Panasonic DMR-E30 owner's Question

[Erwin]

I was looking at getting on of these, but this "5 minute chapter thing" has me wondering. Can you have manual chapter points if you push pause and record again(for example, getting commercials out and pushing record again when getting to a desired point); if one can do that, I am fine with getting one. So the TBC feature is something that is lacking in computer capture? Does this mean I would have audio/video synch issues if I used my Ati AIW 128 Pro card even if I upgraded to an Intel P4 (2.4 GHZ), Win XP, and 512 MB of DDRAM b/c it's lacking the TBC? Thanks everyone in advance.

[pan-dmre30s]

No pausing the recording does not add chapters it just stops the record temporarily and the commercial is not recorded at all in the first place.

Using DVD-R media (which I highly recommend) you cannot add chapter points at all.

You should probably get another model like the HS2 with a harddrive if you plan on making edits on the recorder before writing to disc.

(although it is probably not the best at making edits and apparently has audio issues read other group posts I dont own one)

I dont know what you are using the ATI video card for at all.

If computer capture that makes little sense as you can read the recorded DVD directly into the computer

It doesnt have any issue for TV out either although why would you do this.

You can hook cable directly to the DVD recorder unit.

[Erwin]

I was hoping to make chapters. Here is the deal. I want all my Simpsons Episodes (Season 4 through now on DVD). Not having chapters will really be frustrating trying to start an individual episode. So, I guess DVD recorders are more ideal for simply doing movie only or watching tv shows temporarily on DVD-RW. I guess I have to bite my wallet and upgrade my computer to get a DVD writer. The only thing I won't upgrade is my ATI card (ati AIW 128 pro) and the sound card.

[pan-dmre30s]

This may be what you want to do although it is more steps and not what I do.

I am lazy and just hit record and stop at end of tape .

you can make several recordings per disc if you want.
(one recording per episode)

Your main menu will allow you to select episodes from the recording.

The unit will add the chapters at 5 min increments in each recording.

You can use the chapter forward and back to move in 5 min blocks for each recording.


Lets say you have 4 30 minute shows on a tape to copy to DVD-R.

(You would start VCR, start recording on DMR-e30, stop dmr-e30, stop VCR, repeat..)

first recording is at rate of 2 hours for entiire disc.

second recording is at rate of 1 hour 30 mins for remaining space.

third recording is at rate of 1 hour for remaing space.

fourth recording is 30 mins in remaining space

(Note complaints about recordings of under 1 hour failing have been mentioned in group - although this was for an entire disc)

[Erwin]

"you can make several recordings per disc if you want.
(one recording per episode)

Your main menu will allow you to select episodes from the recording."

So what you are saying is that I can start an episode from the begining through the menu. Example:
I have one DVD-R disc
*I record about 6-7 episodes
*I pause and record between each commercial.
*I stop and record between each episode.
So, after the recording is done, you can access the episodes or marks that you began after stoping the recording? I hope these questions are not too confusing

[danylab]

Hi,

You have it right.

As long as your dvd-r is not finalized, you will use the "Direct Navigator" to access your episodes.

When you finalize it, a menu will be generated (direct navigator will not work with that disk anymore). You will see a line for each episode (you can name each one within the direct navigator before finalizing it).

When you choose an episode, if you press "skip", it will move forward (or backward) about 5 min.

If you start from a vhs, you could use the 4h (LP) mode and, for me, it still better than vhs at SP (you save dvd-r).

[Erwin]

I might be able to deal with this. If I can access the beginning of each episode, than the DVD Recorder sounds very tempting. I have them all on tape. Some (maybe 1 out of every 45 are not in the greatest shape due to circumstances like "the cable reception was poor" or "the quality of the tape was not great". With 4 hours available, I could probably cram about 10 to 11 episodes per disc. It's nice looking at the DVD authoring programs and being able to arrange your own thumbnails, create chapter titles, and menu backgrounds with theme music playing in the background. Right now, I have this set up:
*800MHZ Duron (slowwwww)
*An outdated FIC motherboard has been abandoned by the company
*192MB SDRAM
*An ATI AIW 120 Pro 32MB
*Sound Blaster Sound Card
*Win ME

Here is what I would have to update to(pretty much a new computer) come close to capturing studio that I would want:
*P4 (2.4GHZ) ($200) I want a change from AMDs
*DVD+R Drive ($217)
*An Intel Motherboard ($119)
*512MB DDRAM ($90)
*A new tower with 350-400watt supply ($60)
*Win XP ($90)
Almost $800

Then as I am planning all this, a computer guy says, "But I would atleast get a 64MB video capturing card b/c 32MB is probably not enough". Everything was silent and I just wanted throw my computer against the wall......WHAT???? I can't even use my ATI card that I spent about $200 on a year and half ago? You won't like me when I'm angry

[danylab]

Check that link for the DMR-E30:

http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/live_manuals/default.asp

Check the interactive demo or download the manual.

You won't have complex menus or nice background (blue only), but, everything is functionnal and clean.

Much better than messing around with vhs tape.

In a few month, I won't have many tape left...

[Erwin]

Thanks for all the help pan-dmre30s and danylab. The player does look nice and I have seen it for reasonable prices. So, if I wanted to play a certain Simpson Episode, I would need to push the "menu" button. Come to think of it, the Simpsons SEASON 1 and 2 DVD sets are just like that. You can't thumb through chapters to watch them all, you have to go to the menu everytime (it's no big deal though and 44 characters is more than enough to describe an Episode). It would wiser for me to get the DVD Recorder first b/c I can easily return it if it doesn't work out. You can't easily return motherboards, processors, and software.

[pan-dmre30s]

Hello Erwin.

Just my opinion you may not want to cram episodes onto the disc.

Especially with source issues to start with.


I would suggest using 2 to maybe 3 hours per disc maximum.
You can tell the difference between this and 4-6 hour recording rate.

I also recommend you test every recording made in a computer to verify that you can read all the files off the disc without errors.

(This is to allow backups and help ensure no glitches are in video output)

I have had to re record a few tapes due to bad media or scratches on the media.

I think you will enjoy the unit and not ever want to return it.
I want to own more of them myself.

[Erwin]

"Just my opinion you may not want to cram episodes onto the disc."

Point taken. Yeah, I was think about 3 hours which is about 7-8 episodes per disc. The old tapes need all the help they can get

[danylab]

Hi,

I would like to make sure I understand your 3h a disk.

LP is 4h, EP 6h. If you record a dvd-r at LP, why leave 1h blank?

I've seen is few post about bad media when it is almost full, but if you take a reasonnably good one (I use Ritek), you should be able to use it fully. After 50 burn, I haven't found a faulty one

Your test is a very good idea, a duplicate on a pc is the ultimate test, you have to read it all... but time consuming

After finalizing them, I use another dvd player, press the "skip forward" button many time to scan the disk to let it play at a few different place. A few minutes and my test is done.

For the most precious stuff (family), I take note of your "ultimate" test. Thanks!

danylab

[Erwin]

I just thought of 2 more questions:

1.) How do you go about having the diffent titles seperate (labeled). Is it when you actually push "stop" then start recording again?

2.) One thing that may be annoying is that each episode will have a 1.5 minute intro. I like to leave the intros, but I always skip them when I watch a specific episode. Anyway to get around this other than pressing the "Fast Forward button"?

[pan-dmre30s]

danylab answers to your questions.

My example of 2-3 hours would be using flex record (I do everything using flex record for my discs with variable bit rate ).

This allows you to enter your recording length to a certain # of minutes and would not leave 1 hour of extra space.

if you want to make sure you do not burn to the edge just add a few minutes 5-10 to the recording length.

I also agree your test is good and I always do this first to catch obvious errors after finalization.

(Skip through to each chapter because if it fails to skip to a chapter it has obvious bad sectors and can be thrown away)

Another obvious failed recording is a disc with more recordings than you made because the unit itself may switch to a new recording (video title set) if it encounters bad sectors.

However some discs have passed through these tests and I catch them later when I try to copy them on my computer.

I dont want to lose any recording as all of mine are very old so I make 100% sure it is duplicated so I can eventually throw away the VHS tape without losing the video forever.

I have tried 2 media types so far DVDPro , Optodisc.

DVDPro was okay but had issues I prefer it to Optodisc.

The Optodiscs I got had several discs with visible scratches (trashed) which I cant explain since they were in a sealed spindle. and well packed.

these have issues when burned to full length as well.

Price does not always gaurantee quality (the optodiscs are about 2 times the price I paid for DVDPro)

Thanks for the Ritek advice but I am stuck with Optodiscs for a while until I run out again.


Questions from Erwin.

for 1.

I have never titled my recordings because I never make more than one recording per discs normally.

They have the time and date they were recorded (once I bothered to set the clock)

I label the disc itself with a marker.
I put a white sticker on the jewel case with much more info and a disc ID
Then I use a windows movie collector program from collectorz.com to catalog the DVD-R.

Now I have much more knowledge of what exactly I have on my DVD's before I had no idea exactly what all was on my tapes recorded over many years.

For 2. I think you will have to use Fast Forward to skip the intro unless it happened to be exactly 5 minutes in length

[brennick]

I have been recording TV shows from TIVO to Panasonic E30 on DVD-R media. For each new show I hit stop and then record for the new show, producing a new chapter for each show. However, I generally can't sit through each recording and cut out commercials with the pause - record method. BTW, the FR mode is great.

I also have a Sony DRU500AX in my computer and would like to edit the commercials from the DVD-R disks. What is the best and easiest to use software to cut out the commercials. Since the Sony can burn in many formats. what's the best DVD format to burn my final DVD. Do I have to use a decrypter prior to editting the DVD?

Thanks

[pan-dmre30s]

The files on the DVD recorded by your standalone recorder should not be encrypted.

This means you can simply copy from the DVD without any special steps.

best format after you have edited the content is a write once media like DVD-R.

I cannot tell you which software to use to edit VOB files.
I would suggest you read the editing/authoring forums on this board.

[danylab]

Hi brennick and pan-dmre30s,

You're right, the video is not encrypted. You can easily duplicate them with "Easy CD & DVD Creator 6.0" or Nero.

For the edit stuff, I've asked the same thing in that post:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143860

Still no solution

Maybe it's me or my setup that cause me trouble, but I've done research and very few post on the net are about the difficulties to edit the ".ac3" format (at least for me). I've followed many suggestion, no interesting results Until I find something functionnal, I will have to edit the old way "play-rec-pause".

danylab