Editorial Review:

Item Description:
Panasonic DMRHS2 is a state-of-the-art DVD video recorder with built-in hard disk. It combines a nifty design and a high functionality with the comfort you need. DMRHS2 features auto renewal recording, relief recording, Time Slip - simultaneous record and playback, chasing playback, and more.

Amazon.com:
Talk about 'all in one'--the Panasonic DMR-HS2 is not only a full-featured progressive-scan DVD player that handles DVDs, CDs, and JPEG-filled recordable discs; it's also a DVD recorder that happens to store more than two days' worth of audio/video programming on its built-in memory. The DMR-HS2's 40 GB hard drive provides up to 52 hours of recording time, plus the unit can record up to 12 hours on a 9.4 GB double-sided DVD-RAM disc and six hours on a DVD-R (in Extended Play mode in both cases).

The DMR-HS2 offers the flexibility of recording on both DVD-RAM--perfect for instant chapter access and for multiple rerecordings--as well as DVD-R, widely regarded as the most widely compatible of the many DVD formats (great for sharing camcorder footage with loved ones).

Panasonic's Time Slip feature lets you use your DVD recorder like a personal video recorder, or PVR. Because of DVD-RAM's extremely fast transfer rate, you can view the recorded portion of an ongoing program from the beginning, while still recording the program in progress. You can even replay a scene recorded 30 seconds earlier without disrupting the recording process, simply by touching a button on the remote. Using Auto Renewal Recording, the deck will automatically record favorite show every day or every week right onto the hard disk.

In addition to recording new video content, the DMR-HS2 lets you transfer favorite VHS recordings to durable, space-saving discs. You can easily archive, preserve, catalog, and access your movie libraries and family videos. Picture-enhancing technologies include 3D noise reduction, block noise reduction, and mosquito noise reduction. Store and view digital still photos through the built-in memory card slot, compatible with standard PC Card, SD Memory Card, CompactFlash Card, MultiMedia Card, Smart Media Card, and Memory Stick.

The recorder's DV input terminal and IEEE cable allow recording of digital images directly from a digital camcorder onto either a DVD-RAM or DVD-R. To simplify video editing, a feature called DV Automatic Recording automatically creates a playlist consisting of still images representing a sequence of scenes. High-speed recording from the hard disk to a DVD-RAM disc occurs at the touch of a button, give you up to 12x speed in the EP mode at its quickest--that is, it will burn a one-hour program in just 5 minutes. You may also record from a DVD-RAM disc to the hard drive.

When you've programmed a recording for a DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc, the relief recording feature automatically checks to see if there's enough disc space remaining to complete the recording. If there isn't, the unit will record the program onto the hard disk to assure that it gets recorded in its entirety (provided there's sufficient hard-disk space available).

With the Direct Navigator you can instantly access recorded material from an onscreen menu that lists recording dates, times, channels, and titles. Finding and viewing recorded material is simple because there's no need to search, fast-forward, or rewind.



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Rating: - * A little pricey but in the end worth it. ... Let me address a couple of the gripes on this webpage about the problems with the recorder. One, does not record tapes as well as the original. I would recommend selecting a better recording resolution on the recorder, it has four and the top two recording levels will definetly allow you to produce a better backup of your VHS tapes then the originals, due to the 3D digital comb filter. Two, why would anyone want to put music on a DVD, and even if you would how many tricks is this dog supposed to do? Three, only records to DVD-R and DVD-RAM, well only with the advent of the new dual format recorders for computers has any one player been able to record to both + and -formats, but I have a brand new dual format recorder and I still only use the - format, in fact, looking at many of the DVD players today they prefer the - format. Four, can't figure out how to hook it up to the television, if you can't hook it up with the s-video, component out, or just plain old coaxial perhaps you should take a course. Videophiles that just aren't happy with these connections should seek professional counseling. I wanted a keyboard along with it to enter titles to programs, remote works as good as it can, with directional arrows. Also, would have liked to have seen a faster transfer rate using the DVD-R, like a 4x, instead of the 1x, but what I usually do is set it up to record and just forget about it, come back it is done. But I am starting to get greedy like some of my other fellow reviewers:) Great machine though, even for the price, replaces a high-end DVD player, recorder, TIVO, and can archive your pictures! Rating: - * A Very Expensive Machine Not Worth Its Price ... I have been trying to buy a recordable DVD player for the past few years. This animal wasn't available until two years ago. As of now, the price is still very expensive, but I couldn't hold out any longer. I broke down and bought the Panasonic DMR_HS2 a few weeks ago. I choose this unit because it has a 40GB hard drive, which can be very convenient feature for recording. Unfortunately, I am not pleased with this model's functions nor with its performance. My requirements for the recordable DVD are: · Record programs from the TV: The Panasonic unit works perfectly in this area. It works just like a VCR. It has additional features such as allowing you to record a program directly to the hard drive and store it there. You can also edit the recorded program to erase all the commercials before dubbing it to a DVD disk for permanent storage. You can also create chapters. But doing these jobs can be a very time-consuming and tedious process. You can only create chapters on the hard drive or on a DVD-RAM disk, which isn't compatible with most commercial DVD players. Nevertheless, these nice features are available. · Transfer VCR tapes to DVDs: I would love to transfer all my old VCR tapes and store them in DVD format. DVDs last much longer and they are more compact. My objective is to retire the VCR. The Panasonic unit basically did the job, but at the expense of quality. I am well aware that the quality of the dubbed DVD can be as good as the source VCR tape. However, I was very disappointed to find out that there is a very noticeable degradation in quality from the tape to the DVD. The ironic thing is that I can accomplish this function, but I still cannot throw away my original tapes because their quality is better. · Create music DVDs with all my favorite songs: I have always wanted to create a few DVDs with all my favorite songs in them. These songs will be taken from the music DVDs that I own. Too bad this unit doesn't have this feature. In fact, it doesn't allow DVD dubbing. Mind you, what I want to do is perfectly legal. This function, if it is available, is protected under the "fair use" doctrine in the U.S. copyright laws as long as you own the source media. Overall, I think this Panasonic model is over-priced for what I am looking for. I'm hoping that future recordable DVD systems can do what the dual-well recordable CD players can do today. Rating: - * Panasonic DMR-HS2 review ... I was overwhelmed by the features and functionality of this machine - on paper anyway. It had all the features I was looking for, HDD, DVD-Ram, Time Slip and chasing modes. Perfect also for capturing thode cherished moments from DV Camera to DVD-R. Unfortunately, here in Ireland, our stations are transmitted in both UHF and VHF. This machine only recognises UHF. This meant (1) I would have to use a slave video for receiving the signal on the machine, (2) the video would have to be on the staion I wanted to record from, (3) My video was defunct as a recording device on it's own. Although I could set the timer recording on the DMR for multi recording, I would also have to set my video to come on at the same time and stations for the DMR to record my selection. I felt seriously let down by both the dealer for not informing me properly and Panasonic for not allowing VHF signals to be received. Also, the lack of DVD-RW functionality was a bad omittance. Maybe Sony's new DVR machine can do the trick! Rating: - * HDD enhances the DVD recorders ... I am pleased that I bought this DVD recorder with the HDD (40GB hard drive). The second recording device allows for editing the video prior to finalizing. I suspect that recorders without the hard drive would make it difficult or impossible to edit. The higher price for this unit is worth this feature. I wish that Panasonic would have allowed dubbing from DVD-R or DVD video to the HDD for non-copy-protected programming/video. I am must retain some of my VHS library as back-up in order to make additional copies in the future. Also, the unit does not support high speed dubbing from HDD to DVD-R. This would be a desirable feature. Rating: - * RAM let's you do it all..... ... Coolest thing about this product is what RAM lets me do, and I did some research into RAM when purchasing this product and found out that both Hollywood filmmakers and now the military even rely on this stuff. But for personal use, let's say you need to just edit home video that you just shot, you can actually edit the video right on the RAM disc. Whether you actually shot on the disc or dump it from your camcorder, you can edit right there at your TV. It's cool stuff - what happens is that the RAM just 'connects the dots' to the actual segments you want - whether a still photo, video, titles, etc. You just drag and drop them around and put the scenes in the order you like. So this means that you can shoot a movie in your camcorder and then take the RAM disc - if you have a DVD camcorder - or use firewire connection to the HS2 and edit the video. When your done editing, you've never copied or deleted anything - all you have done is tell the machine where to find each one of the scenes on the disk - so all of your raw footage and the 'edited version' are still there! Then if you want you can dump the finished video onto the HS2 hard drive to make millions of copies to cheap DVD-R disc to give to your friends. And like TIVO (which I love, but see that with machines like this - TIVO won't be around much longer) you can record TV shows to the hard drive using VCR Plus codes or by setting the schedule yourself, even a month in advance. So check one of these out; there great fun and you'll be happy you broke-up with your VCR...