Where can I get this recorder?

[scolear]

Hello

This is my first post, I'm a complete novice with videos and dvds... I've managed to sort out my parents Panasonic DMR-ES20DEB so that they can record programs onto disc.

I bought this for them a few months back and now I have figured out how it works, I'm going to get one for myself.

I can't remember the place I bought the last one from. When I do a google search for it the recorder I just come up with ebay listings. Does anyone know any places where I will be able to buy it?

Many thanks

[Gavtech]

Welcome to the forum Scolear

You will not get that model now.. It is long obsolete.

There are any number of places you can gert machines .. but first you will need to select the model you want.

Have a look at the current range here:

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/dvd-recorders/index.htm

Note that new models are coming out in just a matter of weeks.

I strongly recommend that you consider a model that includes a Hard disk drive.
It improves the general usability considerably.

[Cynthia 7]

Hi scolear,

Strangely enough I have just been on the Amazon co.uk site looking at recorders for a friend. I wondered if the Panasonic ES15 was still available. It showed several refurbished DMRES20 recorders and one NEW recorder from Seller UK clearance. This was priced at £178.50.

I don't know whether this is an e-bay seller or not. It gives ratings for this firm.

Good luck in your search.

[scolear]

I was thinking of doing something like that and checking the ratings of the seller. Is this a good idea? Does anyone have any stories of bad experiences on amazon or ebay with a seller that had a good rating?

My sister has a DVD recorder but apparently once something has been recorded onto a disc, you can't record anything else onto the SAME disc.

I don't want that. I want to be able to record onto a disc and then, if I want to, record something else onto the same disc the following week or month. My parents' obsolete dvd recorder (the one I'm looking for) allows you to do that.

How come my sister has that problem, does this mean she must have some different type of recorder?

Thanks

[Knyght_byte]

usual suspects would be sites like Dixons, Currys, Comets, John Lewis.....or any other obvious big name companies, or try Amazon etc......

dont know if your model is still available or not, if its not that might be why you not getting any hits back on your search......

edit:oops, bit late with the info..lol..i had this page open in a tab for a while...


its most likely she has finalised the disc, once a disc is finalised it wont allow you to add to it......possibly her machine is set to automatically finalise after a recording.....or she is using a variable recording mode where when she records to a disc it uses the best possible quality mode for the length of the program and fills up the disc with that one program (discs have a data limit, the recorder chooses an encoding quality which dictates the time, bit like SP/LP on VHS machine.....usually it goes something like XP =1hr, SP =2hr, LP =4hr, ELP =6hr etc)....if you set your player to record in SP for example, you can record 1 hour on to a disc one week, then assuming you dont finalise the disc, next week you can record another hour on to it, then its full.......but if using a flexible recording mode (also called variable sometimes) then if the program is 1hr 10 minutes, that will take up all the space on the disc using appropriate quality chosen by the machine itself...

[scolear]

I'm looking for one that will allow me to easily record freeview channels.

Any suggestions? Are ones with a hard disk drive more difficult to use? Will they result in the same problem my sister has where she cannot record onto a disc once it has been used?

Sorry for the basic questions, I am a real novice.

[Gavtech]

Machines with Hard disc drives are generally considerably easier to use in terms of recording.

Whether you can record again on a removable disc depends on the disk type,

There are write once disks on which you cannot record again [ DVD-R, DVD+R ] and there are disks that you can erase and record again, so called re-write discs [ DVD-RW, DVD+RW ].

But if you want to watch recordings and then discard them, Hard disk recording is the best of all... and if you have it in combination with a DVD recorder , it gives you the option to save recordings onto DVD.

[scolear]

Thanks, if I can't get hold of the Panasonic DMR-ES20DEB which ones would you recommend?

I'm not really sure what the benefit is in recording something on hard drive and discarding it as you mentioned, when you can do the same thing with a re-write disc.

Also, what's a PVR?

[Gavtech]

Originally Posted by scolear

Thanks, if I can't get hold of the Panasonic DMR-ES20DEB which ones would you recommend?

DMR EZ25 without a hard disk

DMR EX75 with a hard disk

Originally Posted by scolear

I'm not really sure what the benefit is in recording something on hard drive and discarding it as you mentioned, when you can do the same thing with a re-write disc.

It may not seem obvious... but it is quicker, simpler, more robust and more flexible.

I can give you reasonable assurance that everyone who has experienced hard disk recording would never opt to go back to removable disk recording as a primary means of timeshifting.

Originally Posted by scolear

Also, what's a PVR?

A personal Video Recorder is a Hard Disk Recorder with no DVD encoder - so it can only record Freeview channels from it's aerial input.
It cannot record from any other device as it has no other inputs.

They often have dual digital tuners which allow you to record one channel whilst watching another ... Some allow you to record two channels simultaneously.
They are simple to use and very effective.... and if time shifting is all you wish to achieve, such a device may be more suited to your needs.

You need to be in a Freeview reception area to use them.

[ROYOLD]

Use the Pricerunner website and select Panasonic models :

The DMR-ES20D is listed on page 2 but only two retailers.
http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/s/4/com...-Player-prices

For a newer non hard drive model which you can use re-recordable DVD-RAM discs on try the EZ25 but as Gavtech states, if you can afford the higher price, the recorders with hard drives are much more versatile.

N.B. The EZ25 will be replaced by the EZ27 shortly - details and description on this website :

http://www.avland.co.uk/panasonic/dmrez27/dmrez27.htm

[Richard46]

Originally Posted by Gavtech

I can give you reasonable assurance that everyone who has experienced hard disk recording would never opt to go back to removable disk recording as a primary means of timeshifting.

I will second that.

Richard