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Entered CNET Catalog: 02/28/2007
SKU: 037988254798
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Manufacturer description
The DMR-EZ47V features an integrated DVB Digital Tuner (SD) for viewing enjoyment. The integrated tuner allows for Digital broadcasting reception without the use of an external tuner incorporated into a set-top box. High quality digital television enjoyment has never been easier with a Panasonic DVD-Recorder. The hybrid digital tuner offered in the DMR-EZ47V also supports analog broadcasts for broadcasters not yet offering digital broadcasting. The DMR-EZ47V also supports 7 day Electronic Program Guide where transmitted by each broadcaster, 7 day EPG makes recording a breeze, simply select the program you wish to record by name rather than remembering days, dates and times.Product summary
The good: The Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK records video to DVD or VHS; it has excellent recording quality, including an outstanding LP mode; HDMI output up to 1080p; good DVD upconversion; an SD card slot; flexible custom recording speed; DVD-RAM compatibility with the ability to edit; and a FireWire input.
The bad: Its ATSC tuner cannot deliver full HDTV resolution; no EPG or IR blaster to control other gear.
The bottom line: Despite a few ATSC limitations, the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK delivers almost all the features and performance we look for in a DVD/VHS recorder.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/30/2007
Just when you thought DVD recorders had finally run out of life, the federal government stepped in to spice things up. Because of the looming analog TV cutoff date, all DVD recorders this year include digital ATSC tuners, which means you can tune into local digital stations using an antenna. The Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK ($300 MSRP) DVD recorder/VCR combo is one of the first of these new decks, and although we were disappointed in how it implemented the ATSC tuner (details below), it mostly delivers the excellent performance we've come to expect from Panasonic DVD recorders. It offers a relatively painless way to record over-the-air digital shows from HDTV channels to DVD which, when played back on a wide-screen HDTV, can look better than any analog TV recording. The unit's flexible recording length lets you optimize the video quality of content to fill a disc, plus it has an excellent LP recording mode allowing you to essentially double the amount of video a DVD can store without hurting the video quality too much. Our biggest annoyance is the price has not decreased much from previous models--which we suspect is due to the required ATSC tuner--but it's hard to knock since it's comparable to the competition. There are plenty of places you can nitpick about the DMR-EZ47VK, but as a feature-packed DVD recorder/VCR combo it does almost everything right.
Design
We've become accustomed to the familiar silver color scheme of Panasonic's DVD recorders, but this year the company changed it up and went with an all-black color scheme. The top half of the unit is dedicated to the two main drives--the VCR is to the left and the DVD player to the right. Below that, starting from the left, is an additional front-panel A/V input with S-Video, followed by the LED screen, which can be dimmed. Further to the right are One Touch transfer buttons, and there's a flip-down panel that reveals some additional controls along with the high-capacity SD card slot (aka SDHC) and a FireWire input. DVD recorder/VCR combo decks are boxy by nature, and the DMR-EZ47VK is no exception, but it doesn't look bad compared with its competitors.
The remote is largely unchanged from previous models, which isn't a bad thing. It has pretty good button differentiation, and most of the buttons you'll usually use are conveniently placed. Toward the bottom of the remote is the main directional pad, which is flanked by three important buttons: Direct Navigator, Schedule, and Functions. One annoying omission is the lack of a disc open/close button. We would like to see some kind of illumination, but to be fair, very few decks offer illuminated remotes anymore.
User interface
The user interface on the DMR-EZ47VK is pretty simple once you get over the initial learning curve. To access the media from any drive, you'll want to hit the Direct Navigator button to the left of the directional pad. On a DVD, for example, this brings up six thumbnail images of the videos stored on the disc. Even nicer--for programs recorded off the ATSC tuner--it also lists the program title taken from the ATSC signal (as long as the broadcaster provides one). To access advanced functions, such as editing, you can press Submenu which brings up more options.
Unfortunately there's no EPG, so recordings have to be scheduled manually, similar to regular a VCR. DVR owners will feel like they're going back in time, but the lack of an EPG is pretty common for DVD recorders without a hard drive. Hitting the schedule button allows you to input the specific channel, the time, and the duration of the program. One thing we didn't like is that you have to remember to turn off the DMR-EZ47VK for the scheduled recordings to work. This is annoying because if you forget to turn the unit off for some reason, it will miss the recording. The other important button around the directional pad is Functions. It brings up a variety of options, the most important being Copy, which leads you step-by-step through the process of copying a VHS tape to a DVD disc or vice versa. You can also use the One Touch transfer button on the front of the unit for quick copying. Naturally you can't record copyrighted material, which includes most commercial DVDs and VHS cassettes.
Although the method for editing out commercials isn't exactly spelled out in the user manual, we were able to do so fairly easily--albeit on DVD-RAM discs only--by creating chapter stops around the commercials, and then deleting the chapters that contained the commercials. This method also has the convenient advantage of setting the chapters based on the commercial breaks, which is a logical way to skip through a TV program.
Features
In addition to VHS, the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK allows you to record to all standard types recordable DVD, including DVD-RAM and both "plus" and "minus" versions of dual-layer discs. DVD-RAM is especially useful because it allows chasing playback, which means you can watch a program from the beginning while still in the process of recording, or you can record something on DVD-RAM while watching a previously recorded program on the same DVD-RAM disc. This effectively gives you something like mini hard drive functionality from the DVD recorder, and we could easily see someone using it as a DVR if they don't plan on recording a lot. However, one thing the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK doesn't do that DVR fans will definitely miss is constantly record live TV, which means you can't pause and rewind live TV. Of course, you could always start recording something to DVD-RAM and get essentially the same functionality, but few people will want to do that every time they watch TV--plus you'd have to remember to delete your recordings afterward. The ability to constantly record live TV is usually included in Panasonic's step-up models with hard drives, such as last year's DMR-EH75V, but unfortunately Panasonic has not announced any DVD recorders with hard drives for this year.
As now required by federal law, the DMR-EZ47VK comes equipped with an ATSC tuner, which is capable of picking up digital over-the-air broadcasts. When we first heard about DVD recorders equipped with ATSC tuners back at CES, we were pretty excited about the idea, but we found ourselves a little disappointed with the DMR-EZ47VK's implementation. For basic use, it actually works quite well; the tuner was very quick in scanning for channels and picked up everything it should have. Additionally, digital stations always looked better than their analog counterparts, at least in our testing area. On the other hand, it was disappointing to see that Panasonic did not include an EPG with the DMR-EZ47VK. Many standalone digital ATSC tuners have EPGs, as program guide data is included in ATSC signals. The other major limitation is that the DMR-EZ47VK does not output true high-definition TV. Over-the-air digital signals are fully capable of displaying high-definition TV, but instead the DMR-EZ47VK displays a 480p signal upconverted to 1080p--which is far from true high definition (more on this in the Performance section). One other minor note regarding the ATSC tuner is that it is not possible to record digital channels to VHS tapes, although the downconverted versions can be recorded to DVD.
For DVD recording, the unit offers four recording modes that all have trade-offs in recording quality vs. capacity. Only 1 hour of highest quality XP mode video fits onto one single-layer DVD; SP is 2 hours, LP is 4; and EP either 6 or 8 (the six-hour mode gives better audio quality). Dual-layer discs have slightly less space than you might imagine: 1.75 hours for XP; 3.5 hours for SP; 7 hours for LP; and 14.25 hours for EP mode.
Luckily, if you have a program that doesn't nicely fit into one of those time frames, the DMR-EZ47VK has one of our favorite features, flexible recording. Selecting this option allows you to completely fill a DVD with your program, thereby maximizing the video quality. This is particularly useful if, for instance, you have a two-hour movie and you want to use a dual-layer disc. Instead of having to drop down to lower-quality SP mode, you can maximize the quality using flexible recording. You will have to tell the recorder exactly how long you want it to record, so this isn't the best option for programs of variable length, such as a football game.
The DMR-EZ47VK is also capable of displaying JPEG photos, whether they're on an SD card or burned onto a CD or DVD. There's also DivX and MP3 playback, which works for files on CDs and DVDs, but not on SD cards. SD cards can only be used to display JPEG photos; you can't play music or video off them nor can you record video onto them.
In terms of connectivity, the highlight is the HDMI output, which allows you to upconvert to 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p resolution for DVDs, VHS tapes, and even digital TV. Rounding out the rest of the connectivity is a component video output, two A/V inputs with S-Video (one front, one back), two A/V outputs (one with S-Video), an optical digital-audio output, a FireWire input, and screw-type RF input/outputs. The two A/V outputs are labeled "DVD/VHS common output" and "DVD priority output." There are some restrictions about how you can use them; for example, when you're recording a DVD, you can't use the DVD priority output to watch a tape. It's a small nuisance that slightly limits your ability to multitask on the DMR-EZ47VK.
A component video input would have been nice, but they're pretty rare on DVD recorders. The lack of an IR blaster could be viewed as a slight omission, given that the competing LG RC797T has one. An IR blaster can be used to control an external source, such as a cable or satellite box, so that it changes the box to the appropriate channel when it's scheduled to record.
Digital TV performance
As we mentioned before, the DMR-EZ47VK is incapable of outputting true high-definition content from ATSC signals. We first noticed this simply by looking at a high-definition program from a built-in ATSC tuner on the Panasonic TH-58PX600U and comparing it to the DMR-EZ47VK. The difference was definitely noticeable, with the easiest place to spot it simply being the CBS logo which looked sharp with nice rounded edges on the TH-58PX600U, while it looked soft and had more jagged edges on the DMR-EZ47VK.
We were able to test that resolution was in fact being lost with our Sencore VP403C signal generator, using its RF output. From there, we looked at resolution patterns, and it was apparent that the DMR-EZ47ZK could not pass the full resolution of 1080i or 720p signals, despite the fact that it puts out a "1080p" signal. It did, however, display all the detail of a 480p signal. What we imagine is happening inside the device is that it downconverts the original high-definition signal to 480p--which loses much of the actual detail--and then it upconverts it back to 1080p.
To be fair, downconverted digital TV looks much better than anything we were able to see with analog over-the-air signals, and it is able to preserve the wide-screen aspect ratio on high-definition shows. Additionally, there are still many programs that only broadcast in standard definition, and those shows won't suffer. So while the DMR-EZ47VK's performance is disappointing to anyone looking to use it as a high-definition tuner, others simply wanting to take advantage of standard-definition over-the-air programming will be pleased.
DVD recording performance
We've lauded Panasonic's DVD recorders in the past, and the DMR-EZ47VK is no different. Overall, the recording quality is excellent. XP and SP modes are very close in terms of image quality; you might be able to eke out a slightly better picture in XP mode, but in most cases it won't be worth the extra disc space. On most DVD recorders we test, we tend to see a big drop in image quality going from SP to LP mode, but not so on the DMR-EZ47VK. We recorded the The Late Show With David Letterman, and it was very difficult to pick out specific instances where SP mode was superior to LP mode. This allows you to double the amount of content that fits on a DVD with almost no loss of video quality. Dropping from LP to EP mode had a drastic effect on image quality. EP mode suffered from very low resolution and plenty of compression artifacts that severely impacted the overall image quality. For instance, it was difficult to make out any detail in Letterman's face in EP mode, while he could be seen much clearer in XP, SP, and LP modes. It's worth noting that we had no trouble recording wide-screen content to any of the disc types, including DVD-RAM, DVD+R/-R, and DVD+RW/-RW, and having it display properly on wide-screen TVs.
DVD player performance
The DMR-EZ47VK is also capable of upscaling standard-definition DVDs to 1080p. This doesn't mean they'll look anywhere near as good as Blu-ray or HD DVD discs, but it might make DVDs look a little better, depending on the capabilities of your HDTV. We've had DVD player performance issues with Panasonic's previous DVD recorder/VCR combo, the DMR-ES45V, so we were interested to see whether the company made any improvements.
To test DVD upconversion performance, we started off with Silicon Optix's HQV test suite. Considering that the DMR-EZ47VK is not a dedicated upconverting DVD player, we weren't expecting much, so we were actually a little surprised by its capabilities. It aced the first resolution test, demonstrating its ability to output the full resolution of DVDs. It fared a little worse on the next two, jaggy tests; it did a pretty good job with a rotating line, but on the next it wasn't able to handle the third of three shifting lines. It also aced the 2:3 pull-down detection test, as it correctly locked into film mode almost immediately when the race car zoomed by the grandstands.
The DMR-EZ47VK also showed off its 2:3 pull-down capabilities on the intro to Star Trek: Insurrection, rendering the curved lines on the railing of the bridge and the hulls of the boats with no problem. We took a quick look at the Windows DVD Test Annex and did notice the chroma bug on incorrectly flagged material, but that should only show up on poorly authored DVDs.
We also took a look at the intro to Seabiscuit, which can often give even accomplished players problems. To our surprise, the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK aced the test; we couldn't see any jaggies in the scenes that usually trip up players. We watched a little bit further into the disc and continued to be impressed as we hardly noticed any artifacts at all. While it might not live up to the very best upscaling DVD players, such as the Oppo DV-981HD, overall we thought it offered very strong performance for a DVD recorder and would be good enough for most people to not need a separate dedicated player.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21out of 21 user reviews
Will ruin DVD-RW discs, lock up on on DVD-R discs.
Pros: DVD and VHS recordibg capbilities.
Cons: I bought both units, about nine months apart based mostly on CNET reviews, but dependability is horrible, unless you can live with it only working properly for no more than a few months.
I have bought the DMR EZ475V and the DMR EZ37V, with the same results. They work fine for a few months, then they start locking up after recording on DVD-Rs, and DVD-RWs, causing the DVD-Rs to self-finalize after recording has stopped, and locking up on DVD-RWs, making them unusable. I downloaded and installed Panasonic's firmware
out of 21 user reviews
Not what I wanted
Pros: Easy to program. Plays VHS and DVD ok.
Cons: Can't view burned DVD's on other DVD players.
out of 21 user reviews
Not a bad piece of equipment but......
Pros: Fairly easy to use
Cons: I can't figure out how to 'finalize' the new DVD
out of 21 user reviews
OK while it lasted
Pros: nice for putting home movies on to DVD
Cons: degrades the signal to the TV, does not last
out of 21 user reviews
good recording tough to program
Pros: good quality recording both VHS and DVD
Cons: quirky and akward programming
I had a programming implementiation issue and after calling Panasonic, received a firmware CD update in two days.
out of 21 user reviews
Think twice before buying this unit
Pros: I looks nice
Cons: Dont buy it
The machine is very hard to setup and operate and the recording playback leaves something to be desired.
I am very dissatified with my purchase.
out of 21 user reviews
Faulty Unit
Pros: WILL KNOW WHEN I RECIEVE ONE THAT WORKS
Cons: DOESN'T WORK
Ok I am updating here with a new review. I finally got a until that functions after returning the old one.
Now all I can say is this. I bought this unit soley for the purpose of copying old VHS tapes and home movies I made years back to DVD. And for that use this thing is great. I have copied upwards of 30 tapes so far and it has been pretty easy. Also don't be fooled by all this you can't do this and that and edit. It makes it sound like all you can do is put in one tape with a blank DVD and hit the copy button. Thats not it. You can stop reording anytime. Also you can switch tapes and cut out what you don't want and just copy the portions that you do. With DVD+R discs its easy and fun.
This is the easiest way to transfer old tapes over I know of and you don't have to copy the whole tape.
Only cons is its a little slow and times and takes it a few minutes to get going and can be a little finicky with the remote.
out of 21 user reviews
Mess up DVD-RAM discs
Pros: Good digital recording
Cons: Creates errors on DVD-RAM discs
The two units I have tried have the annoying
habit of messing up DVD-RAM discs and crashing.
I found the reviews excellant with only
one user suggesting a similar error
with a DVD-? disc. I suspect many units cause errors with recording DVD's.
I've tried two units and both are causing
errors. Also, this is the loudest DVD recorder of three I've used. It is likely
I'll return the second unit. I'm sorry,
but the time wasted with crashed DVD discs
is too much. I have, and use a previous PPanasonic DVD [analog],recorder. It is much easier to use and has more capabilities than the new unit. I expected much more from Panasonic.
out of 21 user reviews
Great idea, Poor execution
Pros: ATSC tuner, easy dubbing
Cons: poor reliability, overheats easily
I have given up on this model. Maybe the next generation will be an improvement, but this model is way to buggy for public consumption.
out of 21 user reviews
EZ or easily misleading
Pros: I found the LXI-Sears TV codes
Cons: After I return it I Have to go back to lugging around all that money again
0047/0054/0056/0154/0156 Last if you find a set of 2 digit codes. but the remote calls for 4 digit codes. do what I did here. Just put 1 or 2 zeros in front. For me I think I'll wait till the smoke clears. I don't believe they have all the bugs worked out for home use yet. I know my review was negative. But there seemed to be plenty of reviews that covered the good. Good luck
out of 21 user reviews
Doesn't live up to the promise; falls short in several critical areas
Pros: Great quality recordings, even at slower speeds
Cons: Software improvements would go far; customer service is very poor
Sometimes, when chasing playback is engaged, it mangles the recorded audio so badly, you cannot understand the audio track at all.
If you forget to leave enough space to record the program, on the DVD-RAM disk, it attempts to record without an indication something is amiss. But, on playback, you realize you have recorded video, but no audio.
My $40 DVD player will allow you to stop, remove a DVD, and then replace it (even days later) and pick up where you left off. In fact, it remembers the last location on the most recent 30 disks placed into it. This DVR? It forgets where you were, on the disk, the moment you stop and remove the disk.
Large status messages appear on-screen, in the middle of playback (both commercial and disks it records) for no reason. Sometimes those messages flicker on and off once every 60 seconds or less. Panasonic's customer service cannot assist.
When this DVR records, it records great. The reviewers were right on that point. It makes a nice recording, if it functions correctly. You had just better make sure the program you’re recording will be re-aired, because there’s a decent chance the recording you’re making right now will be botched in some way.
Contact Panasonic’s customer service and they’ll tell you to reboot the DVR, but that won’t solve the problem. They’ll tell you to buy new HDMI cables, but that won’t solve the problem, either. They’re fishing and their DVR isn’t yet ready for the real world.
If I were you, I’d wait until someone perfects a DVR with a hard drive that includes a digital tuner and does the thing the Panasonic DMR-EZ47V and DMR-EZ47BK say they do, but actually do not.
Too bad. I really wanted to like this DVR. Now I cannot wait for someone to come along with something better.
out of 21 user reviews
Good idea - poor execution
Pros: DVD, VHS, HD/SD TV receiver
Cons: Horrible remote control experience - be prepared to use multiple remotes (should replicate TV remote exactly - where's the previous channel or favorite channel list buttons?)
out of 21 user reviews
DVD recorder does not record dialog of new shows.
Pros: VHS recording capabilities work fine.
Cons: DVD recorder doesn't p/u dialog of primetime shows.
out of 21 user reviews
System Froze and Wouldn't Start
Pros: Quality Recordings
Cons: System Forze
out of 21 user reviews
So far, pretty good
Pros: Great recording quality
Cons: dig pic to widescreen is lacking; lost capabilities i had with previous Samsung DVD recorder/VHS unit; the manual is terrible.
Immediately noticed the controls are much more difficult and much less intuitive. Cannot continue to use DVD-Rw in VR mode and cannot now edit on the DVD-RW !!! This is a major change from the Samsung, which let me choose to format the DVD-RW either as (v) or (vr) and then let me edit parts of segments out, let me delete any recorded portion and then free up the space for re-use. On this recorder, only (v) is offered, and unless what you delete is the last recorded piece, you do NOT get to use the freed up space.
I haven't decided yet if this is a deal breaker. I have another 27 days to decide if this goes back.
I like the obvious quality build.
I have it hooked up with HDMI to my TV for DVD and composite for the VHS. There seems to be quite a quality drop off thru the HDMI versus the composite and versus my TV tuner, watching without this machine's effects.
I have reviewed the settings multiple times, find the manual of no help, and will call the tech folks after the weekend about this.
I guess I just wish that the real capabilities of this model were more readily knowable by me before I purchased.
out of 21 user reviews
Change Model 'cause "EZ" it ain't!
Pros: Easy set up hardware, good picture
Cons: Complicated, slow feature change response remote
Changing functions via the remote is so-o-o-ooo slow. Did I mention that the scheduling function is almost worthless for premium and digital channels if you have cable provider with box or card scrambler. This recorder with scan in only the first 135 channels. I have about 500 choices out of 1000 possibilities. So unless your HBO is in the first 135 channels, it's no HBO for you unless your TV is own and tuned to that channel. Kind of defeats the purpose of scheduling a DVD recording for when you are away from home.
out of 21 user reviews
If it only had a brain
Pros: Very good tape picture even at LP, lots of features,extensive programing options.
Cons: No clock display during playback,programming interupts other functions,control response is slow,especially from remote.
Set up was pretty easy in spite of the manual. I used to sell VCR'S etc. and have owned Panasonic VCR's for years finding them the most reliable and easy to use. I was not happy at all when I correctly programmed the machine for season finale's and it missed the recordings. Oddly, it would record two shows a day and not a third or more. Calling tech support(very helpful) helped me to reset machine and a mention they had heard of this issue before. With him on phone, set machine to record three back to back recordings of about two minutes each, A OK. Next day, same loss of recordings after first two and then wouldn't record at all. Reset again, re programmed again, and next day, recorded only two shows. Machine back to Costco two days later, assuming a bad machine.
Set up new machine, ever hopeful but same problems and of course back with tech support and a case number. They again walked me through resetting and programming. About two days later, back chatting with tech support who suggested that perhaps sending me firmware disk that corrects shut off "00's" might correct problem. Still waiting on this disk after over a week. He slso suggested that I take it in for repair( perhaps I was pulling from a bad batch), which I of course wanted to know, have there been reports of consistent problems and is there a repair bulletin out there? The idea of having a brand new machine languishing in repair shop not appealing at all. Picked up third machine(hoping for a break), day before and sorry to say, same old crap.
Other observations to share:
If you have two Panasonic VCR's in same location(I hooked up old one), one remote will interfere with both machines. They should allow for different operating codes like my Sony machines.
The programming process interrupts everything. No playback, no tape movement,no sound,no indexing,etc. It's schedule screen has small fonts which for us baby boomers, across the room is too small.
Remote isn't bad but tape transport should have reused old remotes oval button design, much more intuitive/user friendly. Response is also slow on simple task, like changing channels.
There needs to be an onscreen display that shows the clock while in play when most would find it useful. The clock only shows while it's in idle standy, or during recording. Also missing, the old 'gas gage' which would show a graph of beginning-to-end, although remaining time counter is useful.
The owners manual is better but still needs help. It does not tell you how to stop the tuner from looking for digital channels if you don't have any( hit return on remote). Also, the auto clock setting takes a long time (up to 15 minutes), even if you know it needs to be on PBS station. Manual also says you cannot program back to back recording times,as unit will not record beginning of later program, it can.
Love the programming conflict notice, very handy! Not sure why the indexing doesn't work all the time, might be old or cheap tapes. Jet search is very swift.
And finally, I'm going to work with tech support a bit longer in getting a machine to do what it's designed to do, record shows for later viewing. When it does record, the picture is very pleasing. Got this machine after extensive research, good reviews and my past experience with Panasonic recorders. Very shocked that I am having this many problems but given it's consistency, I know it's fixable whenever Panasonic steps up. There could be much to like here.
Will try to update later. Hoping that a quick fix will allow this machine to get a better rating, up to about 7-8.
Having used this machine with the guidance of Panasonic tech help (some better then others) and more manual readings, it's now quite a pleasant machine.
I would now rate this machine as an 8-9.
A few hints I've learned:
The timer recorder problem with VHS remains and for some reason is limited by approximatley 2-3 daily recordings even if plenty of tape remains. Pana. tech support duplicated the same results over a ten day period.
Switching to DVD-Ram has been much better since the programming guide will show you if there is enough time to record. Also shows you if there are conflict overlaps, both great features(only on DVD media).
BIG HINT: Be sure that you see the screen warning "turn off machine to use record timer" and then turn it off. If you don't see this screen and turn off the machine, you will more then likely NOT have a recording when you return. Missed a few crucial recordings until I learned.
Have found DVD-Ram the best media to use from a cost and ease of use standpoint. I ordered two boxes of Panasonic disc from Amazon since they are tough to find. They say you can record/erase/record up to 100K times BUT: there will rarely be pixalation and freezes as you use commercial skip. Then you should clean up the disc after viewing your shows by simply reformatting the disc(very easy-but you will lose any saved shows).
I love the 'time slip' feature which allows you to slip fwd/bkwrd 1-120 minutes by simply chosing the minutes not search buttons. Great if you are interupted by a phone call, etc. BTW, this works even if you are recording and viewing at the same time, one of my favorite features.
Beware that once in awhile, at the end of a playback, you will get the dreaded 'lock up' and the warning window will suggest that 'machine has detected what might be a problem with a disc'. You then follow onscreen directions to turn the machine off and back on. Only seems to happen on last second of recording, don't know why??
The editing features of machine are very good and easy to use if you simply read onscreen prompts. A big relief when you are trying to edit out commercials.
I originally got this machine when I assumed I'd want some ties to VHS capabilities and it still makes sense as a transition. I rarely use the tape part of the machine now, and now looking to get the EZ 17 or 27 with just DVD. If this machine last as long as my previous Pana VCR's, I will remain a happy camper and highly suggest it to fellow time shifters.
Having used this machine with the guidance of Panasonic tech help (some better then others) and more manual readings, it's now quite a pleasant machine.
I would now rate this machine as an 8-9.
A few hints I've learned:
The timer recorder problem with VHS remains and for some reason is limited by approximatley 2-3 daily recordings even if plenty of tape remains. Pana. tech support duplicated the same results over a ten day period.
Switching to DVD-Ram has been much better since the programming guide will show you if there is enough time to record. Also shows you if there are conflict overlaps, both great features(only on DVD media).
BIG HINT: Be sure that you see the screen warning "turn off machine to use record timer" and then turn it off. If you don't see this screen and turn off the machine, you will more then likely NOT have a recording when you return. Missed a few crucial recordings until I learned.
Have found DVD-Ram the best media to use from a cost and ease of use standpoint. I ordered two boxes of Panasonic disc from Amazon since they are tough to find. They say you can record/erase/record up to 100K times BUT: there will rarely be pixalation and freezes as you use commercial skip. Then you should clean up the disc after viewing your shows by simply reformatting the disc(very easy-but you will lose any saved shows).
I love the 'time slip' feature which allows you to slip fwd/bkwrd 1-120 minutes by simply chosing the minutes not search buttons. Great if you are interupted by a phone call, etc. BTW, this works even if you are recording and viewing at the same time, one of my favorite features.
Beware that once in awhile, at the end of a playback, you will get the dreaded 'lock up' and the warning window will suggest that 'machine has detected what might be a problem with a disc'. You then follow onscreen directions to turn the machine off and back on. Only seems to happen on last second of recording, don't know why??
The editing features of machine are very good and easy to use if you simply read onscreen prompts. A big relief when you are trying to edit out commercials.
I originally got this machine when I assumed I'd want some ties to VHS capabilities and it still makes sense as a transition. I rarely use the tape part of the machine now, and now looking to get the EZ 17 or 27 with just DVD. If this machine last as long as my previous Pana VCR's, I will remain a happy camper and highly suggest it to fellow time shifters.
out of 21 user reviews
does what it said
Pros: atsc tuner
Cons: 480 only record
got a great deal here.
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out of 21 user reviews
Solid product, but has some quirks
Pros: Clear Digital Picture, LP mode records well. Good VCR unit. Does DL (well, sorta)
Cons: Can't record digital directly onto VCR, poor NTSC tuner, hung up on one DL disk
It tunes digital (ATSC) well and the picture quality is very good. If you've been using only an analog (NTSC) tuner you'll be astounded by the better picture quality, especially if you live in a "fringe" area. Drop-outs and audio blips are acceptably rare, but do occur, in my location 45 miles from the brodcasting tower.
The LP mode (4 hours) is very sharp and almost as good as the SP mode(2 hours); so it is possible to store more programs on one disk, unless recording in very high quality is an over-riding concern.
It also records in DL (double layer) mode which allows storing about 7 hours and 20 minutes of programming on one disk, if you use the LP mode. However, the unit locked up on me while I was recording a DL disk. Not only did it erase the program I was recording, but everything thing else I had previously recorded on the disk was lost. I'm now sticking to the regular-length (2 hours in SP, 4 hours in LP) disks, even though this means I'll have to buy and store more of them.
It also has the worst analog (NTSC) tuner I've ever seen on any TV, VCR, or DVDR. I can't even get some of the channels, that I normally get clearly. Even my battery-powered portable with a whip antenna comes in much more clearly, than this unit does with a roof-mounted antenna. However, depending on who you listen to: NTSC may be going away, in two (or a few) years.
The VCR unit gives one of the sharpest pictures in re-play I have ever seen off a VCR. It is almost like a DVD recorder, at least in one of the medium-quality modes. It also features a lightning-fast rewind and fast-forward. The Rewind and Fast-Forward modes are actually too fast, I almost always overshoot the start of the program I want, and have to back up.
Also quite annoying - the VCR unit cannot record digital (ATSC) directly off the air. I don't know if this is due to some obscure legistlative requirement, or some hair-brained design criteria. I missed recording a couple of shows before I was aware of this; because the unit refused to record directly onto the VCR. There are instances in which it might be desired to record onto the VCR first; and then dub onto a DVD afterward. This feature rather limits the versatility of this unit.
out of 21 user reviews
So far, so good...
Pros: digital tuner, nice look, easy to set up
Cons: still looking for cons
This is my first Panasonic purchase, but from most reports they appear to be solid in the DVD Recorder market. I don't typically like being the first to purchase a piece before all the bugs are worked out but this machine had all of the features I was looking for.
Out of the box, hook-up was simple, and initial set-up of the unit was a snap. The DVD looked very sharp on my Hitachi HDTV, haven't really tested the VCR portion of the unit yet. I'm looking to transfer some home movies this weekend, so I'll see haow that goes. I like the Black over the Silver, it just seems to be a sleeker more professional look. The fact that it has a Digital tuner was the single most important factor in my purchase of this unit. I was able to pull in more DTV stations through this unit, than I was able to by just going through my HD Direct TV tuner, which was a definite plus.
All in all I would say I am very happy with this unit so far, and will report back if any problems pop-up...hopefully not (knock on wood)
out of 21 user reviews
Excellent recorder
Pros: Can record in DVD quality for 4 hours
Cons: Can't record in full 1080p
