... But it's a Panasonic so picture quality is assured. The DVD Player plays DVD-R disks and also plays a Panasonic proprietary format called DVD-RAM.
DVD Ram is simply a Panasonic alternative to -RW format. It only plays in other Panasonic equipment so it's not worth talking too much about ... Read review
Advantages: records onto DVD and Hard Drive, stores photos, timeslip Disadvantages: Only 40GB Hard Drive
...DVD player. But it's a Panasonic so picture quality is assured. The DVD Player plays DVD-R disks and also plays a Panasonic proprietary format called DVD-RAM.
DVD Ram is simply a Panasonic alternative to -RW format. It only plays in other Panasonic equipment so it's not worth talking too much about it. Suffice to say that the RAM discs allow you to repeatedly record/erase recordings. (Don't forget the -R disks can only be recorded ... ...disks allow the following recording lengths
1 hr - XP
2 hrs - SP
4 hrs - LP
6 hrs - EP
There's also a Flexible Recording mode that calculates a recording quality that is based on the amount of available disk space.
At the back of the machine is an optical output socket which allows you to connect to a Home Theatre system to give you True 5.1 Surround Sound. (Scart sockets aren't enough ... more
This is a pretty old DVD player now and since I bought this about 3 years ago it's been superseded by newer models.
However it's still worth reading this review because the only real difference between this and the newer models is that the size of the hard drive has increased and perhaps the odd memory card reader has been added.
From my other reviews people have probably guessed that I'm into gadgets, and that I am what's called an 'early adopter' and that I only buy the best that is available at the time.
Well 3 years ago there were video recorders, DVD players and one or two DVD recorders. When I bought this beast it cost me nearly £700 and the reason it cost so much was that it was the FIRST DVD Recorder that recorded both onto DVD's and an internal Hard Drive.
Recording onto a hard drive had unique advantages over video recorders. The main advantage is that you can set the machine recording and when you feel like it you can rewind the recording to any point you wish and start watching it again whilst the machine CONTINUES to record. Sounds complicated but let me give you an example of the usefulness of this.
Imagine you're watching EastEnders and the phone rings just at the point when Den's head is about to be smashed open by his nasty wife. Now before this machine came along there was only one option. Obviously you simply wouldn't answer the phone.
However with the time-slip functionality you can start recording EastEnders, answer the phone and when you finish the call, you can use the remote to go back to the beginning to the point where you started recording and start watching the program again. AT THE SAME TIME, the machine continues to record what's happening right now. So in effect, you've simply slipped time 10 minutes backwards. You're watching a recording of EastEnders but EasterEnders is still being recorded whilst you watch it!!.
With this functionality you can rewind and fast forward willy-nilly whilst recording continues and not miss a thing.
Now Sky+ allows you to do this so what's the big deal. Well the big deal is that Sky+ costs an initial amount of money to purchase in the first place and then there's a £10 subscription per month for the privilege of using it. Doesn't seem fair does it?. £120 per year just to be able to use their hard drive. Complete rip off.
Well with these Hard Disk recorders you get the Sky+ functionality but with a built in DVD Player/Recorder.
The DVD Player has two modes of operations; DVD or HD. The first plays DVD's and the second plays whatever happens to be on the Hard Drive.
When playing back from the hard drive you press the menu button on the remote and this gives you a scrolling list of all the contents arranged in chronological order. You can enter names for each recording if you wish. If you record using the Timer option (just like a video recorder) then the name of the program being recorded is entered automatically by the DVD Player. So one more advantage of this over video is that you can go straight to a recording intead of having to fast forward or rewind.
You can if you wish record directly onto a recordable DVD. The source can either be the TV signal or you can initially record stuff onto the Hard Drive and then record onto the DVD. This is handy because when you record to the hard drive, the DVD player has a basic editing facility where you can cut bits of a program out (e.g. adverts). Another example of the usefulness of this is the editing of camcorder footage. I can transfer all my camcorder footage onto the hard drive, cut out the boring bits and put it all back together again. When you are finally ready to burn your recording from the hard drive onto the DVD you can if you wish set up a basic menu on the DVD (a bit like the DVD movies you buy). You can if you wish divide the recording up into 'chapters' and name each chapter.
The menu system lets you know how much recording time is available on the hard drive. Because there are different recording options you can get varying lengths of recordings on to the hard drive. At the lowest quality you can get 52 hours. I keep mine set at standard which gives you about 17 hours
Okay so that's time-slip and hard drives covered. So what else does it do?
Well it's a DVD player. But it's a Panasonic so picture quality is assured. The DVD Player plays DVD-R disks and also plays a Panasonic proprietary format called DVD-RAM.
DVD Ram is simply a Panasonic alternative to -RW format. It only plays in other Panasonic equipment so it's not worth talking too much about it. Suffice to say that the RAM discs allow you to repeatedly record/erase recordings. (Don't forget the -R disks can only be recorded to once).
The single sided -R disks allow the following recording lengths 1 hr - XP 2 hrs - SP 4 hrs - LP 6 hrs - EP
There's also a Flexible Recording mode that calculates a recording quality that is based on the amount of available disk space.
At the back of the machine is an optical output socket which allows you to connect to a Home Theatre system to give you True 5.1 Surround Sound. (Scart sockets aren't enough to ensure quality). Because I don't like extra wires/cables etc at the back of my TV, when I bought my TV I choose one with built in 5.1 Surround Sound and I insured myself against future developments by making sure the TV had an Optical Input.
So my DVD player has an Optical output and my TV has an input. Connect the two together and hey presto I have 5.1 Surround Sound at home without the need for a separate Home Theatre system. This means that the optical output on my DVD player has saved me a considerable amount of money because I don't need a separate home cinema system and its also saved me from have yet more additional ugly wires all over the place. I'm not trying to be smug about this stuff but trying to show how simple things like a little socket at the back of a DVD player and TV are important in the long term when choosing products like TVs, DVD Players, Computers etc. These days only the cheapest DVD Players come without an Optical Audio output socket.
There are two scart sockets at the back and also Video In/Out sockets. Theres also RGB In/Out sockets and it also supports S-Video In/Out.
The DVD Player also allows you to store photographs on it. These can be input using the PC Card slot at the front of the machine. I purchased a couple of converters that convert my Smart Media and Compact Flash memory cards into a PC Card and I just stick that in the slot and can then use the menu system to copy the pictures onto the hard drive. Once on the hard drive you can set up a series of directories and organise your photos for later viewing on the TV. You can even set up a slide show which loops continuously through your photo collection.
As I said earlier this is a pretty old model now and only second hand ones are available. But the next models up are essentially the same but have large hard drives.
So I'd recommend this model to anyone without hesitation and also the current models on the assumption that they can only improve on this machine.
Sorry Elffriend. This is yet another gadget review. Next one will be a book. Promise. :)
Advantages: Easy recording from TV or video camera Disadvantages: Lack of keyboard
...times aren't convenient?
With the Panasonic DMR-HS2, you can get it to record a programme while you are still having supper, and then start watching when you have finished eating, even through the programme is still being recorded. Then you can fast forward through the ads as well.
-Other ways you can use it
You can copy from a DV camera straight to DVD, or edit on the HD before copying to DVD. It works miles faster but is not as flexible as PC ... ...is! I won't pretend the Panasonic DMR-HS2 is simple to master, because it is not, but it is very powerful and very clever. Highly recommended for gadget-lovers.
Mine is Region 2 only, but you can buy them with the protection taken off, for a little bit more.
DVD media compatibility is a complicated issue. The machine is supplied with 2 Panasonic DVD Ram disks and it also works with DVD-R media (and plays CDs) The problem is that it won't record ...
sidmill 24.05.2003 (25.05.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Panasonic DMRHS2
mainly wanted this machine mainly because i watch alot of sky digital channels and whats the point of recording them on VHS when you can get brilliant quality on DVD?
THIS IS VERY EASY TO USE SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SETTING THINGS UP LIKE THIS OR USING THEM THEN THIS IS THE ONE FOR YOU.
Quick look at the features:
DVD-R DVD-RAM Timeslip DV in RGB in & out 1 hour on 4.7GB at XP 2 hrs at SP 4 hrs at LP 6 hrs at EP Up to 52 ... ...using this there are menus to use very simple also it displays how much space is left at the current recording quality which i think is VERY helpful! Never really looked atthe manual to be honest, no need to really as its simple to use.
This is what i call value for money.
Thanks for reading my review
Regards
Rick ...
Rick66 08.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Panasonic DMRHS2
Picture Playback
Sound Level
Ease of Use
Range of Features
Value for Money
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Advantages: Good picture quality. Easy to navigate and manage disks Disadvantages: Dearer than tape. Only so-so instruction book
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The Rolls-Royce solution is a machine like the PanasonicDMRHS2EB1S, which includes both a hard drive AND the DVD-RAM recording section. I hesitate to print the price, but suffice it to say, you could buy a pretty decent PC from scratch with the same money!
Of course, your other option is to sit back and wait. I?m told that a process called ?blue laser? will be along next year with an immense hike in disk capacity. However, if you do that forever, you never buy anything.
Hmmm, now there?s an idea I hadn?t thought of.
A QUICK AND DIRTY SUMMARY
Records TV pictures to DVD-RAM and DVD-R. Plays DVDs, CDs and MP3 files. Up to 6 hours per single sided disk.
Two SCART sockets, optical digital output for 5.1 channel sound.
?Pause? live TV or watch recordings that aren?t finished yet.
Remote control can be used to control TV too ...
BNibbles 12.12.2003 (06.01.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Panasonic DMRE50EBS
1 x composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - front
2 x composite video/audio output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - rear
1 x composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - rear
Slot(s)
Type
1 x PC Card
Clock & alarm
Clock
Yes (digital)
Tv tuner
Tuner Qty
1
Reception System
PAL
Channel Coverage
UHF:21-68
Digital player (recorder)
Digital Storage Media
Hard disc drive - 40 GB
Remote control
Type
Remote control
Technology
Infrared
Power
Power Consumption Operational
39 Watt
Voltage Required
AC 230V ( 50 Hz )
Manufacturer's product description
Panasonic DMRHS2 is a state-of-the-art DVD video recorder with built-in hard disk. It combines a nifty design and a high functionality with the comfort you need. DMRHS2 features auto renewal recording, relief recording, Time Slip - simultaneous record and playback, chasing playback, and more.