GoVideo VR5940 Dual-Deck DVD Recorder and VCR
By: Go Video Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 23
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 On: 2007-04-25
Needs to have the cd cleaned a lot or skips or wont play. The worst is I make a
dvd +RW copy. The next time I play the DVD the govideo vr5940 initializes the DVD with out letting me stop it. My copy is now gone.
Tried e-mailing three times over months know responds.
 On: 2006-11-01
The item is useless. Out of the box the VCR did not work. Spent the better part of 9 months trying to find anyone who may have a working phone number or email to their customer service department. So far ZILCH. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS ITEM OR ANYTHING FROM GOVIDEO!!!!!!
On: 2006-06-29
I liked this dual DVD/VCR at first. I was in the middle of converting all my home movies to DVD, when it froze while formating. Now it no longer will recognize any discs. I have tried the troubleshooting that is in the manuel, with no luck. I have not been able to reach GoVideo and since my year is just up, can not return it.
On: 2006-06-11
I bought a unit in November 2004 and it works okay, but wont play some commercial DVDs. I e-mailed GoVideo because I couldnt get them on the phone, and requested the update CD they mention on their website. It never came. After waiting a couple months, I called GoVideo and was told they dont bother with their e-mail, but the guy said he would send the CD out. It never arrived. A couple of months later, I called again, and was told that even though the website says the CD is available, its not, and there is no way they can send me one. (By this time, their support had been exported to Mexico, so there was also a language barrier.) I got a friend to download the file off their website and burn me a CD. It didnt work. I called GoVideo back and finally got one of the support guys to acknowledge the problem, and after hammering on him and his supervisor, they agreed to exchange the unit for a new unit that could be updated. I got an RMA number and returned the unit. Weeks passed with no word from GoVideo. I finally called and got someone in the US who said there was no update for that machine, no repair procedure, and no way they could send me a CD! He also said that the VR5940 is no longer being offered. I pointed out it is still on the GoVideo website as a current machine. He then told me how easy it was for me to burn a CD, at which point I asked him if he was really saying it was easy for me to do it, but impossible for GoVideo. He agreed to return the machine, and send me a CD. I got the machine back, and called for the CD. It arrived, but the machine does not recognize it, so it does not update. I recommend that you avoid GoVideo at all costs.
On: 2006-04-16
Manual complicated and not well organized. Have to admit, at first it seemed to record DVDs ok from front s-VHS input (reason I bought the unit. Competitors put these in back, or only offer composite video input). But after sharing DVDs with friends, some reported "Cannot read disk" errors.
When you spend 6-8 hrs recording in EP mode, cannot finalize the disk is frustrating and infuriating. Call to Customer Service suggested different brands of disks.
OK. I started using [one of]their recommended Verbatim DVD-R and DVD+R disks. Again I started getting non-ability to finalize. Yesterday it started not recognizing ANY disk - "Unknown disk, please check disk again". Second call yesterday to CustSvc resulted in (barely understandable India accent) suggestion to try laser head cleaner.
Now, blank disks and pre-recorded Commercial disks generate error mssg above. 3rd Call to CustSvc (very understandable girl this time) has me try an audio CD. This worked. But this implicates the laser head, and she simply directs me to repair facility because Im out of warrantee.
I note B&H no longer offers GoVideo-hmm? Related?
On: 2006-02-26
I shopped around and have good prior experiences with GoVideo Dual Deck VCRs so thought this unit was exactly what I wanted and needed for transferring camcorder and vhs family tapes to DVDs. I purchased the unit from the GoVideo Websites recommended vendor, TheElectronBeam.com because I could not find it anywhere locally. That was my first HUGE mistake. Straight out of the box the DVD player/recorder did not work. It could not read ANY DVDs without extreme pixelation, scrambling, and errors. I tried everything the manual, GoVideo website, GoVideo automated telephone responses and internet research recommended to try and fix it. I contacted TheElectronBeam.com and they said there was nothing they could do and that I needed to contact GoVideo. If I had purchased the unit from Costco or even Amazon.com that would have been the end of this story as they would have gladly taken the unit back and exchanged or refunded my money. NOT SO WITH THEELECTRONBEAM.COM!!! I tried emailing GoVideo first, like the phone answering system recommended, but to no avail whatsoever. I then started calling GoVideo. After much waiting on hold (average of 25 minutes per call), 4 phone calls and faxes of proof of purchase, I was instructed to send the unit to them at my expense. I waited two weeks for a replacement VR5940 "OR A NEWER AND BETTER UNIT" to arrive. Sure enough, I get a delivery and they sent me the VR3845 model which sells for 1/3 of the price I paid for the VR5940 and has less features than what I had originally paid for and needed. After a total of 12 phone calls since December 30, 2005, and all to customer service reps with names such as "George, Elias, and Elizabeth" and yet not a clearly understandable English speaking person in the bunch, (I also have complete documentation of every call), I was finally told that no Manager or Supervisor was ever going to speak to me (they told me in every phone call that a supervisor or department manager would call me within two days) or was going to do anything else to help me, because management considered my case closed. I was told I was not going to get a VR5940 as they dont have anymore and dont expect any for at least 2-3 months, per the customer service rep, who then within minutes changed it to 3-4 months when I asked to be put on a waiting list for one of the new ones. I explained that I had paid 3 times what the VR3845 cost and this was just not right. I never used foul language or lost my temper with these people and all the last rep would tell me was that he was sorry and that there was nothing else he could do and nothing the company was going to do either. When I told him I had owned the Dual Deck VCRs and recommended them for years all he said was that the company had been through some changes and it was not right what they were doing to their customers now, and that again he completely understood how I felt and was very very sorry but there was nothing else he could do. I explained it was not like I expected something for nothing and it was just wrong the way they were handling the situation. I even referenced to the rep that it was like taking your Mercedes in for a repair and when they dont want to fix it or replace it the Mercedes company keeps your car and gives you a Volkswagen and tells you to shut up and be happy. I was told there would be no refunds of the difference in price or for the VR5940 even if I returned the still unopened VR3845 that I still have because GoVideo "doesnt do refunds" or would there be any other compensation because they are told to say that the VR3845 is the best quality unit they currently have. I cannot believe that I am out a total of $450 (I also purchased an extended warranty that is completely useless) and nothing will be done.
BOTTOM LINE: GoVideo DOES NOT GIVE REFUNDS and they will send you INCREDIBLY CHEAPER units when what you paid for fails and they tell you to return it. Then they will refuse to accept the replacement back and call it ALL GOOD!
On: 2006-02-16
I bought a unit from GO Video and experienced horrors with their customer service as mentioned in other reviews.
My unit came without any of the accessories and after 6 weeks of talking to more than a half dozen people (with more runaround than you can even begin to imagine) at go video, I still have a unit that will not work.
avoid this manufacturer!!
 On: 2006-01-26
I have this machine and just love it. I had purchased other brands only to return them because you had to be a rocket scientist to work them.
Go Video is so easy to use - just press the COPY button and youre making copies. So simple to use and the copies come out great. Highly recommend this product.
On: 2006-01-23
This is my second VR5940. After paying for shipping to repair the first one (it would not record DVDs), and waiting six weeks and several conversations with unmotivated and semi-responsive customer service reps, they sent me another refurbished unit. It appeared to work and I recorded about half of my library of home VHS movies. Then I discovered that no other device except the VR5940 can read the DVDs it creates. So I have about 70 DVD coasters.
Now I am past the 90-day warranty. I am out the cost of the unit, the cost of shipping, the cost of about 100 DVDs and endless hours of wasted time. I just threw it in the trash.
I will never, never buy anouther Go-Video product.
On: 2006-01-19
Unit did not work out of the box. I ruined 6 DVDs trying to copy my VHS tape. GoVideo did not answer any of my 5 emails and so I called them and they do not speak english. The only positive thing I can say about this is that I bought it from Amazon. Amazons service is a 10.
On: 2006-01-19
I had this machine set up for about one month and used it once or twice then when I did a tape to dvd recording the dvdr malfunctioned.
Now I have to see about getting it repaired.
This happens to be the 2d Go Video VR5940 I have.
The first VR5940 which I bought last April 05 has been my workhorse machine and does indeed work very well.
On: 2006-01-16
This is an excellent machine and I would recommend it to anyone interested in such.
On: 2006-01-08
I have had this model for barely a year. The first recorder lasted less than a month before hopelessly locking up and refusing to eject a disk. It was a long and difficult transaction to get it replaced with a refurb. by Go Video. Quite unfriendly staff. The second unit has always been moody, and now rejects all DVDs, Pre-recorded commercial movies, DVD+/-Rs and RWs: spitting them out with "unknown disk" message. It has become an expensive VCR and CD player.
Warranty is only 90 days for parts and labor; 1 year for parts only, and you are stuck with shipping - so it is not cost effective to ship it in for repair.
I gave it 2 stars because the unit is wonderful and versatile - WHEN it actually works! But, unfortunately, it has been an expensive mistake and I have to replace it: but NOT with a Go Video
On: 2005-11-25
If you want to burn disks with your pictures or movies from auntie Clara birthsday, done with your camera, thats what you are looking for.
On the other hand, if you are like me, an owner of several hundred VHS cassetes with movies that deserve archiving on disks for further reviews at the time when VCR is going to be as popular as dinosaurs, you are going to be disappointed. About 70 per cent of my VHS stock is copy-protected and this (and I suspect all other units on the market) wont copy them. I understand that rights of the authors and artist are clicking in, but why do I feel that my rights as a rightful owner, were completely disregarded and dismissed?
The unit is easy to setup. The manual might be better, clearer, but still the setup is a breeze. Although, first unit that came, died within a day or two, the old good Amazon acted amazingly quickly and the replacement came within days (thank you Amazon!).
Before I decided to send the unit back, I sent an e-mail to the Customer Service. I would like to point out that till now (about a week) I didnt hear from them. I tried to have a conversation with "White Gloves" representative. After long time of manouvring through automated menus (they are trying desperately to get rid of you from the start, hoping that listening to lengthy menus will vex you to the point of hanging up), "White Gloves" tech. support happend to be an arrogant man that tried to direct me to their web site rather (I was there before, reading carefully all FAQ) and finally hung up on me not bothering himself with offering any solution.
If you buy it, you are on your own.
On: 2005-09-26
It records multiple DVD formats flawlessly and has a VCR which makes transfering old VHS to DVD nearly effortless. I love this machine!
On: 2005-09-24
Although I purchased a different unit, the GoVideo 8440 Portable DVD Player, it played exactly 6 movies before dying. GoVideo replaced it with a refurbished model, which arrived in non-working condition. I received a THIRD replacement unit (new)from GoVideo, which failed within minutes out of the box. Please note that I have since discovered that GoVideo Inc. is NOT a member of the Better Business Bureau of Central/Northern Arizona and has MULTIPLE complaints against the company. Purchase at your own risk!!
On: 2005-09-18
After reading many reviews on various GOVIDEO units, I was a little nervous about placing an order. But I took the chance. The unit setup easily enough, but I made sure I had read the manual first to try and avoid any mistakes. Up and running, the machine responded just like I expected and I had burned my first vhs to dvd. I used one vhs tape, then tried spliting tapes and everything worked well.
Ive recorded six dvds and they all played on all of my dvd players at home. They are all different brands and one is probably four years old or so. I feel so much better that the video files are on dvd now. Video of the kids when they were babies, relatives now passed on, and yes ex-wives and inlaws....its all there! And the kids, now 11 and 16 really enjoyed watching and helping me record them over to dvd.
Unless this unit goes haywire in the next few weeks, Im more than pleased. Walmart charges $20 to dub over a 2 hour tape. Wont take long to pay for itself!
 On: 2005-06-30
I was doing fine with this thing for a while, but today I was watching a DVD of the Family Guy that I burned, and I was flipping through the menu. I decided to flip on progressive scan, because I didnt realize it was off and now it just says "Progressive Scan Mode" across the screen. There seems to be no way to turn this off. If anyone knows, please help. Thanks.
On: 2005-06-06
This one I rate a 10, it is very easy to use. I liked this VR5940 so much I bought one for my son. My only dissapointment was in just 3 days the price jumped up 23.00 more dollars. I have bought other models in the past, and only one bad experience was the vhs did not work on one that was a gift.
So I am replacing it with this one. I am sure he will like all
the great features such as the direct connect your digital camera to the front of the unit, and the one touch copy.
On: 2005-04-17
This unit was the second one I tried - the first was a Panasonic DVD/VHS combination unit. When I found that I could not read or understand the User Manual garbled together by Panasonic, I hoped that the GoViveo machine would be easier to use, based on their history of being first in the field with this type of machine.
After a couple of calls to the Help line, I acheived modest success in recording television shows on VHS. The GoVideo User Manual was helpful, but didnt cover all steps necessary to get the thing to work. The White Gloves specialists resolved the initial problems very well but there was a very long wait time to speak to a human being. The aid given resolved my problems, but I could have avoided making the calls had the User Manual been more complete.
Eventually, with a couple more calls to the Help Line, I was finally able to do what I wanted to do when I bought the machine: copy my library of VHS tapes to DVD disks. After a few more mistakes with disk titles, run time, etc., I produced two DVDs from tapes. I placed disk titles, finalized the disks, and then attempted to play the movies on my other DVD player, a two year old Toshiba. Since both disks played well on the GoVideo machine, I thought I was finally getting the procedure right.
No such luck. The Toshiba unit rejected both disks with a "DISK ERROR" message. All of the long procedures and troubles I had just gone through were a waste of time and effort. Another call to the Help desk resulted in the advice to try the disks on another machine since my Toshiba is over two years old. I dont have another machine and am not ready to go out and buy a new player in the hopes that the disks would play. Since this GoVideo machine does not produce recordings that will play on a rather simple DVD player and I could not do what I bought it to do, I packed it up and am returning it. My Toshiba DVD player has never refused to play the dozens of disks I have rented and I cannot accept the fact that recordings produced by the GoVidwo unit do not meet the requirements of other players.
I must admit that if I wanted to use only one player, the GoVideo machine does make good copies of my VHS tapes and it also plays the same the same disks back very well, so the only complaint I have at this time is that recorded disks will not play on another player. I have used many VHS players since 1980 and have never experienced incompatibility between the dozen or more player/recorders I have owned. I find it indefensible that recordings made on one DVD recorder will not play on any other DVD player. I cannot fault the Toshiba player since I am able to play all commercially available DVDs without any problems.
I will not be in the market for another DVD?VHS recorder until I am assured that the output will be accepted as input by a standard DVD player.
On: 2005-04-01
Nowhere in the product description does it mention that the VR5940 has a fan. Photos of the back of the unit have all been cropped to not show the fan housing. I plugged the unit in the first time and immediately put it back in the box to return it to Amazon. I called GoVideo and they say all their VRs have fans.
I was also disappointed that the only S-video input jack was on the front panel. Has GoVideo not heard of satellite TV?
On: 2005-03-31
I wanted a combo unit that would provide as much flexibility as possible with the +/- formats as well as ease in transfering tapes to DVDs. I did a lot of reading on the net and settled on this unit. Amazon put me on a 2+ month wait however another supplier sent me an e alert on availability and I purchased from them. Ive had the unit for a week and could not be more pleased. It does require reading and rereading the manual to understand its operation but the results have been satisfying.It is an excellent product that meets my expectations. I definitely would purchase it again.
On: 2005-03-01
This is my second GoRound with GoVideo. The previous unit only used a DVD-R format, I didnt realize that when I picked it up at Costco. It also froze once when I was trying to format a disk, Costco took it back no problem.
No problems with the 5940. I have copied several video tapes to DVD+R disks, it was really easy and the results really are better than the tape version. I am very happy with this unit.
I usually use DVD+RWs to record TV shows. They say you can reuse these disks up to 1,000 times.
WARNING here: closed captioning for the hearing impaired does not function with the DVD recorder. I called GoVideo to verify this, they said closed captioning is not compatible with their DVD recording format. (Long wait on the phone to speak live with a rep, the recording repeatedly tries to direct you to their website which does not cover questions such as this.)
Taping TV programs onto the VCR works fine, but I usually use the DVD function because its so easy to skip around from start to finish and from program to program.
The unit has a cool feature where you see a thumbnail of each TV show you have recorded on a DVD. Point to one of these thumbnails and that show begins to play. You can even fast forward within the preview to see if its the one youre looking for. Also, you can easily delete ANY segment of a program on a DVD-RW. You could, for instance, delete commercials from a special TV program that you want to save, or you could delete a scene that you didnt want your kids to watch.
A minor complaint; they call it "one-touch recording" but it really takes two or three or four touches, which is ok but why not call it "easy touch" or something? You need to determine the length of the videotape you are copying and then select the appropriate DVD record speed. The speeds are XP, SP, LP, and EP. These correspond to 1, 2, 4, or 6 hours per disk. Picture quality suffers at EP speed, like when you blow up a JPG a little too much. LP works well for most TV shows. SP works great for transferring a typical 2-hour videotape home movie to DVD. (The unit is very smart about copy-protected material, its strictly David Spade: "Video? No!" from either tape to DVD or DVD to tape.)
The manual lacks an index, so I downloaded it from the Amazon page and use the Adobe search function to look stuff up. Otherwise you end up searching thru the Table Of Contents. The unit is easy to set up and use. The "Easy Start" sheet tells you almost everything you need to know. The instruction manual is easy to follow, once you find the right section.
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