Hints and Tips

I know the forum has a search function but having good things in one spot would be nice. The forum is getting big and there are many good tips and hints from many users scattered through out. Why don't we use this post to list the hint/tip with a little blurb and the number of the post with a link to the topic it is in. If the hint or tip is not in the forum yet list it here.

Let's not use this post to discuss the Hints and Tips but just list and how to use them.

Since I do not have a Pioneer DVD Recorder yet, I need forum members help.

Region Free? check here:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorders

(1) Even if you have TV Guide properly turned off, the DVR-533-HS will go into endless EPG (TV Guide load mode) if you do not have a future Timer Recording scheduled. I scheduled one for Feb. 29, 2028. Note that it must be an active future Timer Recording. A frequency of "Off" is not good enough.

(2) Optimize Hard Drive has only completed if you see it return to the menu. If the machine seems to be powering itself back on ("Please Wait"), then the Optimize failed. In about 20 Optimize attempts, only once has it erased all Timer Recordings that were scheduled.

(3) The Web site, but not the manual, indicate support for recording DVD-R Dual Layer discs. Tests to date indicate some missing seconds during playback at the layer change. Copies of the finalized DVD-R DL discs have all failed on Verification by Nero on computer DVD-RW drives. All tests were done with the only DVD-R DL discs that I could find (and then only by mail-order): RiDATA 4x Model 70731FRDA0003

(4) LP speed is the minimum I've been able to use without faces appearing to be stop action motion.

(5) Recording LPCM audio is possible only at XP speed, providing CD quality (44Kbps uncompressed stereo WAVE), rather than Dolby. i.e. - you can record at XP speed in Dolby or LPCM audio.

(6) Recording Audio channels where the title of the music appears every minute or two and the video is blank the rest of the time allows very high compression rates. In one test, 8 hours at LP took about 60% of a single layer DVD-R.