Cambridge Audio DVD55-RWI

When this DVD recorder works, it is OK. The box itself feels as a quality product. The menus are a bit slow, but simple to use. Video and audio quality is good, but see below why I only gave image quality 2 stars.

The big problem is that the recorder often does not work. The list of major problems I had with this recorder:

* Makes a periodic noise in standby, just loud enough to be annoying

* Often fails to read DVDs, both written by itself and other recorders

* When recording on a DVD that has been used before, small pieces of the old video appears occasionally in the new recording (that gave me at least one very embarrassing moment!)

* The software occasionally freezes when performing non-basic tasks and you have to switch off and on again.

Very disappointed with the Cambridge Audio DVD55-RWI and this is my second one.

The first having been replaced due to problem mixing 5.1 audio to stereo output when in widescreen mode. The second one has just completely died on me, with my disc stuck inside. I'm taking it back to richer sounds after Christmas to exchange for a DIFFERENT ONE. Also, recorded discs do not play very well in other machines.

Generally pleased with my Cambridge Audio DVD55-RWI, one of the few British manufactured DVD writers on the market. It has a full set of gold-plated connectors and works perfectly with my home cinema set-up. It's good value, and does what it's meant to. 2-hr recordings are the maximum I find acceptable in terms of quality; the 4-hr mode and less are full of artifacts. Appears vulnerable to radio interference (my central heating boiler -- which does not interfere with any of my other electronic equipment -- bizarrely causes diagonal green bands to appear on the display in "monitor mode") - intend to report this problem to Cambridge Audio. Took days to figure out the source of the interference. Although not causing me any alarm, the unit gets extremely hot during recordings - be careful with the surface you place it on!!

Richer Sounds have found a great little number here. As a not excessively expensive machine, the Cambridge Audio DVD55-RWI cannot be beaten. Everything about it shows an attention to detail which is often lacking from other manufacturers. It looks a LOT more classy than most others, and feels rock solid. There is no annoying fan to cool down the insides and the drawer slides out in a very steady and reassuring manner. Exactly the opposite of certain others I will not mention!

The menu system, exactly the same as the Yamada DVR8000, is easy to navigate, and takes only a few minutes to master. Playback of DVDs is great, and can accommodate RCE multi-region disks without fuss after the small tweak listed on the box.

Recording is also very good. The six-hour setting does produce quite a lot of compression artifacts but the four hour setting is very clean and precise. Two hours is almost indistinguishable from the source, and the 1 hour setting is perfect.

The only quibbles I could find are that the remote has a slightly odd layout and the buttons are a little on the small side, and also that the standby light is alarmingly bright, but other than this, I cannot recommend this enough. Its a joy to use.