Page 1 of Pye PRV645 DVD recorder (Philips 610 `re-work`) £99.97 in ADSA

ASDA are selling a Pye PRV645 DVD recorder for £99.97. This is made by Philips, and sold under their Pye name. It appears to be based on the Philips 610, but it`s not entirely the same unit. It is cosmetically different, and doesn`t run the same firmware.

I bought one of these last week, and it seems largely identical to the Philips 610, but without the M1 (1hr) recording mode. Still has the M8 (8hr) mode though. The manual is basically the 610 manual (the quick install guide is the 610 one with `Philips` removed from all the diagrams, except on one which they must have missed!). The remote of the Pye appears to have a different layout to the 610. The firmware for this unit isn`t the 610 firmware. The version numbers are different (the 645 is BT3_xx rather than BT1_xx).

What it does still have is the RGB input and a fan, which is rare for a sub-100quid recorder. Being based on the 610, it doesn`t have DV in, but it does have S-Video in on the front panel.

Tried a few recordings and they appeared OK. I`m only really using this to backup old VHS tapes, so I won`t be using the tuner or timer record, which probably has the same issues as on the 610.

Quote:
posted by Dean Garraghty on Wednesday, 7th September 2005, 12:20
I bought one of these last week, and it seems largely identical to the Philips 610, but without the M1 (1hr) recording mode.

The Philips DVDR610 does not have M1 mode either !

I have a DVDR610 and the Pye does indeed sound like a clone. Philips and Pye are the same company, and always have been.

I downloaded the 610 manual from the Philips website, and I`m sure it had an M1!

Philips apparently bought the Pye name in 1976.

Also, interestingly, the firmware for the Pye is dated 22 March 05, and seems to include some of the fixes that weren`t released for the 610 until June according to Philips` revision history. I checked to make sure the delete function asks you to confirm before it deletes, and it does. That wasn`t added to the 610 firmware until 3 June.

The manual also covers the DVDR615 which does have M1 and DVI input.

If you read the section on recording it says the DVDR610 does NOT have M1 mode.

Quote:
posted by Dean Garraghty on Wednesday, 7th September 2005, 23:04
Also, interestingly, the firmware for the Pye is dated 22 March 05, and seems to include some of the fixes that weren`t released for the 610 until June according to Philips` revision history. I checked to make sure the delete function asks you to confirm before it deletes, and it does. That wasn`t added to the 610 firmware until 3 June.

The last DVDR610 firmware is dated 17th May 2005 BT1_31

Quote:
posted by Dean Garraghty on Wednesday, 7th September 2005, 12:20
The firmware for this unit isn`t the 610 firmware. The version numbers are different (the 645 is BT3_xx rather than BT1_xx).

The BT3 just indicates it is a PYE and NOT a PHILIPS. No big deal.

The PRV645 has it`s own page on Philips` website

http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/support/cons_product_support_detail.jsp?groupId=HOME_AUDIO_VIDEO_GR_GB_CONSUMER&categoryId=DVD_PLAYERS_RECORDERS_CA_GB_CONSUMER&subCategoryId=DVD_RECORDERS_SU_GB_CONSUMER&productId=PRV645_05_GB_CONSUMER&language=en&country=GB&catalogType=CONSUMER

Been looking for a budget DVD recorder for some time, and this looks pretty good for the money.

However I have come across this
which looks really interesting. It`s a +R/RW recorder for £89.99 (+£7.99 p&p), and it`s got more inputs and outputs on it than you can shake a stick at, including DV in and USB in. For a sub £100 it`s seems not bad, any thoughts?

Quote:
However I have come across this
which looks really interesting. It`s a +R/RW recorder for £89.99 (+£7.99 p&p), and it`s got more inputs and outputs on it than you can shake a stick at, including DV in and USB in. For a sub £100 it`s seems not bad, any thoughts?

That is just another Chinese recorder of which there are dozens at the same price or less that, and it does not have RGB input. I would rather go for the PYE if I lived near an ASDA. ;)