Panasonic DMR-E65S DVD  Recorder with SD Card Slot (DVD-RAM & DVD-R)
DVD-recording 101- Entry level
Very happy that I got to archive my old home VHS to DVD with great results.<br /><br />Great features:<br />This is an excellent entry-level DVD-recorder.  The TV Guide feature is the reason to past over Panasonic cheaper brother the E55s which just have the VCR-plus feature.  TV Guide is a simpler and free version to TiVo.  It has an on-screen menu of the channels including title, time, info and the option to record.  Sadly, TV Guide feature only work for antenna broadcasting and basic cable.  Digital cable and satellite users might have to invest more money into a TiVo recording device (lack of component input here).<br /><br />The recording quality is great, which is almost the same or lesser then the original, but never better.  I transfer old VHS home video to this device and it was easy with excellent quality.  Recording TV programs through the antenna is simple, but the quality depends on your reception.  DVD-r is more common then DVD+r.  I use XP or SP mode (1-2hrs) for VCR transfer, and LP or EP mode (4-8hrs) for TV program.<br />This is one of the most intelligence video devices I have own yet.  There are so many option and setting to configure base on your needs.  The SD card reader is a nice extra for this device.  I have a Panasonic digital camera with a SD card so it is just plug and play.  The manual is simple to follow and understand to figure this complex device.<br /><br />The have not:<br />As an entry level recorder would mean this device have less of the advance input features.  There are no component inputs which mean you can't recorder from higher quality image.  No DV(firewire) input for newer digital camcorder.  No hardrive for mix and match recording.  The recorder is a 4-stars but the DVD playback is a 3.75-stars. The progressive scan has a lot of settings to customize from, but my Toshisba's DVD is a little smoother.  The basic DVD-playback feature is just basic and limited.  The old Toshiba has many features as zoom, slow forward, display length of the DVD, which I have yet figure/found.  Slow boot time, but that is true to most recorders.<br /><br />Panasonic quality is great.  I have a Panasonic's HDTV for almost a year, a digital camera and they all are working fine with great results.  I like Panasonic's pricing which is producing great quality for the price, but they leave out some of the more fancy features and style that Sony has that will jack up the prices.  I use Verbatim's Digital Movie DVD-r at 4x and Panasonic's DVD-RAM, anything faster like 8x does not seem to work.ave yet figure/found.  Slow boot time, but that is true to most recorders.    Panasonic quality is great.  I have a Panasonic's HDTV for almost a year, a digital camera and they all are working fine with great results.  I like Panasonic's pricing which is producing great quality for the price, but they leave out some of the more fancy features and style that Sony has that will jack up the prices.  I use Verbatim's Digital Movie DVD-r at 4x and Panasonic's DVD-RAM, anything faster like 8x does not seem to work.