8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Great for copying from VHS or MiniDV camcorder
Date of Review: Feb 10, 2006
The Bottom Line: Would definitely recommend if this is your first recorder or if DVRs are too expensive.
When searching for a DVD recorder, I had 3 goals I was trying to achieve. 1)I already have a DVR on my bedroom tv, so I wanted either a DVR or DVD recorder with similar features such as pause live tv, timeslip, etc. 2)Simple to connect my MiniDV camcorder to transfer footage to DVD (we have a toddler with grandparents that aren't local). 3)Record programs from my DVR to DVD when the HD gets full. I initially settled on a Toshiba with a nearly identical feature set to the Panasonic, but had to return it for a minor, but important issue. My dad also has the Panasonic and seems happy with it.
First for the cons. I knew setup was a pain after setting up my dad's. The ES20 has an automatic channel setup which I guess is fine for cable and most satellite owners. Problem is, my satellite reciever is HD and as such does not have a coax output, only AV out and component out. For me, I record TV programs using the IN1 on the back. As a result, the ES20 never picked up channels on the initial setup. More frustrating is that there is no way around it, so each time I would turn on the unit, it would try to do the set up. I eventually found a way around it, by connecting my off air HD antenna and doing the setup. Since then no problems, but it took me a week to finally figure it out. Now I have to get my dad's setup correctly. This would not normally be a problem, except that the unit defaults to the factory settings each time setup is performed.
One other con, which I'll describe as minor, but it was important for me and is the reason I returned the Toshiba unit. Using DVD -R, +R, and -RW to record movies from TV, works fine. The manual states, almost in passing, that chapters will be automatically set 5 mins apart upon finaling. It also states that this feature varies depending on the state of the disc. It doesn't get much more specific than that, but what I've found is that the disc is the key. I have Maxell DVD-Rs and a few Phillips DVD+R left over from my computer DVD burner use. What I've found is that chapters are created correctly on the DVD+R, but not the -R discs. Further, there is no way to know if chaptering worked until after finalizing. Again, this is a minor issue for most, but it is important to me, especially if you have a 2 hour recording and would like to skip through it a little faster than the search key or CM Skip allows. The Toshiba even allowed the user to specify time intervals for the auto chaptering feature. This would be nice on the ES20, but I'm just satisfied that the feature works.
Now on to the pros. The ES20 is very easy to use and once set up correctly, I set my TV and AV receiver to DVD and I can pretty much leave it alone. If there's something interesting on TV or the phone rings, I can just push the record button and then Timeslip to continue watching it while the rest is recorded. DVD-RAM discs provide for some really cool features. I learn something new each time I start playing with it. One thing I've been able to do is transfer footage from my camcorder and then cut it into smaller clips and rearrange them into a playlist. This is great when you have disjointed footage of several events and want to play them in a specific order. I just wish there was some way to get the playlist footage to a disc that others could watch on a standard DVD player.
The ES20 has a feature I haven't seen on other recorders at this level. There is a firewire port on th front for connecting a camcorder. I haven't used it yet, but I'm going to test it this weekend. According to the manual, using this port, the recorder will autochapter transferred footage with each changing scene. Since my camcorder is also Panasonic, I'm hoping this will work. If so then I'll be extra happy with my purchase.
The ES20 is compatible with DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RAM, and DVD-RW. Not sure why +RW isn't included, but then again, around here, it's pretty hard to find them in the store anyway. I use 4.7GB Panasonic DVD-RAM discs, but am actively looking for the 9.4GB Panasonic discs with the cartridge. I'm thinking the cartridge may help with fingerprints and dust, since the unit seems to be a little tempermental with dirty discs.
For ease of use, feature set, and convenience, I feel pretty good about the ES20.
