You can create titles, thumbnails, and easily edit TV, VHS or any other device with a composite out to make your DVD's.

The review where someone complained about not being able to change things burnt on a DVD+R is completely invalid. DVD+R's are READ-ONLY. That is why they are cheaper that DVD+RW's, which can be re-written and changed. Once they are written to, no device on earth could change them without ruining them. This is not a weakness of the cyberhome device, but of DVD+R. Buy DVD+RW if you want to be able to change titles and such. This device comes with 3 DVD+RW to get you started.


Useless recorder makes disc that can't be viewed elsewhere!   January 29, 2004
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

I bought this player in order to convert my VHS-C tapes to DVD in order to more easily share them and preserve the quality, and recommend that if you are looking to do the same to keep on looking right past this unit. I bought this because it was very cheaply priced and looked to have the same features as more expensive units but there was definitely a difference. I took it home and hooked up the unit and got started recording my first movie. The recording controls and editing are easy to do, but then comes the problem. After you take the time to put in chapters and set the discs up nicely the chapters will not show on any other DVD player in existence from what I can tell. The discs do play this is not a matter of my players being incompatible with DVDR+ media by the way. I tried the disc in 7 different DVD players (all DVDR+ compatible) at my home and friends and none of them would skip from chapter to chapter or fast forward discs made with this recorder. When you try to skip to a chapter or fast forward you are taken back to the main menu of the disc every time unless you play them in this player where they actually work. I took this piece of junk back to the store the day after I bought it and got a Magnavox recorder for around one hundred dollars more that records perfectly and the chapters work just like you put them onto the discs. Even on the new recorder I purchased the chapters burned on by this Cyberhome player do not show up. My recommendation is that if you plan on playing you're recorded DVDs on any player other than this one to keep on looking for another unit because it doesn't do the job.

Update - In reply to the genius above who said "Note to an earlier reviewer who said his scenes and edits didn't work on other DVD players: Read the ******* manual. You have to perform a "Make Compatible" step on DVD+RWs (the equivalent for DVD+Rs is called "Finalize")"

I used Dvd+R disc and they WERE FINALIZED it's not brain surgery here I read the *** manual, my review is talking about finalized discs the chapters do not show on any other players. I also tried DVD+RW's and the same problem still happened it's a useless recorder.


Here's How it works...If you own you must read.....   February 28, 2005
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Ok, here is the deal with the cyberhome 1500 dvd recorder. I've had mine since 4/04, I had it serviced once, it can be an annoying unit but there are ways to get around it, read on....

It is very particular about the software you are recording on

Use only TDK or SONY DVD+R

Personally, I hate finalizing discs. I am frightened of transfering a 6 hour VHS to dvd and then the disc fails in the finalizing process, For this reason the only discs I use to record are TDK DVD+RW You can get them for $35 per 25 pack. Worth it because you DO NOT HAVE TO FINALIZE RW DISCS!

Among the problems I have had with this unit are:

Locks up for any apparent reason. (Turn it off, Unplug it, then turn it back on)

Disc was stuck inside (Wrong type of media, actually my own fault, serviced for free by RCA, returned working better than ever).

Disc errors.i.e.: during finalizing a disc, rejects request, loses all data (Used inferior software DO NOT USE FUJI, MAXELL, ANY CHEAP BRAND, and ESP MEMOREX). Verbatim DVD+R are not bad,but sometimes can be unreliable.

The only problem I have been able to figure out so far is:

Sometimes on an older VHS tape the unit will stop in the middle of a recording. I guess there are too many inperfections in the tape source so it tricks the DVD recorder into stopping.

The RCA cyberhome is a decent unit. Its not perfect, but very good for the price range.

The proof is in the pudding:

I HAVE BURNED OVER 300 DVD+r and +rw discs from my personal collection.

I feel I've gotten my money's worth, everything else is gravy at this point.


Works great with Tivo   January 4, 2004
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I bought the unit yesterday and that same night, I started archiving Tivo recordings onto DVD+RW. Great tool to unload your "Now Playing" archive and burn it on portable media.


Great Recording Quality But Rough Edges...Can't Recommend   February 11, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I previously gave this unit 4 stars...now I must reduce to 2. It has too many rough edges (to be expected in a relatively new consumer product such as DVD recorders) such as: 2400 hour format clock so you better get used to military time when setting up a timer record, seems to run on the hot side (discs are very warm when ejected), the one touch record works in 30 minute increments but doesn't shut the unit down after recording, there's no way to have the unit power down after a period of inactivity (there's a setting in the 'setup' screen to power the unit down after inactivity but it doesn't work...at least on my unit). On the plus side it makes great recordings in the 1hr and 2hr speeds. The 6 hour speed is like 4hr or 6hr VHS. Presently, I use it mainly to back up stuff off my Tivo. I then rip the burned discs to PC and reauthor for a smoother finished product (if I'm permanently archiving).

I reduced my rating on this product after my unit developed 'Disc Error' messages on discs that previously played OK. I feel that this unit runs way too hot and, as a result, is burnt out prematurely. After three weeks I returned mine for a refund.

I'm sure DVD recorders in general will be in the hundred to hundred and fifty dollar range within a year...maybe even by Christmas 2004 and be multi-format (DVD + and -). I look forward the maturing of this technology. Too many bugs right now.