Philips DVDR600VR Recorder Review

Now with the Philips DVDR600VR you have a simple way to share your home videos with others, archive your most-treasured VHS tapes, and enjoy quality home cinema presentations on standard or high-definition televisions: Philips DVDR600VR combination progressive-scan DVD player/recorder with built-in VCR. Schedule your TV recordings for either disc or tape and use the model's extensive inputs--including an i.Link digital video jack--to transfer and assemble camcorder footage or burn video from your PC to high-capacity DVD. The unit records up to 8 hours per disc side using either DVD+R or rewritable DVD+RW.

The Philips DVDR600VR also features a disc manager that allows instant viewing of all recorded discs, storing contents details for up to 9,000 titles across up to 999 discs. You can also use the Philips DVDR600VR like a VCR, burning televised programs directly to disc using VCR Plus+ simplified programming. Recording functions include favorite scene selection, automatic/manual chapter marker insertion, selectable index pictures, selectable background picture, append, divide, and "fit to space."

DVD+RW discs require no finalizing--you can record, eject, and play them with minimal fuss, thanks to "background formatting." This feature, which lowers total burning time, is an advantage over the "dash" formats. Other DVD+RW advantages include on-disc content editing and multisession writing. And, through DVD+RW and DVD+R's compatibility with most existing DVD players, they're a great way for you to share your special memories with family and friends.

But the Philips DVDR600VR is also a first-rate DVD player, featuring progressive-scan video outputs, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound passthrough, MP3 CD playback (CD-R/CD-RW), and compatibility with most DVD media (including video-mode DVD-R and DVD-RW).

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVDR600VR stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

Top-of-the-line interlaced component-video inputs and outputs (the output is switchable with the progressive-scan output) help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts from component-video sources and on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video inputs and outputs bring compatibility with nearly any video component and television monitor. Audio inputs consist of 2-channel analog jacks with 24-bit/96 kHz analog-to-digital conversion for DVD with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio compression (compression is non-defeatable). Video conversion, to and from digital, is performed by high-quality 10-bit, 54 MHz converters.

Two sets of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's coaxial digital-audio output for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver.

What's in the Box?

What Features Does the Philips DVDR600VR Have?

· Disc capacity: 1

· Progressive scan: Yes (DVD playback)

· 3:2 pulldown: No

· Region playback: Compatible only with discs coded for Region 1 and for All Regions

· Switchable 480p/480i: Yes

· Memory card slot: No

· Playback formats: DVD-Video (NTSC), VCD, SVCD, DVD+R, DVD+RW, video mode DVD-R and DVD-RW, red book CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD, and VHS videocassette

· Philips DVDR600VR Recording formats: DVD+R, DVD+RW, and VHS tape

· Firmware upgradeable: No

· Aspect ratio control: Yes

· Dialog enhancer: No

· Black-level enhancement: Yes

· Integrated receiver: No

· Front-panel operation: No (remote required for use)

· Quick play: No

· Multi-angle viewing: Yes (with applicable discs)

· Audio encoding: Dolby Digital 2.0 only (16 bits, 48 kHz; does not record linear PCM digital audio)

· Horizontal resolution: 525 lines

· Video DAC: 10-bit, 54 MHz

· Audio DAC: 24-bit, 96 kHz

· Video ADC: 10-bit, 54 MHz

· Audio ADC: 24-bit, 96 kHz

· HDCD decoding: No

· Video signal-to-noise ratio: Information not available

· Audio signal-to-noise ratio: 95 dB

· Dynamic range (video): Information not available

· Dynamic range (audio): 85 dB (at 1 kHz)

· Crosstalk (audio): 95 dB (at 1 kHz)

· Distortion plus noise: 85 dB (at 1 kHz)

· Chapter preview: Yes (index picture screen)

· Custom bookmarks: No

· Frame advance: Yes

· Still/freeze frame: Yes

· Jog/shuttle dial on unit: No

· Forward/reverse play: Yes

· Speeds: Fast Forward/Backward (3 speeds), Step Forward/Backward, Slow (3 speeds)

· Karaoke: No

· Multilingual support: Yes (English, Spanish, French)

· Remote control: Yes

· Parental controls: Yes (disc lock)

· Picture zoom: Yes

· Random play: Yes

· Recording capability: Yes

· Recording capacity: 1 to 8 hours per side, depending on selected quality level (7 levels)

· Advance recording: Yes (6 events, 1 year, DVD or VHS)

· VCR Plus+ guide: Yes

· Auto clock set: Yes

· Recording features: DVD: favorite scene selection, automatic/manual chapter marker insertion, selectable index pictures, selectable background picture, append, divide, and fit to space

· Video encoding: MPEG2 for DVD, MPEG1 for VCD

· Favorite scene selection: For easy editing of your home movies

· Memory: Non-volatile (retains clock data for up to 12 hours without power, and retains channel and timer data for about 1 year)

· Disc library: Up to 9,000 titles, up to 999 discs

· Digital photo manager: Create albums, edit pictures (colors, filters); zoom (2 x, 4x, 6x), rotate, flip

· G-Link/IR Blaster included: No

· Repeat play: Yes (A-B)

· Resume play: Yes (up to 20 discs)

· Track programming: No

· Intro scan: Yes

· Time search: Yes

· Reverse-frame step: Yes

· Screen dimmer: Yes (display on/off)

· Screen saver: No

· Slow motion: Yes

· Text display: No

· VCR capability: Yes

· Audio outputs: 2 stereo analog (left/right), 1 digital (coaxial)

· Headphone jack: No

· Audio inputs: 3 stereo analog (left/right) RCA

· Video outputs: 1 component-video, 1 S-video, 1 composite-video, 1 RF

· Video inputs: 1 component-video, 2 S-video, 2 composite-video, 1 IEEE 1394 DV, 1 RF

· Surround-sound output: Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel passthrough

· Simulated surround sound: No

· THX-certified: No

· Front-panel inputs: Yes (including iLINK and S-video)

· Power input: AC 120V, 60 Hz

· Power consumption: 27 watts (less than 3 watts standby, with clock display off)

· Environmental: 59 to 95 degrees F, with 25 to 75 percent humidity

· Item width: 17.1 inches

· Item height: About 4 inches

· Item depth: About 14 inches

· Item weight: About 10.3 pounds

· Philips DVDR600VR Warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a way to archive VHS tapes and home movies and you want a first-rate DVD player too, this Philips DVDR600VR recorder with VCR is your answer. Use the iLink digital video jack to transfer camcorder footage or burn video from your computer to DVD. Enjoy high quality playback with progressive scan video outputs, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound. Playback formats include DVD-Video (NTSC), VCD, SVCD, DVD+R, DVD+RW, video mode DVD-R and DVD-RW, red book CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD, and VHS. Record formats include DVD+R, DVD+RW, and VHS tape. The Philips DVDR600VR offers convenient recording features include favorite scene selection, automatic/manual chapter marker insertion, selectable index pictures, selectable background picture, append, divide and "fit to space."