Lite On LVW 5045 - Opinions?
 

I've been toying with the idea of getting another DVD recorder - trust me, much more practical for my needs than a computer-based system, so a computer-based approach is not a consideration for me. Anyway, has anyone heard or had experience of the Lite On LVW 5045? I'm reading reviews all over the map on Amazon.com, which isn't helping. One thing I want to know is if it has any kind of circuitry to clean up incoming signals.

So, opinions or links to opinions on the unit welcome, and thanks!

I have a feeling the tv tuner is noisy (hum or buzz in the audio) like a lot of the other LiteOn units have been lately. I have the non-HDD LiteOn 5104, and it's a great machine for transferring my S-VHS tapes.

All current LiteOn units use LSI encoder chips. I doubt it will change, as this has helped them both keep costs low, and impress customers. The LSI Dimension chip (DMN-860x) has chroma removal and other noise removal filters inside the encoder, to give you a top quality output. The 5104 is a little lighter than the source, but not by much. I turned the proc amp (part of my AVT-8710) down one notch and it was fine again, so minimal difference. Only a perfectionist would notice it.

For working with VHS or S-VHS (or even tv tuner on a VCR fed into the machine) using the rear composite and s-video connections, these machines are godsends to collectors looking for a low priced machine to clean their quality up a bit.

I am on my second LiteOn. The first one was the very first one made in 2003, and it did very well on tv tuner sources. Not so hot on the VHS input (machine had some flaws in that first run, later fixed). This second unit has a cheaper tuner (so not so hot off tv), but great off tapes. I use a VCR tuner for recording off tv, feed the VCR signal into the LiteOn via s-video.

That help any?

Yeah, I know you're a fan of LiteOn, which is why I was looking at it. Thank you. I'm looking more to hook it up to the DISH receiver (DVR) and video sources, so the tuner part isn't a serious concern. One recorder isn't really cutting it for me, and I'm waffling back and forth between this and the new Panasonic E10K (which would allow me to record to DVD-RAM that I can edit on my E80). But the fact that the 5045 would allow me to copy a disc to the hard drive could be very useful indeed - I have several discs of fairly rare stuff that needs editing

So much crap, so little time ... :?

Yeah, that sounds perfect for your needs. If you can buy one local, do so. If you hate it, take it back. I do not like buying DVD recorders through the mail. Had two arrive broken, and return policies with online stores can be a hassle, especially if "I don't like it" is the return reason.