I've had my Panasonic DMR-ES10 dVD recorder for a couple of weeks now, and I must say I'm very impressed with it.
It's so easy to use. Its so easy to play back. The quality of recording on sp is superb. On xp it's even better.
once finalised discs play on other machines no problem(DVD-R).
I use DVD-RW for most recordings and haven't finalised any yet.
I would recommend this recorder to anyone.

nice to know your happy with it , im planning on getting one soon

I too am very happy with the improvements.
I paid £189 for the ES10 (MR) and £229 for the E55 (MR) about a year ago!

Only downside so far is that the ES10 takes over 4 mins to finalise a DVD-R, whereas the E55 takes less than half that!

The only problem with using DVD-RW Video mode is that you can't edit out the adverts.

Infact with this machine the only disc's that you can edit out the adverts on are DVD-Ram which won't play in most DVD Players / DVD-Rom etc.

If they had also included DVD+RW / DVD-RW VR Mode (both of which can also edit out adverts) this would have the 1st machine to record to ALL formats.

This will be the only thing that gets your average man in the street to start buying DVD Recorders.

-RW(VR) may be able to edit,but its just as incompatible as RAM.But as long as you get a HDD model it won't really matter which format you copy to

Can this machine record an RGB signal?

Panasonic DMR-ES10 and the -E55 before it have RGB input on SCART.

Phelings.

I agree with you that with a HDD format isn't really much of an issue because you won't need any on disc editing. Most programmes will be watched off the HDD but for permanent recordings either +R or -R and for temporary recordings to play on DVD Players around the house use +RW or -RW Video.

I do disagree with you saying DVD-RW VR Mode is as incompatible as DVD-RAM. Although this may be true of DVD Players with regards to Computers both my NEC ND1000A +RW Writer (old 2.4 speed) and a very cheap DVD-Rom drive read finalized DVD-RW VR mode discs and both machines have PowerDVD installed so they can play the programmes from these VR disc's as well.

The difference seems to be that -RW VR incompatibility is software based which would seem a lot easier to correct that the Hardware based incompatibility of DVD-Ram.

And will it pass an RGB signal through it while in standby (ie from freeview), without stripping the widescreen switching signal, via scart?

I ask because the similarly priced Sony GX210 did not. So I got a refund.

Yes it will, I have my sky box connected in exactly this way.

One last question - Will a recording of a widescreen program from a freeview / sky box, automatically switch a widescreen TV into wide mode when played back? (assuming the TV is in auto switch mode, and the recorder was set to record a 16:9)

My sony did not. Even though prerecorded disc would send the widescreen switching signal correctly.

The Panasonic will if you use DVD-RAM, but not DVD-R. Therefore Sony is not alone in this.

I think this is because the DVD-R format only has an overall format flag and can't mark and hence switch the widescreen for individual titles on the disc, as is needed for set top box DVD recording.

The format therefore always defaults to 4:3, regardless of the recorded material and you have to stretch an anamorphic 16:9 recording back to shape manually with the TV's control.

Thanks rickyg.

I use the E55 to convert RGB from Sky to component (YPrPb) progressive video to drive an LCD screen (the Panny does a very good de-interlace). Two drawbacks...

1). The E55 needs to be permanently on to do this (as it takes an age to boot up, turning it on quickly to catch the news becomes a pain). Does the ES10 allow progrssive component O/P when in S/By?

2) The E55 will "only" O/P 576P, does the newer panny do an upconversion to 720P or higher on the component O/P?

Ta

Well I never thought of trying to use the E55 or ES10 as a de-interlacer for live sky! I suppose I thought that because it won't output RGB and component together, that it wouldn't convert RGB to component. Thanks staresy!

I tried it last night and, as you say it does a good job, with subtly smoother motion and richer colours than the original sky RGB signal.

However, as you say, the ES10, like the E55, has to be powered up to do this. On standby it will simply loop through RGB or video from AV2 to AV1 SCARTs. However, if the ES10 is set to quick start mode (with increased standby power consumption) it will 'boot' much more quickly than the E55.

As I only have one component input on my TV, I was using it to play DVDs from my Sony 930 player, which with its 12 bit video DAC, gave a better playback quality than the E55. However, now that the ES10 has 12 bit conversion too, the difference is minimal.

As regards up-conversion 576 to 720p, I'm afraid I don't know how to check for this. I would have thought it unlikely, as the ES10 doesn't make any HD claims and still comes with an analogue-only tuner, no digital video connectors etc! I certainly haven't seen it referred to anywhere in the spec.

Hi rickyg,
How long does the ES-10 take to boot in "quick" mode?

I was suprised at how well the E55 did when de-interlacing, in fact I find it so good compared with the de-interlacer/scaler in my LCD that I now leave the E55 on all the time.... it gets used more as a de-interlacer than a DVD recorder now!

DVD players are now appearing with 720p upconversion outputs (utilising the Faroudja de-interlace algorithm). These allow SD DVD's (576i) to be displayed as 720p on plasma's and LCD's.... what would be really handy would be a DVD recorder that could do this on live RGB I/P.

I guess it's just a matter of time...

I thought the Sony DVD recorders (GX300 and GX500) could record the widescreen switching signal on DVD-R?

See http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...=165450&page=5 for example.

Hi staresy,
It takes about 3 seconds for the picture to appear, though some of this is the reaction time of my TV input switching. It takes about 4 seconds for the loop-through to reinstate on pressing 'standby'. I've tested and confirmed Panasonic's claim of one second to start recording on DVD-RAM after pressing 'power' then immediately 'record'.

Interesting about the de-interlacing. I can understand the merits of processing in the digital domain, as in the new players you referred to, but it's strange the Panny (processing an analogue signal) should improve on the TVs.

Though, as mentioned, I can observe improvement in some respects, there is also increased noise and some jitter on horizontal lines not present on the RGB. Difficult to decide which is better overall. I suppose it depends on the material you're watching.

I'm not familiar with the Sony recorders and haven't gone through the whole thread to which you refer, but the comments on P5 seem to suggest that you can set the flag manually on DVD-R (SP or better mode) though there seem to be some issues with this.

DVD-RW (VR mode) can flag automatically like DVD-RAM on the Panasonics.

Have just bought the ES-10 after reading about using it for de-interlacing.

Currently my Sky+ is connected to my plasma with RGB scart and find the quality not as good as previous 36" CRT, tho DVD's are great via component..so did a search on the avforums and someone recommended the DVD Recorder route which could improve Sky PQ using component hence my order for the new model ES-10.

AS you I will probably end up using it more for the de-interlacing than recording!

I have just bought mine. First impressions are good. much better features than the sony.

BUT...

I would have expected at least pre-recorded DVDs to automatically switch my TV to w/s. The switching signal is not sent through the SCART. But it IS through the RF out.

My freeview box is looped through the panasonic, and it manages to change the ratio properly, so it has nothing to do with the scart lead.

The sony machine did at least switch prerecorded discs via scart.

Hi Rickyg or anyone else with this model

I would be most grateful if you could tell me how you hooked up your ES10 as got mine today and wanting to use component to view Sky and DVD's on my plasma.

I had a go but for some reason SKY EPG looked terrible and the box was set to RGB!
In fact it looked worse if you set Sky box to PAL.

Any help would be appreciated!

Here's a better link about the widescreen recording issue -> http://www.btinternet.com/~james_lan...hichdvd.HTML#8

It seems that most DVD recorders don't do this. Although there do seem to be other problems with the latest batch of Sony DVD recorders.

Get that horizontal jitter also but mostly on Sky EPG, banners and Sky Sports News where you see the results etc.

Have you managed to get rid of it?

[quote=rickyg]The Panasonic will if you use DVD-RAM, but not DVD-R. Therefore Sony is not alone in this.
[quote]I think this is because the DVD-R format only has an overall format flag and can't mark and hence switch the widescreen for individual titles on the disc, as is needed for set top box DVD recording.

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Almost. You can have mixed aspect ratio titles on a disc but you can't mix aspect ratios within a title like you can with RAM (and presumably VR mode -RW's).

The Sony GX7 we have here at work has a "Screen Size" setting for -R's and video mode -RW's (made along with the record mode setting) This gives the 'title' the appropriate aspect ratio flag and allows auto switching of widescreen TV's and letterboxing for output to 4:3 TV's

VR mode recordings use the widescreen flag supplied on pin 8 of the incoming scart and probably line 23 of the video signal as well if supplied (Panasonic RAM recorders can detect this and the Pioneer Freeview box supplies it).

The problem is that digital boxes all behave slightly differently in what they supply and when. Most boxes seem to disable their TV scart pin 8 when they are under timer control and few, it seems, supply a pin 8 widescreen signal from their VCR scart


Graham.