DVD plus VHS (Go Video DVR 5000)

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Product:	Go Video DVR 5000
Date:	07/05/01 (144 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: works great, easy to use

Disadvantages: may not copy most DVD's to a VHS tape

Now you can watch your DVD movie and record a TV show at the same time.

This is combination package will set you back $379 to $499 depending on where you purchase one. One bright side of it is you only have one unit and not two. It is a little bigger than your average VHS player measuring 16.9 inches by 14.1 inches by 3.6 inches and weighing 17 pounds.

To record a DVD to a VHS tape, the DVD has to be non-Macrovision encoded. What this means is that more than likely you will not be able to copy a lot of DVDs to a VHS tape.

With the easy to use remote, you can switch back and forth between the TV, DVD or VCR. The remote has a good feel to it and will glow in the dark. It is easy to navigate because it is not overloaded with unnecessary buttons. You will enjoy the joystick built in it, a nice feature.

The on screen menu can be read in English, French and Spanish. You can also lock out certain materials so the young ones cannot watch it while you are not around.

VCR Specifications
It is a VHS Hi-Fi Stereo VCR with 4 Heads. The four head system gives you better picture quality for superior slow motion stop actions and reverse actions.

It will playback S-VHS tapes and at a better than standard resolution.

VCR Plus+ C3 is to program your VCR, cable box and satellite in one easy step. VCR Plus+ will make programming your VCR to record a program real easy, just enter the VCR Plus+ Pluscode from your local TV listing, usually found in the local newspaper.

There is a 16-event, 1-year timer recording that will record weather or not the unit is on, as long as there is a VHS tape in it.

DVD Specifications
You can play a DVD or CD with this player. You can also play your MP3 songs from a CD.

It has a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel Surround Sound decoder built in, this means you do not need to run it through a 5.1 receiver.

It is DTS digital ready, meaning you will hav
e to run it through a receiver capable of DTS sound to hear the DTS surround sound.

The Hookups
There is an antenna input and output (To the TV) and you can select channels 3 or 4 for viewing. This will make the connections for your VHS part of the system. The rest are made for the DVD connections.

One thing about this dual player, it has all the connections needed weather you have a low budget TV or a high budget TV.

Video
You have one Composite video in and one out, this is your standard RCA jacks.

Then you have one S-video output, this is the recommended connection if you do not have component.

There is one component output, this is the best video connection that you can get, it is only on the newer, higher priced TV sets.

Audio
For the audio part you have one output (RCA jacks) for left and right speakers.

There is another output (RCA jacks) for left and right front speakers and left and right rear speakers.

Now if you do not have a receiver for the Dolby 5.1 surround sound system, you are still in luck. Since this unit has a Dolby 5.1 decoder built in it, there are six separate RCA jacks for that true Dolby 5.1 sound system. One jack is for a subwoofer and the other five are for five speakers, Left & Right Rear and Left, Center & Right Front speakers.

Now if you do have a receiver, there are two more connections that can be used instead of the five speakers and a subwoofer hookup. They include a coaxial digital connection and an optical connection. I recommend the optical (fiber optics cable) for the best sound. Either one takes only one connection verses six that you need from the player to get the Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

You will need a receiver capable of DTS to use the DTS sound system.

In the front of the unit you can flip down a panel and there are three more inputs, Left & Right Audio and Video. This great for easy connection of
a Video camera.

Overall
This is a nice system if you are in the market for a DVD plus VCR system combination. They left no stones unturned when it came to being able to connect it to any type of TV system.

The VCR did pretty well, when you pause the picture most of the time there was not a line in it and at fast forward or reverse it did pretty good also. Picture quality, what can I say it is a VHS tape and for a VHS tape it was good.

The DVD did really well, picture quality was great and when you pause it the frame was crystal clear with no lines. Running the picture forwards and backwards was the same thing, great quality with no lines, though there is no sound when you fast-forward or reverse. The sound hooked to a receiver in DTS surround sound was superb. I did not get to try the Dolby 5.1 sound but, if it like the rest, I’m sure it sounds great also.

This is a nice unit, a little large in size, but a nice unit.

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