Page 1 of DVDR-610 problems

Hi.... Am another victim. I wish I had seen this site before I bought it. My machine just cannot be trusted to record without stopping when it wants to for no apparent reason. It might be after a few seconds, or a few minutes, or at any time, but it stops. It has also managed to jump channels in the middle of recording. Playing also just stops sometimes for no reason, but not as frequently. Apart from that the constant switching to AV, whichever channel it is on, with the blank screen for a second or two, is incredibly irritating, particularly as this also disrupts teletext.

This has actually been my first experience with a DVD let alone a DVDR. I bought it a couple of days before Christmas but initially was not sure the problems were not me being unsure re its use. I didn`t initially do a lot of recording so understanding took a little while. When it became patently obvious the problems were all re the machine, I tried to take it back to Curry`s, but was only told that because it was then outside the first month of the guarantee (a week late) they would not refund my money but would only "mend" it. According to a "gbenson", who works for a Phillips dealer, from previous on the 29th Dec., however, these problems are not those sorted by the software upgrade "22". Given what I have now read, I don`t know how they think they will be able to do it. Once one has accepted "mending", however, customer rights diminish. It is now clear, however, that Phillips and their retailers are fully aware of the extent of the problems (there was even a recall before Christmas), yet the machines are still being sold. It is incumbent, however, upon any dealer to sell goods that are appropriate for their purpose. A DVD recorder that stops recording is not appropriate for its purpose. They, Phillips, and Curry`s and any other obviously knowing retailer, should be held to account. We all, irrespective of when purchased, should be getting our money back.

Does anyone have the detail of the date of the recall in December? And does anyone have any more recent info re. their ability to "mend" the problems described. Is any of what I have described indicative of having missed the recall and the "22" upgrade? And, in the event that I am forced to keep it, albeit for limited use, does anyone yet know whether it can be converted for multi regional DVD playing?

Most importantly, however, has anyone experience of how we might combine our forces to get the redress merited?.........

......Thanks ....Jo

If the problems are not fixed by the latest patch on the website, and with your receipt, they have to take it back and replace or fix as it does not do what it says it should.

If you`ve a CD rewriter it`s easy to create a disc - file is 10MB - but Philips have been keen to send customers the disc (and throw in a few discs).

I`ve had nothing from Philips on a recall and mine was in the first wave. I`m pretty happy as it was £99 in Sainsburys and their electrical guarantee is such that they don`t bother fixing anything at this price. So after 11 months and 29 days if it isn`t working, I get something else for £99. Little tip there when choosing who to buy from. Whether I will swap as mine works fine is open to question. Recordings of the 3 six nations matches each weekend is very good indeed on M6.

The multiregion hack is posted on this site. You just have to be very quick to press it in.

I got a 610 a couple of weeks before Chritsmas and like yourself then found this website. I had the problems outlined previously and took it back to the store (Boots) who simply changed it for a new one say they`ll send it back to Philips to sort out.

The store is being very unreasonable of the 1 month guarantee period. If you want to try an return it, do so under the Sale of Goods Act. Demand to speak to the manager, and basically play hell with them (in full view of any customers in the shop). If you allow them to fix it ensure they give you a (written) undertaking that they will refund if it doesn`t work.

The recall just before Christmas I understand was only machines that stores still had on the shelves. Mine had version 12b of the software. As upgrades have become available (made known to me only by these forums and not Philips) I have upgraded. I am now on version 25 and waiting for version 26 to come through post. Although they can be downloaded from Philips website if you have a CD Burner.

Hope you can get your problem sorted. (PS you can make it multi-region. Search for the model on the Region Hacks forum on the left of this page).

Mike J

I unfortunately bought a Philips DVDr 610 at Christmas and have been plagued with problems. The upgraded firmware 25 has at least cured the 30 mins jumping forward clock.
Can anyone explain this though, Philips can`t: It won`t play the `Italian Job` bought on DVD, as it was recorded in the wrong format? Other makes of DVD players play it fine. Might some rental DVD`s not work either?

One of the other 610 threads reported a problem with the Italian Job so it is a plague on them all (so to speak)

I`ve noticed with this recorder that stray IR signals can turn it on and off. When I turn my notebook computer on it does this every time.

We live next to a road and I have the theory that stray laser jamming devices from cars might be causing it problems too.

What about IR detectors for alarms? I`d be interested to know what other people think of my theory.

Regards
Gaunty

This item was edited on Thursday, 10th February 2005, 22:02

Had it not been for occasionally turning up the volume on my Sanyo TV and seeing the machine switch on I would have thought IR would be a strange suggestion. Not happened very often, 2-3 times but can`t repeat it.

Hello - haven`t contributed for a while !

Unfortunately can`t comment too much on problems people have been experiencing with the Timer - having also got what I consider to be a reliable DVDR70, I tend to use that for timer recordings.

The DVDR610 has been reasonably reliable with some of the VHS transferring I`ve been doing - however one problem I have discovered is that sometimes a recording will fail after a couple of minutes and the unit switches off. I simply turn back on, and start again - this may be on a fresh new disk only, but I`m not positive. Of course, this is fine on VHS transfers, but on a "live" programme would be more than annoying.

Thinking of upgrading firmware - have downloaded 26, but not sure. I last updated in October, so any advice would be useful.

I still read about SCART switching - I have never experienced the DVDR610 switching over the TV, but then mine`s daisy chained under my old VHS video, so maybe switching signals aren`t making it.

However, I still experience switching over during playback. I investigated this ages ago, and it occurs when a PDC signal is received. This is a control signal broadcast on some channels to tell when programmes are starting - BBC1 & 2, Channel 4,5 and Sky Movies channels all have this. I normally make sure Sky unit is turned off whilst watching DVD, and I don`t have a problem.

Going back to DVDR70, I have been more than happy with this machine, and would say it is Philips most stable machine - though I will say I have heard others diss it. Very occasionally it will fail a recording, but this reduced to virtually zero now that I periodically unplug the unit completely for a few seconds, which I presume "hard resets" it.

This item was edited on Friday, 11th February 2005, 19:15

Yes I`d echo that. I have a Philips DVDR75 which is basically the same and I`ve hardly ever had a problem with it despite quite extensive use. Mind you, I have a 610 as well, and although that doesn`t get a lot of use, it`s been reliable as well so far. No clock problems, and no switching problems (it`s only connected to a Sky box, and not an aerial). In fact I managed to recover a +R disc on the 610 that the 75 couldn`t read.
I hope I`ve not invited fate!

Firmware 25 worked well for me with AutoStandby switched off. Unfortunately, firmware 26 which is meant to fix the problem with autostandby kicking in whilst you are recording, seems to have brought the problem back for me ! I have reported this to Philips and am waiting for them to get back to me.

Their support sucks and I am amazed that any company feels it appropriate to charge 15p per minute for customers who have shelled out good money on their crap prodcuts to sit in a queue before speaking to an idiot only to get no problem resolution. They have no incentive to make good products if they earn so well with this telecom scam !
I made them call me back when it started to take too long!

Rant over (for now)