With the CH-DVR 1500 you can digitally record superb picture and sound--up to six hours a disc, in your choice of resolution (only one hour at the highest-quality setting). Use the timer and scheduler for advance recording of up to eight favorite TV programs, or record "live" to disc at your whim. The recorder lets you add markers and thumbnail images with auto chapter or set chapter markers manually.

A major benefit of the DVD+RW (rewriteable) format is the ability to edit programs as you're making a disc, ensuring through handy add and delete buttons that you'll only commit to disc the segments you intend. Further, there's no finalization required before playback of DVD+RW--you can use DVD+RW discs pretty much the way you use VHS videotape, only without the cumbersome fast-forwarding and rewinding. DVD+R lets you edit--add, move, remove--but you can't reclaim recorded space once it's been burned, so your total disc length shrinks as you make cuts.

Front audio/video inputs (composite- and S-video) accommodate feeds from camcorders and other devices, and the recorder offers 9-bit analog-to-digital encoding from video sources. An onscreen disc title navigator gives you quick, easy access to your recordings.

As a player, the unit handles everything from DVD+R/+RW, DVD-Video, and DVD-R to VCD, SVCD, and CD-R/CD-RW, including CDs filled with MP3 music files. Progressive scanning doubles the scan lines of an interlaced signal by scanning all 525 lines in 1/60 of a second for each full pass. The higher-density video signal creates film-like DVD images with rich detail, extraordinary depth of field, and precise color reproduction.

Composite- and S-video outputs accommodate most televisions, and a choice of either PAL or NTSC video output lets you use the player/recorder with either monitor type. The unit offers an RF passthrough for TV tuning, but be aware that this channel signals from the onboard NTSC tuner only--not from DVDs. If you have an older TV without a composite-video (yellow RCA jack) input, you'll need an RF modulator to go between the DVD recorder and your TV.

What's in the Box
DVD player/recorder, remote control, two AAA batteries, AC power cord, stereo analog audio/composite-video interconnect, RF audio/video interconnect, RF splitter, user's manual, registration/warranty info, three blank DVD+RW discs, and disc holder.

Product Description
The CH-DVR 1500 is a DVD Recorder/Player with Progressive Scan Video Output.DVD+R/RW Recording gives you the ability to create your own DVD discs from your home movies, favorite TV programs and more. Because of the outstanding compatibility of DVD+R/RW discs, the discs you create will be suitable for playback in most DVD players. You can record from the unit's built-in TV Tuner or an external video source like a video camera. And when you're ready to watch your recordings or commercial DVDs, you can enjoy them in the highest quality with the unit's Progressive Scan Video Out and Digital Audio Out.

It plays every format of CD, DVD and R or RW, and jpegs, etc.. It will only handle the first 250 jpegs or mp3's it finds on a disk you insert. This is a potential nuisance. It records only the DVD+R and DVD+RW formats but can also play the "-" formats. A majority of DVD players and PC's will play the + format but some will only play the - format. A few older players will only play factory DVDs. DO NOT BLAME THE RECORDER for an industry with multiple standards. The RW discs are simpler to use than R discs, but cost more.

While recording, the pause contol works very nicely, but plan ahead for STOP. This results in a long delay while the disc index is written and you cannot resume or anything else until this step is complete.

You can choose the compression to record with to yield 1,2,3,4 or 6 hours on a single-layer single-sided disc. The 1 and 2 hour modes are very very good. Three hour mode is acceptable VCR quality, but the 4 and 6 hour modes suffer from the high compression.

Be sure you let it format the new disk when you first put it in. This takes about 90 seconds. Also allow about 20-30 seconds warm up when you program it to record TV broadcasts. I just set the system clock 30 seconds fast.
Editing takes some practice. I strongly suggest you practice first with material that can be discarded.

The menus need to be made more user friendly, but there is not much else to criticise. Recorders will surely become faster and easier to use in the future, but are already much easier than using a PC for recording.

I am transferring my 10-20 year old home videos to DVD before they go bad. The DVDs will also take up less shelf space.


DVD Recording at $300!!!   November 15, 2003
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I tested it out the other night and it works great! I used a DVD+RW disc and was able to do some test recordings. Though it does not play in my 1997 DVD player, or game systems, it does play in the recorder itself and also in my companion Cyberhome DVD player, the compact size CH DVD 300/S.
I think the newer DVD players, if one checks if it lists that it is compatible with DVD-R / -RW or DVD+R / +RW, one can be just fine. My DVD player is older, so there is a chance it isn't compatible with any recordable DVD formats. (This recorder records in +R/+RW only)
The player works great! It has many recording speeds, HQ 1 hour, SP 2 hour, EP #?, ELP#?, and SLP 6 hour. I couldn't tell a big difference in HQ vs. SP, so I will most likely use SP. The 6 hour quality is worse than VCD, but the other modes come out real nice. (I would guess the EP or ELP may be in the VCD or digital-VHS like quality area) I did a test from a VCR SP recording and also live off my TV cable and it looks very good, though a TV source is near NTSC 320x240, and DVD is 640x480 or so, it is amazing to capture the TV on a digital disc, for collection purposes.
The RW disc is nice because you don't have to finalize the disc, just record and you are done, there are a few seconds when you STOP the recording, but it worked much like my VCR as to starting the recording, and pausing.
A neat surprise, the deck came with a leather case with empty sleeves for DVDs, and it came with 3 free +RW discs! It included batteries for the remote, and also had a AV cable and an RF cable for connections. I was happy to be surprised by the extra items. The recorder also has its own TV tuner, for live or timer recordings and multiple inputs.

I have a collection of cartoons I have gathered over the years on tape and have dearly wanted to put them on a recordable DVD, but have been waiting for prices to come down in the players. I was so glad when this recorder came available!


Good quality picture...bad quality recorder?   December 11, 2003
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I had one of these for (5) days and made a few recordings with it. In all honesty, the picture quality was very good. Included are (3) DVD+RW discs, a nice touch. However It seemed to stay QUITE warm all the time (even when turned off) and started to emit that nasty "electrical burning smell". It had also frozen up a couple of times....nothing would work until I unplugged it and plugged it in again. I had E-Mailed Cyberhome about this (they responded almost immediately to my surprise) and they said that "most" of the recorders work fine, but mine should be unplugged IMMEDIATELY and returned to the store. This could be a nice recorder (it is simpler to operate than the Philips that I have now)but be sure to buy it from a store that will let you return it should you need to.


DVD Recorder   November 2, 2003
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This does a very good job on recording from external sources, such as analog cameras, etc. Very good unit for the money.