Cyberhome DVD/RW nightmare

Didn't know where else to post this so I picked this forum.

I just got one of those Cyberhome DVD recorders. It's the model 2500 HSN sells.

Any DVD/RW disc I record in the 2500 will not play back in any of two DVD players I have or those of my neighbors!

The manual says to use the MAKE COMPATIBLE option and I've done this to no avail. Oddly, when pressing the enter key you can't really tell if anything is happening except for an EDIT box that pops up, there's a brief screen change on the TV and it appears done.

But when I put the disc in any other player it won't work.

I know that it can work because it worked once and only once before. As it so happens, HSN sent me two of these units by mistake and I've even swapped the units out again to no avail.

Does anyone here have a clue what -if anything- I'm doing wrong? Besides, that is, having purchased anything from HSN?

Cyberhome is of ZERO help. They do not respond to email, nor provide a tech support number.

This is driving me crazy!

 

I am unfamiliar with the DVD-recorder you speak of, but if you are trying to copy commercial DVD's, most of them are encrypted with copy protection that will prevent your burned disc from working. If you are copying unencrypted discs and it still doesn't work, perhaps the media type you are using is incompatible with either the burner or the dvd players. Thats all that comes to mind at the moment, hope it helps.

 

Thanks for the reply!

What I had done was to copy a TV series recorded from the TV to VHS onto DVD/RW. There was no copy protection. After recording I selected the MAKE COMPATIBLE command, the recorder burped a few times and when it was done I placed the disc into another DVD player. That player read the disc one time but on subsequent tries - failed. I tried the disc in 4 other players (even went to my neighbors) and the disc failed there too. I tried another disc of the same type (RW) and still the other players would not read it.

 

If the recorder is burning correctly, it will take quite a while for it to finish writing the DVD. Much more than just "burping" a few times. When capturing from VHS I would expect it to take at least as long as the program is that you are recording. does this DVD recorder have a VHS deck built into it for that purpose or are you feeding the video into it from a VCR or something?

 

The video is being fed to the recorder by a VCR. The disc will playback in the recorder but not on any other playback unit.

When I hit MAKE COMPATIBLE from the edit menu I'd say it takes 3 seconds for the unit to display briefly an EDIT box on the screen (I assume this is an alert that the function was acknowledged, then the box and the edit menu disappear which again I assume means the process was completed.

 

Well without seeing a manual for this thing I really don't know what might be wrong. If it is capturing the video correctly and the disc works in the recorder, I don't know why it wouldn't be working elsewhere unless the other DVD players just don't read those RW disks you bought. I'd try a DVD-R and see if the same thing happens, but re-read the manual for your recorder first just in case you are forgetting something.

 

I'm having that same problem playing back DVD+RW recordings from a new Cyberhome 2500 (bought from HSN) on anything other than the recorder. I've followed all the manual's instructions for making the recording "Compatible", but just get a "Check Disc" prompt whenever I put it into either of my stand alone DVD players (both of which are listed as compatible with playing DVD+RW discs). If you figure this problem out, please post the solution as it has got me stumped. I'm sending the unit back for a reimbursement if I've had no joy by Monday.

 

I finally got an email reply from Cyberhome. They had me check my version number.

Goto setup>system>version

Mine starts with U1002200301X

And they wanted to know what brand DVD RW discs I was using to record on.

I used the cyberhome discs that came with the unit.

I sent the info back but have yet to get a reply as to what to do if the firmware is outdated.

 

Thanks for the update! Have you tried any DVD+RW discs other than the ones that came with your unit (which is all I have tried)?

 

I was thinking about other DVD RW discs but when Cyberhome responded I figured I'd wait to see if the problem is outdated firmware and how to upgrade. I have heard that Sony discs are better than Memorex.

 

Hello Cyberhome

I also bought one of these units. I do know that this unit only likes it own brand of DVD disks. I did try what you were talking about and you are right. The disks won't play on anything else.

Please let me know what they tell you. OK...
Since I am getting ready to return this unit.

Jeff

 

Hi Jeff,

A real bummer if, like me, you wanted to record stuff and watch it on the DVD player in your bedroom, etc. I don't expect to hear from Cyberhome this weekend especially when it took them a week to respond the first time around. And if you notice they've taken their website down too.

 

Brent

I did see that since I went to check their site.
At the time, I did not think about playing it back on another DVD player yet. I just happen to do a check the net to see if I was the only one to have a problem with other brand of DVD's.
But after reading your post. I tried it and it did not work in the two players that I have, so I packed it back up in the box. This is no lie.
The only thing it's good for this way is to record dirty movies, then no one can see them. lol
I bet HSN will get a lot of these back.
I guess HSN does not TEST EVERYTHING THEY SELL.
I will wait to hear back from you, if that's ok? I will wait till the 30 days come around.

Jeff

 

The story gets worse. On the day I called to order from HSN their computers went down in the process. I was told I'd have to call back so on my second call I used automated ordering. Then, I got to thinking, what if by some fluke the first order went through? I didn't want 2 so I called and asked to have my account checked. The operator told me there were NO orders placed so I placed another one.

A few days later I got the first unti and two days later I got 2 more for a total of 3! I called HSN, they said they'd have UPS pick up the other two but they're still sitting by the door.

BTW: I opened one of the other boxes, swapped out the unit to see if I had just gotten a bad one but no - the other one does the same thing.

 

I did see that in your first post. I don't know if you know but you can check your orders on line. Also if you order the item through the Internet you don't have taxes unless you live in that state. So I order everything through their web site.
I would hope that it's just a firmware issue like you said. And hope it's as simple as loading a CD. Or they will be getting a lot of these units back in the mail.
Also it better be free, since it does not work like they say.

Jeff

 

I asked HSN in an email if they don't check what they sell before the dump it on unsuspecting customers. Their only reply was that if you don't like it send it back.

 

Well, that just show that they lie in their AD. They say that they test everything...
Good Customer service is a very hard thing to find these days.

Jeff

 

On Monday after Cyberhome had still not responded to my last email I made the decision to return the DVD recorder to HSN. I also managed to speak with someone at HSN who said she would put out an internal alert to the problem discussed.

My decision was also based on the fact QVC is/was offering a one day special on a GO VIDEO DVD recorder for only $50 more. Before buying I called GO VIDEO, had no trouble getting through to a real live tech and was told they have not experienced disc comaptibility issues.

 

Mine went went back to HSN today! Every effort at contacting CyberHome came up with nothing but recordings telling me no one was available. There web site is never up and all I read about on the message boards were horror stories about their products not working correctly or quitting after a short while. Can't see me investing in any CH products in the future.

 

Got my unit a few days ago. . . was excited about using the DVD/RW media shipped with the unit, never tried to play them in another player, but I have had no success in getting this unit to read DVD-R media. . .the recorder keep giving me the error message: "NO DISC". am I using the wrong media, should the disc be DVD+R? I was fortunate to talk to a tech from cyberhome and he mentioned that the media was ok, it was the brand[virbatim] he then suggested that I exchange the disc and buy either memorex, phillips or fujifilm discs. I did exchange them for fujifilm and "I still got the same error message. The whole purpose pf buying this recorder was to record edited dv footage from my computer. . .I here so many bad things about cyberhome's recorder, I'm wondering if I should start packing mine up as well?

BTW for those who could not get their DVD's to playback on another player, shouldn't the the disc be finalized before trying to play it back on another unit?

Mel