Panasonic DMR-ES30VS DVD Recorder/VCR Combo by Panasonic
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Digital camera reviews of Panasonic DMR-ES30VS DVD Recorder/VCR Combo
Digital camera Review: I'm satisfied
Summary: 5 Stars
I am NOT techno-savvy. I read several reviews of this product here and other sites before buying. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was for me to set up and learn to operate this equipment. I have not had a second's trouble with it. I also found that some of the things reviewers complained about could be found in the manual if one bothered to read it.
Digital camera Review: Great Product So Far
Summary: 4 Stars
After fussing and fighting and finally sending back the piece of junk that I bought from Phillips, I am pleased with the Panasonic DMR-ES30VS DVD Recorder/VCR Combo. I am barely scratching the surface of what this unit does but so far I love the easy to use One-Touch 2-Way dubbing which starts the dubbing from VHS to DVD exactly where you want it to - not a second before or after. I also love the Flexible Recording feature in which the movie or program fits on one disc perfectly for excellent quality. The editing features are very user friendly, including Finalize within Disk Management. The only downside is it does not record on +RW's which play on all my other DVD players. Fortunately, Phillips sent a replacement DVD recorder for the +RW's but I do not record keepsake DVD's on it. I use the Panasonic DMR-ES30VS DVD Recorder/VCR Combo for all my permanent DVD's. Digital camera Review: Some incomprehensible product design decisions
Summary: 2 Stars
I've tried three DVD recorder/VCR combo machines. The JVC DR-MV5S has great recording quality but poor user interface. The Insignia (Best Buy store brand) has user interface so beautiful it brought a tear to my eyes to have to return it due to its unacceptable recording quality.
The Panasonic seems to combine the worst of both worlds. The on-screen options and menus seem to have been organized by the world's worst secretary. For example, you are repeatedly warned that in order to make a burned DVD playable on other machines, you must "Finalize" the disc. Wouldn't you think the "Finalize" option would be somewhere on the recording or editing menu? No. It's under FUNCTION -> OTHER FUNCTIONS -> DISC MANAGEMENT.
I would put up with such nonsense (and there's lots more like it) if the recording quality made up for it. This machine records fairly well at the 2-hour per disc SP mode. At the 4-hour LP mode, however, there is seriously noticeable blocking, kind of like watching streaming videos over a slow net connection.
So here's something truly boneheaded: Panasonic offers a flexible recording mode (like the JVC), which would allow you to use the best recording rate if you have, say, a 2-1/2 hour tape to fit onto a DVD, without forcing you to jump to the 4-hour mode. But guess what? You CANNOT use flexible recording mode to dub tapes to DVD's!!! You also apparently cannot use flexible recording mode to timer record broadcast shows. It can only be used if you are manually and immediately starting an recording. I hope somebody gets fired for that decision!
I must also laugh at the hapless customer support lines. I gave up expecting a consumer electronics expert on the line, but I thought I would at least get somebody who fields calls specific about this model and maybe has gone through the manual a few times. Nope, he's reading the manual on the line in real time, same as I am. Digital camera Review: AVOID ALL PANASONIC ELECTRONICS!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Panasonic has the absolute WORST customer service in the industry! I had this unit for 45 days. When I got it, I had to wait two weeks to set it up because of business travel. So I had the unit actually set up and running for about 30 days. So a month and a half after I purchased it, the power totally went out. Nothing would turn on. I couldn't even get my DVD out. Panasonic said I had to take it to a Panasonic-approved repair place -- which I promptly did. In 3 months - yes, THREE MONTHS - those people still could not fix it. I asked for a refund and they refused. To make a LONG story short, I ended up turning the repair place AND Panasonic in to the Better Business Bureau. Every time I tried to get something done through Panasonic's customer service, they were absolutely NO HELP. I asked to speak to a superviser and there was not one that they would let me speak to. It was a totally horrible, miserable experience! After I wrote to the better business bureau, all of a sudden they sent me a check in the mail for the price I paid for the unit. WHAT A HUGE PAIN AND WASTE OF MY TIME!!!! To have a new DVD/VCR recorder combo last for one month and to receive that type of customer service is absolutely uncalled for! I will never NEVER buy anything with the Panasonic brand on it ever again. And you can be sure I tell everyone and anyone to steer clear of Panasonic as well!
Don't waste your time or money on this unit!!!
Digital camera Review: Panasonic DVD Recorders w/ Harddrives are prone to failure
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased a Panasonic DVD recorder with a harddrive about 18 months ago. Unfortunately, the harddrive malfunctioned just beyond the warranty period and I now have a useless $500 piece of junk. A coworker of mine also purchased a Panasonic DVD recorder around the same time and experienced problems with three of them before giving up and buying a JVC. From my experience, I'd advise anyone buying a DVD recorder to steer clear of Panasonic, as they are prone to failure.