Rating: 
Summary: Great product, lousy manual
Review: This is a feature-packed DVD recorder, and an excellent reason to retire your VCR. It's your only choice if you're looking for the ability to record to DVD coupled with Firewire input and a hard disk (to store and edit material). If you plan to do sophisticated editing, you'll be better off using PC or Mac-based DVD recording. But if you want the convenience of a dedicated set-top box that won't crash in the middle of a recording, this is the best choice for you. However, if you don't already have a working knowledge of all the options and features available (various types of video filtering, setting up DVD menus, etc.), the manual and user interface are utterly cryptic. Many features and topics aren't even mentioned in the manual once. If you want to do anything more sophisticated than using it like a VCR, plan on some trial and error (and plan on making a few coasters with your blank DVD-R media).
Rating:
Summary: Why didn't someone invent this Sooner?
Review: This machine just made all my other 4 VHS Recorders obsolete! I have Satellite-Dish, Cable-TV, 1 security videocameras, and my Sony DV Portable Rec/Player connected full-time to this machine! And it works like magic. Everything is a snap, if you follow my advise: Download the User-Manual in advance, and start reading it so you know how to handle the machine the moment it arrives at your home.
I did that, and using high-light markers, I've converted the nerd-like Manual into a very useful one.
Why didn't someone invent this machine in the 80's or 90's? I am in the process to dub a lot of Betamax tapes onto DVD. I also recommend to put a UPS-Power Supply on this machine, so if any power-blackout occurs, your contents are protected.
I think, we should be grateful to Panasonic, that they did NOT get into bed with that awful "Tivo" platform. If you can setup a Satellite dish yourself... then the setup for this Panasonic machine will be no more difficult.
Now, after exactly 1 week, even my wife can already handle the time-shift recording, entering title, cutting out commercials, and 'managing' the program files on the HardDisk.
Again: Download the User Manual, and read it thorougly BEFORE you purchase the machine. You will then understand it completely.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let the other reviews scare you!!
Review: This Piece of equipment is excellent. The manual is only difficult in the details. You have to do a little cross referencing to find specifics, but it's not that bad. Don't let the other reviews scare you. Set-up is a breeze and you can be recording dvd-rs almost immediately. The picture quality is excellent and it's so great to do all the burning in real time or faster (high speed dubbing is one of the items you need to dig in the manual for). This is so much better than burning discs on a mac or pc. No problems with out of synch audio or discs that won't burn properly. Get this item. You won't regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but close. Making my own movie dvd's!
Review: Wish it had a IEEE connector in the back. If my HD Receiver had IEEE output, I'd be inheaven. However...
I record from my Sony SAT300 Hi-def receiver. No, the Panasonic doesn't record in HD, but the digital pic via s-video makes for the BEST and CLEANEST recordings imaginable. It even records widescreen! Then I trim the beginning and end of fluff, and remove the commercials. Now I can make my own "edited for tv" movie dvd. It is frikken great!
Modes: XP ~ 10 mbit. Similar to Superbit-DVD.
SP ~ 5 Mbit. Pretty much the rate all DVD movies play.
Do the math. Record a 2 hour TV movie in XP (Best mode). After editing you have a 90 minute XP movie. Record to a DVD in FR (flex recording mode). The variable bit rate means your movie is abut 6 Mbit. 25% better than the store bought DVD!
Also recorded lots of old family VHS to DVD, and mini-dv. Editing is great though there is no "undo", so be careful.
I can live with the little quirks about it. It lets me edit without relying on quirkier pc's!
| 
