DMR-E20 - record in specific time lengths? (1 Viewer)

[Adam N]

I know it can be done, but I simply don't want to begin attempting / failing / & destroying blank discs:

How can you record on this machine, say a movie that is 125 or 130 minutes & avoid using the dreaded LP speed (which just sucks!). I know I've heard of people doing it, can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks

Adam

PS - I will need to occasionaly pause & restart the recording.

 

[Lee Bombard]

Hi Adam,

Here's what you do...

You must tell the E20 that your doing a "timer" recording to get a recording in a bit rate other than 1, 2, 4 or 6 hours. It's really much easier than it sounds. Hit the PROG CHECK button and toggle right through the selections. (you don't have to put any info into these. As you toggle to the right they will default to what your already set on. When you toggle by "start time" it'll put in the current time. This means that when your ready to go, it'll start right up. Then you must input a stop time. The trick is to figure the amount of time you'll need for your entire recording. if your recording something that's 2 hours and 12 minutues, you might set the off time for perhaps 2 hours and 20 minutes in the future. This let's the recorder know how much time it has and allocates bits accordingly. When you get to the last selection on the right, set it to FR, the flexible recording mode. Once you set your program timer, simply hit enter then return. A window will pop up telling you to select "power off" to begin recording. Once you hit the red power button, your "timed" recording starts. You can't pause the recording, but you can stop recording at any time by hitting the power button and then within 5 seconds, the stop button. Page 44 of the manual gives a pretty good run through on this.

I've been making back-up copies of old LaserDiscs using this method and it works very well. If you use the standard "non-timer" recording method and the LD is over 2 hours you'll have to record at least 1 side in the less than pleasing 4 hour mode. The timer mode gives you a great looking recording on subject matter in the 2-3 hours range.

I suggest that you get a DVD-ram (these can be recorded over and over) test disc and try some start and stops and you'll become familier with this very quickly.

Give this a try, you'll master it in no time.

Regards,

Lee

 

[Jim A. Banville]

I'm curious what the ACTUAL bitrate is when using flexible recording mode. Are you ACTUALLY getting something between SP and XP modes when recording something between 1 and 2 hours long? I supposed you could "test" this by recording a short program using the fixed bitrate in XP mode - stop the recorder and rest it to SP mode and record another short program - you would then set the timer mode to record another program, telling the recorder that the program is between 1 hour and 2 hours. You needn't record the entire timed program - just leave it going long enough that you can stop the recording, finalize the DVD-R and then playback on a player that displays the video bitrate. It would have been nice that IF the player ACTAULLY has the ability to record at bitrates other than those specified, that Panasonic would have allowed you to simply say, "I'm recording a program that is 1 hour and 30 minutes long", which would then set the player to the OPTIMUM bitrate for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

 

[Lee Bombard]

Jim - I don't know what the bit rate is when recording in this fashion however I do see a difference when recording a LaserDisc that runs over 2 hours. Prior to trying the "timer" recordings, I was just doing one of the sides of a 3 sided LD at the 4 hour speed and it didn't look so hot. With these flexible timer recordings the whole thing looks great.

I wouldn't be suprised if Panasonic adds the type of feature your talking about in the next generation. It seems rather silly to in effect try and trick the recorder into thinking it's doing a timer recording just to get a bit rate optimized for the length of recording your doing.

But any minor complaints aside, I love this thing!

Regards,

Lee

 

[Adam N]

Lee,
Thanks so much! I am going to attempt a whole bunch of recordings in this style very soon (I need an LD player with an s-video out) I have one that just has composite. You may have seen the post I put up for a player as such. I am hoping that the s-vid output makes a difference. I don't have an HDTV, so I'm hoping that I can't tell a difference between the original LD & the DVD. If you have any advise to this process, feel free to PM me, or post another reply.
Thanks!!!!!
Adam

 

[Lee Bombard]

Hi Adam,

The LD player I'm using does not have a s-video output either. I was a little worried about that when I picked up the player from a freind ...cheap. However, the resulting recordings have been very very good. In fact, it seems to me that material recorded at the 2 hour speed (as well as the varible speed)better the original LD's. The recording seems to smooth out some of the flicker or back ground noise visable on just the LD playback. Maybe it's me, but the DVD's look good.

My best advise is get that re-recordable DVD-ram disc and experiment with speeds, LD side changes, timer recordings etc. to your hearts content. You'll become very confident with the E-20 and be happy with your recordings.

Regards,

Lee

 

[Jim A. Banville]

You SHOULD use the LD players composite output going into the E20 unless you are using an ultra high-end LD player with a superior comb filter compared to that of the E20's.

 

[Mike Brantley]

I second Jim's advice about using composite over S-vid out on most LD players. The video information on LDs is in composite form anyway, unlike what is on DVDs. So, even if you're player does have S-vid, in most cases you'll be better off going with a composite connection.

 

[Adam N]

Thanks to everyone! As soon as this other player shows up, I'll give it a whirl. (There's NO WAY IN HELL I'm going to be able to dig into the a/v rack, dig the ld player I already have out, & hook it up to the editing rack. Even I'm not that big a fool) Thanks again.

One last question, which I'll probably answer myself. Should I purchase the highest quality cable possible when going from the ld to the dvd-r? Or should I save my $$$?

YES YES YES ... BUY BUY BUY!!! (That's what I think)

Adam

 

[Adam N]

Since we're sort of on the subject, what about vhs to dvd connections ... is there a need for the s-video cable, or is the composite cable better? (Going from a JVC-S5900U to the DMR-E20)

Adam