Electronics : Go Video R6540 DVD Recorder |
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Rating: - * DO NOT BUY THIS!!! ... I bought this product through a company I work for. To say the least I was surprised that they would carry something of such low quality. To put it bluntly, this product is not worth the plastic it took to assemble it. As I write this, we have gone through 2 units already. The first one would not recognize its own discs. The second one locked up and the tray would not open up. If a company has faulty product, that's one thing. This company also has horrible customer service. It took at least 2 weeks of waiting on hold over many phone calls for a least 20 minutes just to talk to a real person so we could get warranty service. After we got the unit returned to GOVideo, we are still waiting 2 weeks later to receive the the replacement. I know when we finally get our 3rd unit that it will probably only last a couple of months before something goes wrong again. I have tried e-mailing which is just as worthless. They send out generic e-mails which have nothing to do with what you e-mailed them about. The bottom line is this company has no interest in customer service and standing behind their products. I would not recommend this product or any other product from this company. Rating: - * good but die after 6 months ... I had a good time with it. However, it die after 6 months. And I need to pay $70 to get a replaced one. Rating: - * You can do better, even for the money ... Never mind that the thing broke down after 4 months and couldn't even read its own discs, because GoVideo support was nice about it and would have repaired or replaced it (I brought it back to the store for a refund instead). On the plus side? It does (when it was working) what it says it does, and the video is high-quality. The minus side? Huge. A user interface that looks like it was created by apes, for apes. Examples: You're watching a show, you decide you want to record it, so you put in a disc. From the moment you hit the "Open" button, the program you're watching disappears, and is replaced by the GoVideo logo screen, which cheerfully takes about a minute to figure out that you've just put a blank DVD into the machine, and give you back to a screen where you can go back to watching TV. That doesn't sound like a big deal unless it's the World Series you were watching. You can't let the machine record to the end of a disc, because that disc will become unreadable. If, at 11:05, you give it instructions to time-record from 11:00 to 12:00 (because you want to leave the house), it starts up, but records for a completely random period of time, and stops well before 12. My replacement is the LiteOn LVW-5005. Even cheaper than the GoVideo, and while I can't yet swear to its reliability, the software and the general usability is 10 times better. And I can do things like add chapter stops and give titles to my tracks, something the GoVideo interface wouldn't let me do! And I can record to the end of a disc, and leave the house with it recording! All in all, the LiteOn people seem to have expended far more effort in making this machine feel like a VCR replacement, and I think they succeeded. Oh, one more thing: the GoVideo had an annoying 60hz buzz on the audio coming from the RF (Tuner) input. I had to use the A/V input instead to get rid of it. Rating: - * Nice for the Price ... I chose between 3 DVDR's and mainly chose this one because I had no DVD Compatibility issues. One of the other recorders had to be unplugged when it licked up reading certain DVDs. I have not updated the firmware and am content thus far. Recorded DVD's play fine on any of my players. DVD+R's need to be stopped before they run out of space or htey don't close the session properly, but DVD+RW's you can hit record and let it run til it is out of space...the longest is around 6.5 hours. Most modes will record 10-30 minutes past their 1/2/3/4/6 hour specs. Not many reviews on this DVDR, and if you read the R6530 reviews it is unsettling. I was going for the name and got lucky with this model... I wish this price range afforded for Component input and Decoded Dolby 5.1, and had a USB for cameras and storage devices, but for the price I am content. There is a contender out there (probably a *****) that I think would satisfy all the above in the same range, but I'll let you find it. I have it's little brother player (*****) and am quite happy with every aspect of its performance. Rating: - * Do your homework - compatibility issues ... I don't actually own this particular model but I do own a GoVideo R6740 DVD recorder. Here's the major thing potential customers interested in getting their first DVD recorder should be aware of (I bought one not knowing the following): the GoVideo units (as well as other lower-cost brands) only record on DVD+R/RW media, as opposed to DVD-R (notice the dash instead of the plus symbol). The DVD+R media will NOT play on any other machine besides the unit it was recorded on, even when finalized. However, the DVD+RW's (rewritables) will play on other machines but the unit is quite fussy about the brand of media you use, as I've had some problems with recording DVD+RW's giving me the "Write Fail" error message. The DVD-R/RW media is much more compatible with other players, so be forewarned. Otherwise, it's a fairly decent unit as a DVD player and as a recorder if you can live with the limitations I've mentioned. |


![]() The nüvi 360 comes with hands-free bluetooth wireles technology. See side view. |
![]() Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer. |
![]() The device sports a handy MP3 player, letting you play songs stored on SD memory cards. |
In addition, you can easily look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone's call history log. Don't know the phone number for your destination? Simply find and dial it from nüvi's database of more than six million points of interest -- including hotels, restaurants, stores, and attractions.
Navigation and Entertainment with Ease
For starters, the nüvi 360 includes a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver that offers exceptional performance and reception. The unit's flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection. Preloaded software features maps of Europe or North America, and it includes automatic routing, 2D or 3D map perspective, turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names, and a fingertip touch screen interface -- making navigation as easy as it gets.
But navigation is just the beginning. Like the nüvi 350, the nüvi 360 also includes many entertainment and travel tools including an MP3 player, audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, and currency converters.
The nüvi 360 features a bright, 2.8 x 2.1-inch TFT display with white backlight for easy readability. At 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87-inches (WxHxD) and just 5.1 ounces, the unit is small enough to be placed on the dashboard with the included suction mount, or into your pocket for easy transportability. The unit also features Garmin Lock -- an advanced anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific four-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you up to eight hours of power, and an included 12/24 volt adapter cable will let you run the navigator off your vehicle's power. An AC battery charger is also included.
A built-in Travel Kit that includes sample MP3s and audio books will get you started with entertainment, and with the unit's SD memory card expansion slot you can add optional software, such as language and travel guides. A USB port is also included for loading and updating data.
What's in the Box
Gamin nüvi 360, Preloaded City Navigator NT North America or Europe (full coverage), vehicle suction cup mount, AC charger, 12/24 volt adapter cable, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, carrying case, owner's manual, and quick reference guide.

![]() This pocket sized personal travel assistant has a super bright, sunlight-readable color screen. See side view. |
![]() Easy control via the simple touch screen. |
![]() Weather reporting available with bright, colorful graphics. |
Speaking of keeping you safe, the nüvi 680 lets you make hands-free calls so you can talk freely during your worry-free driving. By integrating Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, you can pair your nüvi with any compatible Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free while staying focused on the road. You no longer have to fumble with your phone's handset to answer a call or dial a number, just tap the 680's screen and you're instantly connected. And with 1-touch dialing for your POIs, you can quickly and conveniently call ahead to make reservations or get needed information.
![]() Simply insert a memory card to enjoy pictures, songs, and audiobooks. |
![]() You can also use the mini-USB port for tranferring files directly to the memory card. |
In additional to all this functionality, the nüvi 680 includes many must-have entertainment and travel tools such as an MP3 player, an audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), and a JPEG picture viewer so you can take your favorite music and pictures with you wherever you go. This unit also features a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator so that wherever you travel it will be easy to know what you are getting and keep track of your costs. The MP3 player lets you browse music by artist, album, and/or song, while the optional audio books may be purchased from Audible.com which features over 70,000 hours of audio programs. What's more, the nüvi 680 allows further customization via optional software such as a travel guide, savings programs and language translation on plug-and-play SD cards for all your travel needs.
The Garmin nüvi 680 comes with a built-in, high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, and lets you view and operate it via its bright, LCD TFT touch-screen, wide-screen display that measures 4.3 inches (diagonal) and has a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels with 64,000 colors and a white backlight. As a whole, the nüvi 680 measures 4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D), and weighs only 6.2 ounces for easy portability. This unit provides you with from three to seven hours of battery life (depending on use) via its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and comes with Garmin Lock, which is an anti-theft feature to protect your investment. While you can add software via the SD card slot, the Garmin nüvi 680 also lets you interface via high-speed USB for loading data, though users should note that, like most USB mass storage devices, this unit is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
![]() The nüvi 680 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel stops, ATMs, and more. |

