- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
0.5 stars
"Buy for your worst enemy"
Pros: Might be fun to run over with a truck
Cons: Constant freezes, won't "finalize" discs, RCA engaging in probable fraud
Summary: RCA sent me this model after the previous unit, DRC8040N, never worked, even after time away with a designated RCA tech as per the warrantee.
This unit recorded only twice successfully-- once directly from my camcorder (but with many freezes, wasted DVDs and incidents when the unit suddenly stopped "recognizing" my attached camcorder). The other successful recording was off the tv, but did not include chapter headings as programmed, had titling problems, and had to be babysat throughout.
The unit has not successfully recorded since, wasting another half dozen discs and over 16 lost hours of recording that ended up unsuccessful.
--Freezing (requiring both regular and hard resets), sudden refusal to "finalize", inability to play or recognize media just recorded on disc still inside machine, slow command response, and HORRIBLE RCA/Thompson customer service.
I can understand one lemon, but two in a row?
After all this, RCA absolutely refuses to refund the cost of the original unit, and wouldn't even exchange the DRC8060N without going through the pointless exercise of sending this second unit out to a designated RCA tech center. Based on hours of research and over six months of experience trying to find a solution for this problem, I have come to believe RCA knows these units are faulty. Most RCA designated repair centers in my area refuse even to accept a repair order on this unit, even though they risk their "RCA" designation in so doing.
Based on RCA's supervisor level customer service reps (called "Escalation Specialists"-- not because you're furious at the time, but because talking to one of these condescending double-talk automatrons will make you want to slit your own wrists and ultimately causes "escalation" even in the most reasonable consumer), I believe RCA is knowingly conning exhausted and frustrated consumers until we give up or the warrantee runs out. These units shouldn't even be on the market. I will never purchase an RCA/Thompson product of any kind again.
- 1 reply to this review
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I really had no problems with the unit. It recorded and finalized fine to a bunch of DVD+R and +RW discs I threw at it, and the quality was surprisingly good. I haven't tried to get fancy and add different chapter breaks, but for recording from my TiVo or TV, it's good. I also take advantage of the upconversion feature attached to my Panasonic plasma widescreen with the HDMI input, and that makes a significant improvement in the picture quality when watching regular satellite TV.
