I was looking into buying one of these machines and downloaded the manual to have a read about the IR Blaster but there isn't much info about it, what I wanted to know was what receivers it works with, is there a list somewhere? I have a Pana Sky box and a Nokia 210s Mediamaster FTA, would it work with either of these? My Pana VCR had a similar setup and by putting a code into it it would send an IF signal to my Pana Sky box and change channel does the DMREH50 work in a similar way?
thanks, Zetor

I was also wondering the same - looking on the Panasonic website at the US version of this model, it appears to come with an IR Blaster and is has EPG - but there's no mention of any of this on the UK manual (and a check in Currys confirmed that there is no port for an IR blaster present).

I thought I'd just got my head around this whole DVR thing (I bet you've heard that 10 million times before!) and now it seems that a load of functions I thought were standard don't appear on this machine, which everyone seems to be raving about.

Could anyone kindly confirm the following?

-Does the Panasonic DMREH50:

- Have an inbuilt EPG (and where does it get it from)
- Control external boxes, turn on and change channels etc (I have an Echostar freeview box and a Telewest digital cable box)?

All I can seem to find at the moment is a mode where it will start recording when the freeview box switches on for a "scheduled" recording, by listening for the signal from the scart lead. And that seems a little second rate.

If it so happens that this panasonic doesn't do any of the above, is the only alternative to get a DVD/HDD Recorder with Freeview built in, that allows you to schedule recordings direct from EPG?

I just feel that if I am going to take the plunge and get a DVR, the last thing I want is to be messing about with PDC, timer programming, videoplus, external boxes etc. Have I completely got the wrong end of the stick here?

Many thanks in anticipation for your help.

Well with no IR Blaster then this could mean a huge hassle as you say with setting 2 timers and such like, I live in mainland europe so I would think that this model would be the same the Uk version with no blaster, my only surce of signal here is via satellite so I need some control of a sat box, my Nokia sat box can turn on a VCR using "Direct Record" this uses switching via the scart but again i don't know if this would turn on the Pana to record.
Zetor

I was barking up the wrong tree. Further research reveals what I really need. A toppy.

I've just ordered a DMREH50 and have a Sky box so it's a bit disappointing not having an IR blaster or at least a port for it.

Sky's Personal Planner triggering the DVDR to record is fair enough I guess but being able to change the Sky box at say '2.57' thereby ensuring it is on the right channel for the start of the programme (you know how many start early these days!) would have been much better and you'd have thought Panasonic would have realised this.