Excellent advice. I'm certain we all agree, the Emerson is belly up. I'm fairly certain both scenarios can and will cause excessive heat production and failure. I think it was less than adequate current that caused a circular saw falilure for me about 20 years ago. Both my father-in-law and neighbor are electrical engineers, I'll ask for an explanation.

As far as recommending a unit, it really depends on your specific needs. The cheaper units are often very decent all around, but it's always a bit of a risk with playing bkup discs. Probably best to purchase from a retailer where a return is easy and painless. For a DVD/VHS combo with a decent tuner, I have an RCA DRC6350N (2 of 'em actually)...a little pricey at $90 each, but they're great. I had bad luck with a magnavox, but Mack has had great luck with 3 no less...