Gateway AR230 Progressive-Scan DVD Player / Recorder
By: Gateway Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 47
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 On: 2008-02-07
I bought this from QVC in 2004 and paid $249 I tried copying my home movies from VHS onto DVDs and I couldnt get more than 1/4 of a 6 hr VHS tape onto a disc. Within a month the machine didnt work. The eject didnt work unless you unplugged the machine and plugged it back in again. I sent it back and was sent a new machine. This one worked for a while and now it wont play any discs. At first it would freeze for a second and then continue. Then it started to freeze and stay frozen. Now once I click on play it freeezes and wont play anything. I have been trying to get tech help from the Gateway site, but it brings me in circles and I cannot seem to get anyone on either chat or email. I guess this is going into the trash.
On: 2005-12-21
This is a poor product and the support is one notch below that! Dont be fooled by the price...in this case you dont even get what you pay for.
 On: 2005-06-18
There is not much for me to add to the already well written mixed reviews here. Yes, the recorder is easy to set up, and yes the instructions are not very useful -- some details are left out. But electronically, the Gateway AR230 is pretty good for the MONEY. What do you expect to get for about 125 bucks? It does make good DVDs -- and for my purposes that is good enough.
For some reason, the unit which I purchased did not ALWAYS begin recording when I punched the red Record button on the controler. Be that as it may, after futzing with it for awhile (with operating manual in hand and much head scratching) I got it to burn a good DVD. Thats the "bottom line."
But here is a bonus that no one mentioned. Unlike many other expensive recorders, the ultra light weight Gateway AR230 operates just as well on European 220 volt/50 Hz house current. Thats right. I packed up my recorder and brought it to my apartment in Budapest. With great trepidation, at first, I put an adapter on the plug and plugged it into a 220 volt/50 Hz, hit the power button and waited for it to get fried. But no, it simply lit up. Heres the other part. I hooked the output up to a late model Grundig TV. This requires a little adaptation for hooking up the three (yellow-video, red-audio, white-audio) RCA cable to the European TV input (thats a multi pin plug which somewhat resembles the old computer SCSI cable plug). For some $10-15US in Hungary, it was no big deal to buy the adapter and European cable for hooking the Gateway AR230.
I also had a concern of whether or not the Gateway AR230 which in the U.S. plays nicely on a typical NTSC television set will also work on a PAL/SECAM television set. No problem. So then, I left the now Budapest Gateway AR230 hooked up to the Grundig TV set, and now have to buy a second one for my home in the U.S. But at about $125 a pop, thats not such a big outlay for DVD recorder which makes decent DVDs -- although it can take some tweaking to do so.
I almost rated this at 3-stars (beacuse of the poor user manual and quirky problems of the unit which I wound up with the first time). But considering its versatility, I have to in good conscience click on four stars. After receiving my second Gateway AR230 and testing it out, Ill come back here to write Part II of the review to complete the story (if Amazon.com lets me post it).
On: 2005-05-06
In January of 2004 I bought a Gateway AR230. Within four days of getting it, it became obvious that the machine had major problems. I called their technical support number. After hearing the symptoms the tech promised to ship a replacement unit. It never arrived. After repeated promises from many Gateway employees between 6 February and 26 February, I finally called my credit card company and disputed the charge for the machine.
The following October, I received a letter from a collection agency hired by Gateway to extract "their" money from me for their doorstop which was, by now, stored on a shelf in my basement. On the advice of my attorney I sent this letter to the agency by certified mail. It sums up the situation pretty well.
October 27, 2004
Windham Professionals, Inc.
P. O. Box 1048
Salem, NH 03079
To Whom It May Concern:
Regarding your letter of September 29, Gateway did, indeed ship merchandise received by me on January 28, 2004.
Gateway did not acknowledge to you, however, that the merchandise was defective and, further, that Gateway was notified of the defect by telephone on multiple occasions beginning on February 6, 2004. At this time an employee of Gateway who identified himself only as Kevin made the statement that the defect was such that Gateway would ship a new unit and receive the defective one in exchange. He took my American Express account number "for security reasons" and gave me an order number of 81887662 that I could use in Gateways internet package tracking system. He stated the demand for these units was such that a two-week period should be allowed for receipt of the merchandise.
After repeated internet queries using the order number showed no results, I called Gateway again on February 17. An employee identified only as Jason informed me that the order had been canceled. When I asked him why, he stated, "They dont even tell us these things." I asked to speak with his supervisor and was connected with a man identifying himself as JJ. After hearing my problem, he assured me that he would ship a replacement unit and receive the defective one. He gave me an order number of 80944429 and told me that it was unnecessary to take a credit card number for security purposes. I asked how I could be assured that this order would not be canceled and he stated that it was "already in the system".
Again, repeated internet queries failed to show the existence of my order number. Repeated calls to Gateway resulted in my being told to wait an additional twenty-four hours for the number to be placed in the system. An employee named Shirley - badge number 053 - told me that, indeed, the order "looked normal", gave me a "service number" of 2-1428307459, and told me that a lady named Jimella in Customer Service would personally call me if my order "hit a snag".
On February 19, I called American Express and told them of the problem I was having with Gateway. I was told that my Gateway purchase would be posted to my account on February 26 and I should call back after that date as they could not act in the matter until that time. I called Gateway again the same date informing them that failure to deliver the replacement for their defective merchandise by February 26 would result in my dispute of any charges on my American Express account.
When I had received no replacement merchandise by that date, I called American Express.
On May 24, 2004, American Express sent me a letter (A copy was attached) informing me that Gateway had not replied to their requests for information to resolve the matter. They further stated that, per the Fair Credit Billing laws, Gateway had until August 23, 2004, to make such a response.
Upon receipt of your letter of September 29, I called American Express. They informed me that Gateway had not responded in any way to their queries and they considered the matter closed.
My attorney has advised me to offer to return the defective merchandise, which has been stored in its original carton since February 19, to Gateway provided I am given the name and address of a responsible receiver and written assurance that this will close the matter and that the undersigned owes Gateway and/or any agent contracted by Gateway nothing other than the return of the merchandise.
Truly Yours, etc.
They still called me wanting to know what to do about "their" money. My attorney finally sent them a letter advising them to either sue or close their file. I havent heard from them since January, 2005.
On: 2005-04-16
I want to save people any headaches in the future by advising you to avoid this product at all costs!!
It worked fine just over a month (just in time for the
money back guarantee and warranty to expire).
I sent them the broken unit and they replaced it with
no power cord or remote control. I immediately called
them back and they put me on a 4-weeks+ "backorder".
Six weeks later, I finally called and asked them for my
money back, which they refused to do. They had given
me some "top-of-their head" delivery date, which did not come to pass as they said. After almost a half-hour of being
on the phone and being bounced between employees, they offered me a full replacement, which was all theyd do. They sent me another unit on next-day shipping... WITHOUT A POWER CORD!! Now I have two units in my house with no way to use them! I called them yet again, and after another half-hour of phone tag with various employees, they told me they couldnt do anything about it and gave me another date which Im assuming was just another delay tactic. Im not expecting them to deliver what they promise. Even if they do in this case, that doesnt compensate for the lousy service and support they have rendered.
Save yourself tons of headaches! Stay away from this product and this company. Youll get a defective product and
customer service/tech support employees who will do nothing at all to help you. Theyll steal your money, offer you a product that breaks down after your warranty expires, and expect you to accept their inept customer service.
A thirty-day warranty on any product is quite telling, and I will never recommend this company or this product to anyone.
Look for something else. Im doing you a favor. Dont let the inexpensive price fool you into buying it.
Good luck
On: 2005-03-09
"If anyone buys this crap, we must be magicians!!!" must be the "in-house" Gateway motto for this pile of mung called the AR-230. Silly me...I thought I would purchase one of these machines for my wife for Christmas 2003. Three units and 2.2 years later I still cant record a single viable DVD on this thing. It has been collecting dust in the basement until quite recently however. (we gave up on the AR-230 about 1.9 years ago since our computer does its job well.) You see, we noticed it said "progressive scan" on the unit. Golly! Now we can really take advantage of our HDTV right? Wrong. (...) DVD player looks fantastic compared to the pixel laden, rich vomit "block like" mess that the AR-230 produces.
Words cannot describe the frustration, anger and disgust. Avoid and run away...you get what you pay for...I just wish we could get our money back.
Thanks for your time.
On: 2005-02-19
When it worked it was okay. I bought my Gateway in Feb 2004 and it worked for about 11 months. One day I put in a DVD and it just spun. I contacted Gateway and they said to send it in, it would take 5-7 days for processing.
I sent in my Gateway in December of 2004. Its Februrary and Im still waiting. Gateway always replies to my inquiries but has not once said anything other than they are waiting for parts.
Thank you for using Gateways Online E-mail Support. XXX, as I checked
on the status of your service request 2-1829958384, it stated that your
DVD-R player is on part processing stage. Please be informed that it
may
take 2 to 3 weeks for the completion on this service.
I have documented this correspondence in Service Request Number
XXXXXX in our contact tracking database. Please use this number
in the future if you need to contact us again regarding this issue.
Another response from last month:
I understand you want to inquire shipment of your DVD player. I checked
service request number XXXXX and found item in repair status.
Please contact us for further updates on the repair progress of your
DVD
player. Please be informed to contact us within 48 business hours.
Should you have any further customer service questions, do not hesitate
to contact us.
I have documented this correspondence in Service Request Number
XXXXXXXXX in our contact tracking database. Please use this number
in the future if you need to contact us again regarding this issue.
Please reply to this message if you require further assistance with
this
issue.
Thank you.
 On: 2005-01-31
So far this dvd recorder has been great. We have purchased two of these. One from Amazon and one from Gateway. The one we purchased from Amazon does have the feature to turn off the macrovision and you can legally make back up copies of all the copyrighted dvds & vhs tapes that you own. The same unit we bought from Gateway.com for $100 less does not have the macrovision on/off feature but it did have the region free option. To see if your unit has the "Macrovision On/Off" feature on your remote press "Setup" then highlight "exit", while "exit" is highlighted enter "2960" and press enter. Another menu should open with the option to select your region code or make it region free and another option to turn macrovision on or off.
 On: 2005-01-16
We bought a Gateway AR-230 in Jan 2004. We found the user
interface to be fairly bad. The timer recording section
is particularly bad (Timer recording allows: Once,
Daily, Weekly, but doesnt have "Weekday", sigh; Timer
recording has 5 or 6 slots, about 3 or 4 fewer than we need.)
Note: if you have one, DEFINITELY get the current firmware
from www.gateway.com! (version 1163 was released 2004-09-01)
The manual is, to be charitable, bad. Aside from leaving
out a *lot* of information, the quality of the English in it
(and in other online documents for the AR-230) is poor.
I saved the worst for last ... its very unreliable. Of the
last 4 DVD+RWs we tried to timer record, two failed to
properly "stop" (one was in "Stopping" mode for 15 minutes
before it finally stopped!). The result were disks that
were unreadable in the Gateway or in any other of several
DVD drives I tried. (Oh, I could see the VOB, IFO, BUP files,
but they just werent playable.)
This may be tied to using Memorex media ... opinion on the
web seems to be split on this. Wed been using non-Memory
successfully (95% success rate?) for most of the last year,
and accidentally picked up some Memorex DVD+RWs recently.
I had tried to return it about 1 week after the warranty
expired ... no luck. I should have ranted and raved then,
but an upgrade (10 months ago) to firmware version 1139
improved it from terribly to almost reliable.
IIRC, it has no battery backup for the programming, so we
have ours on a UPS. (Clock must also be set manually :)
All in all, an embarassing product ... a cheap price doesnt
justify that!
Tip for using any DVD recorder ... if you arent going to save a show forever, record it on DVD+RW and avoid creating a disc
youll be throwing away!
On: 2005-01-14
I tried to order this through Gateway--bad mistake. I FINALLY got one from amazon. I had it hooked up and running in less than 30 mins, and I am not a tech guru. It works great for putting my DVR shows from Dish network onto dvd. We now have the 5th season of the sopranos and 2nd season of nip/tuck and they arent even out yet! We also put pay per movies to dvd.
It also works great for transfering home movies and vhs. It doesnt work for actually copying dvd movies from dvd to dvd recorder b/c of copyright protection. You can get around this by purchasing another piece for under $50 by searching for how to get around dvd copyright protection.
No complaints, it works great. Complaints on this site are usually from people that dont know what they are doing. We are using Memorex DVD+R and DVD+RW from Wal Mart.
On: 2005-01-11
We bought a Gateway AR230 a year ago. It worked great for 3 months, then would not format anything, or read anything it had recorded. We called Gateway and sent it back. We were sent a new one, and it worked for 8 months before the same thing happened. Our warranty has now expired, and we will definitely be buying another brand.
On: 2004-12-20
i bought this in july and now it wont format or play the discs.
On: 2004-12-13
I had this DVD recorder for about 6 mon. & then it would not read a disk when I put it in the recorder. I sent it in for repairs & it worked good until the warranity was up. Now the tray door wont open so I can put a disk in it.
I am not impressed with the Gateway brand right now. I have a Gateway computer & the hard drive went out after only 18 mon. I didnt get an extended warranity on it so it will cost over $300 to get it fixed.
My advice is stay away from anything Gateway!
On: 2004-12-05
I purchased the Gateway AR-230 DVD Recorder a month ago and I loved it so much that I just got another one for another room. I have been transferring old Beta and VHS tapes onto DVD round the clock and I have been getting great results. My 20 year-old tapes look fantastic as new DVDs!
A few pointers:
1. Use 4X R+ media. Verbatim and Ridata have given me optimal results.
2. Finalize DVDs before playing them on other machines. You will be able to view non-finalized DVDs on the Gateway, but you may need to finalize them by simply clicking Disc Tools on the remote control before playing DVDs on other machines.
3. Avoid using the 6-hour recording setting when copying from older Beta or VHS tapes. I tried the 6-hour setting four times using different cables and wires. One tape turned out ok, but the sound and video were out of sync on the rest and they ended up looking like badly dubbed movies where characters speak without moving their lips. If someone knows how to fix this problem, please pass that on.
This is a great machine that has seen constant use for a month. I have burned over 50 discs on the 4-hour setting without getting a single coaster.
On: 2004-11-30
I bought this item in May 2004. It worked for awhile when I recorded my tapes onto discs. Now if I record a disc, it wont play in other DVD players, nor this one. Also, if I record a show and want to continue to record onto the disc later, it doesnt work and the disc is useless. When recording, it has frozen many times--like if you want to cut out commercials. The player will not play many discs previously recorded on this player. Do NOT waste your money. I dont care how cheap this product gets. Cheap is what it is. Its not worth it!!!
On: 2004-11-22
I bought my recorder in September 2004, and I have had no issues with it - it works great both in playback and recording modes, it is pretty simple to use, and has had no mechanical or firmware problems. The only two minor nuissances that I have noticed are the basic manual and the lack of closed captioning/subtitling in most modes. Other than that, this recorder is a good value for the money - and the cheapest that I have found out there!
On: 2004-11-21
I bought my recorder in September 2004, and I have had no issues with it - it works great both in playback and recording modes, it is pretty simple to use, and has had no mechanical or firmware problems. The only two minor nuissances that I have noticed are the basic manual and the lack of closed captioning/subtitling in most modes. Other than that, this recorder is a good value for the money - and the cheapest that I have found out there!
On: 2004-10-27
Since day one this machine has functioned poorly. Most DVDs wont playback, if they do the system freezes (no FF, RW or chapter skip). This is not a ventilation problem either. The recording functions have been fine but if this is going to be your only means of DVD playback skip it.
On: 2004-10-25
I bought mine in Jan 04, it would not finalize DVD+Rs, so I upgraded the firmware per their tech support instructions, still wouldnt work, returned and switched for a new one, that one worked fine until June, then it stopped recognizing it had a disc in it (no matter what one you put in, commercial or homemade, it still said "no disc"). Mailed that one to Gateways tech support (Alorica Global Services)at my expense, they replaced it and sent a new one, but no remote was in the box of the replacement. Finally after numerous calls and emails to tech support, I got one in July, but the remote doesnt work. Its October and Im STILL trying to get them to replace the dead remote. Ive sent 30+ emails and over 20 phone calls for a lousy $30 remote. By the way, Ive learned that Gateway doesnt even make this unit, they are actually made by LiteOn corporation, and the LW-5001 is the same model as the AR230 (Make sure to never buy a LiteOn either!). I will never buy another Gateway product and will try to make sure no one else does either! Ive heard of a lot of similar problems with this player (fails to finalize discs, wont recognize discs, very particular about what discs you use).
On: 2004-10-12
I bought this Gateway AR230 on July 23, 2004 from HSN.The pros of this unit is cheap price and easy to use. I had no problems recording any discs. I used a HP dvd +rw and a TDK dvd + r.The cons about this besides breaking down is when using a RW and you have a full disc and want to record another show on the disc , you cant just delete one program you have to completely erase the entire disc. If you just delete one program it shows up in the menu as a deleted space and there is no space . The unit worked fine for the first two months and then it stop working. It locked up and just says HELLO!!! and nothing works on it and cant even get my disc out of it. SO if course now I have to ship it back to there consumer repair service center in California . And of course I had pay for shipping . This is not the first experience I had with a product from gateway. I bought a customized computer from Gateway nothing but trouble with it. I recommend not to deal with Gateway or buy any future products from gateway . And of course now I just sent Out my dvd recorder for repair.
HERE IS A UPDATE: I just got my dvd recorder back from the service center yesterday (10/26/04) and they failed to return my dvd that was stuck in my original unit. They decided not to send me my orginal unit back, but instead sent me a repaired unit which had a manufactured date of December 2003 and has the old firmware on it.And now none of dvd rs that I recorded work in this unit.The one I sent them had a manufactured date of July 2004 and had the updated firmware. What a joke !! How dare gateway send me a 7 month old unit.After making first call to gateway customer service and asking them why I didnt get the same unit back. There response was it is stated in there warranty . That they may subsitute unit for a new or used one. And they expect me to upgrade the dvd and dowload the upgrade from my computer shame on them. I dont have a cd burner. So to make a long story short. They agreed to send me out a new unit with updated firmware.I hope this is the last time I have to deal with gateway.
On: 2004-10-11
I bought this Gateway AR230 on July 23, 2004 from HSN.The pros of this unit is cheap price and easy to use. I had no problems recording any discs. I used a HP dvd +rw and a TDK dvd + r.The cons about this besides breaking down is when using a RW and you have a full disc and want to record another show on the disc , you cant just delete one program you have to completely erase the entire disc. If you just delete one program it shows up in the menu as a deleted space and there is no space . The unit worked fine for the first two months and then it stop working. It locked up and just says HELLO!!! and nothing works on it and cant even get my disc out of it. SO if course now I have to ship it back to there consumer repair service center in California . And of course I had pay for shipping . This is not the first experience I had with a product from gateway. I bought a customized computer from Gateway nothing but trouble with it. I recommend not to deal with Gateway or buy any future products from gateway . And of course now I just sent Out my dvd recorder for repair.
HERE IS A UPDATE: I just got my dvd recorder back from the service center yesterday (10/26/04) and they failed to return my dvd that was stuck in my original unit. They decided not to send me my orginal unit back, but instead sent me a repaired unit which had a manufactured date of December 2003 and has the old firmware on it.And now none of dvd rs that I recorded work in this unit.The one I sent them had a manufactured date of July 2004 and had the updated firmware. What a joke !! How dare gateway send me a 7 month old unit.After making first call to gateway customer service and asking them why I didnt get the same unit back. There response was it is stated in there warranty . That they may subsitute unit for a new or used one. And they expect me to upgrade the dvd and dowload the upgrade from my computer shame on them. I dont have a cd burner. So to make a long story short. They agreed to send me out a new unit with updated firmware.I hope this is the last time I have to deal with gateway.
On: 2004-09-15
Ive had his DVD recorder for several months. I dont have any comparative reference, but it does exactly what I need. I had a lot of VHS tapes recorded from television that I wanted to preserve on DVD, and I also have a Tivo that has some saved shows on it. It was easy to set up to record from either source. I definitely recommend it for the price.
On: 2004-09-14
Ive had his DVD recorder for several months. I dont have any comparative reference, but it does exactly what I need. I had a lot of VHS tapes recorded from television that I wanted to preserve on DVD, and I also have a Tivo that has some saved shows on it. It was easy to set up to record from either source. I definitely recommend it for the price.
 On: 2004-08-27
I just bought a used AR-230 the SN 400143-1139-E283 100-0109
I can only get it to finalize one in three DVR+R discs. How do I install new firmware on a stand alone DVD recorder? I have downloded 7515597.exe from Gateway. How do I move the firmware update from my computer to the Gateway AR-230?
On: 2004-08-14
I dont really understand the bad reviews, maybe I received one that already has the firmware upgrades. I dont have any problems recording on 4x or the DV-RW that came with the recorder. The only problem I had was that I wasnt completely sure how to hook everything up with my cable DVR, TV, and VHS. I called Gateway and they were very helpful. I was shocked that I only had to speak to one person versus getting transferred 3 times. I have a fairly old TV so I found out that I need the RF Modulator adapter because my TV only has the cable input. So far so good for me. I have recorded about 10 movies and played them back on a different DVD player just to make sure they worked and I had no problems at all. FYI, I purchased mine from HSN.com, they have a great 30 day return policy.
On: 2004-08-12
I bought the AR230 thinking it was a trustworthy brand name at a reasonable price. The unit I received would not play commercial DVDs or record on blank the DVD+Rs I bought or on the DVD+RW that came with it. Gatway told me to throw away the DVD+RW supplied and upgrade the firmware by downloading a file from their website. I told them I had a Mac, and they said no problem. Well it does! You have to have a Windows XP or Windows 98 SE machine to download upgrades. I had to find a friend with one of those operating systems and that was not easy.
I downloaded the upgrade and loaded file into the Unit. It loaded fine, but it still would not play or record. Gateway promised a replacement would arrive in one week. It never arrived. On my fifth call to them to fix the problem, they told me it would take another two weeks because they were out of stock. Over a month has passed and now I have to wait another ten days for the return authorization.
Bad product and even worse service.
On: 2004-07-26
The Gateway AR-230s release in late 2003 ushered in a significant drop in prices for DVD+R/RW recorders. Since that initial release, Gateway has twice released firmware updates that correct various problems that users encountered. To apply a firmware update, one must burn the file to a CD-R on a personal computer and allow the AR-230 to read that special data disc. As of this writing, though, no update has been issued since December 2003 which is beginning to leave some growing problems unaddressed.
The device has the basic features one might expect including support for cable or over-the-air broadcast tuning, S-Video and RCA inputs, S-Video and RCA outputs, timer recording capabilities, 3 time/quality levels from 2 to 6 hours per 4.7GB disc, and a remote control. In addition, the unit has some nice extras such as a front panel IEEE-1384 input for direct playback control and DVD recording of a DV source and component video outputs.
The AR-230 only supports DVD+R (for record once) and DVD+RW (for multiple record/erase) media and this is where the major problems emerge.
Without any clues in the simplistic product manual or on the Gateway support site, the unit is very sensitive to the media used. Many vendors DVD+R media do not work in the unit although the problems do not become apparent until after recording is completed: the created disc is completely unreadable by the AR-230 and all other playback devices.
Most recently, with the rapid proliferation of 4x and 8x DVD+R media, media which works in the AR-230 is getting very difficult to find. It will only record correctly to media rated as 1x-2.4x (sometimes listed as "Upto 2x") and not even to all such media.
Over the course of 9 months, my successful recording rate is about 60%. All of the failed discs were worthless and had to be discarded. Possibly a firmware release may address the 4x and 8x media issue, but there is no indication from Gateway that such a fix is forthcoming.
Other problems encountered include the devices inability to play DVD-R media recorded on other equipment, its quirky requirement for always needing an RCA video output to work when the device is reset (as a complex set of menu selections must be made to direct video output to S-Video or Component outputs), and its destruction of all discs that are recorded to the end and not manually stopped with recording time available.
I would never buy this device today, but it has helped shift the marketplace and it does a nice job of recording when all of the (many) obstacles are avoided.
pros:
+ low cost.
+ auto menus and chapter marks work well.
+ has IEEE-1384 input for direct-from-DV recording.
cons:
+ can not use 4x or 8x media.
+ destroys recordings if not manually stopped.
+ can not play dvd-r discs.
+ will not include closed captioning data on programs recorded from any source.
On: 2004-07-25
The Gateway AR-230s release in late 2003 ushered in a significant drop in prices for DVD+R/RW recorders. Since that initial release, Gateway has twice released firmware updates that correct various problems that users encountered. To apply a firmware update, one must burn the file to a CD-R on a personal computer and allow the AR-230 to read that special data disc. As of this writing, though, no update has been issued since December 2003 which is beginning to leave some growing problems unaddressed.
The device has the basic features one might expect including support for cable or over-the-air broadcast tuning, S-Video and RCA inputs, S-Video and RCA outputs, timer recording capabilities, 3 time/quality levels from 2 to 6 hours per 4.7GB disc, and a remote control. In addition, the unit has some nice extras such as a front panel IEEE-1384 input for direct playback control and DVD recording of a DV source and component video outputs.
The AR-230 only supports DVD+R (for record once) and DVD+RW (for multiple record/erase) media and this is where the major problems emerge.
Without any clues in the simplistic product manual or on the Gateway support site, the unit is very sensitive to the media used. Many vendors DVD+R media do not work in the unit although the problems do not become apparent until after recording is completed: the created disc is completely unreadable by the AR-230 and all other playback devices.
Most recently, with the rapid proliferation of 4x and 8x DVD+R media, media which works in the AR-230 is getting very difficult to find. It will only record correctly to media rated as 1x-2.4x (sometimes listed as "Upto 2x") and not even to all such media.
Over the course of 9 months, my successful recording rate is about 60%. All of the failed discs were worthless and had to be discarded. Possibly a firmware release may address the 4x and 8x media issue, but there is no indication from Gateway that such a fix is forthcoming.
Other problems encountered include the devices inability to play DVD-R media recorded on other equipment, its quirky requirement for always needing an RCA video output to work when the device is reset (as a complex set of menu selections must be made to direct video output to S-Video or Component outputs), and its destruction of all discs that are recorded to the end and not manually stopped with recording time available.
I would never buy this device today, but it has helped shift the marketplace and it does a nice job of recording when all of the (many) obstacles are avoided.
pros:
+ low cost.
+ auto menus and chapter marks work well.
+ has IEEE-1384 input for direct-from-DV recording.
cons:
+ can not use 4x or 8x media.
+ destroys recordings if not manually stopped.
+ can not play dvd-r discs.
+ will not include closed captioning data on programs recorded from any source.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-18
I saw many negative reviews about this product. However, from
my experience, it is not so bad. If you have trouble to record,
I would like to suggest check followings.1. Check your DVD media (at least 4x and should be +R/RW).
I found some information that LiteOn 4x dvd burner was used
for this product. So, you have to use at leat 4x media.
Right?
2. Check the firmware version (the newest version can be found
at the manufacturers homepage).
The firmware version is just like OS version. The newer
firmware always has less problems.
3. Dont power off during recording or some ~ing
operation. (Stopping, recording, etc)
4. If you use +R media, you should finalize before play on
other DVDs. PROS:
1.Low price(^^) but not bad image quality.
2.Built in tuner.
3.Firmware upgradable! CONS:
1.Not so flexible timer functions and not support the codes.
2.I doesnt support subtitle function when you record
TV programs. (When you play DVD, it is fine.)
3.Too short title. It may be less than 7 characters.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-12
I went through two of these and neither worked. The first would record for about a half hour and then stop, showing "write fail" as a message. The second one did even worse - not only did it start off with "write fail", it quickly got to the point where it could not even locate the disc. This experience cost me about $44 in return postage expenses, only to end up with a partcial credit - I had to spend more time on the phone with Amazon to straighten that out. Bad experience all the way around.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-07
Had to return it, my old Samsung VCR was much better (and of course more reliable) than this, I didnt want to go for an expensive one (when decided to upgrade to DVD recording), well to save money, but I wasted my valuable time. I dont know if it is the problem with new (DVD) + format or it is the Gateway. Anyways, I dont recommend it if you look for quality.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-25
had problems initially with setup/display functions on remote...figured dead battery...yup! make sure you double check input/output cables to tv if you get no picture or black and white picture. triple-quadruple check. component outputs worked best for me. burned myself a copy of a commercial dvd...looks indistinguishable in 2 hour record mode. (purchased decoder from popular auction site to get around copycode protection).
ive burned over the last 4 months over 50 movies/dvds. all play perfectly on both the gateway and my friends apex. some older dvds dont play the dvd r+ format. disc manufacturer doesnt seem to matter. anyhow, as a straight dubbing/film copying recorder from direct tv or commercial dvds (in conjunction with a decoder that allows one to get around the copy code protection), its worked wonderfully well for me. i believe the gateway is actually produced by Liteon. they had at costco one that appeared to be exactly like this gateway for $179. it was replaced by a $199 unit that burns in all formats (r -, too).no severe problems like others experience. all perfect recordings.
On: 2004-06-16
This DVD recorder does not make stereo recordings! This is not a joke. I have recently purchased 2 different DVD recorders and found that they do not record in stereo! This Gateway AR-230 and the CyberHome CH-DVR 1500 both use cheap internal TV tuners similar to the TV tuners you buy for a PC. They only support mono tuning. I purchased the CH-DVR 1500 first and the AR-230 a few weeks later. Later i found the CyberHome website clearly states that the CH-DVR 1500 only records in MONO. I purchased the Gateway AR-230 a week or so later because their sales person told me it recorded in stereo. When i got it home and used it, i found it to only be mono. When i called their tech support i was told that they were 99% sure it did stereo. I asked them to check again and a surprised technican came back on 2 minutes later and said that i was correct, it did only record in mono. He couldnt beleive it himself but he said he verified it with someone else there and it was true. Mono only. My 8 year old VCR can record in stereo! Buyer beware!! Dont get stuck with cheap obsolete junk!!
On: 2004-06-13
Gateways DVD Recorder sets the bar for ease of use. The user interface makes recording to DVD a breeze. Gateway also has great customer support for this product if you have any problems with finalizing your DVD+RWs or just want to purchase additional media for your recorder.
On: 2004-05-28
Let me tell you about this great DVD recorder! The playback picture is super clear; hard to tell whats original and whats been recorded.
The sound is also very nice.
Earlier this year, I ordered an off-brand DVD recorder and had to sell it quickly because of the horrible playback.
But, the Gateway was well worth every penny and it was very reasonable in costs!
I give this Gateway DVD a 10!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-21
The first recorder gradually lost capabilities over the first two days after delivery. We had to return it at our cost and a used unit was sent out. We could not get the remote to work - critical since thats how setup is accomplished. Our TV did not recognize a signal from the recorder and when we attempted to send the recorders signal through our VCR to get to the TV it completed wiped out the setup of our VCR. We had to disconnect the VCR from power for an hour and then plug it back in and redo its setup. We tried composite as well as coaxial connections to no avail. Gateway would not take the recorder back because the time limit of 14 days was used up by waiting for the second machine to get to us. We threw the recorder in the trash - an expensive lesson.
On: 2004-05-17
I admit mine was very low cost...$199 after Gateways $100 coupon offer....never expected to be able to buy a dvd recorder for this price this year. Picture quality is excellent, fairly easy to figure out the controls, a real boon for time-shifters, who are tired of seeing their vhs tapes degrade almost before they can get around to watching them! Certainly less bells and whistles than the pricier models, but more than I expected. Thanks, Gateway!
On: 2004-05-11
I use it a player not a recorder it is not a good buy
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-11
My AR230 was purchased as a replacement for a Panasonic DVD recorder that died on me. I use it mostly for time shifting TV programs. Quality is very good on the 1 and 2 hour settings good on the 4 hour setting and just slightly better than good VCR on the 6 hour setting. Its got a simple menu system that even got my wife recording some of her soaps. Ive only recorded camcorder to DVD-R using the firewire port twice but the quality was good and it was easy to do. Be sure to finalize DVD-Rs so they will play on other DVD players. I use brand name media and have not had a bad disc yet. This unit doesnt have a hard drive or the bells and whistles of some of the high-end units but at less than $300 its a way better value than the others I considered. If you need a good replacement for your old VCR this is it.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-11
I love this product. I plugged it in and it worked. The menus were easy to navigate and the remote control was easy to use. I love the value versus others on the market and I prefer to buy brands that I trust. This is a great product, everyone should buy one.
On: 2004-05-08
I am on my second one and it just crashed. The first one would fail at every attempt to record a program. The second worked for about 2 months, then tonight it wont accept any dvd. When I insert a disc, it says "NO DISC". I am done. Throwing this one away and going for a different one.
On: 2004-05-05
Wish I had never bought it. Failed to record on several occasions which I blamed on the DVD+rw media. Which by the way was not compatible with any of my 3 dvd players. Then after 2 months is quit and wouldnt even play a commericial DVD. Tried to get Gateway to honor there 1-year warranty but was spending way too much time on the phone listening to musik and getting nowhere.So this thing goes in the trash after I get rid of some rage on it with a 12lb sledge...
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-07
I found it easy to get started using, and had few problems with basic recording to DVD+R or DVD+RW disks. There are some technical challenges if you want to copy the disks made with the AR-230 - it can be done, but takes some learning. The recorded disks played in 9 out of 10 DVD players I tried them in. In this price range, it has nice features like firewire input, PAL to NTSC playback conversion, built-in TV tuner, and component output.
But the big plus on this player is that it can bypass copy protection on DVDs and VHS movies.(Firmware 1139, Dec 2003) This earns it an extra star from me. Amazon probably wont let me tell how here, but those interested can easily find the info on the internet.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-03
after reading the reviews i decided to purchase this dvd recorder and really expected a lot more. the unit takes forever to load a disk, hangs on a regular basis, and by the way includes copy protection so you really cannot use it to backup those old vhs tapes. the concept is good and i have sucessfully recorded some dvds but you always hold your breath to see if some totally uncomprehensible error message will appear. it really reminds me of my 286 running windows 98, sometime it works somtimes it crashes... needs a lot more work. this is even true on playing regular commercial dvds where it will hang for no reason. you have to pull the power plug to reset it....should sound familiar. if you want a low cost dvd recorder it is probably ok but do not expect much.
update
i have used this unit for five months and i now downgrade my score from three stars to one. this unit plays only half of the new dvds without hanging half way thru the movie. waste of money.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-02
For the price you cant beat it. The unit is very basic but works well, similar to a VCR recorder. The recorded disk is as good or better than the original broadcast and much better than a VCR recording. If you are using a DVD+R disk and when you completely fill your disk with the programs you recorded dont forget to finalize (in disk tools) so you can play the disk in other players. Selecting auto chapters is also helpful to jump/skip quicker to the other parts of your recorded program.
This is an update of my review of Apr 1, 2004. I now have two of the same recorders, one for my wife to record her programs and one for me to record my favorites. Knock on wood, so far the recorders have performed well with no problems what so ever. We record programs almost every day, using Memorex 4X brand, +Rs and +RW also purchased from Amazon. As stated before this recorder is just a basic recorder and does not have the additional features found in some of the other recorders, but it does the job and in my opinion are as reliable and still way better than a VCR recording. I use the pause button to stop the recording when the commercials come on and have had no problems with this feature. Dont forget to repress the pause button when the program comes back on after the commercials. I have also used the timer recording capability with no problems, you just need to have a little patience in programming the date, time and channel you want to record. I use the +RW disks as a removeable hard drive(HD) and record in the 4hr mode which is about the best alternative to a real HD and still maintain a quality recording. You can erase the disk after you watch your recorded programs and reuse the disk again. I have reuse the same +RW disk about 10 times so far with no problems. I am still amazed at how clear the recording is when played back. The recorder is a little slow initially in reading any disk so you need to take that into consideration and not rush activating any commands until the display stops blinking. When you initially put in a new disk, you dont need to manually format the +RW or +R disks, the recorder will do it it autmatically. I still have not figured out how to make this recorder an all region playback. Prices have gone down quite a bit compared to when I first bought this recorder so as stated before for price you still cant beat it. Panasonic and Sony are also good quality brands, but Sony recorders are way more expensive and the Panasonic recorders uses DVD-RAM disk to re-record and is more expensive to purchase rather than the common +RWs. For now, as long as this recorder works Ill keep using it until the other brands get cheaper with build-in HDs and more feature for the price.
On: 2004-03-09
Im pretty happy with the unit after about a month. Its very easy to use, and the quality of the recordings seem good. (Ive only tried it in SP mode).
Something I would point out, and I never thought to check, is with all of the inputs, none are for digital sound. Since most of what I plan to use it for, it doesent matter, its okay for me, but be aware.
Also, the user manual could be MUCH better. Several functions are not explained at all. What is explained is VERY basic.
Other than that, its a nice one for the price.
On: 2004-03-04
This one of the few DVD recorders under $300. It is easy to set-up and maneuver through the menu screen. The only issue I have is the ability to record - the TV must be on the channel to record (no ability to enter TV codes).
Other than that, the Gateway DVD Recorder is perfect for the price, the quality and components. It cant be beat.-Electronics Geek
On: 2004-02-24
This is Gateways entry into the DVD Recorder arena, and is a clone of the LiteOn LVW-5001. The user interface is very intuitive and much easier to figure out than the Philips models, but the instruction manual is a bit vague on the meaning of various functions. Most of the functions can be figured out with a little bit of experimentation, but it would be better if the manual just gave a full explanation.For example, if you delete a recording that is in between two others, and then you start recording a new program, the unit will not automatically overwrite the deleted area. Instead, it will simply add on after the last program. If you want it to reuse empty space, you must enable the overwrite function for the deleted program, and then record. Be careful, because, if record a program that is longer than the one you deleted, you will overwrite the next program. This all seems sensible once you figure it out, but it would be nice if the manual explained it. The best thing about this DVD Recorder is that it can be made region free and it will convert PAL encoded DVDs (which are sold in Europe on www.amazon.co.uk) to NTSC, so you can watch DVDs that are not sold here (like the excellent British television show "Cold Feet" and "Black Books") on your TV in the U.S. Just turn on the DVD player without a disc in it, press the right arrow, push 800, and then push the enter button. From that point on, the unit is region free.
On: 2004-02-23
This is an interesting product. Its a cross between a VHS VCR and a fully functioning digital DVD recorder. The higher priced digital recorders have hard drives built in to give them Tivo features like the ability to record temporarily for many hours, watch a program from the beginning while the unit is still recording the end, instant replay, pause live TV, etc. The fully loaded recorders also have some sort of Tivo-like program guide. The AR-230 has none of these things, but it costs a lot less as well. Its an interesting mix of high and low end VCR features plus an adequate DVD+R/RW recorder. The high end is reflected by the number of different inputs and outputs: Composite, S-Video, Component, Firewire, Coax and Optical audio. The low end is reflected by the timer: Only 5 programs, no Mon-Fri mode, no VCR+. As a simple DVD replacement for a VCR, it fulfills its function very well. The remote is easy to use. The quality of the DVD image is equal to the quality of the video input. It wont allow you to create youre own chapters, but you can set it to automatically create chapters every 1 - 12 minutes. There are 4 program modes: 1hr, 2hrs, 4hrs & 6hrs. Ive tried the 2 and 4 hour modes and both are fine. Choosing from titles on the disc is much easier than scanning a VCR tape for the start of a new program. Also scanning by chapter and fast forward/reverse work very well - a big improvement over tape. The AR-230 records only on "Plus" media, but reads/plays just about everything. BEWARE: The DVD recordable industry is borderline insane. Theyre locked in a betamax/vhs type war of competing incompatible formats called "Plus" and "Minus". Not only are there different recorders that record each format, but the blank media are different for each format. A "Minus" disc wont work in a "Plus" recorder. If youve got a set top DVD player you may want to check which format it supports. If your DVD player only plays "Minus" discs it wont be able to play DVDs you produce from the AR-230.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-22
I bought one of these for Christmas. Easy setup. I didnt read the manual and was able to figure it out. This DVR supports a variety of formats so you dont have to worry about what the strongest standards are. Jacks in front make it easy to plug in a video camera or digital camera for viewing or recording.The remote is fairly simple and easy to use. Gateway went out of their way to make DVD recording straightforward. Ive had it for close to three months now and have had no complaints or problems. Summary: Great value, easy to use product
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-20
The AR-230 uses DVD+R/+RW discs to record. A coaxial pass-through and integrated TV tuner lets the AR-230 record directly from an analog broadcast. Use any one of five timed recording presets that cover all the AR-230s inputs. Speaking of inputs, the AR-230 sports a bunch. Component video/stereo audio (front)
4-pin FireWire (front)Component video/stereo audio (back)
S-Video (back) Four recording modes lets you fit one to six hours of content on each recordable DVD. The AR-230 auto-inserts chapter markers -- a nice touch. Adjustable between two minutes and 15 minutes, the chapter marks make navigating long stretches of recorded content a breeze. With progressive-scan output, the AR-230 did a fine job of playing our disc collection. High-bitrate DVDs and our own SVCD creations played equally nicely. You can forget playing high-quality audio formats such as SACD and DVD Audio, but you have to expect that with a product as cheap as this. Summary: Gateway made the AR-230 simple to set up and use. Although you cant create custom menus with the AR-230, and it only supports writing to DVD+R/+RW formats, it represents a great value in set-top DVD burners. Pros: Ease of use; price
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