The Lite On LVW-5045 DVD Recorder: Reviewed by Yousuf Saghir

editor Does exactly what it says on the tin!



I've had my LVW-5045 for a few weeks now and I've had no real issues with it. As soon as I hooked up the machine to the aerial my TV reception depreciated considerably on channels 1-5. However, when I switched on the recorder the reception returned to normal. This means that I can only effectively watch channels 1-5 if my DVD recorder is switched on. Even so, it's a minus, however minor. Tuning in the channels on the DVD recorder, however, is slightly problematic. As soon as scanning had stopped, some of the saved channels simply disappeared. I did the scan again and the same thing happened. I downloaded the firmware from the LiteOn website and this sorted the problem. The rest of the installation was relatively simple, but for some reason you have to set the clock manually and sort channels 1-5 manually too - in this day and age! (If you don't know what firmware is, it is software which you can obtain from the manufacturer or download from the manufacturer's website. You install it into the product – i.e. via the disk drive - and it updates the product according to new settings).

This recorder is actually a very good product. It records and plays back beautifully. I have experienced no out of sync playback at all. You can record either through the 'guider' or through the 'timer'. Either way, it is foolproof. The guider simply takes you step by step through the process of choosing to playback or record from the TV or the Scart etc, on to DVD or HD (Hard Drive). The interface is maybe a little on the plain side, but is simple and very clear which is the most important thing. Recording to the hard disk is terribly simple. The recorder simply puts the recording next on the list of recordings all of which you can view either as thumbnail pictures or as text. There's no danger rubbing over something accidentally. If you want to erase an item, you have to go into the edit menu and delete it specifically. It really is so very easy to do. In the edit menu you can change the name of a recording, use a different thumbnail picture, etc. Copying is every bit as simple. You simply press the copy button while an item is highlighted or playing and it is immediately copied to the other media - DVD or HD. Again, the recording is placed next on the list. I suppose some might prefer more control over the arrangement of recordings and so on. I'm not certain that other products offer such control, although I may be wrong. Frankly, the manual could have been more comprehensive in explaining the functions.

It is true that today on the Internet you can get some name-brand recorders with 160GB hard disks for under £400 - some are now edging towards £350. But if you buy into these products you are also buying into the formats war. And whose formats war is it? Surely not the consumer's! This LiteOn product is surely forward-thinking in employing the 'all-write' technology which allows you to playback and record to all the major formats - DVD+ and -, etc. Even so, the LVW-5045 must still, to some extent, be in the development process. You have to decide whether or not you are prepared to take part in the fine-tuning of the product. I guess all this firmware business is a sign of things to come. Maybe it won't be long before we're downloading firmware for our new toaster or kettle!

I give the product a thumbs-up for making quality recordings, being easy to use, being able to playback and record to various formats, and of course its inexpensiveness. If you don't mind downloading firmware and tinkering around do go for it. However, if you're a simple soul and you just want to plug it in and ask no questions then perhaps you are at risk of experiencing some minor hassle. But I still say a very good product.

Pros + 100+ hours recording time on the HDD and it’s good quality. - Easy to back-up favourite recordings onto cheap DVD disks. - Can copy TV etc. onto rewriteable DVDs to playback on another DVD player or computer. - Can program a recording time and set a repeat for as many weeks as you need. Set it once and get a whole series! - Edit recordings to lose dead space at the start and finish, or remove the ads.

Cons - Manual could be made easy to follow - firmware i.e. patches (which is a simple process) should be pre-installed - interface could be improved.

Overall Rating