Editorial Review:Product Description:Finally! It's never been easier to record, play and store multi-media content on DVD - no need to buy separate components. The Gateway AR-230 DVD Recorder has it all in one package.Recording TV shows is just one click away with the easy-to-use AR-230. Featuring high-quality recording of up to 6 hours (on a 4.7 GB disc), it's much easier to record the shows you want to watch without spending a lot of time figuring out how to set it up properly. And once you've watched your shows, you can erase the DVD and use it to record again.With your DVD Recorder, you can save all of your family memories on a DVD that can last up to 100 years. The IEEE 1394 Input allows you to burn DVD videos directly from your camcorder, while the RCA Input allows you to make perfect copies of your home videos from your VCR onto non-degradable, digital quality DVDs.And when you want to sit back and enjoy the show, progressive scan DVD playback and multi-channel Dolby Digital (AC-3) make your movies come to life. You can also play audio CDs, MP3s and JPEGs.The on-screen display (OSD) lets you adjust settings and select options for your DVD recorder. For example, you can specify your TV type, set parental controls, and specify you audio type.Component video outputs deliver optimal color to compatible televisions with component video inputs, which provide the best digital recording quality from compatible TVs. Plus, you'll get the extra benefit of improved TV picture with noise filtering.Simple, easy, yet feature-rich solutions make your set-up a hassle-free process.
Amazon.com Product Description: With the Gateway AR-230 DVD player/recorder, you can play movies and music, record off-air TV broadcasts, and store multimedia content on high-capacity, 4.7 GB DVDs. It's never been easier to share your home videos with friends and family, and the AR-230 even delivers quality home cinema on standard or high-definition televisions. Using the recorder's extensive inputs--including an IEEE 1394 digital video jack--you can transfer and assemble your most treasured camcorder footage, archive all your old videotapes, or burn video from your PC straight to high-capacity DVD--up to six hours per side using either DVD+R or DVD+RW.
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| The unit's onscreen display (OSD) lets you adjust settings and select options for your DVD recorder, including parental controls. |
DVD+RW discs require no finalizing: you can record, eject, and play them with minimal fuss, thanks to background formatting. This feature, which lowers total burning time, is an advantage over the 'dash' formats. Other DVD+RW advantages include on-disc content editing and multisession writing. And, through DVD+RW and DVD+R's compatibility with most existing DVD players, they're a great way for you to share your special memories with family and friends.
The recorder offers timer recording (record once, daily, or weekly), as well as disc editing features such as title editing, title deletion (on DVD+RW discs), title overwriting (on DVD+RW discs), and content protection.
The AR-230 is also a first-rate DVD player, featuring progressive-scan video outputs, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound passthrough, MP3 CD playback (CD-R/-RW), and playback compatibility with most DVD media (including video-mode DVD-R and DVD-RW). You can load a disc full of JPEG images for a digital slideshow in the comfort of your living room.
Whether you already own an HDTV or you're merely thinking of 'someday,' the AR-230 stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a playback picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.
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| The AR-230 DVD player is equipped with high-end video outputs as well as digital-audio outputs for surround-sound passthrough. |
Top-of-the-line component-video outputs help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television monitor. Video inputs include the above-mentioned front-panel IEEE 1394 jack, front and rear composite-video jacks, and a rear-panel S-video input. Audio inputs consist of two-channel analog jacks with up to 24-bit analog-to-digital conversion.
A single set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver.
What's in the Box DVD recorder, remote control, remote batteries, an AC power cord, a 6-foot audio/video interconnect (stereo analog audio/composite-video), a 6-foot RF coaxial AV cable, a blank DVD+RW disc, a setup poster, and a user’s manual.
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Gateway AR230
I bought this from QVC in 2004 and paid $249 I tried copying my home movies from VHS onto DVDs and I couldn't get more than 1/4 of a 6 hr VHS tape onto a disc. Within a month the machine didn't work. The eject didn't work unless you unplugged the machine and plugged it back in again. I sent it back and was sent a new machine. This one worked for a while and now it won't play any discs. At first it would freeze for a second and then continue. Then it started to freeze and stay frozen. Now once I click on play it freeezes and won't play anything. I have been trying to get tech help from the Gateway site, but it brings me in circles and I cannot seem to get anyone on either chat or email. I guess this is going into the trash.
Rating: -
Stay Away!!!!!!!!!
* This is a poor product and the support is one notch below that! Don't be fooled by the price...in this case you don't even get what you pay for. ...
Rating: 
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WORLD WIDE USE IS POSSIBLE! But it's a little quirky.
There is not much for me to add to the already well written mixed reviews here. Yes, the recorder is easy to set up, and yes the instructions are not very useful -- some details are left out. But electronically, the Gateway AR230 is pretty good for the MONEY. What do you expect to get for about 125 bucks? It does make good DVDs -- and for my purposes that is good enough.
For some reason, the unit which I purchased did not ALWAYS begin recording when I punched the red Record button on the controler. Be that as it may, after futzing with it for awhile (with operating manual in hand and much head scratching) I got it to burn a good DVD. That's the "bottom line."
But here is a bonus that no one mentioned. Unlike many other expensive recorders, the ultra light weight Gateway AR230 operates just as well on European 220 volt/50 Hz house current. That's right. I packed up my recorder and brought it to my apartment in Budapest. With great trepidation, at first, I put an adapter on the plug and plugged it into a 220 volt/50 Hz, hit the power button and waited for it to get fried. But no, it simply lit up. Here's the other part. I hooked the output up to a late model Grundig TV. This requires a little adaptation for hooking up the three (yellow-video, red-audio, white-audio) RCA cable to the European TV input (that's a multi pin plug which somewhat resembles the old computer SCSI cable plug). For some $10-15US in Hungary, it was no big deal to buy the adapter and European cable for hooking the Gateway AR230.
I also had a concern of whether or not the Gateway AR230 which in the U.S. plays nicely on a typical NTSC television set will also work on a PAL/SECAM television set. No problem. So then, I left the now Budapest Gateway AR230 hooked up to the Grundig TV set, and now have to buy a second one for my home in the U.S. But at about $125 a pop, that's not such a big outlay for DVD recorder which makes decent DVDs -- although it can take some tweaking to do so.
I almost rated this at 3-stars (beacuse of the poor user manual and quirky problems of the unit which I wound up with the first time). But considering its versatility, I have to in good conscience click on four stars. After receiving my second Gateway AR230 and testing it out, I'll come back here to write Part II of the review to complete the story (if Amazon.com lets me post it).
Rating: -
Another "Don't Buy"
* In January of 2004 I bought a Gateway AR230. Within four days of getting it, it became obvious that the machine had major problems. I called their technical support number. After hearing the symptoms the tech promised to ship a replacement unit. It never arrived. After repeated promises from many Gateway employees between 6 February and 26 February, I finally called my credit card company and disputed the charge for the machine.
The following October, I received a letter from a collection agency hired by Gateway to extract \"their\" money from me for their doorstop which was, by now, stored on a shelf in my basement. On the advice of my attorney I sent this letter to the agency by certified mail. It sums up the situation pretty well.
October 27, 2004
Windham Professionals, Inc.
P. O. Box 1048
Salem, NH 03079
To Whom It May Concern:
Regarding your letter of September 29, Gateway did, indeed ship merchandise received by me on January 28, 2004.
Gateway did not acknowledge to you, however, that the merchandise was defective and, further, that Gateway was notified of the defect by telephone on multiple occasions beginning on February 6, 2004. At this time an employee of Gateway who identified himself only as Kevin made the statement that the defect was such that Gateway would ship a new unit and receive the defective one in exchange. He took my American Express account number \"for security reasons\" and gave me an order number of 81887662 that I could use in Gateway's internet package tracking system. He stated the demand for these units was such that a two-week period should be allowed for receipt of the merchandise.
After repeated internet queries using the order number showed no results, I called Gateway again on February 17. An employee identified only as Jason informed me that the order had been canceled. When I asked him why, he stated, \"They don't even tell us these things.\" I asked to speak with his supervisor and was connected with a man identifying himself as JJ. After hearing my problem, he assured me that he would ship a replacement unit and receive the defective one. He gave me an order number of 80944429 and told me that it was unnecessary to take a credit card number for security purposes. I asked how I could be assured that this order would not be canceled and he stated that it was \"already in the system\".
Again, repeated internet queries failed to show the existence of my order number. Repeated calls to Gateway resulted in my being told to wait an additional twenty-four hours for the number to be placed in the system. An employee named Shirley - badge number 053 - told me that, indeed, the order \"looked normal\", gave me a \"service number\" of 2-1428307459, and told me that a lady named Jimella in Customer Service would personally call me if my order \"hit a snag\".
On February 19, I called American Express and told them of the problem I was having with Gateway. I was told that my Gateway purchase would be posted to my account on February 26 and I should call back after that date as they could not act in the matter until that time. I called Gateway again the same date informing them that failure to deliver the replacement for their defective merchandise by February 26 would result in my dispute of any charges on my American Express account.
When I had received no replacement merchandise by that date, I called American Express.
On May 24, 2004, American Express sent me a letter (A copy was attached) informing me that Gateway had not replied to their requests for information to resolve the matter. They further stated that, per the Fair Credit Billing laws, Gateway had until August 23, 2004, to make such a response.
Upon receipt of your letter of September 29, I called American Express. They informed me that Gateway had not responded in any way to their queries and they considered the matter closed.
My attorney has advised me to offer to return the defective merchandise, which has been stored in its original carton since February 19, to Gateway provided I am given the name and address of a responsible receiver and written assurance that this will close the matter and that the undersigned owes Gateway and/or any agent contracted by Gateway nothing other than the return of the merchandise.
Truly Yours, etc.
They still called me wanting to know what to do about \"their\" money. My attorney finally sent them a letter advising them to either sue or close their file. I haven't heard from them since January, 2005. ...
Rating: -
WARNING- DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!
I want to save people any headaches in the future by advising you to avoid this product at all costs!!
It worked fine just over a month (just in time for the
money back guarantee and warranty to expire).
I sent them the broken unit and they replaced it with
no power cord or remote control. I immediately called
them back and they put me on a 4-weeks+ "backorder".
Six weeks later, I finally called and asked them for my
money back, which they refused to do. They had given
me some "top-of-their head" delivery date, which did not come to pass as they said. After almost a half-hour of being
on the phone and being bounced between employees, they offered me a full replacement, which was all they'd do. They sent me another unit on next-day shipping... WITHOUT A POWER CORD!! Now I have two units in my house with no way to use them! I called them yet again, and after another half-hour of phone tag with various employees, they told me they couldn't do anything about it and gave me another date which I'm assuming was just another delay tactic. I'm not expecting them to deliver what they promise. Even if they do in this case, that doesn't compensate for the lousy service and support they have rendered.
Save yourself tons of headaches! Stay away from this product and this company. You'll get a defective product and
customer service/tech support employees who will do nothing at all to help you. They'll steal your money, offer you a product that breaks down after your warranty expires, and expect you to accept their inept customer service.
A thirty-day warranty on any product is quite telling, and I will never recommend this company or this product to anyone.
Look for something else. I'm doing you a favor. Don't let the inexpensive price fool you into buying it.
Good luck
