Trying to archive and transfer analog video to digital mediums can be one of the most frustrating processes for A/V enthusiasts. If using a computer, you will need a dedicated capture device, various software applications, and a multitude of compression codecs. If that is not bad enough, you will get to tweak audio-to-video synchronization rates, sound levels, de-interlacing options, compression bitrates, and a near endless list of other settings. The process becomes even more convoluted when transferring video to disc. Did you save in the correct compression format, frames per second rate, and pixel resolution?

Sounds fun, right? Probably not. Regardless of one’s level of A/V experience, the otherwise mundane task of recording and storing video is complicated and tedious at best. Eying a new market for consumer electronics, standalone devices offering digital A/V capabilities emerged during the late 90’s. The earliest equipment was typically a set-top box capable of storing video to an integrated hard drive, or in laymen’s terms, a TiVo. A TiVo-like device is great for time shifting and occasional recording, but its fixed data storage limit leaves much to be desired.

Following upon the success of computer-based optical disc drives, the industry moved forward with standalone DVD recorders, such as the Lite-On LVW-5005 we reviewed here at TechIMO last year. Unlike hard disk recorders, a DVD recorder allows for ease of portability and a near infinite storage capability – just pop in a new DVD disc when the current one is full. However, relying solely upon optical discs limits available recording times, thus available programmable recording is limited just as with old VCR technology. Want to record multiple televisions programs while away on a trip? If you are recording several hours of video, who is going to be there to change the DVD disc?

Hard drive and DVD recorders have positives and negatives, meaning many people end up purchasing both types of recorders due to the limitations imposed by each device. In hopes of simplifying life, a new class of recorders has emerged featuring both hard drive and optical disc capabilities combined into a single standalone device. Today we are examining one such unit, the Lite-On LVW-5045.

Marketing Hype

Lite-On IT, one of the world’s biggest Optical manufacturers, introduces the LVW-5045, it’s first DVD recorder with Hard Disk inside, for a killing price of 499 Euro! The advanced “All Write” technology gives the possibility to copy on DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW. With a storage capacity of 160GB it’s possible to record from 33 hours (HQ mode quality) to 198 hours (SLP mode quality)!

In addition the LVW-5045 features a Time Shift option, you can now “pause” any live program on TV at any time. With the advanced feature such as Record & Play integrated into the LVW-5045, you can already playback part of the program, while the program is still being recorded.Furthermore the LVW-5045 features DV Link (iEEE1394), DV Control and ShowView. This innovative product offers both the professional and home user the ability to copy and store live TV, video, audio, images & all types of data files onto any type of DVD and CD.

Retail Box

The LVW-5045 ships in a standard retail box. Contents include the recorder, remote control, remote batteries, A/V cable, RF cable, printed user manual, and various warranty papers. The manual is well documented with plenty of guides and tutorials to using basic recording features. A complete list of bundled features and technical specifications is available here.

After unpacking the unit and removing the plastic screen protectors, we found the LVW-5045 looks considerable different than its older DVD-only LVW-5005 sibling. Noticeably different is the deeper length, exposed front-panel A/V connectors, and side cooling slots. Making a return is the 4-pin Firewire connector, a much-welcomed feature for transferring video straight from DV camcorders.

Backside connectors are numerous: Radio Frequency, Composite Video, S-Video, Component Video, RCA Audio, Coaxial Digital Audio, and Optical Audio (output only).

Upon removing the cover, the most striking components are the two drives. As expected, the DVD drive is a Lite-On model offering write speeds up to 8x. Internal storage is provided by a Seagate U Series 9 160GB hard drive. Both drives are connected via 40-pin IDE cables, meaning the onboard controller is likely of an older ATA/33 vintage. At the heart of the LVW-5045 is the powerful LSI Logic Dimension 2 chipset, paired with Hynix memory modules.

Recording Basics

At this point, we suggest skimming our previous LVW-5005 review, as many of the specifications are identical. Recording to and playback from optical discs with the newer LVW-5045 works exactly the same, except a new three-hour LP recording mode is now available.

Featuring Lite-On’s “AllWrite Technology,” the LVW-5045 is capable of recording video to virtually any currently popular 5-inch optical disc format: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R, and CD-RW. The only popular writable format not supported is dual-layer DVD-R discs, though this is not a huge concern given DL media cost still remains high. Despite providing a recommended media in the bundled paperwork, the LVW-5045 handled every branded disc we tried, including media manufactured by CMC, Ricoh, and Ritek.

As to hard drive recording, the formats are identical to the DVD options, but with longer recording times due to 160GB of available storage space. Using SLP mode the LVW-5045 can archive an impressive 198 hours of video, though recording times take a sharp drop as resolution and compression bitrate are increased. The hard drive is also used for time shifting (pausing) of source video, which works identically to other TiVo-like devices.

Not only can the LVW-5045 copy unencrypted (CSS is not supported for recording, Macrovision is enabled) DVD video discs straight to the hard drive, the unit is also capable of copying music CDs and even compressed audio tracks to the hard drive. In effect, the LVW-5045 can be turned into a 160GB jukebox player. MP3 files up to 320Kbps in both constant and variable bitrate formats proved playable, while WMA files up to 192kbps worked fine. AAC and OGG Vorbis formats are not supported, though very few set-top boxes offer support for either compression routine.

Copying media streams from the hard drive to optical discs is possible as well. This feature allows one to record several days of programming, and then be able to burn discs later at a more convenient time. However, take note the LVW-5045 does not support compression transcoding. Whatever quality setting you used when recording to the hard drive is the same when copying to optical disc. For example, if you have recorded a long video in HQ mode, you will be using the integrated editing features to split the recording into smaller segments for copying to DVD or CD.

User Interface

The Lite-On firmware offers a simple enough user interface to navigate. In fact, we tossed the bundled manual, as every option and feature is practically self-explanatory. On the downside, responsiveness is not the best in all situations, such as a couple of seconds delay between certain menus. Don’t expect to instantly input multiple key commands and have the interface keep pace.

Configuring the LVW-5045 is straightforward. Click setup on the remote and skim through the various menus.

Programmable recording options include 16 manually defined time slots, plus VCR+ is supported for simple input.

Most basic commands are accessible from the "Guider" and "Browser" menus. Each guide menu breaks down the various recoding and playback tasks into multiple, simple-to-follow steps to help even the most inexperienced of users. More advanced users can disregard the menus, set the desired default recording quality in the setup menu, and simply use the remote’s record key. Either way, the user interface is certainly the main selling point of the LVW-5045.

Recording Quality

The various predefined recording settings offered similar returns as to what we experienced with the previous LVW-5005 review. SLP provides image quality on par with older analog VHS tape technology for low-motion material. EP fairs slightly better with double the vertical pixel resolution and appears on par with analog VHS recordings for nearly any content.

For recording from satellite or cable television, we found LP produces acceptable results for sitcoms and other low motion material. However, SP provides the best results for the broadest range of content. Motion artifacts were rarely seen during testing, even with high motion material like sports and action movies. For extremely high motion or high detail content, HQ mode is provided, though most people will probably never use it as generic television programming is generally the primary source material for recorders like the LVW-5045.

Final Thoughts

Overall the Lite-On LVW-5045 delivers a competitive solution that corresponds well to the award-winning LVW-5005 we tested in October 2004. Pricing falls within expectations given the feature set – currently selling for about $375 at most online vendors. The only glaring negative is the lack of MPEG-4 video compression, which would have easily increased onboard storage limits by an order of magnitude. Still, even if not for recording, basic MPEG-4 playback support would have been a nice touch. Otherwise, if you are frustrated with computer-based recording and need the convenience of a DVD recorder combined with internal storage and time shifting capabilities, then the Lite-On LVW-5045 represents a great solution with its competitive price and comprehensive feature set.

Pros: Intuitive interface AllWrite technology Firewire port Cons: No MPEG-4 support

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 (higher is better) Manufacturer Info: Home: Lite-On IT Price:  ~$375 retail