DVD Desktop Recorder - Recommendations Pls...

[TeeeRex]

Hi,

I've finally decided to take the plunge and get myself a desktop DVD recorder - the question is which one ?

On my list of 'must have's' is

UK Spec (PAL)
HDD
DVD-R / DVD-RW as a preference as I also have a Pioneer A05 (- only)
I-Link (DV Camcorder input)
No need for progressive output but should have RGB out.

The model that is looking promising is the Pioneer DVR5100HS - at £500 is feels steep but I guess this is reasonable compared to some of the Panasonic and Sony high end models which are around £650-£700.

Any recommendations would be most welcome !

Thanks in advance,

Teeerex - UK

PS - Sorry Mods - posted this in the general forum and realised my mistake as there was a dedicated forum for this topic - how do you move a post ?

[handyguy]

Also try reading left column: DVD Writers
& recorders feature
& user comments

[Capmaster]

I'd recommend the Panasonic E80. It has two things that the Pioneer doesn't - built-in TBC and adaptive bitrate recording. Two things you don't want to do without. The TBC works quite well for a built-in. I haven't had any problems with captured VHS. And the adaptive bitrate, also called Hybrid VBR, is nice because you set up the recording and if you use the "FR" flexible recording mode it'll adjust the bitrate on the fly to be as high as possible and still fit onto the disc. Instead of selecting "1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour", etc. modes like the others, it lets you enter the recording time and it optimizes the bitrate. Say, for example, you have a 2:05 movie you want to capture ...with the others you'd need to use the 3-hour mode to get it all and you'd end up with a lower quality because of it. The Panny figures out the bitrate for 2:05 and sets it. It works very well.

The Panasonic picture quality is also superb, and for the money it blows Sony and Pioneer into the weeds, IMHO.

[TeeeRex]

Capmaster,

Many thanks for your thoughts ...

High on the list was the DMRE85HEBS (replacement for the E80 one assumes) but this doesn't have DV in and the E100 is out of my price range of £500

The VBR sounds cool - the pioneer has a similiar thing (32 ranges of compression as well as the standard SP, LP etc etc) but it looks to be manual instead of auto like the Panny.

Hmmmm - decisions decisions - if it had a DV input I would go for it (the E85 that is)....

Arrrrr......

[FulciLives]

Capmaster,

Many thanks for your thoughts ...

High on the list was the DMRE85HEBS (replacement for the E80 one assumes) but this doesn't have DV in and the E100 is out of my price range of £500

The VBR sounds cool - the pioneer has a similiar thing (32 ranges of compression as well as the standard SP, LP etc etc) but it looks to be manual instead of auto like the Panny.

Hmmmm - decisions decisions - if it had a DV input I would go for it (the E85 that is)....

Arrrrr......

You really do not need DV IN

I have seen enough threads and posts that seem to indicate that there is virtualy NO DIFFERENCE in using DV output vs Analog output from a DV cam when you are encoding direct to MPEG-2 DVD spec.

Since all DV cams have analog video output just use that and don't worry about it

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I second the reccomendation of Panny stand alone DVD recorders.

[TeeeRex]

ok - thanks for this John... and a thought I had myself.

Almost sold ... (shame you're not getting any commission for this .. )

Last thing - According to the Panny website - the E85 has four AV input's as follows :-


---------------
Input - Video in
AV1/AV2 (21 pin), AV3/AV4 (pin jack)

Input - S-Video in
AV2 (21 pin), AV3/AV4 (S terminal)

Input - RGB in
AV2 (21 pin) (PAL)

Output - Video out
AV1/AV2 (21 pin), Video out (pin jack)

Output - S-Video out
AV1 (21 pin), S-Video out (S terminal)

Output - RGB out
AV1 (21 pin) (PAL)

Component Video Out
Y:1.0 Vp-p; 75 ohm, PB:0.7 Vp-p; 75 ohm, PR:0.7 Vp-p; 75 ohm
--------------

I assume from the above that I can connect the S-Video output from my DV Cam to AV3 or AV4 (and leave the cables connected - can't be doing with crawing around the back of the unit everytime I want to record from the DV cam) and still use AV1/AV2 for RGB TV connections etc ?

Thanks once again ...

TeeeRex

[Capmaster]

I'm pretty sure it has front inputs. My E50 has S-video and composite inputs in front in the lower left of the faceplate behind a little door.

Fulci ...I'll split the commission with ya

[FulciLives]

@TeeeRex

Well it appears from the info you provided that the model you are thinking of getting has at least 2 or 3 S-Video inputs so yes you can leave one set connected all the time for when you want to hook up the cam.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[TeeeRex]

Sold !

Cheers guys ....

TeeeRex

[Capmaster]

Now if I can just e-mail this post to Panasonic and see what the sale is worth to them ...

Teerex,
Seriously, I think you'll like the Panny. The first time you use it you'll be amazed at the quality of the picture it records. It even edges out my separate PC capturing box which alone cost almost as much as the Panny, and that's not counting the standalone TBC. The only thing my PC setup does better is tapes/DVDs with macrovision ......no copy protection survives that TBC, whereas the Panny will give an error on the rare occasion saying it refuses to record it. They're all like that though.