Panasonic DMR-HS2 Progressive-Scan DVD Recorder/PVR with 40 GB Hard Drive (Silver)

[Archived in All DVD Players, DVD Players, DVD Recorders, Home DVD Players, Panasonic, Products, Progressive-Scan DVD Players]

Manufacturer: Panasonic
Price at amazon.com: Used from $399.99

List price $999.95



Product Features:

• Built-in 40 GB hard drive, IEEE 1394 digital video input
• Hybrid VBR (variable bit rate) technology lets you record up to 6 hours on a single-sided DVD-RAM disc
• Time Slip lets you watch from the beginning a program whose recording is still in progress
• Progressive-scan video output for film-like images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Plays DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, music CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and JPEG image CDs

Product Description:

Description from Manufacturer: 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.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: HS2 beats VHS anyday Rating:
I just bought the Panasonic DMR-HS2 and my VCR will soon see the dumpster. If you aren't up to speed on DVD-RAM technology and recordable DVD, then you should get to an electronics store and test drive the HS2. First of all, since these units are digital and have hard drives (same as your PC), you can record video or TV shows to the hard drive (40GB) and then burn a DVD-R copy for your friend who has a DVD player. So that's something that single-cassette VHS machines couldn't do at all. Also, I can plug my digital still or video camera SD card into the HS2 and edit my pictures into a video that I just shot. RAM DISKS can also be re-recorded I think like a 100,000 times or something. But the advantage of the RAM disc is that it allows you to store video, audio and photos. Then with the hard drive you can back all that stuff up onto the drive and edit your own videos, since this thing also has great editing features.

And like TIVO (which I love, but see that with machines like 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 I would check one of these out, there great fun and you'll be happy you broke-up with your VCR.

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Comment: The HS2 is an amazing digital entertainment unit!! Rating:
The best way to think about this new entertainment appliance is this way: DVD player and recorder + VCR + TIVO + Photo Viewer. With that said, in many ways the HS2 brings the benefits of total digital entertainment right into the comfort of your living room. This unit is great for anyone who wants to edit their own vacation, family fun or "life" videos, record high-quality video either from television, VHS, or camcorder as well as archive digital photos! So if you've cam-corded thousands of miles of kid birthday parties or recorded 5,000 old TV shows, the HS2 gives you the ability to edit right on the RAM disc or hard drive, and then make a DVD-R to view, share with your friends or even archive. One particular feature I really like about the unit is "time slip" recording, which is truly remarkable, because it allows simultaneous recording and playback of the same program at the same time-thanks to DVD/RAM technology. For instance, you can watch the beginning of a TV show while the end is still recording, which I think is very cool. Now contrary to some misconceptions, you CAN record onto popular DVD-R discs using the HS2 that WILL play on your buddy's DVD player, or your grandmother's DVD player for that matter.

But if you really get to know the HS2, you can easily title your programs, choose a menu color, set it to skip commercials, divide programs, all while recording very high quality video. The internal hard drive can record up to 52 hours for normal or standard recordings, and for the highest quality video it will store 8.5 hours. If you're looking for a DVD recorder that really does it all, this unit that is quite versatile and covers all the bases very well, I recommend the HS2 highly.

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Comment: A little pricey but in the end worth it. Rating:
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!

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)