Panasonic DMR-EX75EB-S - DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disk - Freeview Tuner - and HDMI With 1080i Upscaling

Panasonic DMR-EX75EB-S - DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disk - Freeview Tuner - and HDMI With 1080i Upscaling
Customer Review: Remember playback
I love many features on this recorder the hard drive is brill, I have a few problems though but a no one has mentioned them so am not sure if it is just me not able to find them.

This machine always starts a DVD from the beginning it does not remember where I was up to some machines remember the last 20 DVDs that were played so when you put them in it starts where you left off and gives you the option to go to the start if you wanted to.

I can’t find how to turn on the VPS/PDC,

I find the manual not very good not as good as the recorder.

Customer Review: 2 weeks in, so far so good
Don’t know what a PVR is. Not too sure what a DVD is, mind.

So, having set out my non-nerd qualifications…

Generally, brilliant. Had 2 old VCR machines before, and this is a different world. No-one in the house cannot record programmes in advance.

The only possible gripe so far is Radio 4 through Freeview. Not sure whether the problem is me recording on LP rather than SP mode, but..

Live broadcasts are fine, so it isn’t the Freeview tuner.

Playback of LP recorded broadcasts (of the same programme, just to be sure) come out with bits missing, a bit like ‘frame-dumping’ on old cable TVs, so you’ll get:

“Playback of cracklecrackle casts (of the same cracklecrackle sure) come out with cracklecrackle like ‘frame-dumping’ on old etc. etc.”

I will try it again on SP, but if it is an LP/SP problem, it is odd.

Overall, excellent product. I would buy it again, although I would also have liked a bigger hard disk, in retrospect - you fill it up faster than you think you will!

Allen.

-

Dolby Digital and DTS out, PCM , Bit Stream audio out.Region 2 compatible. Intelligent auto setup with auto channel sorting and mapping. Auto detect station name. 12 event 1 month timer. VPS , PDC timer programming. 16 step One Touch Record instant timner recording.
Amazon Price: ?159.99
Continue …

Amazon Price: ?53.02
Continue …

With 1080p technology. By combining intelligent i/p Conversion and 1080p___ Up-Conversion technologies, DIGA’s 1080p technology renders high-resolution 1080p images from DVD movies and TV broadcasts. Also they are equipped with a new digital tuner that achieves stable signal reception even under poor signal conditions, such as when signals are reflected by surrounding buildings.
Amazon Price: ?299.99
Used Price: ?239.99
Customer Review: Must have perfect signal
I’ve had this recorder for three months and like it except for a design fault. If a station’s signal is not perfect, even though this doesn’t effect picture quality, the machine puts a large banner across the bottom of the screen saying ‘Bad Signal’. It is impossible to get rid of this banner even though it obscures subtitles, sports statistics, and the sign language person. I’ve been in contact with Panasonic about this fault and they don’t see it as important. It isn’t a problem if you have a perfect signal (don’t assume just because your picture is perfect the recorder will see it that way) or you don’t mind a large banner covering a signifcant portion of the screen.
Customer Review: Fantastic Machine, Buy One!
I’ve owned the 160Gb version of this machine (EX77), and sold it to upgrade to the 250GB EX87. It’s fantastic. It has great functionality, is very easy to use, plenty of hard disc space and great picture quality in all but the lowest quality mode. I don’t see how a previous reviewer can criticise it for not being multi-region. NO, i repeat, NO DVD players or recorders are multi-region from the factory, so it’s unfair to point it out as a negative for this one. Those bought ready-modified have been made so by the retailer, and in the process has voided the 1 year Manufacturer’s Guarantee, so keep that in mind when buying one. If it stops working or completely dies as a result of being modified, you can’t complain to the manufacturer, but it is the responsibility of the retailer to repair or replace it for you. As long as you have a good aerial and live in a good area regarding digital broadcasting, the freeview reception is superb, with a very easy to use EPG (it has none of the glitches present in the equivalent Sony models or the absolutely shocking Samsung 853/855 recorders). Please be aware, this machine has a Time Slip function, but this IS NOT the same as a Pause Live TV function. Time Slip is just a name Panasonic have given for the ability to skip through a recording in 10-minute increments (or however many you want), instead of sitting there fast-forwarding through it to find where you want to watch it from. It is NOT like Sky+ which automatically records whatever channel you are watching. You can simulate Sky+ by recording the programme yourself, then you can pause or rewind it while it continues to record so you don’t miss the programme (useful for sporting events so you can go back and watch something again immediately). This is called Chase Playback. If you know these things before buying, you won’t be upset when you find out it doesn’t have “true” Pause Live TV, so a little research before buying can be very useful. And before anyone complains that it doesn’t have twin digital tuners (which would allow you to record one freeview channel while watching another), don’t. No DVD recorders outside Japan have more than 1 digital tuner, so again, don’t criticise the Panasonic, none of its competitors have them either. And if they are advertised as having “twin tuners”, only 1 of them is digital, the other is analogue, which will become redundant when the analogue signal is switched off over the next couple of years anyway, so is not necessarily worth having. If you want twin digital tuners, then buy a PVR instead, or buy this type of machine, and also buy a separate ?20 Set-Top Box, so you can record one channel from the recorder’s own freeview tuner, and watch something else on the STB. Overall I can’t fault it and would recommend it to anyone (as long as you don’t need to play divx material (avi files), as the UK-spec machines have had this feature removed due to licensing issues. European machines can be imported because they do play divx, but the digital tuner might not work properly in the UK, so it’s a risk you have to weigh up).
Continue …