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Customer Ratings & Reviews

Customer reviews

Rating 3.4 out of 5 stars with 74 reviews

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  • Ease of Use

    Rating 3.4 out of 5 stars

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65%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers appreciate the product's user-friendly design and affordability. They are pleased with the picture quality and the fact that the refurbished unit looks brand new. However, some customers have expressed concerns about its compatibility with cable TV.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 74 reviews
  • Cons mentioned:
    Vhs recording, Video quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good VCR/DVD combo

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this unit refurbished and I've put it through quite a bit of recording both on video tape and dvd as well as recording vhs to dvd. The recordings have been outstanding on the dvd side but as expected, the vhs side is standard definitiion so the picture just doesn't present well. VHS to dvd is easy once you've read the manual and practiced. Setting up is easy, finishing the dvd with menus has been a challenge. The dvd recording actually presents a better picture on the hdtv than the tape does due to the upscaling of the dvd. One issue I have is that there is no hdmi input, only an hdmi output but since this is not a blue ray recorder I suppose the point is moot. The unit does have component input so I am able to record a clear video feed from my hd directtv receiver. The dvd player is also a little noiser than I'd like but is easily drowned out by more tv volume. If the unit lasts a couple of years past the 90 day warranty I'll be happy. So far, it's done what it was supposed to do.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use
    Cons mentioned:
    Video quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Very Good VHS-DVD recorder

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Much better than the Toshiba brand VHS-DVD recorder I recently purchased and 60 dollars cheaper too. For less than 100.00 this is a very solid deal if you have lot of videos to dub into DVD for backup and storage. Pros: -Very good picture transfer. Not shakey VHS reader like the Toshiba brands. Just to clarify what I mean: The video is very shakey with the Toshiba recorder. It's bad enough VHS video is poor, but to add the shakiness ruins the experience. Magnavox minimizes this shakiness (not the tracking). -Very easy to use and set up. -Pretty easy, but tedious edit menu where you can name your dubbed clips, splice/cut them, label them, etc. Nothing fancy, but it works. Cons: -Can not pause during a dubbing. For instance, if you're recording two tapes and want to pause the dub to put the other tape in, you can't. You'll need to stop and have the DVD record the tape 2 as a clip 2. Might be able to splice the clips into one, but I haven't figured out how. -Biggest disappointment is during the transfer dubbing, the video quality is significantly reduced. The picture becomes grainy so you're not capturing the exact quality of the VHS--maybe about 87% of the video quality. That's a bummer if the video quality isn't super clear to begin with.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great Product for Copying Old VHS to DVD

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I have had so much fun copying some of my old VHS tapes to DVD. As long as it's not write protected, you hit one button and it's done! How simple is that??? I tried the very expensive Panasonic and it didn't work with the "one click to copy". The Magnavox price was right and does a great job. I still have many more disks to copy, but look forward to having everything on DVD.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Remote control, Video quality

    Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    Ordered twice and returned twice

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this recorder to make my kids 20 year old home videos into dvd's. Got the first one. You could hear the vhs but you couldn't see anything. Tried the tracking but still nothing. Even checked the vhs in another vhs player to make sure that i was working. So I returned it and ordered another. This time the only way to turn this unit on was with the remote, After i finally get it turned on you couldnt get the vhs or dvd player to play. There was nothing in the display box showing anything. So needless to say it went back as well. I guess thats what happens when you buy Refurbished. I'm pretty disappointed about it. I do not want to spend 300.00 for new DVD recorder/VHS combo.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Does what I need PLUS a lot more

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I wanted a machine to convert home videos to DVDs and this product certainly does the job. My product arrived in good condition and has done everything I have asked it to do. It will do many things besides what I bought it for. I have started the enormous task of converting my MANY vhs tapes to DVDs and this machine allows simple conversion and the ability to add indexes to the DVDs i create. Obviously, if I wish to add these the operation of the recorder get more complicated than simply conversion. The manual is BIG, but the instructions are followable. If you are not able to read and follow instructions this machine may not be what you want, but if you want a machine that can create great DVDs and preserve your memories: BUY ONE!!!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great product

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    If your worried about the word refurbished, you don't have to. This DVD/R-VCR is a good as any new one. The set up and simplicity of how to convert from DVD to VCR or VCR to DVD is so easy a caveman could do it. (sorry too much TV) I didn't expect it to be this good for this low a price. Anybody wanting to convert old tapes to DVDs, this is what you need.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good product - great price (even for a referb)

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This was purchased for our church - we record the sermon each week and then make the DVDs available for those of our members who are not able to attend on that particular Sunday. The DVD recorder we used before died after about 4 years of use. This looked like a good deal and so far it's been doing the job perfectly. We don't use it to dub VHS to DVD, this is strictly used to record from a remote camera - it was a little tricky to set up with the external video and audio input and video and audio output to a monitor for viewing while recording, but it is was as easy as any other set-up on another machine would be. The recordings are perfect - we have the choice of setting the amount of time each disk can hold so we select the 2 hour - very good quality at that "speed". The finalizing of the disk is a little tricky - you have to go into the set-up menu and go to "disk edit" to finalize each disk, but again, that's pretty much par for most of these recorders. We also take the disk and "rip" a copy onto a computer and convert the video to a format that is iPod ready so the video can be streamed/downloaded from our church website for those of our members want a "podcast" of the latest sermon. The quality of the DVD allows for very good quality iPod podcasts so all in all this is a decent machine for less than $100. In addition, the video and audio, when "ripped" from the DVD has perfect sync which is not always the case with all DVD recorders. I believe that it is because of the way that it finalizes the disk - it takes a while to finalize but the end product is very compatible with other recorders and computers. I have a Toshiba DVD recorder that has real problems with Audio/Video Sync on a iPod rip from the DVDs recorded on it. I like it this Magnivox enough that I'm going to purchase one for my home use as well.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Works Great and is doing exactly what I wanted.

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this item to convert old family movies from VHS to DVD. The dubbing instructions are straight forward and easy to use. I'm using DVD-R's and they are working perfectly. They are playing in my DVD, Blu-Ray, and computer. It's also easy to edit the titles and finalize the discs after a few trials and playing around with the machine. The instruction manual is good but not great. It is very broad and the pictures are small to see (for on-screen instructions). I tend to favor manuals that are larger and very specific but that is my personal preference but this one does the trick. As long as you have time to experiment and try things out you can get quite creative with everything. Overall, I was hesitant to buy the item because I read all these negative reviews of "refurbished" items, but this one is very good and I'm pleased with it. I originally planned to keep this machine just to do the necessary VHS to DVD conversion of home movies, but now I am really thinking about keeping it for future recordings. Plus the HDMI output in the back makes it great if I want to record future programs in HD quality straight to DVD. I'm very glad that I bought this machine instead of the Roxio software that had a lot of negative comments.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Video quality

    Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    Lousy

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This review is for a brand new box, not a refurb. This DVDR was excellent for the first month or two but then it kept on having intermittent problems. First the picture would go crazy, almost like it was scrambled, if it was left on for hours on end. Easy enough to solve that, just don't leave it on all day. Then the bigger problems started. Sometimes it wouldn't turn on-it'd power up but then immediately power back down. Then we found out during a quick power outage, the kind where the lights just flicker off for a second, that it ruins an unfinalized dvd if it loses power with an unfinalized dvd in the tray. Even if you're not using it, it still ruins the dvd. Then, sometimes you'd push a button and it would just hang, nothing would happen and none of the other buttons would work. Not even pressing the power button on the front of the machine would turn it off. The only solution was to unplug it-also ruining any unfinalized dvd you had in the tray. OK, no more leaving discs in the tray, right? Then it started to occasionally fail while trying to write something to the disc or during finalization-also ruining an unfinalized dvd. I think you get the picture. After ruining hours, sometimes months of work archiving a favorite series for the hundredth or so time, I'm swearing off magnavox for good.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Perfect for the Job

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this VHS / DVD player / recorder specifically to transfer 20 years of VHS tapes to DVD. This machine has been perfect for the job. I've been transferring movies all weekend. I had read some of the reviews that mentioned the fact that it could not be hooked up to the newer flat screen HD TV's. This concerned me a little but I had an older TV that I could have connected to and since my main objective for purchasing this machine was to transfer VHS tapes I made the purchase anyway. This will ultimately save me hundreds of dollars in transfer costs if I were to have this done professionally. I was delighted when the unit arrived and I realized that it had the HD Upconversion. I was able to easily connect to my HD TV via an HDMI cable.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Video quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    A must buy if you can't afford a new one.

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I never had a problem purchasing refurbished products, so I did not hesitate in the purchase of the DVR recorder. I'm very impressed with the capabiities that the DVR has for recording. The only issue I have is that when you use it, the quality of the picture to the flat screen is a bit grainy. Otherwise ..... 2 thumbs up !

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Remote control

    Rated 2 out of 5 stars

    Loose the remote and you're screwed

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The one touch is great, and so is the quality...until you loose the remote. Since 80% of theDVD functions are controlled by the remote, recording, fast forwarding, frame advance and any data control/special functions are gone. Trust me, I'm there. And a new remote? $45 from the manufacturer. Try to get a universal remote - no luck making that work. Since we lost the remote within 4 months (hurricane), it was especially tough to take. Next VCR DVD will have all functions on the face panel.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    VHS to DVD Dubbing

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Overall I am happy with the product. For the most part it is fairly easy to use and I have happily converted 3 VHS tapes to DVD. The only problem I see so far is that those newly created DVDs will not play in one of my home DVD players and I'm not sure why. It's an older unit, so perhaps it is unable to read a "newer" format? Not sure, at any rate, that seems to be my only complaint at this point.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Finally a VHS to digital device that WORKS

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Within the last few years I have tried several video capture devices to copy my VHS movies to digital, most of them didn't work at all, no video, and the others that did copy over video and audio, the video is dark or frames are dropped. This device actually works, the video and audio is just like the original. Easy to dup VHS to DVD, just insert VHS and a blank DVD and touch the Dup red button on the bottom of the remote. That's it, and it WORKS.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Works better than new!

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this model with over 1000 VCR movies to put on DVD, wore out a new one of these purchased from a competitor's store, returned it & got another new one, same thing. Bought this for the price, & am I surprised! Linked to my flat screen HD TV, using an external tuner, & have so far transferred over 100 VHS movies to DVD. Picture is great, easy to use since all I do is transfer movies. Manual could be clearer, but plan on buying another.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Exactly what I was looking for at a great price.

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this unit strictly for transfering VHS tapes to DVD. In this regard it has worked perfectly. I know there are a lot of other features that I haven't even tapped into but I found it to be pretty easy to make my copies to DVD. And you can't beat the price. Eventually I'll read the instructions and learn how to insert chapters, edit, etc. but for now I'll get all my tapes transferred.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Just what I wanted!

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This recorder was so easy to set up and use. I purchased this for transfering old VHS compact videos to DVD. It has worked perfectly every single time and I couldn't be happier with it. The quality of the DVD's is exceptional. There was not one complicated thing about hooking this up. I was able to use it in less than half an hour. Simple, one touch recording. I would suggest you do not set the unit to finalize at the end of the tapes, but do it manually. I found the tape ran out and I still had more DVD space left, so now I make sure I have utilized all the space before finalizing.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Vhs recording

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Low Price

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I thought all VCRs and DVD players came with a TV tuner built in. This is the first unit I have purchased with no TV tuner. You have to record and watch what you are recording at the same time. The work around is, I used my Sony VCR it has a TV tuner. So I can use the Sony VCR TV tuner to record from and watch what ever I want to watch on my TV.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Has The Features I Wanted

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Tho refurbished purchase, arrived with all necessary info and parts. Works well but installation was a nightmare and Magnavox Tech Support was of little assistance. Was leary about making a re-furbished purchase but this one was a great success and will consider additional purchases of re-furbs in the future.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great Bargain for Copying VHS Tape Libraries

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Originally purchased a new competitor product for twice the price that had problems tracking the video on the old tapes. Returned new product and purchased this unit on-line. I copied over 40 old tapes with fantastic results. I would highly recommend this unit for anyone looking for a good tape to dvd copy unit at any price. Also very easy to use with a single 'dubbing' button copy operation (from tape to dvd, or, dvd to tape)..

    I would recommend this to a friend
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