JVC DRMV5S DVD Recorder/VCR Combo

Nice

Didn't work. Power came on but nothing else. Just flashes and indicates "loading." Also, packaging was the worse I've ever seen. Box size was good but the only packing material was a piece of brown paper on top. It was sloshing all over.

It took 3 days to get this set up and programed to work. It took 3 days to be able to talk to a person at JVC. They put you on hold for 20 minutes and then tell you call back the next day. My unit did not have audio on several channels even though my cable setup and TV setup were correct. I could have exchanged it for another unit, but the real problem was the complexity of use. I wanted to transfer VHS to DVD and it is incredibly difficut and frustrating to do! It takes so many steps expecially if you want to tape only certain parts of your VHS. You cannot pause the DVD and when you stop it it starts a new chapter and rewinds your VHS back to the beginning so you can't tape in the spot where you have just forwarded it to. The clock is incredibly small and hard to read. I couldn't read any of the lighted features just sitting on the couch. The blue light is tooooo bright but I did manage to get it turned off but then the screen was too dark to read anything. When you use the timer feature to tape future shows you cannot turn the unit on at all to watch a DVD or tape something else. You had to turn off your preset program just to use it! So much for making sure my soap taped everyday. I would have to recheck it each morning to make sure that the timer was turned back on. We took this unit back and it was a shame because the recording features are very clear and very good quality. Too bad JVC couldn't have created a quality product that a person with a normal IQ could operate. It was just to difficult for me!

just what i needed

WAS MISSING 2 PIECES ON THE FRONT ( I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER JVC DRMV5SU )OTHER THAN THAT, IT APPEARS TO WORK JUST FINE. CAME WITH A BRAND NEW GE UNIVERSALREMOTE AND I FINALIZED APPROXIMATELY 12 OLD DISCS THAT I HAD MADE PREVIOUSLY.VCR AND DVD RECORDER WORKED JUST FINE.

I just found one of these units at Goodwill for $6.99 and it works perfect! I just wanted to play some old VHS tapes I found, and I didn't have a VCR because I threw mine out years ago. I decided to research this unit on the Web after I bought it and now realize what all this can do! I can play VHS tapes; DVD's; CD's; with all types of formats including Mp3's! I also can make DVD's from my old VHS tapes and they look great! I can also plug my Camcorder into the unit, and make DVD's right from my Camcorder. It's that simple! This unit is phenomenal! And I just found the Remote for it on Ebay, which costed me more than the unit! What is so funny is that I read so many reviews where everyone is so unhappy with this unit, and I bought this at Goodwill for $7.00 and I am elated!

Very disappointed. Broken and in awful condition. It's made me realize, I won't buy used items like this anymore.

I spent several months researching DVD recorders before deciding to go with the JVC DRMV5S. It is a good thing that I did not completely trust some of the negative reviews or I would have missed out on a great unit. For example, one review complained about the bright blue light. I agree, it is annoying, but it can also be easily turned on and off via an on-screen menu pick. Another review said there was no one-button dubbing. This is not true. To dub a VHS tape to DVD just press and hold the button for 3 seconds. The JVC DRMV5S will automatically calculate the length of the VHS tape and then start recording it to DVD using the optimal settings. Oh, did I mention that you can adjust the total recording time of the DVD in 5 minute increments to maximize the quality of the recording. And yes, the quality of the recordings is outstanding.I've made numerous DVDs from old VHS tapes without a hitch. I've also used the JVC DRMV5S to save and index shows from my satellite receiver. After finalizing the DVDs they all play perfectly in my other DVD players. In addition, the JVC DRMV5S does a great job of playing all of my commercial DVDs and VHS tapes. I've even found that I can configure the unit to play VHS tapes through the S-video connector which allows me to continue to use my receiver to switch S-video sources.Bottom line, this is a great unit at a great price. Even so, I suggest that you do your homework before buying any unit. They all have different pluses and minuses. In my case the JVC DRMV5S completely met my needs and I am very satisfied with the purchase. Good luck on your purchase.