Help! Questions about Panasonic DMRE95

[Fanboy]

Hullo all,

I am hoping you will be able to help me take my first steps into the world of Hard disk DVD recorders.

I have been looking at the DMRE95, which Richer Sounds are currently selling for a reasonable price (a price I can't afford to go much higher than, i might add - £400), but am unsure of some of the features. Can anyone help me answer the following:

1. Can I watch a DVD while recording a programme to the hard disk in the background?

2. The spec says that this model has a PCMCIA expansion slot. Does anyone know if this will accept an ethernet card, so that I can link the recorder to my home network, or is it just for memory cards?

3. Can I watch a programme on the hard disk while recording something else to the hard disk?

Hope you can help. Thanks in advance!

FB.

[Rasczak]

Can I watch a DVD while recording a programme to the hard disk in the background?

Yes - although note that you couldn't watch an NTSC disc whilst recording from a (UK) TV source.

Can I watch a programme on the hard disk while recording something else to the hard disk?

Yes.

The spec says that this model has a PCMCIA expansion slot. Does anyone know if this will accept an ethernet card, so that I can link the recorder to my home network, or is it just for memory cards?

Only for memory cards - and even then it is limited to formats the recorder understands, i.e. JPEGs. If you want Ethernet connectivity have a look at the Panasonic E500 (available at bargain prices from places such as Richer Sounds - although note it is still out of your budget somewhat).

For general DVD recorder buying advice have a look at the 'Which DVD Recorder?' link in my signature.

[Fanboy]

Marvellous - thanks Rasczak. Maybe I'll wait until next month's payday and buy the model you suggest. I've survived this long without a DVD Recorder, what's one more month?

[Steve_P]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

...Only for memory cards - and even then it is limited to formats the recorder understands, i.e. JPEGs. If you want Ethernet connectivity have a look at the Panasonic E500 (available at bargain prices from places such as Richer Sounds - although note it is still out of your budget somewhat)...

Bear in mind that the E500 will only stream MPEG4 movies across an ethernet network and it works really well. Although the media is best suited to portable players. You will not be able to stream MPEG2 (i.e. your normal recordings) over the network. MPEG4 at it's maximum quality setting of XF is 320 x 240 and streamed at approx 1.5 Mbps.

S.

[Fanboy]

Thanks for that info, Steve_P.

Once the E500 is plugged into a network, can it be 'seen' on the network by a networked computer as a 'device', so that I can copy files from it to my PC?

I don't want to buy a DVD-Recorder with ethernet capability if it is going to end up being an 'information island', with the only way to get data off it being to toast DVDs.

[AVmaster]

Originally Posted by Steve_P

Bear in mind that the E500 will only stream MPEG4 movies across an ethernet network. You will not be able to stream MPEG2 (i.e. your normal recordings) over the network.

I''m gonna have to correct you on that. The E500 does in fact stream MPEG2 over the Ethernet network, just not to a PC. It is used to play your recordings on RAM or HDD to another machine, although this is currently limited to just the E500 until other compatible models are realeased.

The network connection to PC however, is as you say. It allows you to play MPEG4 on the PC or display and transfer JPG or TIFF to your PC. It will also allow you to edit the program names of your MPEG2 recordings on RAM & HDD, which is a bonus when you think that you can use your QWERTY keyboard instead of the remote control.

[Steve_P]

AVmaster,
You are indeed correct, I should have clarified that I was talking about a network connection between E500 to PC. Though, as the machine is relatively expensive I can't see many people buying multiple E500's to have them networked at home.

Fanboy,
As far as I am aware you can only transfer still images via network as AVmaster has stated. If you want to transfer video then you can use memory cards for MPEG4 material, e.g. SD cards, or discs (either DVD-R or DVD-RAM) for MPEG2.

S.

[Fanboy]

Steve_P - thanks again - that might save me some money then. If ethernet doesn't do what I thought it would, i can buy a lower spec model and just use discs to transfer data. Thanks again.