I purchased this DVD/VCR to replace an exact model which was destroyed when our
house was struck by lightening and burned out some electric wiring. (We were
lucky the house did not catch fire!). Anyway, I was very satisfied with this
model which enabled me to use my collection of DVD's and VCR tapes. Easy to
understand and use for a senior citizen!! Great price from Amazon.

In order to record a television program and you have cable tv you need a converter box. :(

I received this as a gift, else I myself would have been more careful what I was buying.

First, if you do not have an external Cable Box(Tuner) you will not be able to Record with this DVD/VCR Player, since it has NO TUNER. Some TVs have a Video Out you can use as a Record IN to this Player, but not many. And even if your TV does, your TV has to be on and selected to the channel and program you want to record, so you have to be right there at the time of the program. What good is this??

Second, the Remote is poorly laid out and way TO COMPLICATED. I know most are, but this one is especially A MESS!

Third, the CHEAP part:

1.After 2 months of use as a PLAYER ONLY, since my TV like most, has Audio Out jacks only for external speakers, I CANNOT RECORD, this Player began to TURN ITSELF ON. Note I have no Cable Box and this unit has NO TIMER so there is no way it can be setup to turn itself on by design. After observing this problem, I noticed after I turned the power off, it would turn itself back on after about a minute delay. My Remote was totally out of site and not inline with the units infrared receiver.

2.Afer another month of using it by just letting it STAY ON, due to problem above, the DVD DRAWER WOULD NOT OPEN. I tried to open it both on the Front Panel and using the Remote, but no response whatsoever. Not even a noise or movement of any kind.

I gave up and recycled this thin to Waste Management. Since it was a gift, I did not want giver to know what a piece of junk they had given me, and also it would be highly unlikely they would have kept the receipt anyway.

I highly recommend new buyers steer clear of this product. If my experience was the only one here having reliability problems, I would have given it 1 more stars for price and compactness, but still remove 3 stars from 5 for not having a TUNER/TIMER for Record and not MAKING THIS CLEAR ON BOX, and its early failures. As it is, I am left with no choice but to give it 1 more star than, in my experience and opinion, it deserves.

After much trial and error and unhelpful instructions I called Sylvania customer service to inquire how to record. I was told that my television needed a "video out" jack to connect to the VCR". I explained my television didn't have a "video out' jack to which the customer service rep replied; "most don't, you'll need to get a cable box to connect the two." My option was to then pay 50 some dollars a month for cable just so I could record on a machine labeled; " Video Cassette RECORDER" or return the device. I returned it the next day.

the product is fine now that I finally have what I ordered.The company I purchased it from leaves a lot to be desired(Electronic Express)They sent the wrong product and then I had to spend $7.00 from my fixed income to return their mistake.Not happy..