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  1. Member
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    I am deciding between a Panasonic DMR-EH59GA-K HDD + DVD Recorder and a Magnavox ZV427MG9 DVD Recorder + VCR. I suspect a HDD is better, but am leery of its noise. My computer HDD has been too loud for me since it was new (I’m more sensitive than most people). Panasonic claims “Locating the HDD damper closer to the hard disk drive than in conventional hard disk drive mounting configurations effectively improves absorption of hard disk drive vibrations.” and “automatically adjusts fan speed based on information received from an internal heat sensor…when the temperature is low, the fan shuts off entirely, providing whisper-quiet operation.”. Panasonic DMR-EH59GA-K owners: at the same distance, is your recorder much quieter than your computer ? Was it worse during hot summer days ? Is it similar to DVD Recorder noise ? (I have a Sony DVD Recorder)
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    I have several EH-59s and other than when they get hot(warm room, extensive recording) I never here it(oh it does make a bit of noise during finalizing or HS dubbing a DVD but thats very short lived) when it gets warm the fan starts but is quite quiet(quieter than a desktop PC).
    I also tend to notice noise(I can even here when the rather quiet HDD spins down after 30 minutes of non use on my EH-50 Panasonic DVDRs) but I never really here my EH-59s, again expect during the brief time of HS dubbing or on the rare occasion when they get very warm.
    Personally I wouldn't purchase one of those HDD less Magnavox combos, a better choice(although lacking the VCR) would be a HDD Magnavox like the 535 which is very well documented in this thread:
    http://www.avsforum.com/t/940657/magnavox-537-535-533-515-513-2160a-2160-2080-philips-3576-3575
    Combos like the one you mentioned tend to be very cheaply made and like many direct to DVD recorders they tend to have quite a few issues.

    I've never owned a Sony DVDR for more than a few days so I can't really give you a comparison there.
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    jjeff: Thanks for the feedback on noise. I am emboldened to try the Panasonic EH59. The Magnavox was the option without HDD (noise) (I had previously compared the Panasonic EH59 to the Magnavox MDR535HF7 series and decided on the Panasonic).
    I’ve done much searching and reading at AVS Forum and would have posted there but my old computer can’t handle their technology (can’t register).

    Everyone:

    I wonder if the Panasonic HDD is a custom Panasonic spec or if it’s a generic model that I could use in the new quiet computer system I’m designing. I wonder if multi-media (or whatever they’re called now) computers have quiet drives (that I could find and buy for mine).

    (Unrelated I wonder how fast the Panasonic EH59 is from power off to recording (for example driving home hearing music on radio rushing in house to record (I plan to record both video and audio and avoid a CD recorder))
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    I'm quite sure the Panasonic uses a standard 3.5" drive but the way it's enclosed and mounted I really never here the HDD, only on occasion the rear fan.
    To me the noisiest thing about a PC is the fan, not as much the HDD. I have a HP desktop thats normally quite quiet except when first turning it on, then I can really hear the fan for the first few seconds. My HP laptop is all but silent while my daughters Acer definatly makes fan noise whenever on and gets nosier as it gets warmer.
    My worst PC is a small case HP(I believe actually supposed to be for a HTPC) which always has fan noise and gets much louder as it gets even the least bit warm. Others are sure to know more about HTPCs, I just use my PCs for internet and a few other apps.
    Oh and your last question, the Panasonic has a option called Quick Start that when enabled lets you record in the matter of a few seconds from the OFF state. To save power I leave that feature off and it takes 20-30 seconds to record from the off state.
    Lastly B&H currently has a couple customer return EH Panasonics for sale, as EH-59 for $239 and a EH-59 for $320, this is how I purchased mine and they have been working great for >1 year. A 8+ may have a few scratches while 9 or 9+ looks basically new.
    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/DVD-Players-Recorders/ci/15316/N/4294210544
    I'd love to grab that EH-59 but 3 is well enough for me......
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  5. Originally Posted by mindtank View Post
    I wonder if the Panasonic HDD is a custom Panasonic spec or if it’s a generic model that I could use in the new quiet computer system I’m designing. I wonder if multi-media (or whatever they’re called now) computers have quiet drives (that I could find and buy for mine).
    There are people who are ridiculously, ludicrously sensitive to the slightest noise (I used to be one of them, having an unearthly sensitivity to the high-pitched whine of CRT televisions and computer monitors). Unfortunately, when it comes to computers, no mfr has any particular interest in serving such a tiny market. Hard drives make noise, period. You can mask it somewhat with careful mounting, but the large sturdy 3.5" HDDs used in DVD/HDD recorders and desktop PCs need air circulation to avoid premature heat failure. This limits how much practical sound insulation you can apply and pretty much requires a fan.

    The quietest standard computers I've used are Apple Mac Minis, these have outboard power bricks and use 2.5" laptop hard drives (so only need a small quiet laptop fan). This isn't a solution for everyone, because Macs have issues playing certain types of video files, and of course if you are a long-term Windows PC user you wouldn't want to switch to another platform (I use both for different things).

    The least noisy computer you can put together would use a laptop CPU, and either a 2.5" laptop HDD or a solid state hard drive replacement (SSD). These parts generate less heat and would let you get away with a tiny quiet temp-actuated fan.

    (Unrelated I wonder how fast the Panasonic EH59 is from power off to recording (for example driving home hearing music on radio rushing in house to record (I plan to record both video and audio and avoid a CD recorder))
    If you are interested in instant recording, a cheap DVD-only recorder (with no HDD) would be a bad choice. If you are a persnickety user with a variety of tasks in mind for your recorder, any Magnavox would be a disappointment, even the better-grade DVD/HDD models. They are clunky as all hell to operate, and fight you at doing the most simple, mundane things that any other recorder does intuitively. The sole reason to opt for a Magnavox over the far-superior Panasonic EH59 would be if you receive your TV signal via an off-air antenna instead of a cable or satellite decoder box. The Magnavox MDR533, 535 and 537 include an off-air tuner for North American broadcasts, the Panasonic EH59 does not. The EH59 requires an external tuner box, or cable/satellite box, to record TV shows.

    All DVD recorders have fans, many of which are quite audible to those with sensitive ears. The recorders without hard drives are often noisier than those that include a HDD: their fans run more frequently and at higher speeds. So there is no real noise advantage to a non-HDD recorder, and many usage drawbacks. All HDDs and fans get noisier with age: the computer or recorder that seems whisper-quiet today will not be so delightful six months from now. If you have sensitive ears, expect to be annoyed sooner or later.

    Go with a DVD/HDD unit.
    Last edited by orsetto; 2nd Dec 2013 at 16:59.
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    Until Orsetto bolded it I didn't notice your part about CDs. Very very few DVDRs also record to CD and no Panasonics do. Of the few that do like Liteon, I'm not sure if they record in a CD standard but I think it might just be VCD which will not play in a CD player. I think to record audio CDs you need either a PC or standalone CD recorder with special music formatted CDs.
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