Which is the most RELIABLE DVD video recorder...

[ofbarea]

I bought a few days ago a Panasonic DMR-E55 DVD Recorder. This thing works with DVD-RAM and DVD-R.

I have not done extensive testing but the image quality of 8 hours recording does not have noticeable macro blocks problems and the resulting video looks a bit better than a VHS recording.

Recording from very noisy sources (like my old VHS collection) works pretty well. It appears to have a nice TBC. I tested the DMR-E55 TBC capabilities when capturing a very bad VHS video with an ADS PYRO A/V Link. Basically I connected my VHS to the composite line in of the DVD burner. Then I connected the ADS PYRO to the s-video line out of the E55. The final DV video in my PC was excellent. This was my first 0 dropped frames capture from VHS using the Pyro A/V link. It also has a video that can help with problematic VHS sources.

Maybe it’s too early to tell, but so far I’m very happy with this unit. I’m just missing the following features: No DVD+RW support, No coax audio out, no zoom and no Multisystem support (PAL to NTSC / NTSC to PAL conversion).

[ChrisX]

Most of the best recorders are just a few months old.
Most of the older ones have major flaws in quality.

I am please to hear that as my Pioneer DVD hard disk recorder as only released March 2004.

I've been told by the salesman as the most popular brand and model for this year and this must be very reliable.

Very good as must be the best available yet. I think Panasonic as very good too.

[Sam Ontario]

Sam Ontario...

You should have not bought the Panasonic DVD-A300 DVD player. I am already aware that early Panasonic DVD players have problems with the optical pickup. If you would have bought a Toshiba or Sony in 1997 or 1998, it should still be running today. I'm still enjoying my old 1997 Toshiba SD-3006 and SD-3107 DVD players. In my personal opinion, I never consider Panasonic to be the best Made in Japan brand for quality. For example, early Panasonic SVHS VCRs, 1987-1990, tend to have problem with the SVHS video process board that fail in the early going. I have three Panasonic SVHS VCRs sitting in the closet as non-working. I am actually very furious about that because I've been spending $500 to find a working Panasonic SVHS VCR but still cannot find one that actually works. That's why, I will make sure that my new LCD and plasma television will not be a Panasonic.

Walt(er) Chan

When I bought my Panasonic (some equivalent US$800 in Hong Kong) at that time, only this model was available with VCD playing capability. Toshiba DVD player came out some 3 to 6 months later. I had the Toshiba S-VHS recorder (cannot remember the model), it did not last more than 2 years, mostly mechanism failure, 4 Mitsubishi S-VHS, all of them did not last more than 2 years. Now I only use the Mitsubishi S-VHS S100 (over 10 years old), recording and playing is fine but the eject mechanism is poor that the VCR cover is constantly opened for forced ejecting the tape. I have the Sharp and JVC Multi-system Hi-Fi VHS recorders for over 10 years, never breakdown and are still going strong.

I had many Ricoh, Sony and Canon new 1st generation or 2nd generation products (all were being recycled I think). They were expensive and also did not last more than 2 years. Now I stay away from these brands until they are at least at the 4th generation.

I had been patiently waiting for quite a while for a DVD recorder. I bought the Daytek and the Philips DVD recorders (Philips DVDR75 is a second generation DVD recorder and I hope it will not disappoint me in the long run or else it will be my last Philips product) for I did not want to use the PC's lengthy and tedious and time consuming way of making a DVD and their prices becoming affordable and I bought. No regret so far.