Check out the Dell Store on CNETPanasonic DMR-EH50
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: DMR-EH50-S
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Panasonic's top-of-the-line recorder boasts eye-popping recording quality, but its programming guide may pose a setup challenge with some cable systems.
Read more
Where to buy
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| eCOST.com |  | | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/01/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Panasonic DMR-EH50 price range: $373.99
- Reviewed by: Ben Patterson
- Edited by: David Katzmaier
- Reviewed on: 05/12/2005
- Released on: 05/01/2005
The good: Outstanding recording quality, especially in LP mode; 100GB hard drive; chasing playback; high-speed HDD-to-DVD dubbing; free TV Guide electronic programming guide; slot for Secure Digital media cards; flexible custom recording speed.
The bad: TV Guide EPG is still somewhat glitchy and not compatible with satellite TV; remote scrollwheel is more hindrance than help; no FireWire input.
The bottom line: Panasonic's top-of-the-line recorder boasts eye-popping recording quality, but its programming guide may pose a setup challenge with some cable systems.
User reviews
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My choice out of the CNET leaders
by nycron on October 2, 2005
Pros: Intuitive navigation, good performance, some nice features.
Cons: less than optimal remote control
Summary: Bought both the Pioneer-533H and the Panasonic DMR-EH50 and went for the latter.
The Pioneer does have the dual layer recording and the defrag going for it and its got ...Summary: Bought both the Pioneer-533H and the Panasonic DMR-EH50 and went for the latter.
The Pioneer does have the dual layer recording and the defrag going for it and its got a better looking and somewhat more handy remote (the Pana remote requires you to press the station number; it doesn't have a +/- button).
That said, I found the on screen menus on the Panasonic much easier to navigate. The panasonic menus show you what buttons to press in order to perform various tasks. The remote, notwithstanding the limitations mentioned above, has a more clear heirarchy of buttons and more direct access to functions. I do like the wheel which allows you to move quickly between options.
The panasonic initialized and responded MUCH more quickly than the Pioneer.
As far as I can tell the Pioneer doesn't accept VCR-PLUS codes you find in the papers.
The TV guide on both doesn't load up the whole weeks schedule at one go; one night on the broadcast TV option gave me the 2 next days, a partial of the next, none of the next three and all of the 7th. Hopefully over time it will all fill in.
And the Pansonic has a 100Gb rather than the Pioneer's 80.
By the way, the manufacturer's websites have downloadable manuals which are good for comparing features, and for searching for keywords.21 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Worth It for the Multi-Format Recording Capability and Full Resolution 4-Hour Mode Recording
by tekgeek82 on June 19, 2005
Pros: -RW and +R Recording Support (Finally!), Improved LP 4-Hour Mode Recording Quality
Cons: No DVD+RW/-RW VR Mode Recording, No Lossless dubbing of DVD+R/-R/-RW back to HDD, No Firewire Support
Summary: Panasonic continues to refine its lead in the consumer stand alone DVD recorder marketplace with its 4th Generation Combo Hard Drive/Multi-Format DVD recorder. Notable improvements in LP (4-Hour) mode ...
Summary: Panasonic continues to refine its lead in the consumer stand alone DVD recorder marketplace with its 4th Generation Combo Hard Drive/Multi-Format DVD recorder. Notable improvements in LP (4-Hour) mode recording quality (now full 704x480 resolution) and the addition of two more recordable disc formats (+R and -RW) compensate for a smaller 100GB hard drive (still plenty big enough) than last year's models and the continued oversight of not allowing VR mode recording on anything other than DVD-RAM. Note that the CNET review is in error when it states that high speed dubbing from HDD to disc is only avail with DVD-RAM. The DMR-EH50 supports 8X burning to DVD-R/+R, 5X burning to DVD-RAM, and 4x burning to DVD-RW.
Updated
Though Panasonic reduced the size of its hard drive compared to earlier models, the EH50's improved 12-bit D/A converter, full resolution LP (4-Hour) mode and multi-format burn capability to DVD+R and DVD-RW in addition to the traditional DVD-R and DVD-RAM capability make this deck a winner.12 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I find it very good
by kmsmith54 on May 31, 2005
Pros: Makes great copies.
Cons: Interface not the greatest. I would like to be able to save titles for the dubbing function.
Summary: Can make copy of any format PAL, NTSC onto hd then make a dvd copy playable on any dvd player. I have recorded PAL vhs tapes and dvd's, using ...
Summary: Can make copy of any format PAL, NTSC onto hd then make a dvd copy playable on any dvd player. I have recorded PAL vhs tapes and dvd's, using the correct palyers and made NTSC playable dvd's off the hd copys.
I do not know if this is common today but before I had to pay a pro to convert my NTSC tape (I shot it) to PAL so I could send a copy to friends in Europe. In a few copies this deck paid for itself.8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent quality, excellent features, minor issues
by MadeinJapan on July 16, 2005
Pros: Picture quality, navigation, edit feature, multi disc format support
Cons: EPG update (by cable), some DVD-RW disc imcompatibility
Summary: This is a great video recording device I ever got! I did nlot think that the hard disk was big enough before I bought it, but it holds lots of ...
Summary: This is a great video recording device I ever got! I did nlot think that the hard disk was big enough before I bought it, but it holds lots of recorded content and seems large enough for me. The picture quality is excellent at LP mode that I do not even bother using SP or XP. I have not seen the EP quality yet, however.
I like that it supports DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD-R/RW. DVD-RAM works almst like a hard disk. Being able to record to DVD-RW for for play back on another player and being able tore-write it is wondrful.
EPG update through cable is sometimes slow; I have only 2 days' schedule available sometimes. I found that Fujifilm DVD-RW 2x media had a small problem very well it. It can record the programs but it failed to initialize. I did not encounter this problem with DVD+R or DVD-R discs.
I am planning on buying a camera with SD card as a media. Then I can stick it in the player's SD card slot and read the taken pictures.
I am very happy with this player. I recommend it.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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matching up this DVD recorder to existing cable,and tv componets is essential
by agonyea on December 30, 2005
Pros: Quality, and performance are standard.
Cons: Don't get in a hurry during setup, this unit may not match up with bable box, and tv that you have.
Summary: I got my Panasonic Dmr-EH50S from powersellernyc.com for $310. Quite a savings as the best store in town was almost $500. I recieved the unit in 4 days, with ...
Summary: I got my Panasonic Dmr-EH50S from powersellernyc.com for $310. Quite a savings as the best store in town was almost $500. I recieved the unit in 4 days, with no problems.
This DVD recorder is probably ahead of its time a little bit and patience is required, so don't expect to plug it in and it will set its self up.
Take time to READ the operating instructions, and alot of your problems and questions are solved in a few moments.
I have 3 tv's and finally found the right one to hook it up to was a $300 Phillips I got from Walmart, with gaming vcr,and camcorder plug ins on the back.
I think older tv's and some cable box's don't match up so YOU will have to go buy the right tv, and get with your cable company about a difffrent cable box for hook-up.
I am using this DVD recorder without cable box, and everything is working ok.
Please read the operating instructions, and take your time, its not that diffcult.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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after 3 months, still think its great
by tdelaney on July 23, 2005
Pros: all formats of dvd, great tv guide recording features
Cons: the wheel is more trouble than help
Summary: After 3 months, just really like the product, plays all dvd formats(records all except dvd+rw). The TV guide works well for me, unlike the editors review. Like the "...
Summary: After 3 months, just really like the product, plays all dvd formats(records all except dvd+rw). The TV guide works well for me, unlike the editors review. Like the "record regularly" option.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Too many problems and not worth the price
by kristin06 on March 28, 2006
Pros: Good recording quality, fast and easy DVD dubbing
Cons: Not reliable or consistent, had to turn off TV Guide and automatic clock for it to work, have to schedule and name shows manually
Summary: This was the first DVR recorder my fiancé and I had purchased. We wanted something besides Tivo and decided to go with this. We bought it in October 2005 and ...
Summary: This was the first DVR recorder my fiancé and I had purchased. We wanted something besides Tivo and decided to go with this. We bought it in October 2005 and at first it seemed great. We were a little wary of the bad reviews, but everything was working fine and we loved it. But then around January it started acting up.
The TV Guide listings weren't updating as frequently and so we switched to manually scheduling shows to record. That worked fine for a while, but then it wouldn't record a lot of the scheduled shows unless the DVR was turned on...we think it was downloading the TV Guide listings during the times it wouldn't record. Turning off the TV Guide solved that problem. And then a few weeks after that, it began recording the PBS station instead of the stations it was scheduled for ? if it was scheduled to record channel 6, the display showed it was recording that channel, but it was actually recording PBS. It became so frequent that whenever I had a show scheduled, I had to check it and make sure it was recording the correct channel...very inconvenient for a machine we paid a lot money for to be more convenient than a VCR. We knew that the DVR looks to PBS for the clock settings, so we changed the clock setting to "manual" instead of "automatic" and now the PBS problem has been solved.
Panasonic customer service was absolutely no help. When I would call, I'd be on hold for so long that I would just give up. I tried their website and tried several times to fill out their customer service form, but it never worked ? I'd hit the "send" button and nothing would send. I managed to get a direct email address for their customer service, but I would just get an automated response telling me to use the online form. Frustrating!
Dubbing things to DVD is very easy and nice, but considering everything else I think this product still needs more improvement to be worth the price. It's annoying and inconvenient having to schedule everything manually and then go back and label all the shows manually.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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a workhorse digital recorder
by norhexion on November 21, 2005
Pros: proven Panasonic reliability, high quality recorded image, multitask capabilities
Cons: built-in tv guide feature flawed, 15 second buffer delay in between back to back recordings
Summary: I've been using this unit for slightly over three months now and it's proven to be a very solid workhorse with high quality image output. I do alot ...
Summary: I've been using this unit for slightly over three months now and it's proven to be a very solid workhorse with high quality image output. I do alot of recording from my cable, and this unit is 'off' for no longer than maybe 2-3 hrs at most on any given day. I program it to record around the clock, and when it is not recording I am usually using it to edit the recordings and off-loading them to dvd. I think I have burned over 200 discs so far, only a couple of them are bad but only because of bad media. A couple of times I have gotten the 'write failed' message and the unit restarted, but again I suspect it was due only to bad media. I use the scheduled timer function of this unit alot, but recently I noticed a major glitch in the unit. Sometimes when I program the unit the night before to record say, animal planet at 1 am, I would wake up the next morning only to find that the timer recorded PBS channel instead! This happened on more than one occasion and I missed several shows because of the glitch. So I went online and looked up the problem and it seems to be a common issue that other eh50 owners were having, but nobody seemed to have a solution. Finally, after conducting a series of tests on my own to see if I could isolate the cause of the glitch, I came to the conclusion that disabling the built-in tv guide's autodisplay when the unit starts up might be causing the glitch to occur. I think it has something to do with the unit trying to scan for the local PBS channel at startup but a glitch in the system leaves it confused when the tv guide's autodisplay is disabled. As a side note, I had chosen to bypass the tv guide system at the beginning when I setup this unit, and I have been programming scheduled recordings manually. If you have this issue where your eh50 records a different channel instead of the one you programmed, try enabling TV guide on-screen display (if you previously disabled it). I know it's annoying when you aren't even using the TV guide system, but it may help you avoid the problem altogether. In your user manual, refer to page 29 and at the top right corner you will see the directions for enabling this feature titled 'Review Options'. I think that feature is enabled at the factory by default, but many users like myself disable it because we don't want to see the Tv guide onscreen window everytime the unit is powered up. All in all I am very happy with this unit, despite that glitch.
Updated
UPDATE:
Well it seems that enabling the TV guide startup screen via 'Review Options' DOESN'T solve the PBS recording glitch. I apologize for that advice. However, I have found an alternate solution which seems to have worked so far. Here's what I did: Assuming you have NOT set the recorder to use the TV Guide onscreen system AND you are connected via direct cable not using a cable box, 1) reset the recorder by pressing the up and down channel buttons together located on the front of the unit for more than five seconds. 2) Shut the unit off then back on again. 3) Follow the directions up to step 3 in pages 16-17 of the user manual for setting up the TV guide onscreen system. Enter your zip code, Cable=Yes, Cablebox=No. When you reach step 3 select 'Enter'. 4) On the remote, press the 'Setup' button and the Setup options screen will appear. Select 'Channel' and disable the DST (Daylight Savings Time) option. DON'T use the Preset Channel Captions or the Manual Channel Captions options. Exit Setup and turn the unit off then back on again. It is important to Setup the TV Guide onscreen system after resetting the unit and NOT 'Set Channels Automatically' in the Setup options. I have found that 'Set Channels Automatically' confuses the recorder for some reason, thus resulting in the glitch where PBS is recorded instead of another channel that was programmed using scheduled (timed) recording. This glitch usually happens after the unit has been programmed and then turned off.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great if you take the time to read/re-read the intructions
by zysmith on May 31, 2005
Pros: Love the ability to record to Hd or direct to DVD.
Cons: TV guide has caused a lot of problems
Summary: TV guide has caused me to place the unit in the shop 2x since I purchased it, both for upgrades required because of changes made by TV Guide. Other than ...
Summary: TV guide has caused me to place the unit in the shop 2x since I purchased it, both for upgrades required because of changes made by TV Guide. Other than that the cryptic user manual is the only other problem I have found. This may not be as easy as your VCR to use but the results are excellent once you have it figured out.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent record and playback, but the dumbest remote ever.
by Carl A. on May 28, 2005
Pros: Recording quality is superb, excellent sound, easy to set up and work with.
Cons: No fire wire connection, a dumb remote control setup, a manual that is difficult to understand.
Summary: 1. The remote control is my major hang-up. In TV mode, one cannot access channels by punching in the numbers - to go from channel 2 to channel 77 means ...
Summary: 1. The remote control is my major hang-up. In TV mode, one cannot access channels by punching in the numbers - to go from channel 2 to channel 77 means looking at 75 channels! My DMR-E50 has a much more logical and convenient remote.
2. No firewire - a major shortcoming for those who want to use the unit in conjunction with editing software on a computer.
3. The manual was printed in Singapore - and probably written there as well. Poor English, confused about technical terms, inconsistent definitions, and organized for the sole purpose of being as illogical as possible.3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: DMR-EH50-S
- Description: Improved horizontal resolution in LP mode renders images twice as sharp as last year's models, delivering up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution. A new 12bit Analog-to-Digital converter provides high bit, high rate sampling to convey even subtle nuances and produce smooth, beautiful recordings with astounding depth. What's more, this model has the PAL Progressive Scan feature, so you can enjoy highly detailed, high-resolution playback. The DMR-EH50's built-in SD Memory Card slot and SD viewer for JPEG images allow fast, easy networking and file sharing between the DVD Recorder and many Personal Computers, Digital Cameras and Video Cameras, and other SD-enabled A/V devices, such as Panasonic's line of fully integrated VIERA Plasma Displays.
General
- Width 16.9 in
- Depth 13.8 in
- Height 2.5 in
- Weight 9.7 lbs
System
- A/V System Recommended Use Home
Audio System
- Output Mode Stereo
Connectors
- Optical Digital Output Yes
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Device Type None
- Digital Storage Media Hard disk drive
Clock & Alarm
- Clock Yes
Built-in Display
- Type Fluorescent
- Display Dimmer Yes
Slot(s)
- Type SD Memory Card
Remote Control
- Type Remote control
- Technology Infrared
Connections
- Connector Type 3 x Composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ), 3 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ), 2 x Composite video/audio output ( RCA phono x 3 ), 2 x S-Video output ( 4 pin mini-DIN ), 1 x SPDIF output, 1 x Component video output ( RCA phono x 3 )
Power
- Type Internal
- Power Consumption Operational 31 Watt
Battery
- Battery None
Manufacturer info
- Panasonic
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.panasonic.com/
- Address:
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
