Home > Consumer Reviews > Toshiba RDXV47 160Gb HDD/DVD/VHS Recorder

I'm a teacher with 120+ video tapes, full of programmes I still use, but needed to transfer to DVD, as video machines are being phased out in my school. This machine is brilliant and I have managed to copy entire tapes onto the HDD, then select those programmes I want to keep, to be transferred to a DVD once I have sufficient to fill a disk.
For recording current programmes, the HDD is excellent and the precision with which adverts or overruns of the recording can be deleted is fantastic. I can now produce a DVD with titled programmes, chapter marks highlighting specific parts of programmes and, most important of all, I can FIND the relevant programme quickly - no more time wasted winding videos back and forth. I researched thoroughly before I decided which make to buy and this Toshiba model was head and shoulders above its far more expensive rivals.

This machine does everything you could wish for. It records and plays back on all three functions as well as copying between any as well (called Dubbing).
The hard disk is its main asset and recording and playing back is simplicity itself. Furthermore, you can be recording one thing while you playback something else previously recorded. It has TimeSlip that allows you to watch what you missed if you leave the room or take a phone call. It has full editing for splitting, joining, or scene deleting recorded programs. It writes DVDs in all formats with ease in Fast-XP-SP-LP-Auto giving up to 4hrs on a standard DVD disk. It pretty much does everything.
If you have much loved video cassettes that you want to copy (Dub) to DVD it's easy and you can edit while you do it.
So what's wrong with it? Nothing except that the large printed manual is far too complicated and confusing. What could take 3 or 4 simple steps to explain is laid out over several pages with every conceivable variation listed in one long confusing diatribe. Lots of manuals are like this nowadays but this is one of the worst.
Ignore the confusing manual and buy the recorder, it's great value; I've bought two!

This is the bee knees!

In true bloke fashion, I spent hours scouring the net for every last review of every HDD/DVD/VHS machine out there. This one consistently came out tops for features AND VFM - it blew the competition away!

So, the good bits: It's really easy to set up, does absolutely everything it's supposed to do, is a breeze to use (ignore the over complicated manual, oops bloke thing again) - and IS fantastic VFM. How the hell do they do so much for so little?

Bad bits: None, apart from the over complex manual - but that seems par for the course these days.

Special mention for Amazon, who really excelled with this order. They were pretty much the cheapest (if you disclude a few no-hopers like ebuyer, yuk). I placed the order on a Sunday afternoon, arrived first thing Tuesday (using the slightly dearer "First Class" option). You can't get better than that.

I very rarely give anything 5 stars; there's nearly always some little niggle that takes the edge of it. However, this machine is simply fab, and really deserves top marks.

Well done Toshiba, well done Amazon!

Bought this item expecting some problems not being altogether with it on technology. This item was bought for my husband who would prefer buttons to turn, than press buttons if you understand my drift. Anyway having set it up and realised how to use it quite easily, I did a short version for my husband and would you believe he is now transfering video's to dvd's like you would not believe. Really pleased with this item. Thank you to the first reviewers that made me decide to buy this item. They were right.

thanks first to "MadMax" you convinced me to buy as well. The manual is useful when using the "extras" i.e. transferring video to DVD/ HDD etc. and the particular settings you need to play DVDs on other equipment.
Disappointed about the fact that it does not "remember" the time if you switch the device totally off, as one does nowadays, hence 4 stars and not 5.