To quality DVD/VCR recording

Panasonic DVD/VCR Progressive Scan
DMR–ES46V

From what I can see there is not much to choose from in this class of equipment. This DVD/VCR has some good and bad points.

The remote control does not have a TV control code listing for my 42”Vizio TV but I managed to control the TV with the Goldstar number 0178.

The worst feature is JPEG viewing. You must copy JPEGs to CD in the exact format it specifies in the manual. I tried 5 different formats before I found one to work. All of these CDs played fine on my 2 year old Yamaha DVD player. The DMR–ES46V is very touchy in this area.

The best JPEG file size might be 4 to 5 megabytes in size for optimum viewing. 3 megabytes looks bad. 6 megabytes is too larger for the unit. The actual computing power for viewing JPEGs is totally inadequate. The time between pictures or to draw thumbnail pictures is extremely slow.

The unit only offers SD card insertion. There are many other formats on the market. The SD format is associated with some of the high end cameras and it is unfortunate the unit will not play the higher resolution pictures these cameras can produce. There is no way to use the pictures from an 8 mega pixel Olympus camera unless the camera is programmed for lower resolution pictures.

When watching a DVD you are supposed to be able to hit the stop button several times to reset the DVD back to the beginning. This function does not work. It is necessary to use the Direct Navigator to return to the beginning. You could also hit the “Skip Index” to return to the beginning but that is rather impractical if you are 20 chapters into a show. The Direct Navigator does work well.

This unit has editing and printing functions built in. Picture editing functions are overkill. This is totally ridiculous for a unit with such limited computing power. Panasonic should realize most people have computers. They should use any additional power this unit might have to get it to do what it does best.

Naturally it receives no digital TV signal of any kind. That would be for the future or much higher priced units.

Digital recording from a movie camera is only possible with a tape type movie camera. The cable for a function like this would probably be very expensive. I do not trust this unit enough to make that type of investment when my computer downloads my 16:9 movie camera with ease. Home made DVDs burnt on my computer work ok on the DMR–ES46V.

The wide screen and standard screen settings are not totally predictable when using AV or HDMI connection to the TV. I use both connection types and have managed to get the right picture one way or another with my Vizio TV.

The Drive Select button consists of one button for 3 devices. You have to look at the DMR–ES46V or the TV to see if you have selected DVD, SD or VCR. I do not like sequential logic. I like to press specific buttons and know where I am at. This is also convenient for programming macros in programmable remote controls. Also the DMR–ES46V switches from VCR to DVD slowly. This could be due to the slow computing power of the unit or the nature of any multipurpose unit.

Pressing the HDMI input control twice on my TV produces a “U71” error code on the DMR–ES46V front panel. The ONLY way to eliminate this problem is to select the AV input from my TV and then select HDMI input from my TV.

It is my guess that industry standards have not been totally developed or adhered to. Matching this unit with other equipment could be difficult. You will need to be patient and persevering.

Despite the abundance of complaints the DMR–ES46V works very well as a recorder/player. It records VCR tape and DVDs. It does this with exceptional ease and quality. Yes you can record on the VCR and watch the DVD at the same time. The DVD recording quality is perfect. While it does not receive digital TV signals, it does take an analogue signal and record it without any loss. The program Schedule function is the easiest I have ever used. It has an abundance of good features you will find in other articles. It is a fine piece of equipment. The only problem is the designers got carried away in areas they should have kept simple. Putting more effort into JPEG computing power, versatility and SIMPLICITY would be a big plus.

If you just want to record and play then this is a high quality piece of equipment.