PANASONIC DMR-EZ48VP-K 1080p Up-Converting VHS/DVD Recorder (1 Viewer)

[SWFF]

I'm looking to buy a DVD Recorder/VHS Player Combo and would like to know if anyone can recommend a good one, preferably under $200. Here's the one I was planning on getting: Toshiba DVR620 with 1080p upconversion.

 

[SWFF]

Okay, I've decided to get the PANASONIC DMR-EZ48VP-K 1080p Up-Converting VHS/DVD Recorder with built in Tuner. I understand, at least, from the reviews I've read, that it's the best VHS/DVD Recorder on the market. Anyone have one? Love to know what HTF members have to say about it.

 

[SWFF]

Okay, I need help on this.


I just got the unit today and hooked it up, now, my assumption has always been that if I record a TV show or a movie on a DVD-RAM disc it will record it anamorphically from the HD channel.


I tried to do that and got just the letterboxed show, with the black bars on the top and bottom. I went back and checked the menu Set-Up for DVD-RAM and it's set for letterbox recordering, at least, that's how it looks to me.


Am I hooked up wrong. I'm not using the HDMI cable, basically because the two outlets it came with are already in use by my TV and DVD Player, and I have a cable box. It's hooked up a bit differently than what's suggested in the instruction, but I can still play and record.


So, what am I doing wrong? Or, am I wrong to think that it can record anamorphically. This, too, has crossed my mind. If any of you guys can help, it would be much appreciated.

 

[Philip Hamm]

In order to record anamorphic on my Panasonic DVD recorder, the TV Screen has to be set to 16:9. When I record over the air I always change the TV settings even though my TV is 4:3. Hope this helps!

 

[Charles Smith]

(Haven't tried any DVD-RAM stuff yet, so can't help with this question. But I'll be following along.)


I've had the DMR-EZ485V (whatever the difference may be) for a couple of years, and I mostly love--- er, really really like it. I did a fair amount of research and it did seem to be the best one out there. This series must still be the best, and be selling well, because I still see it in Costco, where I bought it, and in Best Buy. I should do more with it, which so far has been recording movies from TCM and the occasional PBS special.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Yeah - I'm a big fan. My Panasonic DVD recorder is san frantastic! I haven't used it for anything other than OTA ATSC recording, and it's annoying that I have to set it to a 16:9 video screen output in order for it to record at 16:9. I have a few complaints about it, but the utility makes it more than worth it. I've got fairly well recorded DVDs of the last two PBS Ken Burns productions ("Baseball The Tenth Inning" and "The National Parks"). Also, McCartney on SNL last weekend. I also don't use it as much as I should, but I am glad I have it when I do use it.


BTW the DVD-RAM recording is absolutely the best!!!!

 

[Charles Smith]

Obviously I need to get with the program and get me some DVD-RAMs. What else makes them good, besides the anamorphic capability? And what brand or spec do you recommend buying?

 

[SWFF]

I hooked this baby up in every concievable way and still I cannot record anamorphically. It records don't get me wrong, but it won't anamorphic-wise. Have no clue what I'm doing wrong. Well, anyway, I still gotta experiment with the copying today, make sure that works, and all. What a bummer. Now a I got a bunch of Panasonic DVD-RAMs that are useless.

 

[Philip Hamm]

The user manual description seems to be the same as mine. For DVD-R and DVD-RW you have to select TV Size of 16:9 to get 16:9 encoded on the disc. It looke from the manual (p.23) that it will always record 16:9 to DVD-RAM, but I always set the TV size to 16:9 anyway. It's only when using DVD-RAM that it's flagged so that it will play back correctly on a 4:3 TV set. If you record 16:9 on a DVD-R or DVD-RW it will play back stretched to 4:3 on a 4:3 TV. What shape TV do you have? Why do you think that your pictures are not being recorded anamorphically? (Anamorphic is not really what's happening here, it's really just a 16:9 frame instead of a 4:3 frame)


http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMREZ48V-MUL.PDF


Now, wait - are you referring to recording using the inputs on the machine? Or from ATSC broadcasts? If you're trying to record 16:9 using one of the video inputs, I don't know how/if that works.

 

[SWFF]

I'm not sure of anything anymore, but I've hit my saturation limit in trying to figure this anamorphic hting out. It records and I'm happy with that, and it copies nicely, too, so, I'm cool with that also.

 

[SWFF]

Anybody else have this problem? I'm in the process of converting my taped VHS to DVD and when it came time to copy HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS, the player read the tape as a store bought one and refused to copy it. Which is nonsense, I taped it off of cable years ago. Just to make sure the player hadn't suddenly become defective or anything, I popped in another movie and the copying process began without trouble.

 

[SWFF]

Well, everything works fine on it. Never could figure out that anamorphic thing, I assume it's just a hook-up problem, as in I'm not hooking it up right, but no matter. Copied all my tapes, but one, HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS. For some reason, still, the player thinks it's a bought movie and refuses to copy it. Can't figure that one out either. Other than those two quibbles, it's an excellent unit.