Panasonic DMR-E55

039 EHC 08 DVD REC G.Test 21/9/04 5:31 PM Page 56

DVD Recorders

£400 Does JVC’s fine first entry into the DVD Recorder market mark the death of VHS?

JVC DR-M1

N ADMITTING DEFEAT IN THE BATTLE TO Ikeep its invention, the video cassette, alive, JVC

has done the DVD Recorder market a big favour. Where we do have a few gripes with the UK’s first

combined -RW and RAM recorder is its connections, which include a RGB enabled Scart and separate S- Video and stereo audio outputs. However, the second Scart at the back of the unit, which connects set-top boxes, cannot handle RGB sources – it will only accept composite or S-Video sources. An i.Link terminal on front panel allows digital dubbing from camcorders.

Its ‘living memory playback’ feature – watching a

recording while it’s still being made – is unique to RAM compatible machines or those with hard drives (and some DVD-RW machines). Recordings can be made onto almost universally accepted DVD-R discs.

DVD-RW disks can be formatted in video-mode or VR-mode. The latter allows free editing of contents but the former is more widely compatible. That’s made up for by satellite control (only with Sky digiboxes) and the great ‘free rate’ (FR) recording mode, which calculates time left on the disc in various recording modes. This means you can chop and change between bitrates on one (recordable or rewritable) disc.

Picture quality in XP and SP mode recordings is clear, while the DR-MI’s progressive scan playback works with recordings and PAL software.

With a such a low street price, JVC’s DR-M1 is only a hard drive and a RGB input away from perfection.

What’s good

Satellite control

Prog scan

What’s bad

No RGB input

Satellite control won’t work with Freeview or Sky+

£300 Great features and a familiar VCR look and make this perfect for the newly converted

T MAY BE AT THE LOW END OF PANASONIC’S IDIGA range, but what the DMR-E55 lacks

(hard drive, DV input) it makes up for in great picture, sound and a myriad of recording functions.

That’s largely down to its compatibility with DVD- RAM and DVD-R formats – but be aware that DVD- RW discs cannot be used for recording. Its four recording modes, XP, SP, LP and EP, range from one to eight hrs of recording time. Picture quality on XP mode is outstanding – as it is with pre-recorded DVDs

–while the more flexible SP mode is excellent. Other modes are still better quality than VCR recordings.

Timer recordings can be made manually or with

VideoPlus, and there is also a PDC facility. The DVD- RAM format offers extensive editing and is perfect for daily recording and deleting. It also enables ‘chasing playback’, allowing you to watch the start of a recording while it continues to record, as well as ‘time slip’, which means the last 30 secs of live TV can be replayed – a boon for sports fans.

Playback functions include Direct Navigator, which displays full-motion thumbnails of all recordings on a disc, while Playback NR reduces picture noise and Virtual Surround Sound mode does what it says – with only two speakers.

Expansive connectivity comprises component

video output for PAL and NSTC progressive scan, RGB Scart input and output, S-video support, an optical digital audio out and front panel AV inputs for connecting a camcorder. Missing features, like a memory card slot, i.Link digital video connection and hard drive can be found on other Panasonic models.

What’s good

Versatility of DVD-RAM recording

Attractive design

What’s bad

DVD-RW recordings would have been useful No DV input

56ESSENTIAL HI-FI & HOME CINEMA