Page 1 of Mustek PL 207A

hi guys

just got one of these little things for the car and taking it abroad soon as well for the kids , got it at direct.com with case , battery and all cables for £ 186

great picture and sound especialy for its size but i`m having a few probs with DVD+RW`s and + R`s, video is ok but the sound goes out of sync , i`m using Philips and Pacard Bell + RW`s and Rytek purple dye`s with +R format

they just dont like playing in sync , everything else seems brill , what do the experts think , laser alignment maybe in which case a return to the shop or am i missing something here

This item was edited on Tuesday, 13th July 2004, 22:04

Hi,

Can`t answer your query, but I am about to purchase a PL207A from the same source - they are out of stock at the moment though.

I wondered if you could answer a query for me - does the carry case allow mounting "between" seats, or just on the headrest. Also can the player be folded flat, or does it have to remain at 90 degrees whilst in the case?

Thanks

out of stock hmmm ( come back 2 that in a sec m8 )

the carry case is a good and neat sort of thing mate with a couple of straps supplied and metal half circular loops on the corners , i guess for fixing to seats , both headrest and between the seats , its a trial and error thing if it fits nice and snug , but the bits are there if ya wana do it

yes the player can be folded flat and still play in the bag , although with the extra bulk of the case attached its edging on not quite flat , however the bag holds the player well with corner elasticated straps and a velcro strap accros the drive lid

a note to mention here is , with the battery pack attached the player dosent fit in the bag as its an attachment, put it this way , if it was on your lap the battery would be stuck out facing away from you just below the screen hinge , but hey ya cant have everything

as for buying from the same source , HOLD FIRE .........let me explain

in the short time we have had it some problems have occured , and this is only relevant on DVD + RW and DVD +R`s , stay with me here

using some of the best media such as rytek deep purple dyes , Philips and ( not quite so good ) Packard Bells and using different recording devices , such as an under telly Philips DVDR80 and Panasonic 107 D Pc dvd read writer , the Mustek will not reliably play back the recording , if i went into the varrying differences in what has been used and from what sources , we`d be here forever , needles to say its not doing what it should , that other cheap DVD players can handle easily

before ya fall asleep let me finish LOL........ I am not a newbie to recording`s , Pc`s , DVD`s , and all the software and variables that surround this mindbogaling field , so i know for a fact that our machine isnt quite right , both myself and the Mrs have contacted Direct.com today to ask for another machine ( NOT ) a refund to replace this one and have explained in some detail what the problem is , alas bad news here

there answer straight and simple , return to them ( 3 days ) they have it for a week or so ( not good at all ) and then IF they find a fault they will replace it or as one guy said repair it ? i dont think so !!!!! , in fact everytime you phone them you get another version of what might happen , overall BAD CUSTOMER SUPPORT ,

so to drag the story out more , great player good quality picture , nice extras , BUT make sure you get it from a good company with friendly ( wrong choice of words sorry ) sympathetic and understanding and i guess knowledgable CS , i hate being told how to suck eggs , which is what i got today

phew done , wish ya hadnt asked now dont ya LOL

a note to the mods , sorry if this bit about CS is out of line , appreciate the forum isnt for moaning , but it helps others make an informed choice , remove if inappropriate , apologies if needed

This item was edited on Wednesday, 14th July 2004, 19:39

Thanks for the info :)

Do I take it then that DVD-R`s are working fine on your player? Have you made any progress - do you think it is a fault with your unit, or a generic problem?

If the stock is not in tomorrow (I need it for a long car jouney to the French Alps to keep two children amused) then I will cancel the order - I will have to look at another source (like ebuyer) - or alternatively look at the PL407 from toysrus.

sorry 4 L8 reply m8 been busy here @ mjh towers

- r media is not my prefered media , after reading too many sob storys about it failing on a reg basis i stuck with the + R and RW format , i am not qualified or experienced enough with -R to comment more than that

my experience with + R and + RW though definately supports the fact that the Mustek and more than likely just this single one has probs , i have read alot of stuff as do alot of other people before buying and try to make an informed choice ( although theres is always one better somewhere ) and nearly all i have read says the PL 207A is a good and reliable piece of kit , only 2 comments have been negative and both where similar to my probs , theres always a bad egg in a good chicken somewhere , just my luck i got this one , please , please dont strangle me if yours goes toes up though , i am not a pro with any of this stuff , just an old hand with a relative knowledge of whats right and wrong

and for whats its worth i`m using mine for a similar reason soon aswell , which dosent help much , trying to get things sorted promptly before the off day

in reality a sensible person would buy one from a shop , where you can see a face and return if faulty to a face , the pocket however see`s the internet , which is sometimes very unforgiving !!!

the quandry continues................( mjh 2004 , just now )

This item was edited on Wednesday, 14th July 2004, 22:31

The 207 was still not in stock today so I cancelled the order.

I have now bought a 407 from Toysrus - see 407 post for more info.