Panasonic EH60D review in Home Cinema Choice, Nov 05

[HelenS]

I'm never able to resist reading a review "retrospectively" of something I've just got, and the EH60D is reviewed in Home Cinema Choice's current issue, rather favourably. But one thing jarred, and it's something I often notice in magazine reviews of all sorts of gadgetry. The sort of thing you only notice if you already own the equipment, which is unfortunate for people reading a review in preparation for deciding what to buy.

The table of specs in the test says: "DV (i.link) input - No - no input for camcorder dubbers". In the ratings box, one of the "lows" is "no digital video connectivity".

The thing is, it DOES have an i.link input on the front under the flap, and ironically, their photo even shows it. Looking at my own EH60D, it is clearly labelled "DV in" and the instruction manual covers its use, giving an example of connecting a digital camcorder.

It's actually not a feature I need (no camcorder) but I thought I'd mention it here in case anyone had just read that review and though "Oh, I thought it had that - I need it - better cross it off the shortlist then".

Strange how these things creep into magazine reviews...

[jerryat]

Hi Helen,

Entirely agree with your annoyance. Whilst I'm still learning to use all the things this machine offers, I'm delighted with the functions and quality it's exhibited so far.

I assume they will publish a correction (but then if they're that inefficient in the first place.....?) but by then some, having read the review, may well have looked elsewhere.

One of the reasons I read a lot on this Forums before making the decision to buy both a new lcd panel and recorder. As many others have said here, 'don't rely solely on the reviews by ''experts'' '!!

[HelenS]

Originally Posted by jerryat

Hi Helen,

Entirely agree with your annoyance. Whilst I'm still learning to use all the things this machine offers, I'm delighted with the functions and quality it's exhibited so far.

I assume they will publish a correction (but then if they're that inefficient in the first place.....?) but by then some, having read the review, may well have looked elsewhere.

One of the reasons I read a lot on this Forums before making the decision to buy both a new lcd panel and recorder. As many others have said here, 'don't rely solely on the reviews by ''experts'' '!!

Similarly, What Home Cinema have the EH60D in a group test. It did well, coming second only to the Sony RDR-HXD910 - mainly because it is "more expensive" than the Sony (huh?). I also noticed that this review gave no indication of the EH60D's analogue tuner capability, which strikes me as quite important for non-enthusiast buyers, and also for people who live in areas where certain Freeview channels are hard to pick up. It's equally possible, of course, that owners of other brands of recorder also spot inaccurate criticisms of their own machine, or failures to mention really useful features, and even someone already owning a particular recorder (like myself) may well not notice particular shortcomings if they're in an area that I happen not to use. But you'd think a magazine reviewer should be able to spot a connector on the front of the machine, clearly labelled and referred to in the instructions also, rather than repeatedly bemoan its "absence"...

[maldonian]

Hi Helen

The Home Cinema Choice editor has replied to a few threads in the AV Magazines forum recently, for example:

www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249007

So it might be worth repeating your comments in that forum.

[JoseD]

I'm pretty sure the Uk model (at least the first ones) didn't have DVIn but had digital tunner. The other european models had DVIn and no digital tuner.
I still hope they make an upgrade to substituite the tunner before all goes digital (2010 was the planned date right ?)

Hi Helen

Thanks for your message as I am in the process of chewing over which recorder to purchase I have been trawling through the various 'epert' reviews in the high street magazines and they seem to favour the Sony HXD710 more favourably than the Panasonic EH60D. Yet looking through the various postings on this site the EH60D seems to be the choice of the consumer. I had almost bought the Sony but after visitng this site I'm now inclined to go with the Panasonic.

Cheers

Dan

[Sedated]

Magazine reviews are all so so to me. They don't usally end up living with the machine afterwards so dont really see any faults that us consumers do. Forums such as this are the definitive review sites.

[steve36]

I was considering the Sony 710 until I read a few reviews here and so I went back to Panasonic yet again.

I do not expect any upgrade to implement digital tuners, even though the switchover actually starts in 2008.
I would blame the manufacturers wanting to re-sell new products - ie set top boxes or new DVD-recorders later but thanks to the government putting channel 5 in place quite a lot of the country does not have a particularly good signal without a massive ariel.
Personally whilst I recognise it's now a disposable society that I can't help joining in with but I do think that legally TV's and DVD recorders should not be sold in the UK without a digital tuner. TV's bought from John Lewis in some regions will have a warranty longer than a signal.

Steve

[HelenS]

Originally Posted by JoseD

I'm pretty sure the Uk model (at least the first ones) didn't have DVIn but had digital tunner. The other european models had DVIn and no digital tuner.
I still hope they make an upgrade to substituite the tunner before all goes digital (2010 was the planned date right ?)

Well, my own was one of the first UK models on the shelves and it definitely DOES have a DV in socket (even though I don't use it, I have stared intently at it to make sure I'm not imagining it!) and a digital tuner. All the other UK Panasonic models EH50 (80 GB HDD and no digital tuner) ES20D (digital tuner, no HDD) and ES10 (no HDD, no digital tuner) don't have the DV in though.

[HelenS]

Originally Posted by Dan Johnston

Hi Helen

Thanks for your message as I am in the process of chewing over which recorder to purchase I have been trawling through the various 'epert' reviews in the high street magazines and they seem to favour the Sony HXD710 more favourably than the Panasonic EH60D. Yet looking through the various postings on this site the EH60D seems to be the choice of the consumer. I had almost bought the Sony but after visitng this site I'm now inclined to go with the Panasonic.

Cheers

Dan

I suspect the Sony has more to "play" with - such as controls for fiddling the contrast, brightness etc. etc. in playback and record - the Panasonic doesn't offer these. Normally I like things I can fiddle with, but in truth I haven't found the Panasonic to suffer by not having them, anyway. Nothing's perfect of course and your preference may be coloured by what you're used to (i.e. what you used before). Panasonic go for a simplistic interface compared with some, and deserve a slap for not having a set of "position memories" for use on prerecorded DVDs (no problem on your own recordings, just hit the yellow chapter button to make place marks), because it forgets where you were up to if you turn it into standby. There again, it's far easier than the Sony to add "padding" to the start and end times of recordings set via the EPG. Pros and cons with everything. All I can say is that I personally haven't kicked myself and wished I'd gone for the Sony - had I done so, I'd probably be perfectly happy with it too, though. The Panasonic's unique ability to receive analogue as well as Freeview is a nice safety feature too (not that I have needed it so far).