. What were they thinking providing 2 digital sound outputs (coaxial and optical) when one or the other would suffice in a trade off for the S-video in? I tried the composite vs. the front S-video and the picture quality difference was stark. All of this being said, if you simply want to record shows that you'll dub over anyway, it's not the biggest deal. But for highest quality VHS archiving to disc, you may be disappointed. For less picky dubbers, it would be hard to find a quality multi-format recorder at this price point

Rating:
Summary: Great Bang for the Buck
Review: I was looking for a dvd recorder that I could tranfer my huge lot of vhs home movies onto dvd. After searching, I found most units to be around $300.00 or more. Was shocked to see an ad for this Zenith at our local big box store (Comparable to Best Buy / Circuit City) for $148.00 new. Looked up the specs and found this to have the features I was hoping for. This little gem works great. Simple 1-2-3 hook-up and I was on my way to transferring camcorder footage thru the front jacks and producing a quality edited archive. The dvd has a super picture when using the 1 or 2 hour recording mode. If your looking for a unit with a sleek styling, easy operation, great features and excellent picture quality results, LOOK NO FURTHER.

Rating:
Summary: It works - I like it
Review: The unit seems to do all it says it will, though I have not delved into every feature, particularly the (expensive) RAM disk and its multitude of editing capabilites.

It plays commercial DVDs nicely, and I've transferred several 6-hour home-made VHS tapes to DVD (more to follow) - which was the main feature I bought the unit for.

A few minor nitpicks:
1. Takes about 10 seconds to "check everything" after the power is turned on.
2. Pressing the "Open" (door) button does not turn on the unit - OK, I'm spoiled by my $60 Mintek...
3. The flip down cover should have separate sections rather than the full width. There is access on the left side for a 5-inch section of composite, S-Video or DVI inputs and channel up/down, the 3-inch wide display (that will be brighter when uncovered) is in the center, then only 2 directional arrows on the right side that are an inch apart...
4. The remote is the longest of five I have (lots of functions, some under a sliding cover) though it is well-laid out and not very heavy for the size.

Very minor quibbles for a very nice unit.