Editorial Review:

Item Description:
It's a digital world. A world where sound surrounds you and pictures dazzle the imagination. It's a world where the excitement of the movies is captured and brought to life on a simple five-inch disc - the size of a CD. Welcome to the incredible world of DVD. As a leader in digital technology, Panasonic made possible and forever changed the face of home theatre. Panasonic has packed big-screen excitement into the world's smallest and lightest DVD player. Come and experience the ultimate in home theatre entertainment.PRODUCT FEATURES:DVD RAM recordings up to 16 hours (EP Mode, 9.4GB Disc);DVD-R recordings up to 8 hours (EP Mode, 4.7GB Disc);Time Slip Function;Chasing Playback;Simultaneous Play & Record;One Touch Record & Play;Direct Navigator;Play list;NTSC Tuner with VHF, UHF, CATV Coverage.

Amazon.com Item Description:
Panasonic's DMR-E55S DVD player/recorder grants unprecedented recording time on double-sided 9.4 GB recordable DVDs--up to 16 hours, or 8 hours per side (and on standard 4.7 GB discs, in EP mode). The DMR-E55S's joint support of DVD-RAM and DVD-R media provides the best of both worlds: DVD-R for the highest compatibility (letting you share video recordings with virtually anyone with a DVD player) and DVD-RAM (for rewritability and benefits like TimeSlip, chasing playback, and simultaneous play and record). DVD-RAM offers the perfect method for recording and rerecording favorite programs--over 100,000 times on the same disc. Using DVD-RAM, you can also edit your videos on a multi-media computer with video editing/production software.

You can take DVD-RAM discs out of their protective cartridges and play them on PCs equipped with a 4.7 GB/9.4 GB DVD-RAM drive or DVD-ROM drive that's compatible with 4.7 GB/9.4 GB DVD-RAM. In addition to an attractive price tag, the feature-rich DMR-E55S offers the benefits of progressive scan video playback (for use with high-definition and HD-ready TVs), MP3 CD playback, enhanced time-shifting, and instant access times.

With instant recording onto a DVD disc, there's no need to have to find blank space, as with a VHS tape. Just press record and the unit will automatically find space on the disc, much like a computer's disk drive. Panasonic's Time Slip feature lets you replay a scene recorded earlier while a program is still in progress, without disrupting the recording process. And chasing playback lets you watch from the beginning a show whose recording is still in progress.

You can easily transfer your favorite VHS tape recordings to space-saving discs. Personal movie libraries and family videos can be archived, preserved, easily cataloged and accessed, and even edited right from the disc.

Input TBC (time base corrector) removes jitter from the input signal, while 3D Y/C separation circuitry precisely separates the luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) portions of the video signal to minimize dot crawl and color smearing caused by interference between the video signal's Y and C color subcomponents. These functions are particularly effective when recording from analog video sources such as a conventional VCR and camcorder. Combined with the 3D DNR applied during playback, the result can be a surprising restoration of image quality from old videocassettes.

About Progressive Scanning
As a player, the DMR-E55K offers a progressive-scan video output for optimum picture quality when viewing a DVD movie on a high-definition or HD-ready TV. With standard interlaced signals (480i), it takes two passes to build one frame of video: first the even scan lines, then the odd. Progressive scanning doubles the scan lines of an interlaced signal by scanning all 525 lines in 1/60 of a second for each full pass. The higher-density video signal creates film-like DVD images with rich detail, extraordinary depth of field, and precise color reproduction.

Connections include component-, composite-, and S-video outputs, multiple composite- and S-video inputs, an optical digital-audio output for surround-sound passthrough to a compatible (Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1) audio/video surround receiver, and RCA stereo analog audio inputs.

What's in the Box
DVD player/recorder, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, and a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.

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Rating: - * Great Features for the Price ...
Consumer Reports was right to rate this DVD-recorder the highest in its class. It is very easy to set up; it has inputs and outputs for basic coaxial, S-video, component and composite video, as well as standard and digital audio. With three line inputs, you can hook up a number of devices to it, like a VCR, a TiVo recorder, etc. It can serve as a tuner for broadcast and cable, although I don't use that feature, since I have satellite TV.

Recording was easy and straightforward. You can use DVD-RAM discs, which effectively turn the recorder into a TiVo-like device (although nowhere near as convenient or as effective). Or you can burn DVD-R discs, to make permanent copies of your VHS tapes, TiVo recordings, TV shows, etc. It records as several speeds, including a great feature called "flexible recording," where it picks a speed in between the standard speeds to make maximum use of the time remaining on a DVD.

So far, we've been able to record DVD's from VHS tapes and from my TiVo with no problems. The quality of the recordings is first-rate.

Two things to watch out for:
1) While the recorder can output its video signal to the TV using S-video, component or composite video, it cannot output using standard RF coaxial cable. It can receive the signal via RF coaxial cable, but cannot output it. If your TV can only receive a signal via coaxial cable, you'll have to purchase a little converter box from your local electronics shop to make this work.
2) If you have satellite TV, you won't use the DVD-recorder as a tuner. However, every time you turn it on, it will want to automatically search for channels, but it won't find them, since you're using your box or TiVo as a tuner. So, what you have to do is manually set one or two channels to fool the recorder into thinking that it's tuning your TV signal. Then it won't pester you with the Automatic Channel Setup dialog every time you start it up.

For the price, this recorder is well worth it. Don't hesitate to get it, so long as you pay attention to the two caveats mentioned above.

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Rating: - * Great recorder player ...
This is my first dvd recorder and I am quite satisfied so far. Using the s-video input from my satellite receiver gives a dvd like quality recording. I have had this for a few months now without any compalints so far. This is a great dvd-recorder for anyone wanting to start out in this field. Playback flawlessly on my other panasonic dvd-players(s27 & 32s), not sure about other brands. Menus are asy to use. I recommend highly.

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Rating: - * Thought I had investigated enough ...
I agree with the reviewers that this is a great machine that is easy to use and does a great job with all kinds of recording. MY problem is that I didn't buy this machine as my DVD player. In retrospect I think other reviewers did. I have a Pioneer DVD player hooked to my HDTV and I have TIVO so there is no need for me to copy anything (including TV show and movies) with this machine. It sits attached to a small TV and VCR. I have 400 VHS tapes that I want to copy for family and friends. Nobody can play the DVDs that it copies. Panasonic seems to be the only company going with the DVD-RAM so nobody else can view the DVD's. Yes, I should have looked more into what would play the disks, but I went by these reviews and Panasonic's claim that Disks will play on "most machines". Nobody in the reviews I read said anything about this (because this was going to be their DVD player - my guess).
So anyway just a heads up .... and I guess I'll be buying another one that plays the other DVDs

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Rating: - * BEST SO FAR~! ...
IMPRESSIVE PANASONIC DVD Player/Recorder on the market today. I first learned about this machine by reading The "Consumer Report" rated as NUMBER ONE Recommendated DVD-Recorder.After reading Amazon.com review, I made a decide to buy me THREE UNITS~!!!! I only paid $90 each!!!! Brand New~!!! The result is AMAZING! It plays ALL my VCD, DVD-R, and DVDs with HIGH quality sound and Video. EASY to connect to other devices as well. MADE IN JAPAN ROCKS~!!!!

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Rating: - * Good unit to start with ...
The unit was easy to setup and was able to find the automatic time on cable without problems.

The menu's are simple and give you concise information. You don't get all of the information you might get with a more expensive model or different brand, but it's enough to do basic DVD recording and playing.

Recording to the DVD_RAM format works great. I haven't tried the DVD-R format. Get the cartridge style DVD_RAM. They are wonderful. You don't have to worry about scratching the disk. All DVD's and CD's should have the cartridge feature. The easiest way to get DVD_RAM cartridges is to go to www.panasonic.com and choose consumer products, then Supplies and Accessories (unfortunately Amazon doesn't sell the cartridge versions).

Setting the time for a timer recording is quick and easy. Pressing and holding the timer buttons allows the time to jump at 30 minute increments forward or backward.

I like the feature that requires you to turn the unit off before it will record Timer recordings. That way if I have something set to record weekly that I'd like to bypass, but not want to delete the weekly entry, all I have to do is turn the unit on.

You can set the remote for most major brand TV's to Turn it On/Off, or change channels and volume with up/down controls but it will not allow you to change the TV channels with the numeric pad. This would be a nice feature as it takes awhile if you have to go to a channel that's a high number from where you're at.

It plays DVD-Videos well, though there is no zoom feature if you get the 16:9 ratio. It also has no real resume play feature. This is the feature that if you stop anywhere in a DVD the unit remembers where you were, and the next time you insert the DVD and press play it resumes from where you left off. My JVC player remembers the last 50 DVD's which is very nice. This unit doesn't seem to be able to remember one. It mentions it in the Product Menu but the only way I've gotten it to work is when I press Stop and as long as I don't turn the unit off or remove the DVD it will start where it left off.

You can select EP mode and record for 6 or 8 hr's on a DVD. I found the 4 hour LP mode recording to be acceptable but not the EP mode recordings.

Because of the price I ended up getting two so we could record in either location that we have TV's. Again it's a good unit to start with.

When I first received it about a month ago I would have given it five stars, but now I find I miss the Resume play and Zoom features more than I thought and will give it 4 stars.