5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
DVD recorder with ATSC Tuner
Date of Review: Jun 30, 2007
The Bottom Line: If picture quality is a concern, then avoid the Panasonic.
I receive all my HDTV broadcasts from over the air and needed a decent recorder to record my favorite HD programming in 480 horizontal resolutions. VHS was not cutting it for me.
What drew me towards the Panasonic DMR-EZ27K was the capability of the DVD R/RW DL and ATSC recording. However after a few days of using it, I noticed that the recording quality was not as good at the Samsung DVD-AR650 and returned the Panasonic.
Plus there are several menus that can be confusing to the first time user. You have a Disk Manager Menu, and then you have a regular menu for DVD setup. etc... There has to be a simpler way Panasonic.
I also noticed the ATSC turner quality could be better. It may be deliberate for copying infringement. However, this contributed to poor DVD recording quality.
Note: When recording a HDTV broadcast using -RW disk, 2-two hour mode on the Samsung is better than the 1-hour mode on the Panasonic. That is sad.
I also found annoying was when you formatted a disk or deleted a chapter. There was no sound playback or picture playback. So you have this dead silence while waiting for these functions to complete. On the Samsung DVD-AR650 at least you can still listen and watch a program while the disk is being formatted.
Then you have the funky disk drawer. I clearly did not like this because it blocked the power button. I wish they would stick with the traditional type of drawer. See, I tend to eject the disk, remove it and then turn the power off. Wait the drawer panel is in the way. That stinks. Can't Panasonic stick with the traditional type.
Note: No eject button on the remote. That is weird. Thank God a have universal remote.
What I did like was the Auto clock feature (Samsung has this) and current programming information such as what is on now and coming up next. A poor mans EPG.
Like the Samsung DVD-AR650, the sound can sometime be jerky when the Panasonic is doing something. However, I believe this probably could be fixed in later models or a software update. I guess you have to be the Guinea pig when you are an early adopter.
Please check out my review on the Samsung DVD-AR650.
