# DVD recorder with 921



## RobbyG (Dec 28, 2004)

Any opinions as far as what brand/model/features for a DVD recorder will best work with our PVR 921. 

Anyone had success with setting up a DVD recorder to simultaneously record with the 921 (IR blaster??)(Or the VHS record feature of the 921)


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

I just use the PVR to record, then record the DVD using sVideo cable - easy to skip commercials that way. Interesting things happen with HD - things are squashed on DVD with 4:3 TV - almost anamorphic in nature, because it looks fine on widescreen TV.


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## RobbyG (Dec 28, 2004)

But you have to do it separately? I was trying to see if the function the 921 has to start a VCR will work on any DVD recorders. I know there's a setting to put in a VCR code.


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

ClaudeR said:


> I just use the PVR to record, then record the DVD using sVideo cable - easy to skip commercials that way. Interesting things happen with HD - things are squashed on DVD with 4:3 TV - almost anamorphic in nature, because it looks fine on widescreen TV.


If it's widescreen source and the 921 is in 16:9/normal mode you will be effectively recording an anamorphic DVD. This gives a very satisfactory recording.

Problem is most DVD recorders don't set the 16:9 flag so DVD players don't create a letterbox for 4:3 TVs.

I record first to +RW, copy video_ts to my pc, set the 16:9 flag (ifoedit), then reburn to +R. I now have a, anamorphic DVD that plays correctly on both 16:9 & 4:3 TVs.

I'm not sure that RAM (Panasonic), will allow as seamless a copy to a PC. Panasonic has added -RW & +R recording to upcoming models.


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## RobbyG (Dec 28, 2004)

My setup is pretty basic. I use SD only on a normal 32in TV. My hopes were that I could buy a DVD Recorder with a hard drive that would work with the VCR IR blaster that the 921 has. That way I could use the record to VCR function on the 921 to record to the new DVD recorder. Perhaps I need to get a DVD/VCR combo unit.


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

David Levin - You are AWESOME. I Love it. One of these days I'll get around to trying it. That's some great info. 

Too bad my recorder only has S-video inputs, but you are right - it is satisfactory (better than analog cable)


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

The only recorders with component in are the Philips (and their clones). Unfortunately they only accept 480i which sadly, the 921 will not do.

So at this point, S-Video is the best connection your gonna get.


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## RobbyG (Dec 28, 2004)

I guess we got a bit off topic. Let me try again. Has anyone "tricked" the 921 "record to VCR feature" into firing a DVD recorder instead? I would imagine that you'd have to play with the VCR codes you enter in the system setup menu to make the 921's IR Blast the right signal for a DVD recorder. When you set a timmer up, and set it to VCR, it would blast the IR signal to the DVD recorder to record via S-vid. If anyone has, what DVD recorder, and what VCR code was entered.


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

RobbyG said:


> I guess we got a bit off topic.


My bad, I thought this was a thread of using a DVD recorder with a 921. :sure: I don't know where my head was on that one.  There seem to be a lot of little tricks just the normal recording done. I bought the 921 so I didn't have to worry about setting up VCRs and IR blasters and such. That's what the hard drive is for.

But with the onslaught of ZSR's going around, I may have to rethink the remote recorder thing.

Good luck.


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

ClaudeR said:


> I bought the 921 so I didn't have to worry about setting up VCRs and IR blasters and such. That's what the hard drive is for.


My thoughts exactly. You only need to do to "VCR record" with an IR blaster for unattended recording when you are not there. The 921 does unattended recording to its HD without worrying about IR blaster codes or anything else.

I don't think doing a remote record is going to cure a ZSR. It still has to read off the HDD to output the signal, and if the data isn't there, it isn't there.

-Chris


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

4himarks - Right, it will not cure the ZSR, but you would have the show on the DVD or VCR. That is why you would have the 921 start the DVD or VCR recording the channel "Live", just like Robbie wants.


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

Claude:

I think it wouldn't work. The 921 first saves the stream from the satellite tuner to the HDD. From there it decodes, scales, etc. according to the chosen output, *then* sends it to the selected device. I'm going to venture a guess that ZSRs occur at the first step, i.e. the data never makes it from the tuner to the HDD, for whatever reason. If it ain't there, it can't be sent to an external device, whether that is a VCR, DVR recorder, or a display. What I think would happen is you'd wind up with 30 minutes of blank tape (or whatever the length of the recording was supposed to be.)

Of course, this is all wild speculation, since I've only experienced a ZSR once myself, and I don't have any external recording devices hooked up. Has anyone actually tried it? It might help diagnose the cause of the ZSRs.

-Chris


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Well, there IS a difference between how the 921 handles PVR events vs. auto-tune (even though there shouldn't be).

There's not nearly as much trouble getting the box to wake up and display "live" TV as there is getting it to record.


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## RobbyG (Dec 28, 2004)

Right on ClaudeR... I would use it when I want to record something that I know I will want to hold on to for a long time. Lets face it, a 250 gig drive is big, but has limits, AND...Since you can't back it up like you would do at work when dealing with important information, you need to make other provisions. ZSR's etc aside...Hard drives do crash, and as time goes on...more and more 921's will experience it. And I'd want to do it live, because I don't want to have to replay the entire length again just to record it off the 921. But, since I have a 400 dvd disk player, I'd like to do that recording directly to dvd instead of VCR......thats why I need to "Trick" the 921


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## charanis (Mar 2, 2004)

David_Levin said:


> The only recorders with component in are the Philips (and their clones). Unfortunately they only accept 480i which sadly, the 921 will not do.
> 
> So at this point, S-Video is the best connection your gonna get.


I went to the display setup screen and there is an output mode for 480i .. why doesn't that work? If that does work and I purchased a Philips DVD recorder - do you plug the digital sound and the component cables directly in and dub away?

That would be great to archive some of these kid movies for the van on long tirips.

Jim


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

charanis said:


> I went to the display setup screen and there is an output mode for 480i .. why doesn't that work? If that does work and I purchased a Philips DVD recorder - do you plug the digital sound and the component cables directly in and dub away?
> 
> That would be great to archive some of these kid movies for the van on long tirips.
> 
> Jim


The 480i you see on the 921 is for standard def. This will activate the s-video and composite and DISABLE component/DVI.

The 921 doesn't do 480i over component. Why? I don't know. You'd have to ask the programmers. Perhaps it could if there was enough demand (don't hold your breath).

None of the stand-alone DVD recorders currently on the market support digital audio recording (though I believe Sony has announced a model). So, currently, you hook up S-Video and Analog Audio, and "dub away". This would provide a completely adequate recording for the 7" screen and 4" speakers in your car  .


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