Panasonic DMRE85HS Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder with 120 GB Hard Drive Recording
Much Patience required, but worth it
This machine has changed my life in terms of allowing me to take total control of my TV viewing.  However, if you don't have patience and some tech sense, then this may not be the best machine for you.     <br /> <br />First, as many have pointed out, the Users manual is confusing, and by the looks of all the inserts that were added along with the manual I sense that Panasonic knows this and has been trying to address the confusion by including periodic updates.  Trust me that the updates don't necessarily make things better.  [NOTE:  Why not just develop a whole new manual]  Also be prepared to read the manual often.  And even with that, you will discover many things the machine does on your own, as it was either poorly covered in the manual or not at all.   You will know you've mastered the machine when you no longer have to refer to the Users Guide and/or you stop contemplating throwing the machine out the window. <br /> <br />The remote control is not the most wisely layed out, and transitioning between live TV and what you have stored on the Hard drive is cumbersome.   The TV Guide set-up is the worst thing about this machine.  It takes forever to figure out and a long time to initially download.  It took almost a week for the TV Guide to completely update, which is longer then the 24 hour period Panasonic describes.  I also don't like the delay when changing channels.  Other than that, this machine is great for the money, it is quiet, and it offers great features such as Pic in Pic and editing capabilities.