New DVD Player/hard drive recorder

My Panasonic Blueray player- recorder and hard drive recorder refuses to play discs. A new reader is about $A330. The remote also is playing up, probably worn out as unit is used as receiver for last 9 years. It was close to top of range when bought. I can buy a new one similar for $900, or a flagship high end unit for $1500. I don't need all the new tricks as my DVD library is not even Bluray, just old discs of favourites like Dads Army, All Creatures, Brideshead, etc.. I want longevity as in 10 years, you probably won't be able to buy them. Might the top model have higher quality electronic components than the consumer models? Or will it just have more wiz-bang stuff you never use?

I have a Panasonic dvd recorder with a 320Gb hard drive which can record from an ordnary TV UHF signal and is also connected to the fibre input. It is one of the base models and has worked ok for the last 5 years. Like all of these things, you have to have a degree in something or other to start to understand the huge number of variables. We have a 55" 4k TV, but I have difficulty seeing any difference in picture quality whatever definition it is running at, they are all good. One thing you will probably find is the instruction book for new things is PP, and you have to go online to find a pdf.

Edited By old mart on 22/12/2020 20:32:59

I hate that! I had to print instructions for my new Iwata airbrush. Badger had a booklet with it.

The central question is is the super high end one better and more robustly built wrt electronics. Better quality boards etc.. I want it to last me out. I am sick of circuit boards failing, like my SX 3 mill drill, and my LG air conditioner, the main board of which failed and was replaced twice in its about 15 year life. Both main board and control board of SX 3 have failed. The digital readout on my lathe failed. Boards unavailable; had to buy new whole unit for $600. I know nothing of electronics so can't fix anything myself.

If I was to bother again, I have about 1000 films, I would rip the lot to a HDD

At 4gb a pop you'll get about 500 onto a 2 terrabyte disc, then just scroll and watch

You're not really pirating because you've already bought them

On the recorder front search for stuff like "xxxx problems" before you buy anything to see if there are any issues

I didn't do that with a cheap Tesco TV (didn't google "Tesco TV problems") I bought and the net was full of people who bought this model which had a dodgy power supply, very annoying because the receipt went awol

GL

Edited By Ady1 on 22/12/2020 23:34:57

Not sure what the second hand market is like in your part of the world Simon but there are a lot of bargains to be had. My Hi-Fi is based around Naim and Micromega equipment all bought s/h and it sounds wonderful even to critical ears!

We have just given a couple of DVD players away after combining households, Panasonic and Sony, if I remember correctly. Both reasonable brands that have never given us any isssues in their designed life and beyond. We have a Humax Freeview player because we are too tight to subscribe to Sky etc. Its our second as the first one stopped working after about eight or nine years, our model doesn't have a DVD player, but is very easy to use.

Gentlemen,

I worked in the injection molding industry for a while installing robots onto Moulding machines, one factory I worked at made televisions, they supplied the likes of Curry's etc and good named manufacturers but they were all the same cabinets with all the same interiors, like cars and vans it was and maybe still is badge engineering so how do you know, maybe the top end ones had different functions which were blocked at the cheap end, who knows.

Martin P

FWIW, we have a, now little used , Sony DVD / HDD recorder, but predating digital, needs a set top box now.

It still functions perfectly in both HDD and DVD record/replay modes, but being old does not display as much info on what the recording is.

Just wish that I had not been so tight fisted and paid the extra for the model with the digital facility, which arrived soon after. 20/20 Hindsight again!

Howard

FWIW, we have a, now little used , Sony DVD / HDD recorder, but predating digital, needs a set top box now.

It still functions perfectly in both HDD and DVD record/replay modes, but being old does not display as much info on what the recording is.

Just wish that I had not been so tight fisted and paid the extra for the model with the digital facility, which arrived soon after. 20/20 Hindsight again!

Howard

As mentioned, the secondhand prices of DVD player recorders is low as Blu Ray has made them old hat.