You definitely need an encoder to reduce the bitrate and AFAIK DVDshrink does reencode- it's just encoding MPEG2 which is fast compared to encoding DivX or H.264/x264.

DVDshrink must then have a remarkably efficient encoder on my PC it can shrink a 2hr DVD folder by 50% in about 20 min. All my other software mpeg encoders from Adobe or TMPG will take around 3Hrs on the same PC even using a single pass cbr conversion from a DV compressed AVI file.

Video Redo is even faster to output an edited mpeg2 file taking only about 10min to output a new .mpg file suggesting if it's indeed encoding it's only doing a few frames around the edit points.

A real time H264 encoder must be a powerfull beast and I guess might well explain the price somewhat if it does actually have one. In effect you are saying the Panasonic can take say a 10mbbps HD stream decode it to 25fps 1920 x 1080 video stream and then re-encode it back to H264 at say 5mbbps all in almost real time, impressive if true.

Yes I suppose I hadn't even thought of it doing it in real time, but if it records directly to DVD I suppose it must do? In which case as you say it must be very powerful since I'm not sure such a thing is even possible with any software currently availiable to consumers, I imagine it's only a thing broadcasters have access to currently. The question is is the consumer willing to pay for this! Some extensive info on the australian DVD recorders here, and the blu ray recorders.

I can't wait for a full test to show what these are actually capable of. , not that I can afford one

Found one answer at least from an online review, at least for recording on air HD it does the same as the hdr, ie records the H264 stream straight to HDD. Compression is only available copying from HDD to a BD blank. Still not a clue about recording from an external source though.

That's exactly what HD Camcorders do.

They compress it on the fly at up to 25mb per sec. Professional versions compress at up to 100mb per sec.

So it can be done.

I'm not genned up on all these codecs and compression things and really don't want to, but would like to ask a simple(?) question about this DMR-BS850 receiver that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhere.

I have lots of AVCHD clips recorded on my Panasonic SD5 Camcorder and copied over to my Hard Drive in the PC (just the raw MTS files).

Before I think about buying this recorder I need to know if I can copy these files from my PC to a SD card, then place the SD card in the DMR-BS850 slot and then copy the files from the card to the recorder HD. From where I can maybe edit, playlist and create Blu-Ray disks of them.

Before anyone says it, yes I have tried editing on the PC but all without much success due to the processing power required from the PC. In the end I am resigned to waiting for a recorder that will do the simple editing I require.

My concern is that to play back AVCHD recordings in the SD5 Camcorder, they have to have all the superfluous and stupid folder structures that is created on the SD card when formatting before it will play them back again in the Camcorder.

I hope that this is not also a requirement with the Blu-Ray recorder and I can just copy the individual MTS files over to the Blu-Ray HD and they will play OK from there.

Can anyone confirm this is possible?

Thanks.

Barry.

Found these photos of rear

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums...ecorder-31029/

Interesting the rear panel sports a component output. What use is that going to be with BBC and ITV current copy protection policy for freesat ?

And WHAT an ugly bolt-on fan! Really looks like a late design adaptation. They seriously can't sell a £700+ box with one of THOSE on the back (even if it is 'silent') ?!?!

PS: You sure it's Component OUT and not just IN to the HD/DVD/Blu-ray recorder ?

The photos clearly show "Component Out".

Interesting, I can't actually see any Hi Def inputs at all on the rear of the unit, either analogue or digital.


Graham.

According to the spec you can transfer AVCHD video from an SD card to either the HDD or a BD-RE. I've no idea i you can edit AVCHD video on the HDD or burn such a file from the HDD to the BD-RE though.


The analogue inputs are composite, S-video and RGB (PAL). The digital inputs are DV-in, USB 2.0, LAN and SD card. So no component, DVI or HDMI in, which isn't that surprising, the analogue video inputs are SD only.

From reading the spec on the Panasonic website the only possible HD inputs are the SD card (to accommodate HD camcorders) and USB. Whether it can scale from SD inputs and record the scaled output is unclear but this would seem a little pointless. I reckon anyone who is hoping that it can record a HD component input from say a fta HD box with component out is going to disappointed

Thanks IanP.

Actually I thought it was pretty well known from when first inklings of this machine appeared that the only way to 'input' HD stuff is via the SD card and no physical input connectors are supplied. That is why I am concentrating on trying to find out the nitty-gritty of the SD card input method. I also assume that once HD material is transferred to the HD then limited editing of this will be available just like the other Panny DVD recorders (eg DMR-HS2). which gives limited but useful editing like splitting and partial erasing of 'tracks'. After which they can be copied to disk in a chosen order, thus effectly getting a playlist on the disk which would play back seamlessly if the menu is omitted.

I really need to know if this is all possible as £900+ is a lot of money to find out afterwards that it is not.

Barry.

DVDShrink uses techniques only available on already encoded material to reduce the size, and is more akin to losing some of the existing material, rather than completely encoding afresh, which is what TMPG, etc., do. It won't be quite as good a quality as either the original or a complete fresh encode.

Video Redo works as you say - hence the speed.

Just to update, I've received the trade prices for these units today and there is quite a good margin if working on the rrp's given by Panasonic. I'm expecting should the trade prices not rise before launch to sell the BS850 for approx. £925 and the BS750 for approx. £825. I'm still waiting confirmation on the XS350 price, maybe selling around £600-£650. Not sure how much difference that will make to those interested, "but not at that price"