Lite On HD-A740GX
Product Rating  
Lite On HD-A740GX ReviewRating:
Date: 15-03-2007
The Lite On HD-A740GX is a cheap and cheerful HDD DVD recorder that has something of a communist-era look about it, but packs in so many features that it's a real bargain.
The best feature of this DVD recorder is its generous 160 Gbyte hard drive that can record up to 34 hours of programmes in standard mode, or up to 203 hours in SLP mode, although we wouldn't recommend this, as video and audio quality are significantly reduced in SLP mode. One of the key benefits of a HDD recorder is Timeslip - the ability to record a TV programme as you watch it, and then to 'pause live TV', and the HD-A740GX offers this feature, although curiously it doesn't allow you to watch a recorded programme or DVD whilst recording another.
Programmes stored on the hard drive can be watched directly from the drive or written to disk. The Lite On can record on most types of disks: DVD+R/+RW and DVD-R/-RW formats, making it compatible with most other manufacturer's recorders and players. In addition the machine can play back CD's (including writeable CD's) and has support for MP3, WMA and DivX formats.
The built-in tuner in the HD-A740GX is analogue, so none of the benefits of digital TV are available - more programme choice, improved picture quality and an electronic programme guide for selecting programmes to record. However, the Lite On does provide a graphical user interface to simplify the recording procedure, and the recorder also supports Video Plus+. Copying from HDD to disk is pretty easy.
Connectivity is good. Most types of video output are supported, including SCART, S-video, RGB and component video. Optical audio output is available, and as a bonus there's a DV input so that you can connect a DV camcorder. This enables you to transfer the camcorder footage onto the hard drive and then either watch it directly from the hard drive, or write it onto disk.
We have no real complaints about the Lite On HD-A740GX. Its only real weakness is the lack of a Freeview digital tuner, but frankly you won't find any HDD recorder with Freeview at this price. The Lite On HD-A760GX is the same machine, but with a larger 250 Gbyte disk.
Features of the Lite On HD-A740GX include:
- Digital media formats supported:
- Built-in 160GB HDD, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW / DVD+R, DVD-R / DVD-RW
- Recording quality and time:
- Built-in HDD: HQ: 34hrs / SP: 68hrs / LP: 101hrs / EP: 135hrs / SLP: 203hrs
- DVD+R DL 8.5G: HQ: 115mins / SP: 230mins / LP: 345mins / EP: 460mins / SLP: 690mins
- DVD 4.7G HQ: 1hr / SP: 2hrs / LP:3hrs / EP: 4hrs / SLP:6hrs
- "Just Fit" disc recording
- DVD disc recording format DVD+VR
- Dolby Digital Recording
- ShowView/VIDEO plus+timer programming system Yes (32 sets of programming)
- One-touch recording
- DV Control
- Time Shift (pause live TV)
- Record & play (Watch the beginning while recording the end)
- One-touch copy Yes (HDD to DVD, DVD to HDD)
- Progressive Scan
Lite On HD-A740GX Consumer Reviews
(12 reviews)
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Reviewed by Preet Johal on 28/12/2008
mine does not recognise and digital channels on 1 to 5 analogue. does anyone have any ideas of what i could do please? is there any other leads or settings? it doesnt find any channels except analogue. and which tv setting do we need? any help would be great thanks guys.
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Reviewed by N.Rudd on 16/09/2008
it all started out fine everything was working great now it won't reckognose any discs at all it won't even play stock dvd's let alone coppies, it was very happy in the beginning using Kodak blank DVD-R discs now it won't even register a disc in the disc tray, what a load of rubbish i'm taking it back tommorrow for a refund there is a consumer law in the uk that says it must be fit for purpose this machine is no longer fit for purpose and therefor returnable for a refund.
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Reviewed by John Heron Hargreaves on 02/09/2008
Great machine, exept when recording to dvd disc it will not play on my computer. any body any ideas
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Reviewed by Matt Doyle on 27/05/2008
I purchased mine through SVP. Within about a month it stopped recognising blank discs. It was returned for repair and a new optical drive fitted. This was eventually returned for the same problem for a fourth time. After being returned for a fourth repair (all inside 10 months) they replaced it with a new machine. This machine failed in the same way after 2 months and was returned to be fitted with an replacement optical drive just after Christmas. Surprise, surprise it has again failed with same symptons and is on the way back. Liteon have not said if there is an inherent fault with these recorders but they do not promote them on the website now I notice. I have not been offered an alternative model either. I bought this to backup my video library which is now on the HDD but stuck there. The HDD has never failed in any of the units however and the operating system for selecting recorder material is very easy to use.
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Reviewed by jack barrett on 27/02/2008
will not recognize some pre recorded discs and no blank discs at all.hdd fine
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Reviewed by G.Holliday on 14/02/2008
Just to answer the "Spitting out the disc" problem, I also had this when I used a disc brand it had previously wrote on then wouldn't. All you have to do is go to the Liteon website and download the firmware update and put it on a CD-R and play it in the recorder following the instrutions and this updates the recorder and re-aligns the laser etc. This worked for me but I do find it can be a bit fussy what brand of disc you use. You can phone Liteon on 02073652401 who will guide you through the above procedure. Hope this helps.
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Reviewed by Julian Hall on 17/11/2007
I've had none of the problems other reviewers have mentioned which seems to suggest they had bad units. Chapters work fine for me. Split feature works fine. Easy to move content onto DVD from the HD. Had mine since before Xmas.. moderate to heavy use and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a DVD HD Recorder. My only niggle is that the split is not precise enough (for me anyway). I have to account for this when splitting items.
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Reviewed by khab on 16/10/2007
Did not recognise chapters 80% of the time when enabled, meaning have to fast forward through hours of footage. Split feature did not work.
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Reviewed by Steve Todd on 01/07/2007
I have the same problem as Peter. Cannot move stuff off the HDD to DVD+ or DVD- even though there is a blank disc in the drive. Only had mine 5 months.
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Reviewed by Peter Hambelton on 21/06/2007
A good machine but after 6 months of light use I now cannot copy movies from the hard drive to dvd+ or dvd- It keeps opening the tray and asking for a blank disk although there is a blank one in the tray.
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Reviewed by keith on 01/10/2006
Everything seems so easy to set up. The problem with mine is no sound. I have all the relevant cables, the only problems that could be are a faulty audio cable or the fact I own a digital tv. I would really appreciate somebodys help on this matter.
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Reviewed by Me on 20/08/2006
Can be made multi region by putting in 4 numberd do a google for the hack
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