WOOT - Polaroid DVD Recorder w/160G DVR and ATSC tuner $105 Shipped

[Kato]

Can't vouch for quality but if you don't have Tivo and want a DVR and digital TV tuner, this has it all. Note this is probably not a hi-def unit but it does have output via HDMI. It also has USB input (hang external HD maybe?) and SD flash card reader. I see no info on Divx capability.

* Records up to 204 hours of media on the 160GB built-in hard disc drive (No subscription needed)
* Includes YesDVD Software to create DVDs at the touch of a button
* HDMI connection for easy connection to your flat panel
* Built-in ATSC digital and NTSC analog tuners
* YesDVD enabled indexing, auto chaptering, organization, and sharing of multi-media content
* Front USB and SD card reader ports
* Simultaneous DVD playback and record movie on hard disc
* Record in different quality and length (HQ, SP, LP, EP, SLP)
* Easy one-touch recording with auto index creation
* 30-second skip lets you jump over commercials for commercial-free viewing
* 10-second replay allows you to go back 10 seconds to replay what you missed
* Easy editing on recorded video content
* Records to DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW
* Plays DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, music CDs, CD-R/RW
* JPEG image compatible
* Progressive scan (480p) video output
* Front panel VFD display


WOOT Link

 

[zig3695]

too good to be true. honestly, i cant imagine a $100 player doing dvd recording, digital tuning and time-shift tv all that well

 

[Kato]

Normally I would pass on Polaroid but I see no bad comments about it at videohelp thread (ignore Brain's comments. He has his system setup wrong). Sounds like the unit is similar in function and reliability to Philips and Liteon merchandise so for $100, I bit. It's always nice to have a spare ATSC tuner for those soon to be obsolete analog TVs.

Videohelp thread link

 

[AMDZen]

Progressive scan (480p) video output

thats the deal breaker right there. How would this work if you have a cable HD box already? Plug the cable tuner into this and output to the TV? It doesn't matter I guess, because if this is the case and it only outputs 480p then what is the point?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: AMDZen
Progressive scan (480p) video output

thats the deal breaker right there. How would this work if you have a cable HD box already? Plug the cable tuner into this and output to the TV? It doesn't matter I guess, because if this is the case and it only outputs 480p then what is the point?

The coax in is a pass through. You can then use the coax out to your cable box and your cable box will still get the same HD signal sent to your TV. The DVD recorder will obviously not record in HD however.

 

[Slick5150]

Does this thing have any kind of channel guide, or do you have to set all the times manually?

 

[diamonddave]

Slick, I believe you have to set all the times manually & it's probably why I'll pass. I just picked up a used 140 hour Toshiba TIVO with lifetime TIVO basic service & a DVD recorder w/firewire input (miniDV camera) for $100 & prefer that to this deal.

Obviously, though, short of a TIVO with program guide information this does look like a good deal. My guess is that the recordings will need to be set up in a fairly manual fashion like a VCR.

 

[knightc2]

Great price but unfortunately the 480p kills it.

 

[Kato]

Originally posted by: diamonddave
Slick, I believe you have to set all the times manually & it's probably why I'll pass. I just picked up a used 140 hour Toshiba TIVO with lifetime TIVO basic service & a DVD recorder w/firewire input (miniDV camera) for $100 & prefer that to this deal.

Obviously, though, short of a TIVO with program guide information this does look like a good deal. My guess is that the recordings will need to be set up in a fairly manual fashion like a VCR.

Was that a package deal from cable/satellite company? Also doesn't Tivo require signal source such as cable/satellite box (there are ones which are integrated with cable/satellite box for particular service)? Your standard Tivo DVR does not have any signal source since it's a DVR with guide service. Also there are two versions of Tivo. One is standard definition (I assume that's 480i/p) and other is TivoHD which goes up to 1080i.

 

[diamonddave]

Kato, I'm talking about a standard def (not HD) TIVO which can tune basic cable directly. (Also could tune over the air, but I don't do that.) I picked it up on Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) from someone who was using a dedicated DVR from DishNetwork & didn't use the TIVO box anymore (good thing, too, as these go for ~$300 on eBay).

The thing I like is that I can schedule repeating recordings on this TIVO (Toshiba RS-TX20), burn recordings directly to DVD, watch DVDs with progressive scan & import files using FireWire. I only get 3-4 days of program information for scheduling random recordings (compared to 14 days with TIVO Plus) & I can't do season passes, but I do that on my other TIVOs. Since I already have a Toshiba SD-H400 TIVO & it works faster than the series 2 machines, I was comfortable adding another. I've also taught myself how to upgrade these, so I'll turn the 140 hour TIVO into a ~550 hour TIVO soon enough ... the best part is I don't have a monthly fee to TIVO, the TIVO basic is included in the (initial) price of the unit. TIVO Plus can be turned on for the regular monthly fee.

For anyone out there interested in a basic Tivo setup, the Toshiba SD-H400 is a great bargain if you find it used on eBay. I have one at home, it's faster than the series 2 & has a progressive scan DVD player. I actually had two, but gave the other to my mom & she loves it too.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: knightc2
Great price but unfortunately the 480p kills it.

Why? Unless you really want an upconverting player there is no point.

 

[taajr32]

Where did you find this bargain? Is it still available?

I find it in www.heartlandamerica.com at 169.99 with 3.95 shipping.

Did you buy this unit? Have you tried it and how well does it work?

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: taajr32
Where did you find this bargain? Is it still available?

I find it in www.heartlandamerica.com at 169.99 with 3.95 shipping.

Did you buy this unit? Have you tried it and how well does it work?

Welcome to the AnandTech forums

This was originally available on woot.com. This deal is dead and no longer available.

Look at the OP (original post) it was posted almost 1 month ago on 11/30/2007.

 

[taajr32]

I understand that this unit will enable me to continue to use a Analog TV once the industry goes to Digital broadcast. IE Analog is no longer available, which is to happen about Feb 2009.

Can I use the digital tuner in this unit to receive the digital broadcast signal and change it over to analog to feed the old analog TV? I realize that I will not have the High Definition image but the analog one. I find the analog signal that I get now is satisfactory, so this arrangement should be satisfactory.

Is this true?

Do you know of other catalog discount sellers that could have the Polaroid DRA-01601A. I can not find other sellers at as good a price as at Heartlandamerica.

EBay does have some units but they are generally the older 80GB hard drive, not the 160GB that this one has, and are more expensive than the Heartlandamerica price.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: taajr32
I understand that this unit will enable me to continue to use a Analog TV once the industry goes to Digital broadcast. IE Analog is no longer available, which is to happen about Feb 2009.

Can I use the digital tuner in this unit to receive the digital broadcast signal and change it over to analog to feed the old analog TV? I realize that I will not have the High Definition image but the analog one. I find the analog signal that I get now is satisfactory, so this arrangement should be satisfactory.

Is this true?

Do you know of other catalog discount sellers that could have the Polaroid DRA-01601A. I can not find other sellers at as good a price as at Heartlandamerica.

EBay does have some units but they are generally the older 80GB hard drive, not the 160GB that this one has, and are more expensive than the Heartlandamerica price.

I would suggest reading this thread which has close to 400 posts about this DVD recorder.