Wrong choice I really was not up to messing with the set-up and did not need all the goodies.
Beware This One Problems from the start. As others have mentioned this model is plagued with audio problems. Even though the signal is strong and steady with an excellent picture the unit will drop or skip the audio track for a split second every few seconds even though the video is fine and there is no indication of the audio problems until you attempt to play it back. Eventually the audio begins to worsen and waver while the video remains fine. Happens even on recommended brand media, whether finalized or not, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM.
On third attempted recording out of the box unit began to stop recording at random times in Instant Timer Rec mode and Timer Rec mode with a copy-protected warning. This occurred on standard over the air network broadcasts as others have noted. This sounds like a firmware problem but JVC customer service reps were polite and earnest but clueless as to a fix. Claimed to have never heard of these problems.
Unit is off to Factory Service after less than a week and hours wasted trying to effect a fix. We'll see if it can be saved. I've had great success with previous JVC purchases but wish I'd passed on this one for a cheaper model from a different manufacturer - at least I would have wasted less money I can't afford to lose.
Needed regular rebooting This was our 3rd attempt to find a dvd recorder/VCR that also has a digital tuner. We returned an LG and a Panasonic (which was the worst piece of equipment my husband and I have ever seen). I almost never return anything, but apparently nobody has worked the bugs out of this technology.
The JVC lasted 3 weeks before we took it back, since we got a fairly clear picture and it recorded well onto VHS tapes and DVD. The problem was that it kept locking up and I would have to unplug it so it could reboot. Anytime you tried to change channels too quickly or tried to watch a DVD it didn't like, it would lock up. It wouldn't let me turn it off with the remote or at the unit, so I'd have to unplug it. I'm not sure if it was just that particular unit, or a software problem in all JVC units, but it was frustrating enough that we went back to our old DVD player that doesn't have a digital tuner.
The pros on this unit were that it found all of our digital and analog channels, including a few channels I didn't even know were available (we don't have cable or satellite...we use the good old fashioned rabbit ears). It allows you to add and edit channels. The menus are fairly easy to use. These (and the fact that the Panasonic was so bad) are the reasons I'm rating it a 2 instead of 1 star.
The cons are of course the software problem that causes it to lock up. It has a bit of a lag time when you change channels. Another big negative for me is that the remote only works with a JVC television. At least the Panasonic had dozens of codes that allowed you to program the remote to power pretty much any TV.
A big lemon I ordered this product based on the good reviews it received from this site. The first unit made a terrible grinding sound when playing a VHS. It was sent back. The second unit 'ate' the first VHS tape that was put into it. The tape was new and in good condition. The second unit was sent back for a refund. I don't recommend this product at all.
DVD recording and titling problems We purchased the JVC DR-MV100B two weeks ago and are having problems with the timer recording stopping in the middle of the DVD recording of TV shows. We are using DVD-R discs. One program stopped 40 minutes into a digital channel program. Another program stopped 20 minutes into an analog channel program. We were not watching the TV at the times that these programs stopped so we do not know if any message was displayed. Neither program should have been copyright protected. We are running the DVD recorder and TV off of an antenna connection since we don't have cable or a dish. We have also noticed that when titling the discs or the TV programs you are allowed up to 32 characters, but the entire title does not show up on the thumbnail. There is also no commercial skip button as far as we can tell.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
