Panasonic DMR-E20S DVD Recorder and Player, Silver
6 Months of Trouble-Free Recording
I haven't had any DVD-RAM format issues as of yet, but DO use only Panasonic DVD-RAM discs. I've had two or three out of 300 or so DVD-R discs (of differing CHEAP brands) to fail - you could usually find an obvious flaw in the media. The E-20 doesn't suffer from the \\"black screen bug\\" of the later E-30 to 50s and has excellent recording in the higher quality SP or better modes. I do use the flexible recording mode for recordings exceeding 2 hours (to maximize the bitrate and quality of the final product - usually half D1). <br />I did take the time to ensure adequate ventilation (Panasonic didn't put a fan on it for nothing).<br />DVD players that require UDF 1.02 or 1.50 format will not play the finalized DVDs (i.e. Apex 1100W), but my JVC and Pioneer players will - as do most computer DVD-ROMs.