Panasonic DMR-HW100 Twin HD Tuner 320 GB PVR - Master Thread.

I have reported my problems to Panasonic but I bet they would not discuss modifying the product.

I have a DMR-HW100 Freeview+ Recorder.
Problem 1
Widescreen switching to 4:3 on Channel 4 TV does not work but is okay on other Freeview Channels e.g. Film4, and BBC Channels. I guess the signal format on Channel 4 is slightly different, a good program to replicate the fault is "The Simpsons" which is on every day.

Problem 2
When playing a 4:3 program Option, Aspect, Zoom does not work properly but is fine with my Panasonic 3D Blu-Ray player.

Problem 3
I cannot use Pixel matching "Just Scan" with my LG 3D LED TV unless I first load the BBC iPlayer on the Player then until a power cycle 4:3 / 16:9 switching works properly (except on Channel 4 re Problem 1).

HummerUK
 
A couple more observations.

1. It does not keep the regional BBC region tuning choice and keeps going back to the wrong one.
2. In guide it also always displays all channels including encrypted rater than free to air or favourite list.

Both of these problems occur after it has been in standby.

HummerUK
 
A couple more observations.

1. It does not keep the regional BBC region tuning choice and keeps going back to the wrong one.

Another user with a Panasonic tuner based DVDR is reporting this same issue.
I am not familiar with this tuner control implementation so cannot comment at present.
2. In guide it also always displays all channels including encrypted rater than free to air or favourite list.

Both of these problems occur after it has been in standby.

HummerUK

In all past Panasonic systems, it has depended how one exits the guide as to whether the choice you have made remains defaulted.
So try this:
If you make a choice of the favourites list that you want, then choose a currently running programme on any channel from the guide, you will be taken to that show, and the guide will be exited.
Thereafter your favourites choice should remain defaulted.
 
In all past Panasonic systems, it has depended how one exits the guide as to whether the choice you have made remains defaulted.
So try this:
If you make a choice of the favourites list that you want, then choose a currently running programme on any channel from the guide, you will be taken to that show, and the guide will be exited.
Thereafter your favourites choice should remain defaulted.

Many thanks, that seems to work.

I have now hit the next draconian feature, you can only set it to make 32 recordings - why?

Looking at my Philips one it is set to make 49 recordings.

I would suggest a limit of 48 or 64 timers or as many as you want...

HummerUK
 
We now have HD Freeview in the area and the unit seems to cope with recording and playing them back with no issue.

If you select a SD program, like many other boxes it will offer you the HD version.

Until of course you get to your 33rd planned recording and then it says this...

75db1e37.jpg


Why on earth did they limit it to 32 planned recordings?

From the manual...

You can enter up to 32 programmes up to a month in advance.
(Each daily, weekly or series programme is counted as one programme.)

EDIT: I have email them...

Panasonic DMR-HW100.

1. Can you please increase the limit of recording timers from 32 to say 48 or 64? It does seem slightly crazy you can only set 32 timers, that is less than one timer per channel which seems a low ratio.

2. Tuning / Channel Sort By Region is not saved when you put the machine into standby so I keep getting the incorrect local BBC News on channel 1.

3. Not a major issue but sometimes when you press delete when playing a recording all it does is briefly pause playback rather than bringing up the delete confirmation dialogue box. I can see no pattern to when this issue occurs.

HummerUK
 
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Got a reply from Panasonic which has not impressed me :(

My Questions were....

1. Can you please increase the limit of recording timers from 32 to say 48 or 64? It does seem slightly crazy you can only set 32 timers, that is less than one timer per channel which seems a low ratio.

2. Tuning / Channel Sort By Region is not saved when you put the machine into standby so I keep getting the incorrect local BBC News on channel 1.

3. Not a major issue but sometimes when you press delete when playing a recording all it does is briefly pause playback rather than bringing up the delete confirmation dialogue box. I can see no pattern to when this issue occurs.

Panasonic reply...

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry.

In response, I am sorry to learn that there are some aspects to the operation of the above unit which have caused you some disappointment.

To explain, Panasonic market a range of product to suit the majority of customers' needs. The decision as to the attributes of those products is based on extensive market research, taking into account the previous feedback received from our customers.

Regrettably, as I am sure you can appreciate, it is not possible to tailor products to suit individual requirements. Similarly, it is not feasible to list within our literature every feature that a unit does not have.

Given this, we would always encourage a customer to ensure that a product entirely suits their needs and will operate to the purpose that they intend, prior to making a purchase.

Unfortunately it is not possible change the number of Timer recordings.

Regrettably, there is no action that can be taken to alter the design of this product to meet with your specific suggestions. However, I will, of course, pass a copy of your letter to our audio visual product marketing department for their interest in future designs.

I am sorry that Panasonic cannot be of assistance to you in your enquiry. However, I trust that, despite these aspects to the product, you may enjoy optimum performance.

With regards to the issue with the local news it is possible to manually tune the recorder so that it picks up the correct frequencies

You can get the correct frequency from the Digital UK web site

Digital UK - Home

Enter your postcode and house name or number click into the box ‘I am in the aerial installation trade and click on GO.

Take a note of the local frequencies that you need.

Then in the tuning menu select MANUAL TUNING

Pages 70 and 71 will give you more details on Manual tuning.

With the Delete issue. If you are not getting the word delete come up this could be a software issue and we would recommend that you reset the DMRHW100. Note if you do this after the manual Tune your will have to retune manually again as the unit will be restored to its original settings and will auto set-up again.

In order to return your unit back to its original shipping conditions, you must do the following:

 Press FUNCTION MENU on your remote control
 Select ‘To Others' and press OK
 Select SETUP and press OK
 Select INITIALIZE and press OK
 Select SHIPPING CONDITION and press OK
 Choose to confirm that you wish to carry out this procedure and press OK

After the shipping condition has completed you will need to turn off and disconnect the unit from the mains for about 5 minutes.
Please note that the Owner ID cannot be reset by carrying out this procedure but all channels and stored information will be lost.




I trust that the above information will be of assistance to you. However, of course, if you should have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us by sending an email using this form: Support - Contact us - e-mail - Panasonic UK & Ireland Please include your ticket reference in the message.

Kind Regards,

Online Support Team
Customer Communications Centre
Panasonic UK, a branch of Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH

HummerUK
 
Another observation.

When watching a recording that is 4:3 you can press option, aspect and change to zoom.

The odd thing is it does not work on every channel.

Works for example on ITV4 but not on BBC2.

I tried an edit of a recording which works in the same way as earlier Panasonic models.

Just make chapter marks at start and end of advert breaks and use partial delete to select the advert breaks using pause and skip to jump to them.

Title rename and devide (to chop off the end) also works.

HummerUK
 
New firmware today...


16/4/2012
Ver 1.13
Update for Network Service change

That's all it says about it.

HummerUK
 
New firmware today...


16/4/2012
Ver 1.13
Update for Network Service change

That's all it says about it.

HummerUK

I have not noted any changes to online services.

Regional tuning issue not fixed and still only 32 record timers which is the same limit their old single tuner models had.

HummerUK
 
...and still only 32 record timers which is the same limit their old single tuner models had.

This is not something that can conceivably be changed by an over the air update - which will only ever deal with reception software issues.

This is apart from the fact that Panasonic will have no intention of changing this aspect of the specification which is fundamental to the design.

Panasonic never 'upgrade' products by updates.
They do what is necessary to maintain product specification, or to add features that only were specified at point of sale.
 
Bought one of these, it went straight back for the following reasons:

1) Poor tuner sensitivity - PVR did not pick up all local Freeview transponders and also none of the HD channels. Panasonic TV connected to the same aerial picked up all channels with signal quality of 10.

2) None of my USB hard drives worked - 2 were not even detected, 1 was rejected as 'unsupported format'.

3) MKV playback from USB was erratic, some files were played, some not. AVI files seemed ok. My Samsung UE32D5520 plays the lot without a hiccup.

4) EPG design awful, plus all the other moans about recording oddities already mentioned in this thread.

The IPlayer HD playback via Ethernet cable was excellent, though. :)

Quite a few Amazon reviewers mention the poor tuner sensitivity - has anyone approached Panasonic regarding the possibility of a faulty batch, given many others have had no problems with reception?

PS I really wanted to like this product and am normally a Panasonic fan.
 
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Can an owner please say if this pvr can replay an existing recording while recording two ? A poster has indicated that a What HiFI review says this isn't possible (hard to believe no one has mentioned this in this thread :confused:)
 
Can an owner please say if this pvr can replay an existing recording while recording two ? A poster has indicated that a What HiFI review says this isn't possible (hard to believe no one has mentioned this in this thread :confused:)

I will be truly amazed if it cannot. This is standard Panasonic functionality.
 
Can an owner please say if this pvr can replay an existing recording while recording two ? A poster has indicated that a What HiFI review says this isn't possible (hard to believe no one has mentioned this in this thread :confused:)

It is confirmed in the Humax thread here.
 
Thanks Gavtech, it sounded extremely unlikely to be the case.
 
Is there any owner out there who could kindly provide a decent picture of the rear panel of this machine.

It can either be uploaded directly or supplied to me for appropriate cropping... for posting in this thread.

For some inane reason, in recent times, Panasonic have taken to missing out any diagram of rear panels from their manuals.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

Did you get a reply to this?
Graham
 
Can any user tell me whether this unit allows you to watch content in it's original broadcast format, IE: 576i for SD, 1080i/p for HD or do you have to select one output resolution and be done with it?

I'm really looking for a box that will show channels as they are originally broadcast and switch resolutions on the fly which will allow the upscaling for SD material to be done by the TV.

Most upscalers in these boxes aren't good and just end up making SD material look soft and undetailed which is why I'd rather let the tv do it.

Thanks.
 
I have one of these and it's my first PVR. I'm actually quite happy with it and have no real complaints, all I want to do is record films that I'll miss if at work.

However, what really annoys me is the dreadful EPG, it's just so badly planned.
I've heard that the next models up (Hw220 & HW240?) have a much better EPG that actually uses the whole screen as well as having a preview panel, rather then having just 2 hours on display and big panels that just say 'Diga'.

Does anyone know / think Panasonic might update the firmware to give us HW100 owners the better EPG from the other systems? Surely it can't be too hard, I'd even give up on the preview window if only I had a full screen EPG!!
 
Unfortunately, I would be very surprised if Panasonic would issue an update for this model as it has now been replaced. They don't usually support "old" models.
I have a very similar EPG on my Panasonic G20b TV. Only two thirds of the screen displays useful info, the rest being taken up with two blank panels with a Viera logo on them. These used to display advertising but fortunately Panasonic are not doing this anymore.
At least the EPG on the TV is very fast so it is easy to locate programmes quickly.
 
Over the air updates only address the reception software - not the operational software, so you will not see this feature change unfortunately.
 
Over the air updates only address the reception software - not the operational software, so you will not see this feature change unfortunately.
Do you mean for Panasonic products?
Other makes of equipment can have the "operational software" or firmware updated by Over the air updates, Vestel PVR's for example
 
Do you mean for Panasonic products?
Other makes of equipment can have the "operational software" or firmware updated by Over the air updates, Vestel PVR's for example

I've also updated this PVR online before. Just plugged in the LAN cable and it downloaded firmware immediately.

I think over the air updates are for Freeview updates, such as new channels.

What I was interested in was the EPG itself changing.
 
Do you mean for Panasonic products?
Other makes of equipment can have the "operational software" or firmware updated by Over the air updates, Vestel PVR's for example

Yes.

Panasonic do not perform 'developmental updates'

They sell what as regarded as complete and tested products.
The only exception is made when some feature is advertised at point of sale that is not yet available and which is to be added during the lifetime of the product ... such as iplayer for example.

But any feature not in the specification will not be added later.

Updates only ever happen at all to deal with arising problem issues of reception due to broadcasting changes.
 

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