Editorial Review:

Item Description:
DVD Recorder and Player DVDR615 - Philips DVD recorders are based on the DVD+RW technology, offering you almost endless reliability, compatibility, performance and simplicity for recording DVDs. This also means that the DVDs you record on the DVDR615 can be played on virtually any DVD player. It also has a disc manager function that helps you to archive all your recordings and an iLINK function to easily transfer your digital camcorder video recordings to durable, high-quality DVD discs. You get about 4-hours of recording per DVD and, unlike tapes, recordings remain true and high-quality for over 1,000 plays and a hundred years. It's a must-have component for any home-theater system. Coaxial digital audio output Progressive Scan output Capacity - 1 Disc Slim Size - 2-3/4 H x 17 Wide x 9 Deep (approximate) for fittinginto compact home-theater cabinets Multifunction FL Display with dimmer control Parental controls Designed for NTSC record and play Includes remote control Silver Finish

Amazon Item Description:
High on convenience, low on hassles, Philips' DVDR615 progressive-scan DVD player/recorder gives you a simple way to share your home videos with others, relieve your VCR of its regular TV taping duties, and enjoy quality home cinema presentations on standard or high-definition televisions. Using the model's extensive inputs--including an i.Link digital video jack--you can transfer and assemble your most treasured camcorder footage, archive all your old video tapes, or burn video from your PC straight to high-capacity DVD--up to an amazing 8 hours per disc side using either DVD+R or rewritable DVD+RW.

The DVDR615 features progressive-scan technology, which enables compatible TVs to display images at double the frequency of standard TVs, minimizing flicker and making the picture easier on your eyes.

The DVDR615 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 DVDR615 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 DVDR615 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 DVDR615 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 and 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
DVD recorder, remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual (English/Spanish), a quick-install guide, an AC power cord, a stereo analog audio interconnect, a composite-video cable, and an RF coaxial/antenna cable.

---

---

Rating: - * Doesn't do all that it says it does. ...
I was very disappointed to find that this recorder could not read all the formats consistently. It could read one dvd+ but not another, one dvd-, but not another, one svcd but not another, etc. I had bought it with expectation that it could read all the formats if they were recorded correctly and this was not the case. I had to return it. Otherwise, setup was easy. My old APEX player, which was 1/3 the price, reads everything without a hitch. Glad I didn't part with it.

---

Rating: - * Recording Quality Great BUT Reliability Poor ...
Pro:
- Recording quality on the DVDR-15/17 was much better than expected (using DirecTV) on settings up to 6 hrs (8 hrs was worse than VHS).
- Multiple input/output formats.
- Slim silver case
Con:
- Reliability poor. After 40 days (right after they began replaying ALL the Farscape episodes), the system refused to recognize ANY disc - blank or commercial in any format (prerecorded DVD/DVD+R/CD). Technical support was prompt & immediately gave me an RMA so I could send it away for service (shipping on my dime).
- Menu is not intuitive.
We'll see how the turnaround is & whether the problem returns.

---

Rating: - * Not a single bad burn to date ...
I picked up the Philips DVDR615 a week ago at a local Best Buy and love it. I have burned 15 +R Disc and 1 +RW Disc without any problems. All disc played in my Sony DVD players as well as a Dell and 2 Apple computers. The Apple's seemed to like the disc to be finalized on one machine, didn't care on the other. I purchsed this machine for one reason only and that is archiving shows off my Dish 921 HD PVR. I have to downconvert from 1080i to 480i but the PQ at the 1X setting is excellent, not HD of course but certainly top quality DVD which is all we have until the release of any HD Recorders sometime next year ($$$$).

I disagree about waiting 6 months to post a review on something, by then you usually can't find it. I would have preferred to purchase the Philips DVDR740 which has 5.1 Audio recording capability but for some reason I can't find one anywhere. Lastly the reason I give this recorder 4 stars and not 5 stars is the fact that the OSD is not very intuitive and the owners manual is even worse. Once you figure out how to operate it though its really quite simple. I don't know why they couldn't explain it better in the manual. The "monitor" key is your friend! If anything changes with the reliability of this recorder I will update or add to this review

---

Rating: - * Very good machine ...
I haven't had any problems with my machine and have been pleased with the quality. The video is good all the way to the 8 hr mode. It is easy to hook up and navigate around with the remote. The onscreen menu is a bit awkward so you need to keep your user manual close by until you get the hang of things. Overall I am glad I chose this machine over the panasonic, as this machine is more compatable with most DVD players on the market. I was considering the panasonic model but the compatability issue was too much of a risk. So far the discs I have made with this machine have played in every other DVD player I've tried them in.

---

Rating: - * Please wait 6 months before posting a review ...
All of Philips DVD recorders tend to work OK for a few months before numerous problems arise. The DVD recorder is then virtually useless. Therefore, if you purchased this Philips DVD recorder, please wait 6 months before posting a review.