DMRES10 & Wide Screen

[jm1]

Could someone with a Panasonic DMRES10, tell me if it only records in wide screen when recording to DVD-RAM, or does it record in wide screen with all formats?


Cheers
jm

[ArtS]

Unfortunalety it records wide-screen to DVD-RAM ONLY. For other media it streches picture horizontally.

Sorry, ArtS

[Rasczak]

Just to elaborate slightly: DVD recorders record the Widescreen Switching Signal (WSS) when you use VR mode - be it to a DVD-RAM or DVD-RW (VR Mode)* - but not when you use Video mode (DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R). It's inconvienant but all you have to do is manually select the '16:9' button on your TV. You can also use a programme called IFO Edit to restore the WSS onto your recordings.


* Note the Panasonic range do not record in DVD-RW VR Mode.

[jm1]

Thanks for your replies, I don't think it will be too much of an inconvenience to manually select 16:9.

Cheers
jm

[MikeMcr]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

Just to elaborate slightly: DVD recorders record the Widescreen Switching Signal (WSS) when you use VR mode - be it to a DVD-RAM or DVD-RW (VR Mode)* - but not when you use Video mode (DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R). It's inconvienant but all you have to do is manually select the '16:9' button on your TV. You can also use a programme called IFO Edit to restore the WSS onto your recordings.


* Note the Panasonic range do not record in DVD-RW VR Mode.

This is not the case with Pioneer and Toshiba recorders; they correctly set the widescreen flag in Video Mode DVD-R. There is no reason why Panasonic cannot do the same, except for laziness on the part of their programmers

[Rasczak]

This is not the case with Pioneer and Toshiba recorders; they correctly set the widescreen flag in Video Mode DVD-R

The situation is slightly different there - a menu option to set it is available before the DVD is burnt from the HDD. If you look at the link in my signature the situation is explained more fully.

[MikeMcr]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

The situation is slightly different there - a menu option to set it is available before the DVD is burnt from the HDD. If you look at the link in my signature the situation is explained more fully.

Not with the Pioneer DVR-520H which I have. It is all automatic; you cannot override the setting but up to a specific quality setting, the 16:9 flag is automatically copied to DVD-R video mode media.

It copes with the multi-aspect title problem by warning you that a title cannot have mixed aspects and it then splits one recording into multiple titles when you are building your copy list. Each part then has its own aspect flag. A nice side effect of this is it's great for easily getting rid the adverts when a programme has different aspects since the ads are already split for you!

I just wish Panasonic would do this as there is no reason they can't.

Yes, it's not a big deal to press the aspect button on the TV but why should we? These recorders cost a lot of money and basic features like this should work; it's actually quite frustrating trying to explain to non-technical relatives about aspect ratios.

[gavan]

Originally Posted by MikeMcr

Yes, it's not a big deal to press the aspect button on the TV but why should we? These recorders cost a lot of money and basic features like this should work; it's actually quite frustrating trying to explain to non-technical relatives about aspect ratios.

Yep - the stupid oversight in the inability to record the widescreen switch signal is one of the niggles that made me sell my Panasonic EH50. It's absolutely stupid to not at least give the user the option to manually set it prior to recording. Who cares about not being able to switch the ratio mid-programme? Most people will cut out the ads anyway, which would be one of the few reasons for a mid-programme switch to be needed.

If you have a lot of recordings in differnt aspect ratios, the last thing you want to do is be guessing the ratio and having to set the TV manually every time you play a recording. Also, giving the discs to other people you'll generally have a hell of a time trying to explain the ins and outs of having to switch the aspect ratio as needed, to them.


Gav

[MikeMcr]

I completely agree. It was so disappointing to look at the PDF manuals for the new Panasonic Freeview models and see they still cannot record the 16:9 flag onto DVD-R. I refuse to buy one while that (forced) limitation exists.

[Rasczak]

Not with the Pioneer DVR-520H which I have. It is all automatic; you cannot override the setting

Your missing the point - the ES10 being discussed in this thread is not a HDD machine - it's a standalone. What your HDD machine does is different from recording the 16:9 directly onto the DVD in Video mode - you're converting VR mode to Video mode. As I say the situation is explained fully in my signature...