Panasonic has built a fine reputation in the DVD recorder market, with a range of excellent models. Decks that combine a DVD recorder with a hard disk recorder are more versatile, but the basic recorder on test here is more likely to appeal to those looking for a straightforward upgrade from their old VCR.

The strong points of this deck are apparent as soon as you scan the spec sheet. It will record on to every type of DVD out there, including the dual-layer variants of DVD-R and DVD+R discs.

This boosts recording capacity to an impressive maximum of more than 14 hours. The catch is that you do have to "close" the first layer and before you can access the second, so you can't simply programme 14 hours' worth of recordings and go away for the week.

Other plus points are the two-channel DVD-Audio playback and the useful editing options on DVD-RAM discs.

The achilles heel of the DNR-ES15 is not so easy to spot. It does not offer an RGB Scart input.

Yes, this is an affordable deck, but there is absolutely no excuse for this omission. It means that if you have a digibox you will not be able to record your programmes in the best possible picture quality, and that's what DVD recording should be all about.

There is a DV input on the front panel for camcorder users, and at the rear component video outputs will supply a progressive scan signal to a compatible TV, so it's not all bad news.

Recordings on this Panasonic model are very good. If you can get an S-video connection between your source and the recorder the captured image will be almost as good as RGB.

If you have to make do with composite signals (many digiboxes do not offer S-video outputs) the picture will be markedly inferior. That being said, even at the 6 and 8 hour recording modes the picture remains superior to VHS.

A digital tuner would have been handy with the big switch-off coming over the horizon, but it's that RGB Scart omission that prevents a whole-hearted endorsement of what is otherwise a very capable recorder.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD Panasonic

Panasonic DMR-ES15 dvd player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:16:42 +0100

Sony has put a steep price tag on this all-in-one home cinema system, but is there are some serious omissions on the spec sheet?

First the good news, though. This is a very attractively designed system, built around an HDD/DVD recorder with a 160GB hard disk. This offers enough capacity for up to 269 hours of programming.

You can also record on to recordable DVDs, with DVD+R, +RW, -R and -RW discs acceptable. Dual-layered DVD+R discs can also be used, boosting recording capacity.

The deck offers component video outputs for progressive scan signals, but it does not have the latest HDMI outputs, which provide a cleaner picture.

You also have to manage without DV inputs, so camcorder enthusiasts will need to look elsewhere to transfer their recordings to DVD at the best possible quality.

The sound system is a sub/sat package. It is neat and compact, but the satellite speakers look a little under-sized, especially when you look at the quoted power output of 120W per channel. The subwoofer is a big fellow and will do the grunt work via its 160mm drive unit.

The key to such a system is its ability to work as a single entity. In this respect this Sony offering is a bit of a disappointment.

The central unit is superb. Recordings are excellent in the top-quality settings, with broadcasts captured in their original glory in 1- and 1.5-hour modes.

Most people will record on to the hard disk first, then edit out unwanted scenes or adverts. The editing interface is fine, but it results in rather clunky edit points - playback pauses when it meets a point where material has been deleted. In fact, it is more effective to simply pause the recording while it is in progress - this results in far smoother edits. The picture on pre-recorded DVDs is also excellent via the progressive scan feed, and still highly impressive in RGB Scart mode.

It’s therefore a shame to report that the sound system cannot measure up to this performance. The soundstage is effective only at modest volumes. It deteriorates noticeably when you crank the volume up, and that’s disappointing on a system at this price.

Tags: Home Cinema Speakers Sony

Sony DAR-RH1000 home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 26 Jan 2006 22:31:55 +0000

With plenty of HOT deals floating around this Christmas, is it wise to opt for the cheapest model? We take a look at Philips' moderate offering hoping to last you longer than up to the January sales.

Philips' new entry-level DVD recorder is a great-looking model with the benefit of dual-format recording. It will accept +/-R and +/-RW discs, but won't record on dual-layered +R platters, as other models in the current Philips range will.

Four recording modes are available for the standard recording capacities of 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours. The top two modes are intended for high-quality archiving, while the latter two are for less important timeshifting of TV programmes.

Despite accepting DVD-RW discs, the deck will not record in the versatile VR mode. This means that the most powerful editing tools are not available. You can delete recordings, split titles and add chapter marks (either manually or automatically), but you cannot easily delete a section of a recording (such as an advert break). To do this you need to either split the title to isolate the break and then delete it, or allocate it its own chapter and then make it invisible, so that it is skipped over during playback. There is an eight-event, 1-month timer, with VideoPlus and PDC for ease of programming.

This deck does not have a built-in Freeview receiver, but it does have an input Scart that can take an RGB signal, so it will hook-up nicely with a digibox.

There are no component video outputs, so progressive scan is absent, but this an entry-level deck and the price reflects the omission.

Recordings via an RGB input are excellent in the 1-hour mode. Here the deck captures almost all the detail of the original signal, making this an excellent archiver for important programmes.

The more useful 2-hour mode is almost as good, with only slight degradation compared to the 1-hour setting.

The 4- and 6-hour recording modes introduce more artifacts, especially on fast-moving material like sport. They are really only acceptable for slow-moving programmes and are not of a good enough quality to warrant saving.

Philips has therefore offered a deck with few frills, but very capable basic recording. It's an entry-level model that cannot fail to please.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD Philips

Philips DVDR3305 DVD recorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:17 +0000

JVC’s latest home cinema offering is the first, rather strangely, to include an RGB Scart. This attractive system has that vital input, which means that digibox users will be able to record their favourite programmes in all their RGB glory.

This is only part of the story, or course. This system comes complete with a sub/sat speaker system, although the satellite speakers are actually floorstanding models.

Don’t let the size of the speakers fool you, however. The drive units are satellite spec all the way - 55mm mid-range cones with frequency responses quoted at 90Hz-20kHz.

Power ratings are optimistic, at 140W for the front stereo pair and 130W for the centre and rears. The sub, carrying a 160mm woofer, has its own 140W power supply.

The system is equipped for Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS 96/24 and Pro-Logic II playback, but if you like your Dolby Digital-EX and DTS ES soundtracks you will have to make do with the ‘virtual’ surround back option because there is no dedicated output for upgrading to genuine 6.1-channel sound.

Recording can be done on DVD-RAM, -RW and -R discs and there are four main settings (giving between 1 and 6 hours on a single-sided disc), plus JVC’s Free Rate mode, which allows for greater flexibility in recording capacity.

Recordings are excellent in 1 hour mode and remain commendable right down to the 6 hour setting, which retains a surprising amount of clarity and detail.

Playback of pre-recorded DVDs also exhibits strong picture qualities, especially when engaging the PAL progressive scan output via component video connections.

Sound quality is, sadly, a different matter. The small satellite drivers do not convince. They deliver a sound that is at times harsh and never full.

The subwoofer makes a game attempt to fill in the missing mid-range and can rumble away quite effectively, but the system does not mesh well.

The system is also awkward to set up (thanks largely to a complicated manual) and exhibits some annoying foibles, including intermittent lip-synch errors. Some operations also require complicated and non-intuitive combinations of button presses on the overly busy remote.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD JVC

JVC TH-R3 Home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 25 Oct 2005 00:21:27 +0100

You may not have heard of Funai yet, but having made a big impression in America, the Osaka-based company has even bigger plans for us here in the UK. Those plans include the launch of the DRV-B2737 VCR/DVD recorder combi. Pocket-lint sat down with the latest player to see if we could be impressed.

At around £200, this model promises to take the hassle out of transferring VHS tapes to DVD, but it must also function well as a DVD recorder in its own right to really impress us. In this respect, the deck gets off to a bad start. The input Scart socket will not accept an RGB signal.

Even if you are happy to settle for S-video, the S-video input is mounted at the front of the deck, so hooking it up to external equipment will be a bit untidy.

Funai has opted for the DVD-R/-RW camp for its DVD recorder, and you can opt to format -RW discs in VR mode, opening up the power of playlist editing. Playlist editing lets you rearrange the playing order of material on the disc without changing the original content.

You can record in one of six settings, giving one, two, four, six, eight and even 10 hours on a single DVD.

The VCR-to-DVD dubbing mode is simple but quite limited - you cannot pause during the process, so it is not possible to manually edit out material as you go along.

Picture quality in the top two modes is good when the deck is fed an S-video feed, but fairly ropey if you have to make do with a composite signal. The two-hour mode is also ideal for VHS transfers.

The image deteriorates as you step down the levels, but the degradation is not precipitous and the picture is still surprisingly watchable on simple programming (such as soaps and sitcoms, where there isn’t much movement) even in the 10-hour setting.

Regular DVD playback is very good thanks to the RGB Scart output, which makes it even more of a shame that Funai did not equip the input in the same way.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD Funai

Funai DRV-B2737 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Sep 2005 00:05:49 +0100

Sony’s HDD/DVD recorder combination is willing to go the extra mile to please consumers even if it is perhaps double the price of its competitors. But is this just Sony being expensive like no other or is the extra cost justified? We take a look and find out.

Wrap this all up in an elegant case and there is no denying the desirability of the deck, even at around £500.

Any qualms about that price are put into perspective when you put the RDR-HXD910 through its paces

First, it offers a generous 250GB hard drive, which means you can cram as much as 428 hours on to it in the lowest-quality recording mode (so recording a year of Eastenders Omnibus editions would only just make the hard drive over 25 per cent full).

It can also record on to both DVD+R/RW and -R/RW discs and is even compatible with dual-layer DVD+R discs.

There is a built-in Freeview tuner, the ability to transfer material from the hard disk to a DVD at up to 64x normal speed and a good range of editing functions.

Connectivity is first-class. There is an HDMI output capable of delivering 1920 x 1080i, 1280 x 720p or 720 x 480/576p signals (which you opt for will depend on your TV’s capabilities) and there is a component video output or RGB Scart for those without an HDMI-ready TV.

Flexibility is enhanced by the provision of eight recording modes (fitting up to eight hours on a single-layered DVD), and there is even an extra high-quality setting just for the HDD, for capturing perfect footage from a digital camcorder - yes, there is a dedicated DV input as well.

In the higher quality recording modes it captures an image that is indistinguishable from the original broadcast (having an RGB Scart input helps when you are recording from a set-top box, but so many digital recorders forget this).

The picture only begins to show signs of compression when you get to the 2.5- and three-hour settings, and it remains remarkably watchable even in eight-hour mode, although fast-paced sporting action is too much for it to handle.

Sony has gone to great lengths to make sure you get the picture you want by offering a wealth of picture adjustment options, but chances are you’ll be happy with things in the factory settings.

Tags: Home Cinema PVRs DVD Sony

Sony RDR-HXD910 HDD recorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:37:07 +0100

First-time buyers may be tempted by the real cheapie models out there on supermarket shelves, but Pioneer thinks that even newcomers to the format deserve a little more than the basics.

The DV-380 is specifically aimed at newbies, but it does not talk down to them. It offers a very respectable list of features, including some that you might not expect a first-time buyer to be interested in.

There is PAL and NTSC progressive scan, offering enhanced image quality (you need a progressive scan-capable TV to make use of this feature), and there is comprehensive file compatibility, including JPEG, MP3 and WMA files.

There is also DiVX playback, including official registration for video-on-demand downloads, and there is a wealth of picture and audio enhancements to tailor output to suit your tastes.

This is not a simple plug-in-and-play deck then, but for the most part the manual guides you through the options clearly enough. Pioneer does fall down in not spelling out the advantages of an RGB Scart connection, however - the setup section of the manual actually recommends using a simple composite video connection, claiming it is the easiest option because the necessary cable is supplied!

It may be the easiest option, but it delivers a horrible picture and defeats the object of buying a DVD player. First-time buyers may not be aware of the vastly superior picture quality to be had from an RGB Scart or component video connection, and Pioneer has done them a disservice here.

Assuming a good connection is made with your TV the DV-380 will not disappoint when it comes to performance. The image is extremely sharp and detailed, with accurate colour rendition being one of the strong points.

Home cinema sound is very good as well, but ordinary CD playback lacks the refinement you will get from a dedicated CD player.

Of course, this deck will not only appeal to aspirational newcomers - it has enough quality to lure upgraders as well. That’s quite a trick for Pioneer to have pulled off.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD Pioneer

Pioneer DV-380 DVD Player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 28 Jul 2005 00:59:55 +0100

Yamaha’s range of DVD decks may not explore the depths of pricing like some (this is the lowest-specified model and it still costs £130), but it has an aura of quality that is confirmed when you take a careful look at the spec sheet.

Topping the bill is a comprehensive set of connections, with component video outputs rubbing shoulders with an RGB Scart and S-video socket. The component outs deliver PAL and NTSC progressive scan signals, offering greatly enhanced picture quality for those with a prog scan-capable TV.

Digital audio outputs come in both optical and electrical varieties, so you will be able to hook up to your amp without any problems.

This deck does not handle DVD-Audio or SACD discs, but just about everything else is on the menu, including dual-layer DVD+R discs. You can even play JPEG and MP3 files at the same time, giving your photos a nice musical accompaniment.

DiVX playback is becoming a common feature on new DVD decks, and the Yamaha also offers official registration, so you can download and play video-on-demand files, which greatly increases the range of material available.

CD upsampling uses digital signal processing to boost the sampling rate on an ordinary CD from the standard 44.1kHz to 88.2kHz or 176.4kHz, which should put a bit of extra life into your CD collection.

The design of the deck is verging on the retro, with sharp corners instead of the now common smoothed edges, and ease of use is hampered by a poorly translated manual, but that’s about all that can be fairly criticised.

When fired up, the DVD-S557 delivers a wonderful image via its component video outputs and the RGB Scart does a consummate job for those without a prog scan TV. There is a high level of detail and the deck also handles some tricky test sequences (featuring murky shadows) with ease.

Audio performance is excellent as well. We tested this deck in harness with a brand new Yamaha DSP-AX757 receiver and the two might have been made for each other.
Both movie soundtracks and CD performance impressed - that makes it an even bigger oversight that this deck won’t play DVD-Audio discs!

Tags: Home Cinema DVD Yamaha

Yamaha DVD-S557 DVD player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 05 Jul 2005 00:27:21 +0100

All-in-one systems should be easy to set up and easy to live with. Pioneer’s new entry-level system certainly fits the bill on both counts. With colour-coded speaker sockets and small, attractively designed satellite speakers, this system will be up and running in no time - and you’ll hardly notice it’s there.

Budget systems tend to scrimp on the speakers though, and those supplied with the DCS-232 are certainly on the lightweight side. They carry 77mm drivers and have quoted frequency responses as low as 90Hz (front and centre) and 100Hz (rear). These figures seem realistic and will mean that a lot will depend on how well the subwoofer fills the bottom end of the soundstage.

The sub in question is rather small, but carries a 160mm drive unit capable of reaching down to 30Hz - so this sub isn’t getting as down and dirty as some, but it should still be enough to add the muscle to a home cinema performance.

For those who don’t like the idea of speaker cables snaking all over their living room, Pioneer offers an intriguing option. The ‘3-Spot’ configuration sees the rear speakers mounted on top of the front stereo pair. You need to engage the Front Surround mode on the receiver and then you will get a pseudo-surround sound experience.

In action the Pioneer DVD player included in the system wins laurels for its excellent picture. The lack of progressive scan output is a shame, but the RGB Scart signal is obviously coming through loud and clear. Images are very detailed and colours are beautiful.

The sound system however, doesn’t do this picture justice, struggling to remain coherent at anything other than modest volume levels.

The subwoofer needs to be seriously reined in (why are subs always set their highest levels out of the box?) or it runs riot over the weaker satellites.

At lower volumes things hang together fairly well but there remains an issue with indistinct dialogue.

And what of the 3-Spot surround feature? It does add extra width to the soundstage, but does not come close to matching a conventional setup.

Tags: Home Cinema Speakers Pioneer

Pioneer DCS-232 home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 30 Jun 2005 11:20:48 +0100

The video boom of the eighties and nineties had one rather untidy consequence - an unsightly pile of VHS tapes in every living room around the country, most probably full of stuff you might not have watched before taping over it again.

The advent of recordable DVD has opened up a more elegant world of archived programming, with slimline discs rather than bulky black boxes now housing our favourite shows.

The only problem is that the pile of VHS tapes is still there - and unless you are willing to simply throw away the whole lot or use them for radio broadcasts only, you need to deal with it.

Transferring the tapes to DVD is an obvious solution and is the major reason why decks like this one exist. You could simply hook your existing VCR up to a standalone DVD recorder, but this model makes the process considerably easier, as well as saving you space under the TV.

Panasonic’s combi can record onto DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD-RW discs. The cheaper DVD-R discs are fine for simply transferring a tape to disc, but if you want to indulge in a little editing afterwards (perhaps chopping out unwanted adverts on the original recording) you will need to opt for DVD-RAM discs.

Five recording modes are offered, fitting one, two, four, six or eight hours of programming onto a single DVD.

In tests we found that the two-hour mode is ideal for dubbing VHS tapes. We also found that the picture quality improved slightly after dubbing, with cleaner colours, but it anyone hoping to get DVD quality should basically forget it, even if they were using E-HG higher grade tapes.

Having a DVD recorder under the television means you’re likely to want to make new recordings as well, and of course, this deck has all the usual recording options that you would find on an ordinary VCR, including a 16-event, one-month timer and VideoPlus to boot.

This is where the picture quality of DVD will really come into its own. This deck can record and deliver RGB signals as well as having a component video output for progressive scan on suitably equipped TVs.

Off-air recordings in one- or two-hour modes are breathtakingly detailed and sharp, with brilliant colour reproduction that VHS just can’t compete with.

Tags: Home Cinema VHS DVD Panasonic

Panasonic DMR-ES30V VCR DVD recorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 14 Jun 2005 00:09:23 +0100