Apex DRX-9200 DVD Recorder/Player
By: Apex Average Rating: 2.0 Total Reviews: 36
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 On: 2007-04-30
You may be attracted to the price of Apexs DRX 9200, but you should pass it up. I bought one of these a couple months ago, because of the price. When I opened the box to hook it up, I found at the DRX 9200 does not have a turner, so I had to spend another twenty or so dollars to purchase an RF connector. What a rip! The picture quality is not that great. The sound quality is extremely weak, and the thing pooped out on after about two months of use. The sound and picture quality of my vcr is much better than is. For now Im just gonna stick with the vcr for recording from television, by ditching your vcr for a DRX 9200 you would be downgrading quality wise. Also, I experienced the same problem with the clock as many other people have, were it gains time.
On: 2007-02-18
I bought a similar "value" Apex DVD players from Amazon a while back. The thing had an annoying hum at times, but worked... at first. After two months it wouldnt play DVDs longer than maybe 90 minutes. I tried calling their service line - no one answered the phone. I went to their Website and wrote to their service e-mail address - I received no response, ever.
My guess is they figure (rightly) that no one is going to go to a lot of legal trouble over a device that costs less than $100. There are other companies that make low-end DVD players and other equipment - patronize one of them instead of Apex.
On: 2007-01-19
This is a another in a saga of fried power supply stories that pervade these reviews. I cant believe that a product like this could be put on the market. I have to go back and check if the unit itself got a UL sticker. If it did, I cant see how that happened. Luckily, I believe, nothing flammable was near the unit when it died, and I was in the room to smell the problem. Even before this, the thing would periodically lose its mind need a power-on reset (pull the plug), and as mentioned in other reviews the clock couldnt keep accurate time (gain 4-6 minutes a week). I didnt know 555s were that high tech.
On: 2007-01-13
The product did not work when I tried to use it. Beware of their return policy, unlike Amazon YOU pay for the return shipping, YOU pay a res-stocking fee - even if the product doesnt work. This vendor was also slow in answering emails when I wanted a refund. I learned my lesson - buy from Amazon directly, not from places like this.
On: 2006-12-21
Trust me, youre better off just saving an extra $40 to buy the next one up. Its no surprise this players been marked down to the price its at. Its temperamental, doesnt do what its told, and it has pretty much no editing features. Did I mention that it cant be tuned into channels 3 and 4 for an exclusively coaxial tv? As if that wasnt the worse thing...
The night before I returned it, I was about to unplug it from my entertainment center armoire in my bedroom after the doors had been closed for about 5 hours with the power off to the player. I opened the doors, and the player had heated the compartment up like an oven!! I could barely touch THE SIDES of the player, and when I lifted it off, itd left a melt mark on my tv. Thank god I returned it before something worse happened.
Im someone who has a lot of patience for sub-par technology because I can still make it do stuff most often. But please, for the sake of your home and your family, I would advise you NOT to buy this product. Im thinking about calling somebody at APEX, but with the bad reviews customer services gotten here, I think it would be more effective to tell you, the consumers, so that youre informed before you decide to buy a DVD recorder.
On: 2006-12-11
If you want to throw money down the drain, its simple - you buy this product. I made the mistake of purchasing this without reading past the first spotlight review. Seemed like a good deal, but after I had to buy an RF modulator because I have an older tv and then having to purchase an S-video cable, and the darn thing still didnt receive a cable signal....I was now an additional $40 in the hole. And thats not counting what it costs just to ship the thing back to the losers at Discountjungle. Dont waste your money......pay more for a better brand...it will pay off in the long run.
 On: 2006-05-30
Ecellent. I love it even more. I have had it for about 2 years now and I had to go through a RF adaptor to get it working on my plain ole television. I jus bought a HDTV tis weekend and WOW! The recording quailty is awesome. I think its cuz the tv is better. Regardless, this was the best $130 I spent. Its got great features and doesnt let me down. If you can still get it....do it! I know people gave it alot of bad reviews even the person who got it as a gift. But for me its fine, works fine and remember just because you might pay more doesnt mean you always get better.
On: 2006-02-28
This unit was purchased as a present for me and hasnt worked since I received it. All I get are error messages. It wont play or record ANYTHING. I called apex several times regarding their 90 manufacturers warranty only to be told it was invalid because "amazon.com is not an authorized dealer." An amazon.com rep had to call them directly to persuade them to honor their own 90 day warranty and conferenced me in. About four people at apex said no and were quite rude about it, like I was trying to ripe them off or something. Finally, the amazon.com rep and me got through to a supervisor who said the warranty was now valid that they thought it was a used unit which is not true. I had to repeat over and over how it was new, purchased as a gift for me and never worked from day one. Allegedly, they are going to be calling me with a "written authorization number" and an address to return it to. By the way, everyone Ive talked to at apex has an Indian accent and never fully understood what I was saying. Ive had to give the same information over and over again because of the communication breakdown. Total and complete nightmare.
On: 2006-01-06
This product is Apexs attempt at a second-gen DVD Recorder. While the recorder may appear feature-rich for its price, its definitely not worth both your money and the headache.
While we used our recorder for an "unprecedented" 11 months before reporting failure, the product had many quirks that plagued us from the beginning. The remote for this recorder is useless. It doesnt even make a good drink coaster. You must have a very direct point of view to the recorder. It seems to work only within about a 30 degree range, while my television is viewable up to 160 degrees. You will probably have to move out of your seat if you want to use the remote. Ive heard the problem can be fixed by purchasing an advanced universal remote.
The second major flaw is the clock. Everyone talks about the clock. It is constantly losing time, up to two minutes each day. If you want to set up a recording for a week away, use the lower quality recording and give yourself half an our on each side of the recording to ensure you get the program. This seems to be a problem with every machine.
Other quirks include the inputs and playback. The only RCA input to the machine is on the front, so if you want to connect a VCR, prepare to have cords hanging around the device. When you power up the machine, a loud static blasts your ears for about a second. You will also have to wait about 35 seconds to view anything, including commercial DVDs, as the machine boots up.
The machine also operates at a very high temperature, so dont stack another device on it. It also has a very loud fan.
My biggest beef with this machine was after putting up with all of these things, it finally blew up...literally. When I turned on the machine one evening, I heard a loud popping sound, and saw smoke rise from it. Fortunately I was home and immediately hit the breaker box to prevent a fire. The box must have been about 175 degrees to the touch.
Amazon was great about the return, so I give them kudos.
Its unfortunate that this device has discouraged me and my wife from buying the Apex brand. We have an Apex television that has provided a great service for four years now.
My recommendation is to find a third-gen DVD recorder with fewer problems. The other quirks are not even worth the headache in purchasing a warranty for this.
 On: 2006-01-05
The unit met my needs for almost a year. The unit comes with a 1-year parts warranty, so I could get it repaired under that warranty, but... The deal is that they have a "fixed price" labor service charge on this unit of $80. And dont forget that you have to pay shipping to California. So youre going to pay at least $100 to get the unit serviced. My logical (to me, anyway) question to tech support was "What will I get for my $80?" They guy could not answer the question (after trying to rephrase it several ways). Is it so unreasonable to seek some assurance that the machine is going to function for more than another 2 weeks after I shell out that money?
I knew exactly what the problem was with my unit when I called (toasted power supply) but the guy insisted that I try plugging the unit into another outlet. So what happened when I did that? LOUD POP and smoke coming from unit. So now Im looking at more than just a toasted power supply. (A toasted power supply I probably could have replaced myself).
So if you are thinking of buying this unit, expect that it will likely meet your needs for at least 1 month (when the FULL parts and labor warranty expires) but at some point after that (probably within a year) the unit is going to break down. Once that happens, you may as well throw it away and buy a new one.
Other comments Ive read here about the unit mirror my experience. The unit runs hot, the clock runs fast, the remote has to be carefully aimed and is awkward, and tech support is horrible! Like many other machines, you will experience a significant when you close the tray (whether it holds a disc or not) while the unit tries to load the disc. I have very few "coasters" from this unit, and successfully recorded at least 50 discs, which I have been able to play on other (non-Apex) DVD players with no problems. One other good thing is that the unit was made before the copy protection requirement came out, so while some units wont allow you to "time-shift" copy-protected shows (like most HBO movies), this unit will (at least from my experience).
I wouldnt recommends trying to record more than 4 hours on a disc as the quality really starts to degrade beyond that. But if you are looking to replace the time-shifting functionality of your VCR in SLP mode, this unit will provide adequate quality with up to 4 hours of recording time. Note, though, the clock issue mentioned above, making scheduled recording difficult.
If you get the unit on sale for around $100 you will likely get your moneys worth out of it for about a year, but expect to be shopping again after that. At the rate the technology is changing, that may not be such a bad idea for the "gadget-minded" anyway. If all youre looking for is a low-cost entry point into the world of DVD recording (your VCR is obsolete!) and can find this unit in the $100 ballpark, it may be worth a gamble, but otherwise my advice is STEER CLEAR!
On: 2005-12-30
Ive just spent hours and hours with the lousy tech support at Apex to discover:
A- It runs too hot, Im afraid of a fire! They say its normal.
B- The remote usually wont operate the controls. They say check the batteries - Duh!
C- If you record a DVD in HQ format, it will only record 1hr MAX, and then the disc Cannot be finalized (meaning you cannot replay the new recording on any other player than the apex). They say this is normal too. What?!!
Joshua, a Manager at Apex, just told me the DRX9200 is working just as it should and he will not refund/or exchange the unit. I told him that if I had known that I cant replay a DVD anyplace other than the Apex, I never would have bought it. He told me "Well, we never said that you should be able to."
What despicable business practices. Ive logged a complaint with the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau (www.labbb.org).
On: 2005-11-29
First all I wish I would have read some of these reviews after receiving the DRX9200 as a gift. Anyway from the start the machine displayed issues, for instance...it is always freaking hot; I mean burn your hand hot. After it is plugged in for a week or so it fails to turn on. It does seem to work once it cools off, but after a week, forget it. Playback of DVDs at first was fine, but soon after a month or so some disks were not recognized and it started making loud fan noises. I did not use the recording feature for the first few months, and then when I tried it skipped often and only recorded about half the show I was trying to record. I decided to call customer service and was told of the reset procedure and to clean the lens. Once powered down it seemed to recover though its very temporary. Another call to customer service led me to where I am today. I have to spend 80.00 to have it repaired under the parts only portion of the warranty. I would NOTTTTT recommend this unit to anyone. If I could have rated it in negative stars I would have. There is nothing good about this unit except for maybe a paper weight or maybe a tray to hold up my dogs bowl...if it would work as a boat anchor I would gladly throw it into the water, but with the quality Apex has I would probably be putting my boat into jeopardy.
On: 2005-11-09
I bought this item with a mail in rebate making it cost about $79 bucks last December. Hooked it up around March and didnt start using it til almost Summer. Mid Summer, viewing anything with this product on my tv was getting annoying with the fact it was doing some weird fade in and outs just being "on"..So one day mid Summer..With the unit being off for two days, I touched the top of it and it was BURNING hot even though it was OFF. It wouldnt turn on (and I had had problems in the spring with it being plugged in but wouldnt turn on)... So I took the top off and the power supply burned out..I called & emailed Apex several times only to have them say I have to pay for shipping and labor to fix a problem that is clearly their fault on a brand new unit! I think this calls for a class action suit!!!!
On: 2005-10-15
All I can say about APEX quality is: piss poor!
I have now owned 3 DVd players/recorders, all of which have crapped out on me in less than a year. My first player started having problems in less than a year. The second two both broke on me in the same week. One is a combo machine, the other a recorder. When I called customer service about the recorder, which was purchased in December of 2004, all they could offer was $80 for labor and I pay shipping to California. What a joke! I can buy a new one for less than that. They make their products with either inferior parts, or inferior design schemes. After the 90 day full warranty is over, they will not last much longer. Avoid their products like the plague: I know I will.
Bless,
MJH
On: 2005-09-21
I bought this unit 9 months ago. From Day 1, the clock ran fast, which meant that unless I remembered to reset the time every single day, Id lose the last few minutes of my recorded program.
DVDs -- both my recorded programs and rented movies -- often glitch or freeze. Sometimes several minutes of a program are jumped over, and even if I rewind, I cant get those segments to play. This always happens at the end of a recorded program.
The remote control works sporadically and erratically. Its a major pain to set a program (or the clock, or anything else) because the remote either doesnt work at all, or skips randomly through the menu.
I called customer service and offered to take the machine in (theyre located about 30 miles from here.) Customer service said they charge $80 just to LOOK at the machine, and labor would be extra. Its still under warrantee, but only parts are paid for. I originally paid $120 after rebates for this item, so a repair bill in excess of that amount seems kind of counterproductive.
For almost 3 months now, the machine is running HOT. I set it up on stilts to let air move around the machine, but the underside is so hot Im afraid it will burst into flames any day now. The machine also screeches like a dying dragon when I turn it on.
Im just waiting for the big bang. I keep the fire extinguisher close at hand.
On: 2005-07-07
I purchased the product over one year ago. When I received the unit I read the instruction booklet to make certain I understood all functions. The booklet was very poorly written. It must have been written by someone who did not fully understand the English language. Sentence structure was extremely poor and some sections made no sense. Once I figured out all functions, I used the recorder to record some TV shows. It worked fairly well and picture quality was OK. Unfortunately, the unit died after one month and I returned it to the manufacturer. It took appoximately two months to get the replacement which also died after one month. I returned the second unit and it was repaired and returned to me after another two months. Unfortunately, it only worked for six months and then it died. I then put it in the rubbish and purschased a Sony DVD recorder which is wonderful. For those who might be interested in this unit because of price, remember, you get what you pay for.
On: 2005-06-08
As some other reviewers have noted, this player is plagued by several major problems. A firmware update would probably be able to cure most of them, but theres no indication that Apex is going to release one.
At the time of its release this unit was cheaper than comparable models, but there are now better options for the same or less money.
First, the bad news:
- A maddening bug in the setup interface makes it impossible to correctly set the units clock to PM, reverting to AM regardless of repeated efforts. This isnt a significant problem for playback and on-demand recording, but makes timed recordings impossible
- Lockups are common when recording from the front DV/Firewire input (and possibly other inputs, but I primarily use Firewire). The lockups generally hit at the end of a recording or during the final write process after recording has stopped. Either way, you dont learn until sitting through the entire record process that the recording has failed and the disc is ruined. Youre then forced to throw away the disc after resetting the unit by unplugging it. Ive now grown used to power cycling the unit between each disc write in the hope of avoiding lockups.
- On-screen video quality using the coaxial input is pitiful (a live DirecTV feed ends up looking like its coming in on rabbit ears). You definitely dont want to watch TV with the signal routed through this player all the time. The problem doesnt seem to carry over to recordings, though -- just live TV.
- The unit makes a surprising amount of noise due to an internal cooling fan. Youll want to turn the unit off when its not in use. It does not automatically power down after a certain amount of time like most DVD players.
- The remote is poorly designed (though the same is true of most AV equipment) and only works when pointed directly at the unit. I duplicated its functions with a programmable remote early on so this wasnt a long-term issue.
- The unit is very thin vertically and the mirror finish doesnt look bad, but it clashes with our other black components while the bright LEDs on the units small screen are distracting and cheap-looking.
Positive Aspects:
- When it works, the recording results are adequate. Ive made quite a few DVDs of content from my Tivo and directly from a DV camera. Playback of discs recorded with this unit seems to work fine on most PC and standalone DVD players as long as you select the Finalize process in the menu after recording to disc. Only DVD+R media is supported for recording.
- Regular DVD playback works fine and Dolby 5.1 passes through correctly via a coaxial jack. It also supports MP3 CDs and offers minimal on-screen navigation for songs.
- The front-panel access to Firewire, S-Video and AV jacks is very handy.
- The automatic creation of chapters with thumbnail images works nicely.
On: 2005-05-31
The Apex drx9200 is a cheap dvd recorder. Ive got many problems with mine and the picture is, at best, acceptable. This device doesnt worth his price.
On: 2005-05-20
When I got the machine, it wouldnt set the pm time so it wouldnt record. After calling Apex for two months, they finally told me they couldnt fix it & I had to return it. They said someone would call in 2 days with a RA#. After 2 weeks & many calls to them, they finally called with the RA#. I sent it back immediately & they told me, since it was being replaced it would be only 2 weeks before I got the new one. For the last 2 months, Ive called each week to find out where the replacement is & they keep saying "itll be another 2 weeks before its shipped"!! This is a replacement!! They cant seem to explain why its taking 2 months to put a new machine in the mail. Finally, I asked for the money back instead of the machine & they said "we dont do refunds - its company policy". I have now filed a complaint with the BBB. I strongly suggest you do NOT by anything from Apex. Their customer service is non-existant.
On: 2005-03-17
Apex Digital products often fail within the first year. They have horrible customer service, false advertising, and fail to honor their warranties. They do not care about the consumer and based on my past 1.5 years of experience there is virtually nothing we can do about it but stop buying their products.
Please check www.labbb.gov (Better Business Bureau) and search for Apex Digital to see the F rating the better business bureau has given them. Saving 10-15 dollars is not worth the hassle they cause.
On: 2005-02-09
Hooked up the unit and the remote didnt work. Called the toll number in California had to explain in detail what I did to assure that the remote was inoperative plus give all my information. I was then told that I would be contacted within 1 or 2 days with a return authorization number. After 6 days I call back and again had to give all the information and then put on hold. The agent came back and said that they were having a computer problems and they would call me back in 8 days. I tried to get a supervisor to vent my frustration and was put on hold again. After 5 minutes I was told to call back in 30 minutes that no supervisors were available.
On: 2005-01-25
At the highest video quality setting of one hour per DVD disc the picture quality is indistinguishable from the source. The picture quality is good at lower settings.
The price is right.
But...
The menu setup was programmed to maximize inefficiency. It takes six button pushes just to get to the program setup menu. Once there, it will take at least 18 more button pushes. OK, I am used to VCRplus where you could finish your programming in as few as seven button pushes.
All these button pushes wouldnt be so frustrating if you didnt have to perfectly aim the remote as you push the button. I like remotes that let you bounce the signal off your friends face and it still works.
The clock runs fast. It gains a couple minutes every few days. If you forget to reset it, you will miss the ending of your TV show. Even $40 VCRs have automatic PBS time clocks. A $10 watch keeps better time.
The manual is almost useless. You have to hunt around the DVRs on screen menu to find out whats available. For example, when setting a time to start your recording the AM/PM is not adjustable. If you enter 7 you will get 7 AM. To get 7 PM you have to enter 19 (military time I guess). Or you can just keep pushing the up button like you do on a $9 alarm clock. There is no mention in the manual about how to automatically record every weekday but if you push `up when the date is highlighted it is available (but easy to miss). Neither of these (or many other issues) is covered in the manual.
The audio on the recorded discs (and when watching TV through the DVR) is low (about 2/3rds of my TV). It is also tinny. Additionally if you turn on the DVR without first changing the TV to its DVR input channel you get 2 seconds of LOUD static before it returns you to your show.
The playback usually blips with a second long freeze-frame at least twice an hour.
My penultimate complaint is that the DVD locks up about once a week. It wont accept any input from the remote or on the console itself. You cant even turn it off. The only thing you can do is unplug it and start over.
My last complaint is the 25 Memorex (off brand?) DVD+RWs I bought for the Apex. They recorded once just fine but never again. They still work just fine on my computers DVD recorder though.
This is my second but... last Apex.
 On: 2005-01-11
I just received my second apex 9200 dvd recorder/player. The first one stopped at every chapter stop. (I must interject here that amazon.com was fantastic at taking care of my problem.) Just received the replacement. I thought Id give it a real test and recorded a movie that was 2 1/2 hrs long. The quality was fantastic. The only drawback is that it still freezes at every chapter stop on my jvc equipment, yet it plays beautifully in the apex and in my HP computer DVD Player. Oh well, you cant have everything for $119.
On: 2005-01-09
audio ouput is low,
owners manual says make adjustments in audio menu,
3 emails - company unable to help
advised to unplug unit to reset
ignored my question -where audio menu?
tell me what a great machine I have
not so happy with the inputs only being on the front
On: 2005-01-09
First I had a Phillips DVD Recorder, and when that wasnt working I broke down and got the APEX DVD Recorder. Well, no luck again! I am very disappointed in this. It is very hard to navigate around, you have to turn the channel so many times to get on the right source, the menu is ungly and complicated, the remote control barely works unless you are right underneath it, and you cant change from AM to PM when setting the clock or scheduling a record. I dont recommend this product and would rate it a 1 star. Im going to try Panasonic or Sony next.
On: 2005-01-07
Recently purchased this locally for a whopping $79 dollars after discounts and rebates, so I wasnt expecting too much. To my suprise, I was able to record (via the SVideo in) anything I threw at it. Picture quality was suprisingly good. I even managed to make "archival" copies of several DVDs in HQ mode (2 hr) that were almost indistinguishable from the originals. Havent tried the firewire nor modulated outputs. Did a gtreat job with DirecTV with SVideo.
I feel I got more than I paid for.
 On: 2005-01-05
You cant go wrong with this item for the price compared to other models. Ive had mine for about 3 mos. and been very satisified. If your looking for a decent model with easy to use features I would recommend this model. It does the job. Ive heard APEX support service could be a problem but Ive had no need for them. I would recommend the Memorex DVD-R & RWs. Ive been pretty happy with the quality and able to play them on both my Sony and Panny DVD players.
On: 2005-01-03
Purchased this unit due to rebate offered and lightweight up-front cost. I was pleased until I connected a camcorder and VCD player to it and these devises were not recognized (it kept asking me to power the devices on, but they were already powered up and turning everything off and on made no difference). Could not get it to record, except from TV, which was my least preference for recording from. The RF output did not work either, thus, it was determined by technical service (which answered straightaway, for which I am giving this a higher rating than deserved for the unit itself, thusfar) and told me to return it to Amazon, which will be done forthwith. Perhaps, I received a lemon and I will continue this review after the unit is replaced and I have had a chance to see its capabilities then. (Provided, of course, replacement does not function as lackluster as this particular one that is being returned did!) Very explicit directions were included with this unit, which is a plus, much better than other products that I have purchased and the design is quite nice, very lightweight, slim and attractive, which are other pluses. Easy to follow set-up menus, as well. Wish it would had performed as expected, rather than having to pay to have it shipped back for the replacement and the time involved in this process. I have a GoVideo 6640 DVD recorder that I use and it performs admirably, however, is not as stylish or as small (slim) as the Apex DRX-9200.
by: gadgester On: 2004-12-30
While the Apex DRX-9200 is a better-quality product than its predecessor (which has been discontinued), it still feels low-quality when compared to Panasonic DVD recorders. It also does *not* work with DVD-R or DVD-RW, but only the "plus" format. I think it looks a bit ugly and is a bit on the heavy side.
But the main problem is the future of Apex Digital. According to the New York Times (12/28/04), the company owes its Chinese supplier over half a billion dollars in unpaid bills, and its president was arrested by the Chinese police for "[...]." From the recent lack of new products from this company and the horrible customer support it provides to customers, Ill caution anyone about buying an Apex. Yes this is a bargain, but if yours doesnt work a couple months from now, you might not be able to get it fixed. (But then again, this recorder is only $120 after rebate...)
On: 2004-12-24
We purchased this DVD recorder for the rock-bottom price of $100 on Thanksgiving, as did my brother. After reading some reviews, my brother returned his and bought the LITE-ON model and we kept ours. We have had very few problems. We are mostly copying home movies from our VCR. We are using cheap no-brand DVD+R/RW discs without any real problems. The only problem we had was playing them in our OLD DVD player (one of the first on the market!) Even then that was the DVD+RW disc and it played some of the titles, but not all.
The menu system is clumsy, but not worth paying more $$$ for a user-friendly menu system!!!
The only other complaint we have is the number of inputs. Could use more, but again, for the cheap, cheap price we dont mind switching around cables occasionally.
Everything else is great! Another brother just went the computer-DVD-recording route (very expensive)and seems to regret all the $$$ he spent and the amount of time it takes him to record a DVD.
On: 2004-11-30
there is not a better value out there on a DVD recorder. While this piece lacks some of the high end features, the bottom line is that the recording quality is great (dont use the extended mode), better than any VCR ive ever had.
Spend some time playing around with it, you wont be disappointed.
On: 2004-11-29
there is not a better value out there on a DVD recorder. While this piece lacks some of the high end features, the bottom line is that the recording quality is great (dont use the extended mode), better than any VCR ive ever had.
Spend some time playing around with it, you wont be disappointed.
On: 2004-11-26
So without turning into a technical geek, is this better than a VCR. Ill cut off some comments bound to come. Yes, I know there is probably a better model out there for about double the price but for $100 is this worth it?
1. Does it play DVDs?
2. Will it record shows off the tv as good as a midline VCR?
On: 2004-11-23
I was skeptical about the first/second generation of these but my Apex seems to work fine. The only problems I could find were that under the 2 Hr resolution, the picture was extremely pixelated. However, what do you expect? A regular dual layer DVD rarely holds anything over 3 hrs, so why would you expect that a single layer one could hold that WITH GREAT QUALITY at 5 hrs?
As with all Apex players, this plays everything you throw at it.
The one lower budget aspect of this player seems to be that the recorder and player seem to be two completely different devices. When you switch from one to the other, it seems to take a while and boot up that function as if it hadnt already been turned on for a while. Other than that, does what it says.
The other quirk is that it has a really loud fan going while its on, but I believe this is quite common among all of these.
On: 2004-11-22
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PIECE OF SH*T!!!!
I could not warn you enough not to buy this unit (drx-9200)
All I can do is submit some of the correspondence I had with Apex tech support below.
I only listed a few of the times I spoke to the Idiots there below to give you a sampling of my Total frustration with this product and their completely useless tech support. (That is unless you need someone to explain how to turn the power on and put the DVD disk in to play it.) I only listed up to the #5 tech support person, but I spoke over the phone for the remaining 10 times (I AM NOT EXAGGERATING) for a grand total of 15 Apex support people. This unit has MAJOR problems!!!
1) It does NOT have a digital optical output as all the advertising details say. It only has a SPDIF RCA digital output.
2) The DV/ilink/firewire interface does NOT work.
3) The menu system is ugly and cumbersome.
I returned this unit back to Amazon and bought the LITE-ON LVW-5005 instead. I now have been using the LVW-5005 for two weeks and I would like say..... HOLY SH*T!!!!! What a difference!!! Everything actually works out of the box!!!
Dear tech support person #5
How can my email be incomplete????? I am sending it back to you one last time!!
Please have a senior tech support person contact me!!
If you read what I wrote below you would know my problem. So I will repeat it again....
(No matter what I try, the drx-9200 does not recognize my canon optura 40 via the
On: 2004-11-22
I was skeptical about the first/second generation of these but my Apex seems to work fine. The only problems I could find were that under the 2 Hr resolution, the picture was extremely pixelated. However, what do you expect? A regular dual layer DVD rarely holds anything over 3 hrs, so why would you expect that a single layer one could hold that WITH GREAT QUALITY at 5 hrs?
As with all Apex players, this plays everything you throw at it.
The one lower budget aspect of this player seems to be that the recorder and player seem to be two completely different devices. When you switch from one to the other, it seems to take a while and boot up that function as if it hadnt already been turned on for a while. Other than that, does what it says.
The other quirk is that it has a really loud fan going while its on, but I believe this is quite common among all of these.
On: 2004-11-10
I bought an Apex DVD player 2 months ago. And yesterday, it broke down - the colors were all distorted in the output. So, I call tech support, which was reasonably fast in answering my call. Told them about the problem and they asked me to send it back - they have a SHORT 3 month warranty - to add to this, the Customer Service Rep said that the warranty does not cover "service charges" for repair and I had to argue with him until he agreed that it was covered. Next, it says clearly in the APEX LIMITED WARRANTY that the buyer pays for shipping to APEX but APEX pays for shipping back to the customer. They tried to give me an "internal policy" saying that customer pays both ways shipping. I told them that, as it says at the bottom of the warranty, the warranty gives the customer certain legal rights. So, they shouldnt claim any false information in such an important document and not follow what they are claiming. They claimed it was a "misprint".
BOTTOM LINE: This company is about LIES and NOT HONORING LEGAL DOCUMENTS. If you dont care about respect for the customer, then go ahead and buy Apex. For me, I will be adding a few bucks to buy a Panasonic, at least I know I wont be treated like a fool.
On: 2004-10-26
Picture quality was compared to a Sony GRX7 and a LiteOn LVW-5001. While the DRX9200 has many desirable features/ technologies (eg, insert/delete chapter points on a DVD+RW, 3 hour record mode, DiMeNsion 8602 processor, etc.), my sole criteria for keeping the unit came down to picture quality.
I was disappointed with washed out colors, excessive contrast, etc. in recording from Comcast cable channels, in 4 hour mode. It is hard to believe this second generation LSI processor performed so poorly.
I could not determine if unit was malfunctioning or unit was poorly engineered.
And as many of you know, getting through to APEX customer support is difficult at best. After many attempts (phone and EMail), I gave up.
The warranty is 90 days labor, 1 yr parts. Considering the power supply problems with earlier Apex models, this short warranty was not reassuring.
I decided the unit wasnt worth the $135 paid - and reluctantly returned it.
I would rate the above three units -- on picture quality -- (in 4 hour record mode) as follows:
1. Sony GRX7 - 9/10 ($299)
2. LiteOn 5001 - 8/10 ($199)
3. Apex DRX9200 - 6/10($135 special; regularly $179)
On: 2004-09-29
This model DXR-9200 is the new and improved version of the problematic DXR-9000. I had a feeling Apex would replace that with a model that addressed all the problems of the 9000. So far this machine is performing flawlessly in recording DVDs. I have made DVD+Rs of VHS home videos and recorded some TV shows on a DVD+RW. It is soon to report on the reliability, but at this point I would recommend the unit highly. Also plays prerecorded DVDs with an outstanding picture and works great with my MP3 files as well. Only one slight drawback is the "fan noise". But as I understand it, all DVD recording units do this.
All in all, this unit is a solid performer at an outstanding price. AN IMPORTANT NOTE. Please limit reviewing to specific products. This is not a forum to blast companies. The review posted by han lists no specific product, and is not about the DXR-9200 model.
ONE ADDITION: I stand by my review, but will confirm others complaints about the clock! The thing adds an extra 2-3 minutes per day, and after a week it is way to far ahead. How can they get this simple function so wrong?
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