Toshiba SD-V394 DVD/VCR Combo
The SD-V394 combines the picture and sound advantages of a progressive scan DVD player with the convenient recording and playback options of a video cassette recorder all in one slim chassis. The SD-V394 features ColorStream Pro Progressive Scan Component Video Outputs for compatibility with today's finest analog and digital televisions for delivery of stunningly colorful images. DivX Home Theater Certified allows playback of DivX, AVI and MPEG4 (.ASF) compressed files downloaded from the Internet from a personal computer and stored on a CD-R/RW. Simultaneous DVD playback and VHS record for watching a DVD while recording a TV program. JPEG Viewer enables a user to display digital photographs on a television set in the JPEG digital format.
Get maximum enjoyment out of both your VHS and DVD movie libraries with the progressive scan Toshiba SD-V394 DVD/VCR Combo. The multi-format DVD player is compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD movie, CD audio, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, and VCD. You can play discs burned with MP3 and WMA digital audio files, and it's also DivX Home Theater Certified--meaning that it's compatible with video burned to disc using both the DivX video format. You can also view photo slideshows from Kodak Picture CDs with JPEG images. The VCR features 19-micron heads that match precisely the width of the SP and EP azimuths and read only the signal recorded on each azimuth (not adjoining tracks). The commercial skip feature automatically advances the tape 30-seconds forward, bypassing recorded commercials. The Auto Clock Set function ensures that your VCR never blinks "12:00" again. A special data stream in your local broadcast source (where available) automatically sets the clock display and keeps it accurate--even when time changes to daylight saving and back. Other VCR features include 8-event/1-month programming and auto channel setup. The DVD player provides the Digital Cinema progressive scan (3:2 inverse pulldown) function, which provides accurate, smooth film reproduction. With the Digital Picture Zoom interactive feature, you can select an area of the picture you want to zoom in on and magnify it. It can also be used to expand letterbox-only films to increase the viewable area on-screen. Other features include a four fast scan options (2x, 4x, 8x, 20x), multi-camera angle selection, 14-bit/108 MHz video digital/analog converter (DAC), 24-Bit/192kHz audio DAC, parental controls, and tri-lingual on-screen menus (English, French, Spanish). The ColorStream Pro component video output allows the video signal to be sent from the DVD player to a component video equipped interlaced or progressive scan TV. When utilized with an HD-compatible set, typical NTSC artifacts-like video noise, dot crawl, and flicker-are virtually eliminated, resulting in a low-noise, highly detailed picture with unequaled color purity. The full range of video and audio connections include includes: - Composite AV (RCA) In: 2 in (1 front), 1 out
- S-Video: 1 out
- Component Video (Y PB PR): 1 out
- RF: 1 in, 1 out
- Digital Audio: 1 coaxial output
Tech Talk
DivX is a compressed digital video format (like MP3) that's based on the MPEG-4 video compression standard. It can reduce the video from a DVD (MPEG-2) to around 10 percent of its original size while still retaining good video and audio quality, enabling you to store several two-hour length movies on burned DVD media. Component video (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound. What's in the Box
DVD/VCR combo, remote control (with batteries), AV cable, printed operating instructions
Toshiba SD-V394 DVD/VCR Combo Accessories
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Toshiba SD-V394 DVD/VCR Combo Reviews
I hit the power button, I also hit the eject button and now I'm cleaning water off the floor. Toshiba must have a great laugh as they go to sleep every night knowing that they made the worst remote scheme ever. The remote is too small. Finally someone has the guts to tell you the truth about the remote. Buttons are too small.
That's right I said it. 1. Damn this thing. DAMN YOU TOSHIBA. What is this remotes for, children.
2. First Pearl Harbor and now America's carpet floors. They've cram all of their remote function and it suck. 3.
I've moved the unit to our video room and we've been enjoying it ever since. In addition, the remote isn't too fancy, but the unit has excellent controls accessible from the remote for controlling things like picture size, jpeg playback, etc. It is true the quality of playback of the VCR isn't great, but its good enough for my child's videos. I was looking for a second VCR/DVD for an extra TV we have and chose this unit as it seemed to have good DivX support, which I was interested in playing with. Well, the DivX support has turned out to be rock-solid, playing everything I've thrown at it in countless formats burned on DVD-R, CD-RW and CD-R. Its never failed to decode a file.
This time they sent me a prepaid shipping label which I used to mail this machine back to them. I called Toshiba Customer Service, sent the old machine to them, and in two weeks had another machine. DVD just stopped working after 6 months. However, the machine they sent me was a DIFFERENT MODEL from the one I purchased and it lacked some of the features I needed. So I called Toshiba again. In two weeks I received a check for the purchase price of my original machine. Title says it all. No matter what disc you put in, the machine said "no disc." This is too bad because the machine perfectly fit our needs.
We have been very pleased with our purchase. Very easy to hook-up, will work on old television sets, DVD and VHS work well, VHS is more noisy when rewinding. I found reading the previous reviews to be accurate and very helpful. We bought this for our children to watch movies and just use the most basic features, so it has suited our needs well. If looking for all bells and whistles would probably choose higher end model, but if looking to stay simple and basic I would choose this model.
Exiting the menu itself won't set your timed program. Also, the remote is way too small, with tiny little lettering that can only be deciphered in bright light. It doesn't end there. Would it really have cost Toshiba that much to increase the size of the remote by a couple of inches, with lettering we can actually see. If you don't want this to happen (who would)., you must then go into the DVD screen and hit STOP.
The VHS playback is quite bad on this unit, even in SP mode. So if there's a DVD in the unit, it will begin to play. Whomever designed this user interface should have their head examined. The unit doesn't remind you to do this after you've backed out of the programming screen. If you've owned a Panasonic in the past, you will not be happy with this unit. Now, once you've done all this, the unit will then, for some strange reason, switch automatically to DVD mode whether you like it or not.
This unit actually has nice DVD playback, but that's where the good news ends. You must go through the VCR setup menu just to get to the programming screen and you need to press the ENTER key after each parameter entry such as date, channel, etc. The user interface for taping programs has way too many button strokes. After you've backed out of the programming screen, you must then press the TIMER/REC button in order for the timed program to be registered.
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