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| Date Reviewed: 01/24/2006 |
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Strengths: Highly rated by Consumer Reports. Easy to hook-up & set-up with my HD DVR cable box.
Weaknesses: Price can be high, so shop around for some good deals.
Summary: I bought this unit after doing lots of research, comparing models against user reviews over several web sites. There may be quirks to it, but after reading other folks experiences I've been able to avoid hook-up & set-up the unit quite easily.
 100% of People (6/6) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 05/09/2006 |
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 Didn't Last Strengths: Easy recording/dubbing. Good quality transfer of VHS
Weaknesses: It only lasted 8 days before the DVD recorder/reader failed. It stopped recognizing discs completely.
Summary: I expect products to last more than 8 days. I am not satisfied with this product.
Price was good, features comparable to other products on the market. Recording quality was above average. Although there were some positives with this machine, there are other more reliable products on the market.
100% of People (1/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/29/2005 |
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 DMR-ES40VS Review - Wescott Strengths: Extended Play, Great resolution
Weaknesses: No AV Outputs
Summary: Easy to use. Plays Prerecorded DVDs well. The picture quality of my daughters ice skating VHS tapes recorded to DVD are better than the tape.Easy to use playback and recording.
93% of People (25/27) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 01/02/2006 |
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Good unit but...
Strengths: Excellent recording quality on both DVD AND VHS. That, of course, is what matters the most.
Easy set up of scheduled recordings.
Weaknesses: Very poor manual.
Locks up far too much.
Makes too many DVD "coasters."
Summary: 2006-01-02 12:35:24 Let's start with the manual. Not user friendly at all. I build radio stations for a living so I'm no stranger to high tech equipment. But I've seen manuals for 50,000 watt transmitters that are simpler than this one.
After about a month of use the unit locked up so badly not even a pull the power plug reboot got it working again. Had to call Panasonic. Another time after a lock up it set the DVD ratings level to 0 so that no DVDs would play AND it gave itself a password so that I couldn't reset the ratings level. Another call to Panasonic. But both times the guy at Panasonic was quite helpful (after waiting on hold for 20 minutes) and knew exactly the special "secret" key sequences to hit to revive it.
Other times it will lock up after successfully recording a DVD and then trying to finalize it.
If this was a $129 Apex unit I would expect that but not from a big name like Panasonic and a $300 unit.
Another peeve is the front panel display. It is set back about an inch from the front of the unit so unless you are looking directly into it, it disappears. And it only shows the clock when the unit is off. Want to know what time it is while watching a movie? You'll have to hit the "status" button on the remote (not the "display" button right next to it which would seem the logical choice) and see the time on the TV screen.
The bottom line though is that once you wade through the manual and figure out all the little quirks of this model (yes, there are more) it does make high quality recordings. And ten years from now when you're looking at those recordings you'll probably forget what it took to commit them to DVD.
87% of People (13/15) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/29/2005 |
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Strengths: Easy recording from camcorder to DVD and from VHS to DVD
Weaknesses: Need additional outputs; can't put chapter stops on a DVD that you are making.
Summary: One touch recording from VHS to DVD. Easy to use. Not being able to put chapter stops can be annoying if you want to fast forward through a DVD that you copied from a VHS or camcorder tape. Overall, a good machine though.
86% of People (6/7) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/13/2005 |
- BigStan
from IL
- Member Since:
Aug 2005
View Member's:
Reviews
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One major design flaw
Strengths: Good commercial DVD playing. Recommended brand for reliabilty. Included a dvd-ram disc.
Weaknesses: When powering on the unit is in tv mode. Lack of an extra set of RCA jacks to run cd signals to audio receiver.
Summary: Whoever designed this unit to power on in tv mode should be fired. After minutes of frustration of receiving no channel signal from the unit's tuner; I finally tapped the vcr/tv button on the remote and the tuners channel showed up. I called Panasonic and the service rep was not aware of this unit's quirk. He told me he would send me a cd with a software upgrade on it and that it might take care of the problem. Also if you lose this remote the unit is pretty much useless if you can't find a replacement. However I am sure a remote would be available for high cost to replace the lost one. Why manufacturers cant put the function buttons on the units face panel is beyond me? Maybe they think no one gets out of their chair. It would probably cost a bit extra and design appearance might suffer but the functionality would be worth it. One more peave is the lack of RCA jacks for audio out to a audio receiver for listening to cds. I am using the tv's only audio out for video. I dont want to have to run cd sound through the tv anyways as the tv would have to be on. I want to save my tv lamp as it is a costly replacement. Someone at Panasonic has to come up with more consumer friendly dvd recorder/vcr design. I have not recorded on dvd yet or the vcr. I will comment later on this. Thank you for reading this and I hope Panasonic and other manufacturer get the message. If we all tell them what we would like then they will certainly listen.
84% of People (56/67) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 02/27/2006 |
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Strengths: Plug and Play simplicity
Weaknesses: Recorder can hang if you press the wrong button at the wrong time (it is essentially a computer hardwired for converting analog and digital video content into MPEG-2 files)
Summary: Got one for my dad so he could convert all of his old camcorder moves into simple dvds. And it does this wonderfully well: picture quality is superb (VHS seems to look better than the original) and can be done with one touch dubbing.
It is, however, essentially a computer hardwired to convert analog and digital source material into MPEG-2 files for burning to DVD and it can be rather fickle at times. Specifically, if you press the wrong button at the wrong time, the system can freeze and you have to power down and restart the system to get it to respond.
Overall, though, still a highly recommend component for plug and play conversion of old vhs tapes and camcorder moves to simple dvds.
67% of People (4/6) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/30/2005 |
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Strengths: Excellent playback quality - Good record quality
Weaknesses: Manual is not user friendly - instructions are not clear.
Summary: Overall I am quite pleased with this unit. Great price made this unit a super value. The poor manual made is a little hard to understand how to set it up and use it, but once I got the hang of it, is not too bad. Transferring from VCR tapes to DVD is a snap. The quality of a dubbed DVD is almost as good as the original. Playback of DVD prerecorded movies is excellent. Very pleased and would highly recommend.
57% of People (4/7) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 05/27/2006 |
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Not worth the money
Strengths: Pause Live TV, fast forward and rewind.
Weaknesses: Problems with recording from buffer to HDD
Did not recognise genuine DVD's and CD's.
After 6 months it stopped to recognize any CD or DVD put in to a tray.
Summary: I did spent $200 for this DVD player/recorder and it looks like it was a complete waste of my money. Thinking Philips would perform somewhat fair I am disappointed. If u want to buy a DVD Player/Recorder stay away from this one.
33% of People (1/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 02/25/2006 |
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Strengths: Easy dubbing and recording.
Weaknesses: Not enough outputs.
Summary: Good unit. I have an A/V receiver and I wish this unit had more outputs so I could separate the VCR and DVD for playback. Wish it had been offered in Black.
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