LG RC897T (DVD recorder/ VCR combo)

Summary: Work evenings. Have over the air antenna. Set it up to DVD record programs from 8-11 pm. 8-9, 9-10, etc. Recently had some bad weather and the TV station lost power for a few minutes. As a result while recording the machine detected NO SIGNAL. It stopped recording. When the signal came back the machine didn't start recording again. In fact it did nothing. Nothing at all.

I was in the middle of recording from 8-9 and got a partial program. But it also didn't record the program set for 9-10 and 10-11 or the daily recording from 11:30pm to 12:30am. The machine stopped recording when it detected No Signal and didn't start recording when the signal came back. It also didn't reset the timer to record the next program.

It stayed turned on waiting for instructions!!!!! It didn't turn off or reset the timer to the next program. It just stayed on waiting for instructions.

My old VCR would record static until the signal came back. I would rather have a few minutes of static than to lose the program and the programs after that.

Try it yourself. Put it on time record and when it starts recording unplug the antenna and see what happens.

Problem 2. This is a dual unit, a DVD recorder and VCR combo. I set it up to record both onto DVD and VCR last month for the fall TV season since I was going to be out of town for a week. When I switch from DVD to VCR timer schedule it erases the first one you programmed. I programmed. It didn't tell me that it just deleted the previous programming.

Problem 3. I want to record from 8-9 and from 9-10. You can't program it to record that way. The machine takes almost a minute to read the DVD before recording even if it is one program after another. You have to program it for 8-8:59 and 9 to 9:59 and 10 to 11. Otherwise it gives you an error reading with duplicate date. Duplicate Date? Something got lost in the translation onscreen as well as in the manual. The manual is useless except for basic button operations.

Talked with LG and sent them emailings. Tech support is not tech support. They just read you the manual. Doesn't solve any problems. If the solution is not in the manual they don't have an answer. It takes a lot of time to convince tech support you have a problem and transfer you upwards.

Before I got the recorder I got the digital converter box. The only store in the area that had converter boxes for $40, the same amount as the government discount card, only carried Zenith, part of LG. Also had problems with it. Defective unit. Took me over 15 minutes trying to convince tech support it wasn't me who had problem. I finally hung up on LG/Zenith and took the unit back to the store for a replacement. Hooked up the replacement unit and it worked right away.

I have concerns with a company that won't admit their product could be defective. It isn't their product it is your fault because you didn't hook it up correctly.

After recording on DVD+RW about 15-20 times the machine suddenly doesn't recognize the disc. I had an evening worth of recording when I came home and saw the display still on. Turned on the TV and saw the message that it doesn't recognize the disc and wants to initialize it. Deletes all data on the disc when you initialize. What did it recognize the last 20 times? A DVD+RW, according to manufacturers, can be recorded over 100 times.

This is from a machine that is only 3 months old.

Wanted to join the digital TV age and I feel I'm back in the early days of VCR recording. Didn't LG learn anything from their years of building VCRs? I had some problems when VCRs first came out but the problems were solved in the first few years now I feel like it is 25 years ago with my first VCR and all their initial problems.

Like I said on the pro line, it records well but that is because of the digital signal.

If any of these problems came up within the return period I would have taken it back in a flash. Now I'm stuck with it and looking for a new unit that is not made by LG. I'm hoping to dump this one at a yard sale as soon as I can afford a different better recorder.