I've been looking for gear to create VCDs because I've heard that they're cheaper than DVDs and the quality may not be that bad. Of course, I've also heard the opposite...that the quality of VCDs is nowhere near as good as DVD. In fact, I've even heard that VCD quality isn't even worth the effort. I'm also looking for a fairly quick and easy way to record my home videos onto CD. Quick and easy as I don't have a lot of time to learn how to do it all myself. I just want to push a button and record. Has anyone out there heard of the VCD recorder at "Goterapin.com"? Has anyone tried it? What has been your experience with it? Is it worth paying the $499.00 for it?

Any help would be appreciated. Specifically concerning the Terapin VCD recorder. I think I want to get one but I don't want to shell out that kind of money for it if it's not worth it.

Tahnks, Alan

-- Alan Wilson (Tinyal@netzero.net), May 09, 2002

Answers

I purchased a Terapin VCD Recorder 1.5 years ago. The unit produced flawless video for 10 VCD then died. Now the drive will not even recognize media put into it. Terrapin's technical support services are at best lacking but more realisticly not present. It took 30 days to get a response back to my support question and it was send the unit and money and we will quote you on the cost of repair. My suggestion is save a couple of hundred more dollars and get the Panasonic DVD Recorder (DMR-E20K) and record directly to DVD-R. The price has just dropped to $799.00 for the unit on retail shelves.

Curtis Olliff

-- Curtis Olliff (administrator@ledgernet.com), May 29, 2002.

We just bought a recorder # tx-0002 we are still learning it but so far it seems like a very good machine we bought it from a magazine all together i believe it cost us $499.00 so far i think it was woth the money...

-- marc sivrais (marcandilene@sbcglobal.net), February 09, 2003.

The Terapin unit is a good idea, just needs a few bugs worked out. I purchased mine 9/02 it arrived dead in the box. Contacted support and received prompt response from US and Singapore reps. The unit was returned repaired and shipped back within 10 days. The worst ongoing problem is the unit going into recovery 50% to 70% of the time (5 to 7 out of 10 recordings end up useless) When the unit does work the results are great. Video is steady and sound reproduction is cd quality. Hand held remote is also useless, stick with the manual controls. If they could work the bugs out this would be a great device. Ed

-- Ed Bailey (eihwaz13@yahoo.com), February 09, 2003.

I am also in the same position.It gives the quality we put in. Good,but alas,I am now finding that after several recordings,it does not burn the video on the disc,though the recording marks are on the disc,but there is no video when played back,and it just says disc recordable.

What has gone wrong and can the terapin staff help

-- Deva (kubbaen@tm.net.my), March 26, 2003.

I also purchased the same terapin VCD recorder... It works well--WHEN IT FEELS LIKE WORKING!!!! It is--without a doubt--the pickyest, most finicky mahcine I have ever bought/used!!!! I own over 30,000 or electronic gear--so I'm not exactly a rookie...

One trick I learned is to unplug it for at least 2-3 days & then plug it back it when it doesn't recognize your disc--which seems to happen quite often...

Be careful with cheap blanks, too!! I use Maxell now & it seems to like 'em...

-- Marc Hartnett (marc.hartnett@synovate.com), April 14, 2003.

I bought one of these machines(Terapin recorder Player ) at Sams in Austin Tx abouta month ago, I only payed Under $200.00 , It was complicated at first the more I use it the better I under stand it/I've only recored from My cancorder with it ,Plays well on both computer and dvd players. I found out you must use the right kind of disk I bought some Verbatim CD-RW 80 Minutes 700 Mb 2X-4X and they work well Good luck

-- Elmer Brown (ebrown4848@cox-internet.com), September 01, 2003.

I also purchased the Terapin unit at Sams. (A friend purchased one at the same time, he has quit using it altogether - unreliable and faulty). Mine worked fine for several months and then started "Recovering" after about 20 minutes of recording. Some of these disks are usable in the unit and not in other players and some of them are useless. As soon as I can afford to buy a panasonic this one is going into the trash.

-- Tony Scialfa (tscialfa@earthlink.net), March 12, 2004.

I received a unit from Sams club about two years ago. It cost $200.00 at that time, and I see where they are selling for $169.00 right now. They were gone for about a year, but are back now. I've had great luck with mine, but went through a learning process. The best thing to do is use the Terapin CD's. They are 74min. 650 MB CD's. The other 700 MB cd's do not always work. I've never had a problem with the 650 MB CD's. Also, in a pack of 10 700 MB CD's, I find that about 4 will not work, so I don't use them. I burn video CD's on my computer and they play fine on the Terapin, however, the SVCD will not play at all.

-- Robert Jamison (calamityrobert@cableone.net), March 26, 2004.

YOUR ALL NERDS!

-- NERD (NERD@NERD.COM), April 11, 2004.

Im having the same problem..mine worked flawlessly for about a year..I honestly think it was the best electronic i bought..i love recording to dvr then transfering to the Terapin..but this last week I started getting jerky freezing play back..if i take the same cd and stick it in my pc run it through nero it says its not encoded in the correct format. Sometimes i am able to transfer from the cd to my hard drive and encode through nero..sometimes my pc won't accept the file at all. Now after I encode it in the correct vcd compliant format the Terapin then can play it back flawlessly. I paid 200 for mine on ebay about a year and a half ago so im not going to pay out alot of money to fix it. Im wondering if anyone knows the model of the drive that the terapin uses. I heard it was a phillips or some such..if thats the case the drive should be able to be replaced for 40 or 50 bucks versus 150 or more with Terapin. CD rom burners in general have a high failure rate..especially if you burn with them alot. Im going to try the few suggestions i've seen about unplugging for a few days and try it again. If not im taking this puppy apart and hope there is a model number of the cd burner listed on it. If not i'll save my pennies for a dvd burner with a service contract.

-- Kim Lund (etherialsins@aol.com), April 13, 2004.