Should I buy the Panasonic DMR-HS2?

[Petriu]

Hello

I am thinking of buying the Panasonic DMR-HS2 recorder.

Or should I wait for the Pioneer DVR-002H Instead?

I have looked at reviews of the Panasonic,but haven't found that if I record a DVD-R from the harddrive,can I copy back the programs on the DVD-R to the harddrive?

I mean if I wanted to make a copy of the DVD-R?

Please tell me if there are any bad features on the Panasonic?

Thanx in advance

Petri

[gtrman]

Petriu,

I just bought the DMR-HS2 about 3 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I would suggest that if you want one, get one.

I love everything about it except these things:

1) You cannot copy your DVD-R back to the hard drive. So, you need to decide right away if you need a second or third copy before you erase the original material from the hard drive. If you make one DVD and erase from the hard drive, then realize that the DVD-R has problems, it is gone.

2) You cannot put markers on the final DVD the way you can with A CD-R. Example: say you record a concert on to CD-R. You can put a track marker at the beginning of every song without interrupting the flow of the concert. That way, you can jump straight to track 7 which may be your favorite song.

On the DVD recorder, you can't do this. You have two choices. You can make the whole concert one menu item and you will have to use the 5 minute jumps (it automatically puts these on) and the FF or Rewind scan to find the song you want. OR you can break the concert up in to individual songs. This will allow every song to have it's own item on the main menu so that you can jump straight to a song, BUT when watching the concert straight through, you will have a noticable edit point at the beginning of every new song.

I don't know why it is like this. On commercially available concert DVDs they have the whole concert with no breaks and you can choose any song from the menu and skip straight to it, so it is not a limitation of DVDs.

Those would be the worst two points to me about the machine.

On a positive note, it is great for recording compilations of things (shows, wrestling matches, performances of your favorite artists on talk shows) because you won't care about the break between items and you can have each thing have it's own menu item.

In short. Could have had some other features, but kills VCRs. I could never go back to VCRs. The quality straight from the satellite is amazing.

Lenny

[heavyharmonies]

While it is true that you cannot burn video to a DVD-R and then copy it back to the hard drive, you can however save it off to DVD-RAM and then copy it back at a later date.

DVD-RAM isn't playable in standalone DVD players, but it is a viable method to "backup" material from the hard drive in order to make room, and then copy the video back in order to work on it at a later date.

DVD-RAM discs as a general rule are quite expensive, but they are virtually infinitely re-writable. In bulk, you can get generic non-cartridge DVD-RAM for under $5 each.

I use DVD-RAM for all my computer backups. I have an internal Panasonic LFD-311 DVD-RAM/DVD-R burner (which so happens to be the same internal drive used in the DMR-HS2).

-Dan

[Petriu]

Thanx for the answers.

The thing that you can not copy from DVD-R to harddrive is bad.

Have anyone got any news when the Pioneer DVR-77H or the Pioneer DVR-002H that will come to europe will be reliesed?

I think I will wait for the Pioneer.

Anyone know if the Panasonic DMR-E80H will be able to copy from DVD-R to harddrive?

I live in Finland and the local store got me a deal for a panasonic E30,if I replace my Pioneer 545 for it I would pay 300 euros for the Panasonic.

For the HS2 I would have to pay 1000 euros.

Should I get the E30 and then get the Pioneer?



Petriu

[tjrueberg]

Petriu,

I bought the Panasonic DMR-E20 last year and just bought a DMR-E30. I LOVE both of them. My recordings from satellite are perfect and my old home video VHS (from the 80's) transfers perfect.

If you have a DVD burner in your computer you can make copies of the DVD-R anytime you want. The DMR-HS2 also has a firewire connection which would make it a great way to transfer any digital video to DVD.

For me, the only drawback to these Panasonic Recorders is the minimal menu abilities. The resulting DVD quality is great.

Good luck!

T.J.

[Captain Satellite]

While it is true that you cannot burn video to a DVD-R and then copy it back to the hard drive, you can however save it off to DVD-RAM and then copy it back at a later date.

DVD-RAM isn't playable in standalone DVD players, but it is a viable method to "backup" material from the hard drive in order to make room, and then copy the video back in order to work on it at a later date.

DVD-RAM discs as a general rule are quite expensive, but they are virtually infinitely re-writable. In bulk, you can get generic non-cartridge DVD-RAM for under $5 each.

I use DVD-RAM for all my computer backups. I have an internal Panasonic LFD-311 DVD-RAM/DVD-R burner (which so happens to be the same internal drive used in the DMR-HS2).

-Dan

Check your info, DVD-RAM is playable in many standalone players.

[pan-dmre30s]

I too have the panasonic dmr e30.

As to the menus I have the following opinion.

I would like ability to entirely remove the menu from DVD recorded on panasonic units.

I think it should be made optional.

It is an annoying feature to me unless I have multiple recordings on a disc.
Which is something I hardly ever do.

(Why force end user to select when there is nothing to select from just one option for one recording on the disc)

I would prefer it set to autoplay on the first recording.

just an idea.

The simple text string titling is good enough for me for those rare cases I have more than one recording on a disc

[thxkid]

Well I buy Ram discs at Compusa, thier brand which comes with a lifetime warranty and pay $5 for them and I take them out of the cartridges to use them, been doing so since last April and everyone of them still work perfect.

[jim15800]

I thought you can copy dvd-r to the hard drive as long as you don't finalize the dvd-r. Once it bercomes dvd-video you can't dub it to the hard drive.