More Information
 On: 2008-03-16
LG must have purchased Go Video because this is definitely their technology. I was happy at first, until I realized that I cannot record any pay cable stations. They have added something LG claims prevents copyright infringement, and that would be okay if you were trying to copy a DVD you had purchased. But this recorder turns off if you are trying to copy something from HBO, SHO, MAX, etc. Since you are legally allowed to copy them for your own use, what good is a recorder that wont allow you to record a show when youre not going to be there to watch it? They can have it. I feel beat. Even Go Video had recognized this as a problem and put a firmware update on their site to correct it. LG just claimed they were acting according to law when I phoned their tech support.
On: 2008-02-19
The recorder I bought has "locked up" or "crashed" three times, where the only way to make it function is to unplug the recorder. The LG help line says another way to unlock the box is to press and hold the stop button, so the company is apparently aware of this problem, most likely because other people have also had this problem. It takes about 5 minutes to program the VCR part or longer if the time setting was lost, and about 15 to program the DVD plus 5 to format a disk. My recommendation is to call the help desk and get a return shipping label the moment your deck crashes (within a couple weeks from date of purchase) because it will cost $70 labor if you miss the 90-day warranty window. When "crashed", you will have hours of empty playback on blank tape, or be unable to finalize DVD recordings (same result).
On: 2008-01-09
Within a few weeks of using this it is failing. Cant recognize disks, doesnt record properly, freezes up. Most of the time I have to unplug the machine to reset it. Dont waste your money on this one, its nothing but problems.
On: 2007-12-17
Our unit worked fine at first. But after only a few months we began having tracking problems with the VHS recorder/player. I always double checked the suspect video tapes in another VCR and they played fine there. If I made a VHS tape in the LG unit, the tracking problems would show up in other players, as well. It was definitely a problem with the LG unit. Since we didnt use the VHS component very much we just relied on the DVD player/recorder. After a little over 1 year of use, we started having problems with the DVD unit, also. Commercially produced movie DVDs would suddenly freeze in the player and I could not get it to respond to any controls but a complete power-off. I checked the same movie DVDs in another brand of DVD player and they always played perfectly. This problem became more frequent until the unit just locked up so badly after simply turning it on that I had to pull the power plug to get it to stop. It would not respond to ANY commands from either the remote or from the buttons on the front panel. I can only say that Im glad we got an extended warranty on this one. I have a feeling Ill be using it a lot. I dont think Ill be buying another LG product any time soon.
 On: 2007-11-29
If you plan to use this units built-in ATSC tuner with an external antenna to watch over-the-air HDTV, note that it does not pass HD signals through unmolested. Instead it "downconverts" 720p/1080i to 480i (in preparation for DVD recording); then "upconverts" back to HD resolution for output. This can be a serious deal-breaker for certain prospective buyers (including myself) who do not have one of the newer HDTVs with built-in digital tuner, and are not on HD cable. All current 2007 high-end DVD recorders with ATSC tuners have the same problem (Panasonic / Sony). Hopefully new 2008 models will correct this.
 On: 2007-08-23
I dont have this unit, but I had the LG LST-3510 which is a DVD player and HDTV tuner. I exchanged the unit twice because of spotty DVD playback issues: discs errors, skipping, etc, even on pristine media. The third unit worked okay for a couple years, but now it refuses to recognize DVDs. It still plays CDs just fine. A lot of people have had similar problems with their high-end LG DVD players. It should be pointed out that my LG provided the best picture I have ever seen from standard DVDs, which makes the sub-par DVD drive quality even more sad. Its especially frustrating considering I paid over $400.00 for the player. Ill steer clear of LG until Im completely satisfied the quality issues have been resolved.
On: 2007-08-14
As soon as I set up the LG 797T, and checked the VHS tape player: works fine; then the TV Tuner (I use an RF modulator, so it only has to work on channel 84, 86, 88, 90) and it does. Peachy.
Then I tried to load a NEW commercial DVD: it was ejected with the "unknown disc" message. I reinserted it and after quite a while (more than 30 seconds), it started the FBI warning, etc. It stuttered a couple of times. Then I got the DVD menu, and just picked "Play."
The movie started but after about 15 seconds I got some stuttering, then the picture froze. I waited for 5 minutes, and the only way to do anything was to press the Power button for 5 or more seconds which powered it down. I thought, maybe I had a bad DVD, though it looked pristine. So I tried another: same deal; initial "unknown," starting playing OK, this time for more than 1/2 hour, then bang, stuttering and a hard freeze.
Both of these DVDs play well in my Denon 2900, my PS2, and on my Mac; heck, even in the car (Lexus).
LG phone service was OK (press power for 10 seconds to reset the machine; still failed; unplug for 15 seconds, etc., still failed). So they gave me a case number and pointed me to a local service center. When I got there, they said, Case Number? LG doesnt recognize those; and they also said that the unit was not field serviceable (I believe that; the cheapest thing for LG would be simply to send another one). But they took the unit in to do the rest of the work with LG. The Warranty is parts + labor, and shipping both ways. (for a change: thats why they get three stars). But well see what happens next.
The features are fine, but QA is not good if a unit fails this obviously. I will update the review with maybe another star if I get a working unit within 14 days.
 On: 2007-05-15
I have tried three new ATSC DVD/VCR units. Overall, this is by far the nicest, with one flaw.
Pros:
Nice picture and sound quality
Good build quality
Decent tuner -
Its fast and looks good, with one flaw - see below.
Records both aspects correctly -
If the screen is full, the recording will be also - no resolution wasted recording black bars. Flag setting is unimportant to me. Many recordings are just throwaways - catching a show while Im out. If its a keeper it goes to the pc for re-authoring anyway. I didnt know at the time to check one recording condition - see "Unknown" below.
Auto clock set -
It works quickly and stays correct, something with which other units have trouble.
Surprisingly good VCR -
I didnt expect any VCR of today to stand up with a quality unit back from when tape was all there was. I was sincerely surprised and impressed.
Surprisingly good dubbing -
Similarly, dubs of tapes looked better than expected. Also, the procedure is nice. You can pause the tape, find the exact starting frame desired and begin dubbing. Not every combo machine can do this.
Complete channel list plus a favorites list -
This means you dont have to wipe a channel to not have to surf through it - nice.
Cons:
ATSC tuner needs a firmware update -
One subchannel in my area causes problems for some tuners. The station is PBS-HD, and I would want to record so much from it that I returned the machine to try others. 12.1 is the troublemaker, while 12.2 and 12.3 are fine, so know that it isnt distance or antenna placement. It is the actual format of the broadcast. It started being a problem subchannel when they went from constant to variable bit rate. There are 18 ATSC standards, and I dont know if some tuners cant cope with all of them or what. I had a Philips TV that could not tune the new subchannel format; then a firmware update fixed it. My LG TV can tune it, but this LG recorder cannot. I was sure to mention this to LG support so they could not simply blame the station.
LG customer support -
Their online support is non-existant. If all you get is pat troubleshooting answers or no answer and directions to call phone support, there is no point. After a lengthy time on the phone I felt I finally adequately conveyed the trouble with the tuner. As my thirty day return window was closing I had yet heard nothing promising a pending solution.
I returned the unit to try others. I have been frequently visiting the LG site. If I see signs of them acknowledging and fixing the tuner problem I would re-buy it.
Unknown:
I wish I had checked on a feature I now know can exist. I will try to be clear; this can be hard when describing pictures with words only.
On the Magnavox I am currently using (cheap overall, but everything works), if the signal is widescreen, but contains a 4:3 picture and bars, you can trick the recorder. If you "lie" and say you have a 4:3 tv (set the display to "4:3 pan & scan") it will record only the picture to the 720x480 frame, throwing the bars away and not wasting resolution. This is desirable; I only wish I thought to check for this on the LG. I had returned it before it occurred to me.
So, in summary, if all your stations conform, I think you will be completely happy with this machine.
On: 2007-05-14
I have tried three new ATSC DVD/VCR units. Overall, this is by far the nicest, with one (now small) flaw. The newest units should be shipping with the new firmware; the old ones will require a small easy firmware download and upgrade.
Pros:
Nice picture and sound quality
Good build quality
Decent tuner -
Its fast and looks good, with one flaw - see below.
Records aspects correctly -
If the screen is full, the recording will be also - no resolution wasted recording black bars. Flag setting is unimportant to me. Many recordings are just throwaways - catching a show while Im out. If its a keeper it goes to the pc for re-authoring anyway.
If the signal is widescreen, but contains a 4:3 picture and bars (pillarboxed), you can trick the recorder. If you "lie" and say you have a 4:3 tv (set the display to "4:3 pan & scan") it will record only the picture to the 720x480 frame, throwing the bars away and not wasting resolution.
Surprisingly good VCR -
I didnt expect any VCR of today to stand up with a quality unit back from when tape was all there was. I was sincerely surprised and impressed.
Surprisingly good dubbing -
Similarly, dubs of tapes looked better than expected. Also, the procedure is nice. You can pause the tape, find the exact starting frame desired and begin dubbing. Not every combo machine can do this.
Complete channel list plus a favorites list -
This means you dont have to wipe a channel to not have to surf through it - nice.
Cons:
ATSC tuner needs a firmware update -
[Edit: A firmware update is now available at the LG website. You have to look for it by going to the service center, then device drivers, then select "DVD Video & Settop", then type in the model #. Its a pain, but it is there and it works.]
LG customer support -
Their online support is non-existant. If all you get is pat troubleshooting answers or no answer and directions to call phone support, there is no point. After a lengthy time on the phone I felt I finally adequately conveyed the trouble with the tuner. I never did receive a response. They did not email or call about the firmware update; I found it myself.
I returned the unit to try others. I have re-bought it since the firmware update.
In summary, if all your stations conform, I think you will be completely happy with this machine. If you have any trouble with some stations, a small easy firmware fix should now take care of it.
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