Techtronics VCR Mode question

Has anyone bought a chipped DVD player from Techtronics with VCR mode, and does this actually allow you to play a DVD and record it successfully onto a VCR (for back up purposes of course!).

BTW, I've just bought a Loewe Vitros and now need to get a new VCR and DVD. I've been thinking about the Tosh 510 DVD and Panasonic 620 VCR.

 

Hi Pete

Until very recently I had a Techtronics modded Toshiba 2109 which featured the Macrovision removing "VCR mode". The short answer to your question is yes - and no!
I found (purely to satisfy curiosity of course) that my VCR would record quite happily R2 material when I set DVD on AV1 on my TV and VCR to AV2 on my TV and simply selected AV1 on the VCR as the record source. However, if I simply connected the DVD direct to the VCR, I only got black and white, whichever setting I selected in the Toshiba output options. It seems like the VCR required throughput from the TV to "capture" the picture in colour correctly. In all other respects (stability, lip synch, aspect ratio etc, it was perfect).

BUT, on R1 material (NTSC) you can only get black and white unless your VCR in one of the rare models that can actually record NTSC 3.58 directly, or you invest in a multi-standard VCR from Techtronics, Keene etc. Incidentally, my VCR does, according to the manual, record NTSC 3.58 from sources plugged into its AV1 socket, but I couldn't get anything in colour no matter what combination of menu settings or connections I tried. I did post an appeal here for any other ideas why my VCR wouldn't record NTSC (as it stated it did), but got little other than what I have just stated above. Techtronics support also basically repeated the above and told me to buy a multi-standard VCR. Oh well (and it WAS only for curiosity after all, eh?)

Hope this helps in some way.

dr_mabuse

 

Hi Pete

Also forgot to mention that I upgraded to the Toshiba 510 and think it's great. Plays all discs faultlessly (including RCE) and MP3 as well. Have only tested once with DVD-Audio, and it sounded like the DB's. Prog scan output on NTSC doesn't come into my setup as I don't have anything special TV wise, so can't comment on that.
You may want to search here as there seems to be an issue with flicker on certain TVs - doesn't affect my Thomson but it is quite old (5 yrs).
Got mine from webelectricals for £250 on next day delivery - bargain.

Hope this helps (as well)

dr_mabuse

 

Thanks Dr.M

Am I correct in thinking that R2 DVDs are the ones sold in shops and rented from video shops like Blockbuster, whereas R1 DVDs are the imported ones?

 

Yes. You can't buy R1 on the high street (not in any shop I've seen anyway). R2 covers Europe, Middle East and Japan. R1 is North America. There are other regions you can "import" too (e.g. R3 for S Asia, R4 for Australia/Latin America).

I got my DVD player from Techtronics as well. Have never tried to connect the player directly to the VCR, but I can record PAL stuff via the scart loopthrough on the TV - can't say I've ever bothered though! Obviously can't record NTSC though, for the reasons stated above by Dr M (i.e you need an NTSC recorder and probably one that's able to record the widescreen signal too). More hassle than it's worth if you ask me

The most important reason to get the Macrovision disabled is because it can interfere with loopthroughs and other connections (e.g. to projectors) -- gives you more options, basically.

 

It is my experience that you are better off buying a macromaster cable (£30) for said backup. A hacked unit from a company like the one you mention can be very problematical. Mine was. Need I say more.

Also, be aware that you can't record NTSC format unless to have a convertor (expensive) of a special VCR (also expensive). Pseudo-PAL out is not good enough.

 

Thanks for your replies. So would a normal DVD without any modifications be multi-region and also VCR mode with just a macromaster cable? If so, where can you get one of these things?

 

In a word 'NO'.

But there are some exceptions, e.g. the Yello player is multi-region 'out of the box' (find it on Amazon.co.uk). I'm not sure if this player is RCE compatible though.

You will never find a player from companies such as Sony or Pioneer that is 'multi-region' out of the box. This is because these manufacturers are members of the DVD Forum, i.e. they write the standards.

For players from companies that aren't members of the DVD Forum, there is usually a handset hack to enable you to switch regions (again, not sure if this would be RCE compatible).

I have even seen a handset hack for Philips DVD players. If this works, this is unusual since Philips is a member of the DVD Forum

Hope that helps.

 

No

The easiest way to find out if it's multi region is to ask but most players bought on the High street will be region 2 only.

Again no

Region 2 dvds will be copyable but not region 1

www.sonel.com

To copy region 1 dvds to vhs you need a player to output pal 50, as has been said before the cheap and cheerful chinese player tend to do this,tesco's have a dansai that does it but i had major problems with mine.

 

Not entirely true I'm afraid.
I bought my Sony M35 DVD player around three or four years ago now. It was an imported model not sold in this country but an Asia model. Although the box and the manual describe it as being region three, it is in fact region FREE.

This is how it comes straight from the factory. I was also amazed recently to find it played fine a copy of The One which according to Play.com is an RCE disc and I did read awhile back that it wouldn't play RCE discs.

So, there is a Sony player that is region free right from the factory. I am sure this is the only one though.

Daz