I have been burning DVDs using an RCA DVD Recorder #DRC8030N. Most of the DVDs I make are burned from recordings contained on my Atlantic 8300 HD DVR, and it works great. It also works good when you are recording DVDs in "Live TV" mode. However, I have found a glitch with the unit that occurs when you try to transfer a recording from the unit's own hard drive to a DVD.
When you record a program directly to the hard drive on the DRC8030N, and then try to "Copy to DVD" that recording(s), the resulting recording is very, very light (regardless of the speed or quality mode you select), like over exposed film. It's so light it's completely unwatchable (unless you like headaches). I have tried several times and on the highest quality setting, all with the same result.
I spoke with someone at RCA/Thomson who was familiar with the unit and I explained to them the problem I was having. They said that they were familiar with the problem, and that the unit had a "bad circuit board" and needed to be replaced. The first unit I bought was a refurbished unit that was still under a 30 day warranty from the seller. So, at my own expense, I returned the unit and bought a brand new "never been opened" unit (the same DRC8030N model). To my disappointment, this brand new unit has the SAME problem! Now this new unit may or may not still be under warranty, but it doesn't do me much good either way as these units appear to have this very common defect. It seems like the only option I have is to buy a higher end unit if/when I have the money to do this.
I was wondering if anyone out there who had this unit has discovered the same problem, and found a way around it. The only way I know of is to record to my 8300 DVR first, and then burn directly to a DVD and not use the RCA's hard drive at all. Unfortunately, that is not always possible, and kind of depletes the whole idea of having a hard drive on the DVD recorder that can schedule and archive recordings (it also does not help when you have longer recordings already on the hard drive taking up lots of space that you would like to transfer to DVD to free up that space).
Strangely, I've found that recordings that are about 1 hour, burn from the unit's hard drive to a DVD no problem. What happens with these shorter recordings is it displays the message "Copying DVR contents to disc. 1% completed..." until it finishes at 100% completed. However, with the longer recordings which are 1 ½-2 hours or longer, the unit copies from the hard drive to the DVD in "real time" (meaning that it actually plays the program in real time as it copies the contents to a DVD). It is during this "real time" transferring that the very overexposed video results.
It is really odd that the problem only happens during this "real time" recording. The guy I spoke with when I had the problem with the refurb unit mentioned the "bad circuit board", but if that was the case, would the problem make sense to only be limited to transferring the longer recordings (in real time) and work without problems on the shorter recordings?
Sounds like it might be an IRE problem. Look for a black level adjustment. If you are getting real time transfres then you must be recording to the HDD in 1 hour mode and the recorder is making the recording fit a DVD. If that's true you're actually losing video quality. Record to the HDD in SP (2hr) and you should be able to high speed dub.
Hi: Thanks for your reply. Do you have this same unit? The default recording speed to the HDD is set at "2" mode, and I almost always leave it at that speed.
There is a way you can adjust (reduce) the recording quality when you are copying a program from the HDD to DVD. I have tried adjusting it to all of the settings it allows, always with the same result.
Not sure what an "IRE" problem is. But did I answer your question and did you have any other ideas?
I don't have the recorder. If you're recording in SP (2hr) and the programs are 2 hrs or less, then burning to DVD should be high speed, not real time. Something in the settings must be wrong or the recorder doesn't like the discs. IRE is black level. Some sources are 0 and some are 7.5. Some recorders have a black level setting to compensate for the difference between the two.
Thanks. I'm not sure where the cut off is, but I think I've burned a show that was 1 hour, 40 minutes using the high speed and it works no problem. Two hours and up is definitely in real time.
I don't think the problem is the disks because I've tried many different formats and brands all with the same result.
I looked everywhere in the on screen options and did not see anything that allows you to set the black level. Is this option usually available to be set via the remote?
If there were an IRE setting it would be in the picture settings. Over 2 hrs won't fit on a disc, that's why it transfers in real time. On my HDD recorder I can manually set record speeds in small increments to make the recording fit a disc.