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Magnavox/Funai would be much better and trustworthy if they didn’t make products that require a “soft” or “hard” reset procedure. What makes matters worse is that nowhere in their owners manuals or website is this procedure mentioned. What generally happens is after a power interruption, short or long, these DVR’s “ lose their ability to operate properly “. This is when most people just assume it’s over and the machine won’t work anymore. I feel Magnavox put this feature in purposefully hoping customers would just pitch the units and buy another one. This unit needed a hard reset, then all settings reset such as the clock, etc. Once that was done, it operated just fine. If you want to know the reset procedure, I’m not including it in this review. Sorry. The information is out there, but you’ll have to dig deep for it. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes
While, due to the way modern cable boxes work, you can't watch another program while recording on this particular model. BUT... it does have its advantages. For example: My wife uses it to record her favorite soap opera while she is at work. Also, if you record something you really like, you can burn it to a disc and even edit it. It has variable picture qualities that allow for more or less total recording/storage time according to your needs. And perhaps the most important aspect is the fact that, unlike todays intrusive equipment, there is no "Big Brother" keeping tabs on what you have recorded.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
After the purchase of my first one in Sept. 2011,I didn't truly appreciate it till I returned home in March, after our usual 3 month stint at our AZ home. I was happy my neighbor didn't have to come by weekly to change out the RW discs in the other recorders that became so unreliable. Purchased this 2Nd unit to record while we are away this coming season, an will take the other unit to the AZ home for viewing. The generous size of the hard drive to hold all the programming needed is really appreciated as much as the ease of operation for the entire unit. The escalation in price for this model, new or refurbished since last Sept. indicates how popular it has become. My only hope now is that they will operate well far into the future.
Seven years ago the marketplace was filled with all the major brands of HDD/DVD recorders from all the major manufacturers. Since then my seven year old machine is wearing out and I needed a replacement. Today, there are only about three brands left, two of which are really the same machine under different names, Magnavox & Phillips. The other is a COBY and I have never found any product under that name that was good for anything but a paperweight. My choices were simplified. I chose a Magnavox to replace my beloved full featured rock solid Sony (and crossed my fingers). I have been pleasantly surprised by this machine's overall performance. I have really put this machine under enormous pressure recording and editing almost constantly for the past month. It's been a survivor and the quality of the picture and how it performs these tasks is more then acceptable. There are a few kinks that future buyers should be aware of. Dubbing from discs to hard drive does not function the way it's described in the manual. This is not a flaw in this one machine but rather a mistake made when the software for the machine was created. I do dub from disc to HD but using the instant dub button for one title ONLY at a time. That does work so it's not a major issue. Adding custom titles is awkward but doable. Lastly, the machine demands that you hit the stop button before you can do almost anything else. Very strange but still doable. Overall, considering what is left available in the marketplace, this is still a very good value and seems to be a well functioning machine and worth your purchase. In conclusion, I felt strongly enough about this product, that I purchased a second machine. **One suggestion: DON'T BUY REFURB MACHINES. I tried that years ago and the repair shops warned me never to do that again. They were right!Read full review
I had this one but returned it for the newer 500 GB one (515), which has some improved features, especially the better remote. I love it. I bought it for time shifting. Very convenient and easier to use than my Toshiba. But these are priced way too high. The 513 refurb sells for $170 and the 515 for $220. You can buy a new one for less than the refurb here. If you buy this at the right price it is the best value in DVR's with hard drive. In fact, it really is your only choice now as Magnavox is the only mfr still making them. Some of the used Toshibas are selling for more than these sell for new, and those Toshibas are going to fail. Mine failed after 6 years.
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