Funai HDR-B2735 DVD Recorder VCR Combi with 160GB HDD

The Funai HD-B2735 has proven to be a real find. Even on the 'SP' setting, the picture quality on my HDD and DVD-RW recordings has been excellent. If you don't want to spend too much money, and you don't mind having something that looks like a top-loading vcr (circa 1985) sitting under your tv, I'd really recommend it.

Prompt delivery Good value for money. Instruction book can be a little confusing. Thr fan at the back of the unit is on constantly when the machine is on and can be a little irritating. Still have not gor the hang of which channel to go to on the TV to get the HDD without putting the unit off and then on again. Every time you turn the unit on it has to load up. All things considered for the price it has everything that I want and would recommend it.

This machine is a great idea, but several niggles keep it from being what it should be. The set-up is automatic, but then leaves you to sort out the ordering of channels manually with the remote. I bought this to transfer ageing tapes to DVD and this is where the real problems come in. It won't accept many DVD-RWs (probably about half are rejected for no apparent reason, and I have been using the recommended Maxell ones). And then there is the Macromedia "function". If the machine detects a Macromedia copy-protect signal on a tape, it simply switches off the recording session, whether to HDD or to DVD. I suppose the implicit meaning is that I should buy a DVD of a videotape I already own. Recording from Freeview is much more fiddly than it should be, as the unit itself is a purely analogue one, rather than a digital one: it has to treat the Freeview box as a satellite box. I suspect I should have bought a DVD recorder on its own and linked it to my older video, rather than going for this all-in-one unit. It certainly would have been cheaper, and probably wouldn't be so fussy about the DVDs it will deign to record. My wife's Humax PVR runs rings around it for ease of use and for functions.

Funai HDR-B2735 DVD Recorder VCR Combi with 160GB HDD I bought one of these from Bestprice trading in Feb 2008. The first one that came made a loud noise from the VHS unit and it came up with error message "Cannot record on this disc" when trying to finalise some recordings. Bestprice were very responsive and immediately replaced the unit and refunded carriage. The replacement unit was excellent and did everything I could have expected of it, but now, 7 months later, it has suddenly started to come up with the same error message again, and I am unable to record on DVD or finalise existing recordings. I have reported the problem to Bestprice Trading and currently awaiting response.

I bought this product around 14 months ago now, and it has always been great ever since I bought it. The HDD recordings are of fantastic quality, and the overall simplicity of the machine is great once you have set it up. However just recently it has being making funny noises, even when it is switched off. I rang technical support for the product at Funai but they couldnt solve the problem. After my third call to them they explained to me that the hard drive in the unit had most likely failed, and the product only came with a 12 month warranty, so there was nothing they could do. Now it has affected the whole unit and DVD's take longer to load etc. I dont know if I have just been unlucky with this one, but beofre the fault took place I would award the product with 4 or 5 stars. Shame it broke but I would definatly buy this product if I were you. Good Luck!