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Lite-On LVW-5001 Review
Author: Daniel Topler
Date Posted: January 3rd, 2003
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Bottom Line:
This is Lite-On's third Consumer Entertainment product, and it offers probably the most interesting feature of any model, DVD Recording. The LVW-5001 lets you record from a video source directly to a DVD! But does it perform well? Read SLCentral.com's official review...
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Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Features
This is where the device really shines. Obviously, since this device is a DVD Recorder, you can make your own DVD’s from a video source, such as a TV or camcorder. It is all very simple, actually. You plug the source video into the 5001 device, and then press record on the unit. Once you select which source you are using (which AV/S-Video/Component port), the video will show up on the screen, and you can begin to record. It’s extremely simple to use.
The device can record to DVD+R/RW only, not DVD-R/RW, so it is slightly limited. DVD-R/RW is slightly more used, so it would have been nice for Lite-On to make the unit either dual-format, or even just DVD-R/RW. Still, DVD+R/RW is fine.
There are four different quality modes, HQ, SP, EP, and SLP.
| Mode |
Hour |
Bit Rate |
Encoding |
NTSC |
PAL |
| HQ |
1 |
9.5Mbps |
MPEG2 |
720x480 |
720x576 |
| SP |
2 |
5.1Mbps |
MPEG2 |
720x480 |
720x576 |
| EP |
4 |
2.5Mbps |
MPEG2 |
352x480 |
352x576 |
| SLP |
6 |
1.7Mbps |
MPEG1 |
352x240 |
252x288 |
HQ quality is literally like a commercial DVD, it’s really that good. SP quality is lower, but not significant. Below SP is where it gets pretty grainy. I would say that EP would compare (or maybe slightly better) to a VHS, and SLP is definitely lower quality then a VHS. After using the product for a few weeks, I can confidently say that SP is the best mode for day-to-day use.
You can organize the recordings in whatever order you wish on the DVD, as well as making your own titles and menus. While it isn’t super-powerful, it does do the job for home-videos, etc.
The letdown of the recording feature is the fact that it will not work well with your cable/satellite connection. You will have to keep the cable box on to whatever channel you want to record, and then set the recording channel on the unit to channel 3 (or whatever your TV uses). Therefore, you will have to set the TV channel, as well as set the recording. Also, when using the DVD remote control, using the Channel Up/Down buttons will not be useful if you use a cable/satellite box.
All in all, the recording features of the device are good, but the problem with cable/satellite TV’s is pretty significant IMO, therefore I am a little disappointed. But, quality-wise, the DVD’s look excellent on HQ mode, and SP mode is good, but below there and you’re just going to have to accept grainy quality picture. This is, however, acceptable, and expected, for the recording length, as well as the low price of the unit.
DVD Playback is like other Lite-On models, excellent. They look incredibly clear and very sharp, and I would say that it is one of the best DVD players (quality-wise) I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I do not have a Progressive Scan TV, so I could not test this feature, but the LVW-5001 does have progressive scan.
The LVW-5001 can also play MP3’s. While it does have a 1000 file maximum (per DVD) that it can recognize, this should be fine for most people, unless your songs are VERY short.
Obviously, the LVW-5001 can play CD’s. It can also play VCD’s, SVCD’s, and view JPEG pictures. When viewing, the 1000-file rule is in effect, like with MP3’s. This may be more of a limitation then it is with the MP3’s.
Overall, the amount of features on the Lite-On LVW-5001 is impressive, but I must say that I was a tad bit disappointed with the quality of these features, specifically, the recording feature, which is, obviously, the main use of this device.
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