The R6530's versatile playback features include progressive-scan video outputs and support of MP3, JPEG, and Kodak Picture CDs. A variety of video and audio inputs--including front-panel connections for fast, temporary hookups--grant connection to virtually all televisions and home theater components. An easy-to-use full-function remote control commands all the action.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the R6530 stands ready to deliver the full playback 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.

When recording, the unit automatically creates a new disc title every time you start a new recording. You can then add chapters to these recordings manually or have them automatically inserted at five-minute intervals.

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.

To help you navigate the transition from VCR to DVD recording, GoVideo's "white-glove customer care" includes free telephone assistance in making your first recording, should you need it.

What's in the Box
DVD player/recorder, a blank DVD+RW disc, a full-function remote control, remote batteries, an RF coaxial audio/video cable (3 feet), a stereo analog audio/composite-video interconnect (3 feet), a quick-reference guide, a warranty card, and a user's manual.

Even with fresh batteries you need to be close to the recorder to get it to respond to the remote. Sometimes buttons must be pushed again and again. The remote contains a lot of buttons, but Go Video skimped on size so the buttons are small and close together.

On screen menus are blurry and use small print so you need to be quite close to the screen. You'll be near the screen anyway given the remote's very limited range.

The video quality appeared to be worse than the VCR I replaced it with. There was none of the sharpness that you'd expect from a DVD even with a store bought DVD movie.

Timed recordings went well.

The last straw for me was the media. The manual states that it will work with all DVD+R and DVD+RW media that adhere to the standards, blah blah blah. I bought HP DVD+R disks and the unit responded with an error.

This unit is priced relatively low for a home DVD recorder, but if this is the best they can do for the price, skip it until they get the bugs out and bring the quality up.


Not ready for any time   December 24, 2003
 19 out of 24 found this review helpful

QVC impulse purchase. Returned it. Primitive controls on front panel. Little sh*tty primitive looking // shaped buttons on front of unit. Slow, slow, slow. Most operations there is a noticable delay lag of .5 to 5 seconds. The plugs are extremely tight - though that was the least of the problems. Had a hard time inserting and removing the progressive scan and s-video plugs out of the back.

Terrible remote control layout. 2 tiny up down channel on a horizontal layout on the top left of the remote. Can't tell if it is the remote control that is unresponsive or if it is just the unit that is so slow. What do volume controls do? Only nice thing is good picture quality and 2nd higest recording setting (2 hours).

It is just a bad overpriced, unresponsive VCR with good picture quality if you pay for the DVD-Rs. Save your trouble and get a 2nd generation DVD recorder/HDD hybred unit. I'm waiting for my Panasonic DMR-E80HS.


Would be a fine unit - if it worked reliably   January 13, 2004
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I just sent back my second GoVideo R6530. Consistant problems of unpredictable frequent repeated skipping, sometimes several chapters at a time. First one did it on two different brands of DVD+RW blanks, including the one that came with the unit. Thought it was just a dud unit and sent it back to the vendor for a replacement. Second one the same. Tried it with 4 different DVD blank brands, including RiData blanks (the same as came with the unit) and it was even worse. I don't know if it was a bad batch of units sent to the vendor or what.

My demands on the unit are not that great - copy some VHS tapes to DVD and some movies from TV (got a PERFECT copy of The Day The Earth Stood Still off of satellite - GREAT movie! - that is, until the last 15 minutes where the whole story comes together - when the DVD began hanging up, then skipping all over the place making it unwatchable - oddly enough, when I played it in reverse, it went just fine - but that's a tough way to watch a movie!).

Overall, the feature set of the unit was fine. I particularly liked the JPEG capability (it showed all 1000 of my last trip images just fine, even though they were divided into subdirecties - although it didn't obviously recognize the subdirectories, it just continued from one directory to the next without a break. Didn't particularly like the remote. It was small with small, closely spaced buttons, twitchy, had to be aimed directly at the receiver, and the unit often didn't always give feed back ("...I pushed the button...is anything going to happen...? - Oh - there it goes..."). There is one button that doesn't appear to do anything at all. I sent a detailed email to their tech support about my problems and got an automated reply of Frequently Asked Questions. Telephone help was quick and responsive but not much help either ("...never heard of that before..."). They did offer to immediately send me a replacement unit, but, after two bad ones, I decided to try another brand.

Finally, I can't say the looks of the unit particularly excited me - a full mirror front with a tray and a couple of buttons, one of which turns of the unit completely, as if it were unplugged (rather than just a standby mode) which was a pain if I had turned if off and forgot about it. Just when I get into couch potato mode I realize I have to get up agan to punch the On button. Not serious beefs though. Clearly there's a problem with my particular units - no one would deliberately sell something like this that simply doesn't work. However, with that said, I feel I can't chance it again. Too much of a pain. From now on, if I can't find a (positive) review of it in a popular A/V magazine, then I won't get it.


QUITE THE RIPOFF!! DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH GO VIDEO!!   August 7, 2004
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

Paid $349.00 for this on the Home Shopping Network and thought I had gotten a bargain - UGH!! - Warranty only good for 90 Days from Go Video and after changing batteries several times because of slow opening and closing it stopped working altogether - this was of course just after the 90 days!! When I called Go Video they said I could send it back for repair at a cost of $75.00 plus my cost to ship and they would extend the warranty for another 30 days thereafter - BIG DEAL!! So now I have a useless piece of junk that I will probably try and have repaired - can't see spending another hundred dollars to have the same thing happen over again - What a Ripoff!! GO Video? No Way!!


Caught by surprise   October 1, 2004
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Wow!!! I should have read these reviews before buying mine! I echo pretty much everything everybody has stated already. The only reason I went with GoVideo was because I had already purchased and was using a home theater DVD/VCR combo unit that has performed perfectly since day one (I have had it over a year now). I figured they were a good (not great) quality brand at a bargain price, so I got the DVD recorder. I don't know how a company that makes one thing so great can make something else so lousy. The problems I encountered were: DVD R's not being recognized, drawers sticking closed, slow reading and response times, not recording on the pre-set record date and time, etc, etc, etc. I guess I will read more reviews before my next purchase!