Review rated by 3 Ciao members on average: very helpful
This review received a counterstatement by a party concernedRead Comment
If you are looking to replace your VCR you will soon realise that they have been replace with DVD Recorders. There are many to choose from and vary in price. I admit that there are cheaper DVD recorders on the market, but this has the ease of use and the quality that Panasonic are known for.
The DMR-E55 can record on the two following formats DVD-R and thier exculsive format DVD-RAM. DVD-R is the most popular format available so if you plan to record a programme and use it on other DVD players then this would be recommended. These are cheaper than DVD-RAM so if you plan to record and keep a programme then use these.
DVD-RAM disks may look the same under the plastic casing, but are quite a bit different. These can be bought in single and double sided, thus doubling the capacity. However only one side can be used at one time. You will need to turn the disk over to use the other side. DVD-RAM differ from DVD-R in the fact they are re-recordable. Not only that but once you have watched a programme, you can delete it and use that recording space to record something else, whereas on a normal DVD-R you would need to format the disc to use that space.
Quite possibly the best feature on the DMR-E55 is the abilty to watch a recorded program whilst recording another. Also you can watch a program that is still being recorded. Imagine a film that starts at 8 is being recorded until 10, but you arrive home early at 9. You can watch the start of the film whilst still recording the rest, even fast forwarding through the recorded adverts. I have done this many times and because of skipping the adverts have caught up with the film to watch the end un-recorded. This feature is called 'Time-Slip' and is only used on Panasonic DVD recorders.
If you had a VCR and used VideoPlus+ don't worry - this can be used to set up future recordings.
There is also a feature called 'Flexible Recording'. This feature allows you record a program for a set amount of time. Then after recording the DMR-E55 adjusts the recording to the best quality with the space there is left. Imagine this - You record a film that is 2.45 minutes long, onto a blank DVD-R. It will record and then make the best quality possible. This way you dont have to guess which recording mode to use.
To browse the recordings on the present disk, you press the Navigator key. Then you can browse each recording, which has a thumbnail, which plays the recording, you can also add a name if you wish.
With the DMR-E55 you get a remote which is easy and comfortable to use. You also get a Coax lead, mains lead, and batteries for the remote, and the instuction manual.
The DMR-E55 has 2 scart connections, S video, composite. It has phonos and optical out for sound. I have mine wired upto a Panasonic 28" TV and a Panasonic AV receiver with Dolby 5.1. I can honestly say the picture and sound quality is top notch. I use the middle setting for recording programs. I can hardly tell the difference between this and the original.
To sum it all up, this is a great DVD recorder that is easy to use, has exclusive features and does everything well. I paid around £180 for this unit, however they can be found cheaper online now. If you dont have a DVD recorder buy this now!
Very helpful, tells me most of what I need to know - we want to buy just this machine! However I did not catch the price, nor where you got it from. Richard.
21.08.2005 23:43
Very helpful, tells me most of what I need to know - we want to buy just this machine! However I did not catch the price, nor where you got it from. Richard.
21.08.2005 20:55
good review, Panasonic are the best