Panasonic DMR-EA18K Tunerless 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder
from: Panasonic
|
Electronics : Panasonic DMR-EA18K Tunerless 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder |
|
|
see more
Rating:  - * Disappointment ... I'm pleased with Amazon.com for providing free shipping and the unit arrived intact. As an HDD recorder the unit works flawlessly. As a DVD player/recorder... well, not so good. I have yet to be able to play any DVD in it all the way through and have only been able to record anything to a DVD once. I'm disappointed. The DTV tuner works amazingly well. I'm able to pick up all the local digital signals over a simple pair of rabbit ear antenna. That is incredible to me. If I had purchased this unit at a local store, I would be returning it for a refund/replacement. However since I am in Alaska, and returning it to Amazon.com for a replacement could result in me getting a worse performing unit in exchange, I'll stick with my excellent digital tuner and HDD recorder as it is and just invest in a standalone up-converting player. I'm sad that Philips couldn't get it 100% right in one package. The remote is easy to understand and the menu for setting the timer to record shows is easy. I gave this unit a rating of only 2 stars because of my disappointment. Rating: - * Not user friendly ... To say I was surprisingly disappointed is an understatement. I have owned Panasonic products before and was very pleased. However, I can not say the same for the EA18. I worked as an IT professional for over 30 years, so I am not a novice when it comes to technical expertise. The manual is almost worthless in my humble opinion. After 3 separate calls to support, I had the recorder working. BUT, when next I attempted to set a scheduled recording, I spent 5-10 minutes trying to get manipulate the recording set time, when I gave up in frustration. I returned the recorder! I would NOT recommend the EA18 recorder to anyone. HOWEVER, I would very HIGHLY recommend Panasonic's support personnel. They were very patient and professional in providing answers to all my questions. Rating:  - * This is it! ... Okay I tried a Samsung version of a DVD Recorder it just wasn't all the way right. Finally it stopped recognizing all DVD's. I replaced it with this Panasonic unit and like most items from Panasonic it works great. The set-up is easy, and since I do all my tuning through my cable box I do not miss having a build in tuner. My one criticism is I do not like the look of the IR transmitter that has to be placed in front of the cable box to allow the unit to control the cable box. Everything else is great. Rating: - * Beautiful picture, Doesn't record ... Connection with the HDMI cable was easy, and everything looked great. I was able to play DVDs without a problem, and really liked the user interface. BIG PROBLEM - I could not get it to record either on DVD-R or DVD+R, and I tried several of each. It would accept the disc and identify it. It even let me name the disc, but every time I pressed "record" it would say 'there might be a problem with the disc,' and then would go into self-check mode. This is never a good sign. I had to unplug it to get it out of self-check mode each time. I was trying to record from a Tivo, but I don't think this was related to the problem. I called Panasonic customer service, who suggested a disc cleaner or buying individual DVDs as opposed to a scroll or stack of DVDs. Upon pressing for a diagnosis of the problem, they said the drive likely was defective, and I could send it in for service. I've only had it for 1 week, so I'm opting to return it, as I don't want to get stuck with what might be a dud. On the bright side, Amazon returns has been great, they sent me a shipping label and said they will accept it. I haven't decided what to get to replace it. My friends and family encouraged me to get a Panasonic and have had good luck with them, so I'm considering trying one again. Maybe I really did just get the random defective one. UPDATE 8/12/08: After looking long and hard for a good replacement DVD Recorder, and not being successful in finding one that got generally positive reviews, I've decided to edit and record my videos using my computer. If you are looking for a DVD recorder to edit existing videos (i.e., not record directly from the TV) and just want the videos to play on your DVD player, I would highly recommend using your computer for this. I'm using Video ReDo TV suite, and so far it's worked well for me and my Tivo. The cost of the software + a new upconverting DVD player comes to about the same price as this DVD Recorder. I've also found that editing videos on my computer is much easier and faster. Rating: - * Excellent product ... I bought this DVD recorder because I wanted a Panasonic to match my Panasonic LCD and take profit of the Viera link. Have not tested yet the recorder but as far as reproduction is concerned, with the HDMI cable, image is excellent, easy to use, you can manage both, TV and DVD with the same remote control. I like it very much! |
