panasonic DMR EX85ER how does external link work

[shalimar]

Please help a newbie,
Just bouight a Pan DMR EX85ER, have a Panasonic TX 28 MD3 and Goodman GDB3 setop box.
Question is it possible to use the "external Link" on the pan to connect the Goodman so I can record to HD on Pan and watch freeview via the goodman. I can not make it do both?

I have split the arial so I can do this ; And works fine, but to many wires.
what does the external link do,
I have BenqW100 for films and grand national, fantastic but have to set up, am trying to get my head round whats possible so I can put on ceiling;but need to have some idea whats happening.

please help should the external link work as I think.

[Iron Monkey]

You have no need to use the External Link feature.

The DMR-EX85 has a built-in Freeview tuner, so just highlight the program you want to record in the Guide (big green button on the remote) and set the timer by following the on-screen instructions.

Then you can forget the DMR-EX85, just turn your Goodmans digibox on and select a different channel on that.

External Link on the DMR-EX85 (and similarly the DMR-EX75) is more for use in conjunction with a Sky box, since the Sky channels are not built into the DVD / HDD recorder.

Hope that helps.

[shalimar]

Thanks for your reply,apologises for not thanking you sooner. I have been away.

I had done what you kindly suggested and works fine.

The query was what was external link for ? (I was not clear)

what I discovered. To transfer VHS tapes to HHD on Panasonic to Copy to disc later. This works

1st change direction of signal in.---
Press Functions to Others to Advanced Copy ::flicks up "insert disc etc" ignore and Enter follow instructions to change direction
DVD on Source and HDD as Destination. exit
DO NOT press copy just exit.

From VHS player AV1 connect by scart to Panasonic AV2
PUt VHS tape in, Before place you want to record and start, and just Press "external LInk" I used one at front. and EUREKA
( Panasonic takes a min then says BYE and then rec light comes on.)

IS this the easiest way?
Question Panasonic "recording mode and copying,"
I had selected SP mode in above info, but when I checked it said 1 hour 34 mins in XP mode, I had not selected this, it copied OK and played back fine.I do not understand as in book says this recording mode is Max 60 mins.? but it worked on a DVD-RW 4X [rewritable] and played back by projecter In a very acceptable picture if not better than the tape on a TV screen.

Question I selected a 1 hour to burn and Panasonic said 4.7GB disc full ;I added another hour and It came up disc Full again?
Is it doing a automatic compress like DVD Shrink does ?? if so

to put VHs tapes on HDD to burn later, which recording mode for best result and how much VHS time to each 4.7GB disc
I am using Verbatim DVD-R 16X

Any Help would be mighterly appreciated.
thanks again for replying.