Panasonic DMR-ES30VS DVD Recorder/VCR Combo
Does What It's Supposed To Do and Does It Well
I bought this item after my RCA vhs/dvd player bit the dust only after 2 yrs. This is my first experience with a Panasonic model and I was pleasantly surprised with it.  Not only was it very easy to set up (less than 15 minutes), it starts up very quickly and the dvd playback quality - even in LP mode the picture is very good. The one touch vhs to dvd dubbing button is a definite plus as well. The only negative I found was on the universal remote. When you are using just the TV you only can switch channels by hitting the + or - buttons and there is no 'go back' button to switch back and forth between two channels.  So I have ended up using my other remote for tv viewing.  Also, I do wish you were able to use scheduled recording on both dvd and vhs at the same time as there are occasions where there are two different tv shows/movies (on at the same time) and I am not home to watch them.  The DVD menu is very visually friendly but the VHS menu is like the old vcr menus from 15+ years ago with the big white lettering.  However, these 'cons' are not enough to bring my review down to 4 stars because this recorder does what it's supposed to do (records dvds and vhs) and does it well. It is worth the money!