Pioneer and Panasonic DVD Recorders w/HD?

[MCnDaHouse]

Do Pioneer and Panasonic still make DVRs?

I looked on their website and neither list DVD Recorders with Hard Drives.

My aunt's VCR finally gave up the ghost and I'm trying to move her up to a DVD recorder with HD but having a time finding one.

MC

[wabjxo]

Check out the Philips DVDR3575... lots of info here.

[jjeff]

I agree with the previous. I actually had one in my cart at walmart today, $299, only to put it back. Looked like a nice unit, and as noted HDD recorders are like hens teeth, but I think I'll wait for one than can record HD to the HDD, and also pass thru the HD from the tuner to the TV. It seems most all of us are waiting for that baby. Consumers in search of a non existent product(for now), I'll wait.

[wabjxo]

jjeff, Maybe you should have kept the Philips 3575 in your cart... slim chance we won't be getting any more HDDs or products that contain them?

[jjeff]

Wabjxo, Actually it was mostly your, and others reviews of the Phillips DVR that made me put in my cart in the first place . But have you actually heard official news that a, say Panasonic HDD DVR, is not comming out in next years model? I have read on other posts that next years Panny's WILL include the HD passthru option, but not a word on HDD.
Also speeking of the Panny, I am VERY familiar with Panny's, having MANY in the past. I really like the PQ of my EZ27, reliablity is another story, but have you personally had the oportunity to compare the PQ of this 3575 against, say a EZ17 or EZ27 from panny? I would be most intrested in say the 2,3 and 4 hr modes. Which I personally think the Panny is more than adaquate, and I guess I would reconsider the 3575 again.
One last thing about the 3575, I noticed a USB port on the front of the unit, and I was wondering if a person could attach a larger HDD to it? or more likely, is it just for a thumb drive? I would really like a larger HDD, since I will be mainly using the 2hr mode, and I would think it would fill up rather quickly at that speed. Has anyone had any expeience on replacing the internal HDD and upsizing, to say a 750 GB drive?
Thanks for the info.

[wabjxo]

On HDDs: I don't know and haven't heard anything on new stuff, even tho I 've been searching high and low for past month. The thread on the ITC filings just popped into view during one of my searches... not sure they will have a direct effect on anything we want or not. Just somethin' to consider if things don't happen as we expect?

On Panny comparison: No, I haven't used Panny recorders since my professional life as a video producer. I've only got a Panny combo unit now that I use for testing DVD playability. Not sure how the 3575 would stack up against the Pannys you mention... besides, I don't believe in direct comparisons in these forums anymore since one person posted that the Pioneer 640 had a better PQ than the Pannys based on direct side-by-side comparison on a Sat feed... all hell broke loose, PMs flying back and forth... then capitulation by the tester! :P

On USB port: Don't think it's useable for an external drive. One person connected his laptop and said it showed an attached drive, but he didn't seem to take it any further. If it worked, seems we'd have heard a loud shout by now?

[jjeff]

Wabjxo,
Thanks for the quick response, I had actually been spending the last hr. reading your WONDERFUL review on the 3575 on avsform. Dont know how I ever missed it before, being right on the TOP as it was. Anyway cudo's on that COMPLETE review of what sounds like a super product. I think I'd be heading back to walmart today, except here in MN, we are in the middle of a blizzard, which they say could be in the feet! Ugh
I also understand your reluctance to compare products online. I know I've read some threads complaining about the PQ of Panny dvd recorders!! I personally know when I first researched them 4? yrs. ago, NOTHING came close to the PQ of the panny's SP/LP mode. I tired: Ilo, cyberhome, pioneer, Centrios, Liton, LG and yes Sony! (sorry I didnt write down model numbers, I used the most common ones at the time, and none were HDD's, only DVD recorders). I'm sure the people at VISA did not appreciate me! . I'm sorry I did not try JVC. Lots of people seem to like those, but they are not that common around here and now they do not make a HDD unit. The reason I mention all this is, I think I am somewhat fussy when it comes to PQ, witch is #1 on my list, #2 is reliability. Since I was more than satisfied with the PQ on my Panny's, I was hoping for a comparison from someone who had seen both. But I suppose "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so I guess I should get a 3575 and compare myself.
One thing I could not find from your avs review was, can you change the picture of the thumbnail on the 3575? I use this feature on my Panny's all the time. Other than that, and depending on the PQ of the 3575, I hope I will be happy.
Thanks again for all the great feedback on this unit! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one out here noticing all the things you noted. The term I once read "HD lite" is great. SD off of HD is not HD, but a damn site better than SD off of SD!
P.S. Again have you heard of any one that has "upsized" the internal 160gb drive to something larger? I know it would void the warranty, but it would be nice to know for the future.
P.P.S. the HD pass thru is not really a big deal for me, my 32" Panny has a built in digital tuner which I would use all the time for live viewing, but true HD to the HDD, I guess that would be the holy grail(if and that's a big IF, it ever happens). I am one of the 14% (just read this morning) that get all there TV OTA, otherwise I suppose I could get a HR20 or some other sat/cable dvr and be done with it(yes I know about Tivo guys, but the reason I dont have pay tv is I'm cheap, I get all I want OTA, I just want to time shift it. And I've read about Myth, but I do not want to tie my PC into my av loop. I just want a standalone device, like I hope, the 3575).

[oldfart13]

jjeff, consider that many items listed in Japan never make their way over here anyway. That HD DVD recorder may be one of them. Content providers here don't want you to record that HD content anyway. I'm figuring perhaps a port to allow direct recordings from the Japanese TV sats as well since that was standard in many of the Japanese version recorders of the past. And then the cost (around $2,500USD) will mean only a handful of people would be interested anyway. Consider that the typical HDD recorder costs only $300 - $500 these days and even at that price seems to be a faltering market. At least here in Canada I can get the latest of the Panny HDD models. I was looking into it as my Christmas present so I could get away from the Chinese company recorders and maintain compatability with my E80H (as well as 3 friends who have Pannies as well). Time will tell but there are no announcements from Panasonic USA or Canada of a release for that HD model...

[wabjxo]

oldfart, you mentioning the $300-500 range for recorders... I'm surprised we can even come close to that anymore since our US $ is worth 40% less than a year or two ago. Asian designers and mfgrs are paying in their higher-value currency but not getting more in US $ when they sell them here. I'd not be surprised for them to just say, we can't get a high enough price in US $ to sell to you anymore!?

jjeff, thanks for the kudos... putting that AVS thread on the 3575 together was actually a lot of fun!
On the index pic... you can change it on DVDs but not on the HDD.

On the HDD swap... no one has tried yet. Too new. Seems possible being a Philips/Funai product? Maybe same people made the Polaroid 2001G which takes all sorts of other HDDs and sizes?

On PQ... As you prob. know from reading my AVS thread, digital channels record outstandingly on the 3575. The 3-hr-LP, 4-hr-EP, and 6-hr-SLP modes do fine on many types of shows if recorded from a digital channel. Where you might find PQ lacking is in recording a SD analog channel with thos longer modes. SP is very good, tho.

[handyguy]

Woot had a $99 & $5 shipping 160 hd with hdtv tuner dvd recorder yesterday. Not a hot model.

I would need one that has a programming scheduler much like the Panasonics have. Guide Plus.

[Seeker47]

consider that many items listed in Japan never make their way over here anyway. That HD DVD recorder may be one of them. Content providers here don't want you to record that HD content anyway. I
And then the cost (around $2,500USD) will mean only a handful of people would be interested anyway. Consider that the typical HDD recorder costs only $300 - $500 these days and even at that price seems to be a faltering market.

I think your analysis of the situation is likely correct: all of the above. (The mildly interesting wrinkle is that Sat or Cable providers will lease you a dvr -- usually incorporated into a fancier model of their receiver box -- that can record HD in HD. Unfortunately, the HDD capacities there are lacking, and I don't recall reading any mention of one that allows you to archive said HD content off of their dvr, which comes as no surprise.) A decent consumer HD DVDR would require greater HD capacities, and the price would surely be more than when the first DVDRs came on the market, appealing to high-enders and early adopters, or possibly as expensive as you suggest. Not enough of a market there, I'm afraid.

[oldfart13]

OT I checked out the museum. Yeah, lotsa memories. I still play the pins almost everyday as a friend owns the last of the arcades in town. In my heydey it was just like the WHO song...I played pins in Brighton and Soho in 1987. Been playing them for almost 50 years now....

[simplesmn]

Do Pioneer and Panasonic still make DVRs?

I looked on their website and neither list DVD Recorders with Hard Drives.

My aunt's VCR finally gave up the ghost and I'm trying to move her up to a DVD recorder with HD but having a time finding one.

MC

Join the club. I've got two Toshiba HDD DVR's and a friend of mine has two Panasonics and we both have been looking to buy another unit lately but just cant find any. He actually called Panasonic and was told they have no plans to make anymore HDD units anytime soon. I finally broke down and bought a unit that just records to DVD (one that records to RAM disks so I can at least get Timeslip functions with it) for my mother. (teaching her to use it is another matter).

[Seeker47]

OT I checked out the museum. Yeah, lotsa memories. I still play the pins almost everyday as a friend owns the last of the arcades in town. In my heydey it was just like the WHO song...I played pins in Brighton and Soho in 1987. Been playing them for almost 50 years now....

Yeah, lotsa memories. I'd like to start a thread on this later this week, if I get the chance, but guess it should be in that catchall OT section -- whatever they call it here. I might like to quote your post to start if off, if that's o.k.

[oldfart13]

Fine by me...quote away...

[lacywest]

interesting