Rating: 
Summary: Works for me!
Review: I have read lots of reviews that indicate that this machine does not work as it should. I have had mine for almost 3 months and have very little difficulty making it do what I want it to. I have made over 25 full disk and they play on my DVD players (an ampex and a panasonic) with no difficulties. The picture quality is great and the options of recording speeds are better then advertized. It stated there were 4 and there a really 6. This machine (indeed this type of recording format) is not for the simple minded or lazy. I'm very satisfied with my purchase and would consider another Philips unit.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER SETTOP PLAYERS!
Review: I recently purchased this model from a local retailer, and while the unit works in its own universe, it is far from desirable as far as the BIG picture goes.This machine will record +RW discs, but they will NOT play in most +RW capable settop players! Why doesn't the product description EVER address this issue?! Just because it records on a +RW (or whatever) type of disc, does NOT mean that other players will play it! I had the same problem with the Magnavox MDV630R (made by the same people apparently). AVOID THIS MACHINE!
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!
Review: I bought this Recorder for Christmas last year (02). I am writing this on 8/27/03. The recorder function has never worked properly. I have had it in for service at the Philips Service Center and twice have waited 6 weeks for upgrade discs. None of this has worked, Philips refuses to do anything about it other than send me back to the Service Center for the second time. Did I mention that the Service Center keeps it for 2 - 3 months? AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM PHILIPS makes me warn all of you not only to avoid this expensive paper weight, but I strongly urge all of you to not to buy Philips products at all based on the level of customer support I have been given by this company. Keep in mind that I have been going back and forth with the SAME ISSUE for NINE MONTHS and still no resolution.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Even THINK About It!
Review: When I first got this machine some months ago, I thought it was wonderful, and I told my friends what a great deal it was. Now my machine is dead and so is theirs. They did not die all at once, they just developed more and more quirks and finally became totally useless. In the interim we all threw away lots of expensive disks, which only adds to our loss. The money, the time, the frustraition....
I've a friend in the electronics repair business, and he's done some investigation on this machine -- it seems like the problem is in the optical block, which only lasts a few months of heavy use. A replacement only lasts a few months also, so the entire design must be flawed. ...
Rating:
Summary: Great Disc Ruiner!
Review: This thing is hopeless. I cannot believe a reputable company like Philips would not have immediately recalled such an inherently defective piece of equipment. My problems are the same as so many others that have been posted; it works fine for a while, and then it simply quits working. The only variable for each negative review seems to be just how long it will work. Some say 3 months. Some say 6 months. My first one worked just fine for 3 and a half weeks, despite a few disc error warnings. Then it just broke down all together. I returned it and received a second one, which worked for only 2 weeks. The DVD+R format is great in that it offers wide compatibility, but the industry needs to produce a recorder that actually functions in order to win the format war with supporters of DVD-R.
Rating:
Summary: Quirky and unsupported
Review: I was only able to record 3 discs successfully before the unit began to refuse to finalize discs, making them unplayable on any unit, including itself, claiming the disc held unrecognizable data. Phillips' customer service could not understand what I was talking about, and sent me a firmware upgrade disc, which only made matters worse, as the disc menu began flashing randomly and incoherently, and the unit was unresponsive to commancs. I returned the unit.
Rating:
Summary: Don't do it!
Review: What started off great turned into a nightmare. I'am having the same problems as the other reviews. It started off great for 3 months, then the disc errors started. now it will only record in the rw mode. I made 25 dvd+rs, with about 4 discs ruined. now
every disc i put in it just powers the machine off. I called phillips and there going to send me the firm upgrade. I'am not holding my breath this is going to work. Sony just came out with a dvd recorder that supports +r,-r,+rw,-rw.Phillips should not have put this on the market. For those of you who also have this machine, and hve no problems yet. WAIT It's coming.For they rest of us owners I guess we learned an expensive lesson.
Rating:
Summary: Does not take over the TV
Review: I have had the recorder since December, and have been very pleased with it. I have converted literally hundreds of hours of VHS tapes/TV shows over to DVD's with little or no problem. It will not copy most commercial DVD's or tapes, so do not expect to pirate from the local blockbuster. To the reviewer who claimed he could not record a channel and watch another channel, it must be the way the unit is hooked to the TV. I have two VCR's, a DVD player, and the DVD recorder hooked to my TV, and I can watch any program on the TV or tape from either VCR while recording a different TV show or recording from one VCR to the DVD recorder. The more I use it, the more I like it. I would recommend this product to anyone who has a large library of older self-made VHS tapes or records shows to archive.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Unit With A Few Drawbacks
Review: For the most part I totally love this machine. It does all as promised. Its drawbacks are a rather klutzy interface system, that takes some getting used to, using the remote. Its a bit cryptic, but read the manual, that helps a lot. I also do not like how it rather takes over your tv. You cannot even watch tv unless this thing is powered on for instance. You also need to know that you cannot record one station while watching another like we do with vcrs. Overall, this machine is super though. Plug my camcorder right into the front panel, push a couple buttons and I am making my own dvd of my tape. A real beauty for the most part.
Rating:
Summary: Have these been recalled?
Review: I was told by an employee of "Best Buy" that the Philips DVD recorder that they carried is not avcailable because of a recall.
Does anyone have any detailed info?
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