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Cyberhome DVD/RW nightmare
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QWERTYABC
Newbie
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8. April 2004 @ 13:16 |
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Well I've got the Philips unit and so far good luck!
Yes the menus are a little tougher. The quality on the 6 hour on the Philips wasn't any worse than the 4hour on the Cyberhome. The only thing I'm not sure about is on the cyberhome I liked the front and rear inputs. Then you decided on the Tv screen whether you wanted Video, S-Video, etc..Looks like on the Philips I have one regular video input (rear),or I could use the S-video and have two inputs...if what I'm saying makes since?
I like the unit so far. Thanks!
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cath1979
Newbie
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8. April 2004 @ 13:19 |
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Just a note...for anyone worried about losing their remote....The remote for the Philips DVD Recorder 75 is $45.00 + state tax + $9.25 UPS Shipping...If anyone wants to order one, just call:
1-800-531-0039 and follow the simple prompts for a DVD Recorder....their hours are 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Monday thru Sunday...
catherine l hunt
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adesk
Newbie
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26. April 2004 @ 18:52 |
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Does anyone know how to undo the servo 128A upgrade -or- how to revert to/install a prior servo firmware?
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roothead
Newbie
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26. April 2004 @ 19:54 |
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Why do you want to downgrade,I upgraded to the newest firmware and servo 2 weeks after I had the unit and have only had 1 disk to hang up so far.I have recorded around 40 or 50 dvd's and hsd only 1 to lock the unit up and I made a coaster out of another disc when I formated it and then opened and closed the disc door,got an error and would not read that disk.Oh yea,another thing that I did was to take a cooling fan from an old pc and connect it to a 6volt power supply and sit it on top of the recorder and let it blow down thru the vent holes to help keep the unit from running so hot.I have had the fan running for a month and have not experienced any problems at all that would be assotiated with it over heating.
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adesk
Newbie
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26. April 2004 @ 22:12 |
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Since upgrading, most discs get reading errors. A small percentage will record. None will finalize. I'm using the same Verbatim discs I've used in the past. I tried Riteks and they won't work at all. It will read and record my RWs, but after recording, they automatically reformat and erase what was recorded. So now, it's basically nonfunctional. I've sent an email to CyberHome's support, but haven't heard great things about their response time. At this point, I'd be delighted just to have the old firmware back.
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roothead
Newbie
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27. April 2004 @ 06:02 |
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Have you tried running the firmware and servo upgrade again just to be sure that it was upgraded completely,I have had some weird stuff happen when upgradeing any sort of electronics.I saw a post someone made early on in this thread about going back to the original firmware and servo and asked how they did it and never did get an answer.I don,t know any way of reverting the old system software and firmware without haveing it on a cd-r and running it the normal way.BTW I have always used Memorex,Imations and Sony +R and +RW disc and always had good luck.
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adesk
Newbie
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27. April 2004 @ 20:54 |
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I've tried it all. I'm back with the old firmware, which is working with DVD+RWs, but not with DVD+Rs. The ones that read and write wait until the recording's finished and then do a read error.
There's nothing left to do but sing the "I'VE OWNED IT FOR 4 MONTHS AND IT'S WARRANTIED FOR 3 MONTHS-- BLUUUUUES..."
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roothead
Newbie
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28. April 2004 @ 05:29 |
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How did you get it back to the old firmware??
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k_DVD_K
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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28. April 2004 @ 06:35 |
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My machine constantly locking up was the last straw!
After really making my case with HSN in regards to the units lack of reliability, I was able to return the unit to HSN a few weeks back for a full refund and the cost of their really sorry service/repair plan. I'll still check out the message board, but I'm done with the CYBERHOME DVR's until make some huge changes to them.
They should have a better job in the R&D of the 1500/2500 before marketing them.
I esentially spent 4 months beta testing a device I paid for.
I've yet to encounter ANYONE who has a unit that performs well consistantly. That's ridiculous!
I'm considering purchasing a Philipps DVR, though I may wait till HSN offers A JVC unit around mid-May.
The unit will sell for $389.00 from what I've been told.
The unit is not yet officially listed on the HSN site.
I see that local Walmart there is a new DVR offered by
Sanyo for $248.00, but I can seem to find any info on it
at the Sanyo Electronics website. This might be worth checking out.
-Ken-
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KOOLBREW
Junior Member
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1. May 2004 @ 13:47 |
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k_DVD_K, Why would you wait for a JVC unit in mid-May whose performance is unknown, when you can have a Philips DVDR75 for $60 less, right now? I turned in my Cyberhome and bought the Philips, and couldn't be happier. I just can't find a flaw. Check out the dvdr75 thread and see what other users think about the Philips. Great product, great tech support, what else could you want?
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RBrumlow
Newbie
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2. May 2004 @ 04:25 |
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Have you tried TOMMYZAX' solution?:
"If a DVD gets stuck, power off, then turn the power back on while holding down the STOP button on the RECORDER (I don't know why it works, it just DOES)"
No joy here. Is there anyway, short of moving the drive to a PC, to get it to open when it's booting?
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RBrumlow
Newbie
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2. May 2004 @ 04:41 |
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Many, many thanks. So simple to do and it works like a charm.
Quote:
If your Disk won't Eject and you have tried the other methods.
1. turn off the power
2. remove the cover
3. unplug the ribbon cable from the DVD drive
4. turn the power back on
5. reach between the front of the drive and the inside of the case,
about 1" in from the left, if you're standing at the back of the
player, there's a tiny button you can reach with your finger, push it and the tray ejects (If you look on your CD or DVD player, this is where the normal eject button would be. Front panel right hand side)
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pastark
Newbie
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4. May 2004 @ 19:34 |
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Just to make you folks feel a little better --- I have a stand-alone DVD recorder made by Lite-On, purchased from CompUSA, and it's no better. Mine is still under warranty, CompUSA won't take it back, it's been back to Lite-on twice, and is about to be sent back a third time. Works fine only when recording 30-40 minutes or less; longer recordings produce disk errors. I think it's overheating, and probably unfixable. And their customer service stinks -- for instance, they claim they will respond within "48 business hours"; I think they say it that way to foll people into thinking it'll be two days, when in fact it is 6 business days, which works out to over a week.
Pete
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harmsway
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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5. May 2004 @ 03:03 |
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i've had my cyberhome for almost 3 months now and, knock on wood, i haven't had any problems yet. i do kee mine completely powered off when not in use and never leave a disc in it. and i haten't messed witht he firmware. i'm gonna try that trick of putting small fans on the vents for cooling, but i figure the unit will give out eventually just like everyone else's seems to have.
i do have a question. when and if mine goes bad will wal mart not exchange it for me? they usually take anything back, but one of the previous posts here said something about wal mart not exchanging it. if they will take it back i'll just exchange for the panasonic they have for $300. anyone know anything about that one?
"The bottom line is knowing I will die and the worms will eat me."
Anthrax
"Harm's Way"
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jeremy5
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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5. May 2004 @ 05:09 |
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I have been getting more and more out of my Cyberhome the more I've learned to work with it. It's buggy to be sure, but there are work-arounds (like using the vcr tuner instead of the built-in tuner). Another tip I'd like to pass along is to never use warm discs--keep some spare DVD-RW's handy so that if you need to start over you use a fresh cool disc--no errors this way.
I've been thrilled with some of the recordings I've been able to make--great quality.
For archiving tapes in my collection, I use DVD+RW and don't edit in the machine. I don't "make compatible" either. I just pull the raw recording into my computer using "DVD Shrink", edit the start and stops, and save to DVD-R's (cheaper). Also great for preserving quality when the program goes over 2 hours--no need to drop all the way to the 4-hour mode. (My compter DVD recorder supports + and - R, so I can save to whatever format I want.
I love the DVD+RW format, and I would leave the recordings in that format except that I trade a lot and I haven't found the format to be as widely compatible. I've been having problems with edits being recognized by other dvd players no matter what format I use and not matter that I "make compatible" or "finalize". Even Cyberhome players haven't recognized them!!!
After a rocky start, I can say that my Cyberhome is living up to it's promise and making some quality recordings. (I do feel that the research and development people at Cyberhome could have made a better quality product with a little effort. How hard would it have been to create better ventilation or put a fan in, for example? But, I've come to terms with mine. The dvd's it produces are great!
Jeremy
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ray717
Newbie
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11. May 2004 @ 14:53 |
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I also bought the cyberhome dvr 2500,
at first it worked fine. Now it takes forever to read a disk and then it says no disk. IF i try to open the door it freezes up. I can use source and setup.
but anything with the DVD is a mess. If i can get the door open I'll download the upgrade and flash it.I e-mailed cyberhome but no answer yet. if anyone can help please do. Thanks
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FD7605
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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13. May 2004 @ 17:38 |
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I purchased a cyberhome 1500 appr. 4months ago and it has already quit working. It locks up in the start up mode and has a display Ch004 ME. Nothing works on the front panel can't even eject the dvd that is in it. I took it back to where I purchased it for repair to find out 90 day labor only and 1 year parts and will have to send it back to the factory. That's where the nightmare begins!!! All day trying to get through to a company rep. and hearing a taped message that my call is important please hold. One hour and 15 minutes before I hung up in disgust! ANY IDEAS OUT THERE, ON HOW I CAN GET THIS FIXED!!!!!!
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jeremy5
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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14. May 2004 @ 05:20 |
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Have you tried pulling the plug from the outlet and waiting 20 minutes or so before plugging it back in. This can sometimes reset electronics. Are you able to get to the set-up menu? Can you change the input source to anything else? Mine locks up all the time, and I can usually reset it by flicking the switch in the back. If the unit is cold, it takes a few flicks only. If the unit is warm, it may take many more tries. Some Cyberhomes owners have reported that it takes them only one click when this happens. It's an annoying bug, which is not addressed by the Cyberhome "fix" on their website even though the fix says it is for the lock-up. Doesn't work, though. However, the lock-up can usually be freed with the button in the back. Other owners have devised means of accessing the reset button on the dvd drive inside itself. I don't know if this will help since I haven't seen mine lock up with that display, but I've found it pays to play around with the settings on my Cyberhome. The button in the back can help a lot (on my unit it can take many, many tries however).
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FD7605
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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14. May 2004 @ 06:16 |
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I have tried unplugging and using the power switch without much luck. My biggest disappointment is with Cyberhome customer service or should I say lack of it. Tried to get in contact 1st call on hold for over an hour and never got to speak to anyone. Just listened to their recording over an over on how my call was important and someone would be with me in a moment. One lesson I have learned is, I wouldn't ever buy another Cyberhome product again!!!! I think it is a shame a company doesn't stand by their product and make the consumer have to come up with fixes to their equipment.
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kbeck98
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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14. May 2004 @ 16:59 |
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Well, K_DVD_K, here is one very happy Cyberhome owner. Perhaps all the other happy customers are not looking for a thread entitled ?Cyberhome Nightmares?.
I have my unit for 3.5 months (not from WalMart),
I am doing everything you all tell me <bold>not</bold> to do, and it works great every time.
I leave the disc in overnight, every night, sometimes on standby, sometimes turned on. If I forget to erase the +RW every second day, it just records to the edge. No problem.
I start recording movies on +R and go to bed, letting it run to the ?edge?, no problem.
I use Memorex 4X +R $ 1.50 each, Memorex+RW for $1.00, and Sony +R for $0.99, (but non from WalMart), never lost one. I set timer recordings for different dates and speeds while on vacation. I record from DirecTV, CamCorder, DVD Movies, VCR and Laser Disc. I do not use the built in tuner, because I use DirecTV. Unit never locked up. No stuck disk, no skipping.
I can play back a movie before or after finalizing.
I always use the remote only.
Military time and optional chapter are just fine.
Yes, the disk gets warm, so does it in my Toshiba player.
When I first got it, I did the January update (124A) before using it.
Not planning on any other update.
I know that is no help to some of you, except for knowing that there are good units out there, just don?t know how many.
Kurt
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harmsway
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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15. May 2004 @ 19:46 |
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like i said, i've been lucky so far. but i do think i'm gonna go ahead and return mine and get a phillips. i'm just under the 90 day mark at wal mart, so it shuldn't be a problem. i have no problems at all with how the cyberhome works, but i'm gonna get out before i start getting the headaches everyone else has been talking about.
"The bottom line is knowing I will die and the worms will eat me."
Anthrax
"Harm's Way"
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ray717
Newbie
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16. May 2004 @ 05:58 |
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Owner of a Cyberhome 2500 which I bought on HSC
Does anyone know of the Internal reset switch Jeremy5
is talking about?
My dvd is either not reciving commands or unable to
carry them out. Everything else works Tuner, setup etc.
Its getting power I know that.
If anyone has any Idea's please post!
Thankyou
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harmsway
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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16. May 2004 @ 18:00 |
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will wal mart take back electronics that were purchased less than 90 days ago without any problem? i'm around the 80 day mark and i'm gonna go ahead and return it and get a phillips if they'll take it back and give me my money back. also, do i need to prove to them that there's something woring, or just say i'm not happy?
"The bottom line is knowing I will die and the worms will eat me."
Anthrax
"Harm's Way"
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eboy123
Newbie
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16. May 2004 @ 18:26 |
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The Cyberhome DVD Recorders are crap, they have a 3 month warranty and you're lucky if they make it beyond that. Anyhow, there are links on the Cyberhome website for firmware upgrades. You should check that your recorder doesn't need the updates.
Not all DVD players can read burned discs. Some only play R if they play a burned title at all, so try it on a +r disc and see if it works. If not it could be the player you are trying the disc on.
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dmelgar
Junior Member
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16. May 2004 @ 19:31 |
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Answer a few folks...
Regarding the internal switch: there was an append earlier in this same thread where someone described how to eject the DVD by removing the cover. I haven't done it, was able to power it on/off with the switch on the back enough times it eventually booted up and let me eject the disk.
Regarding Walmart returns. Technically, Walmart will refund your money on the Cyberhome if you're not happy within 90 days. I was personally amazed when I returned my Cyberhome at about 75 days, they didn't want to refund the money. They insisted that it fell under the category of some 45 day things. I stood my ground, the idiots there didnt know how to read their own policy. They eventually gave me my money back... but it did scare me about the supposed Walmart return policy. Since no store ever has any DVD recorders set up, it seems that they want you to buy and try, otherwise they'd let you try it in the store.
There are a bunch of DVD recorders on clearance now as next years models come out. Walmart has the Cyberhome at $219 online and now has an Aspire model for $218. Has anyone tried that one?
I just bought a Philips DVDR75 for $250 open box sale at Circuit City. Its generally a better unit than the Cyberhome, but still has plenty of its own problems. I figure its still early in the DVD recorder game. Whatever you buy has to be considered disposable. In a couple of years there will be much better stuff for much less money.
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