I ordered one of these over a month ago and still no goods

Does anyone actually have one of these DVD/HD Hybrid recorders yet?

Automan.

the actual release date is from about now.

waiting for a multiregion version.

It gets a good review in the new edition of Home Cinema Choice magazine...

I can't wait much longer...

Automan.

i dont suppose you have a scanner and can email it to me?

I know I know im a cheap bastard

I just got an email....

The new Panasonic DVD/HD hybrid will not now be availble till October

However, the item is now on their UK website at http://www.panasonic.co.uk/product/d.../DMRHS2EBS.HTM which must be a good sign...

Automan.

I have looked at the new Panasonic HD/DVDR as well as their DVD Ram unit, but to be honest I still don't know which way to jump. The only problem I can see with the Panny is that the Ram disk is not compatible with other machines. Having said that this is the reason I cannot make up my mind. All these different formats and still no sign of which format is going to dominate the market and come out a clear winner. Does anyone else have any imput regarding this issue?

I just got another email.

It seems the player is not now expected till mid October.

Thus I've got my self a SliMP3 Ethernet MP3 player to play with.

A great device

See http://www.slimdevices.com for product info
See http://www.ihavetohave.it if you want to buy one in the UK
See http://www.hummer.co.uk/slimp3.htm for some photo's I took of my device in action (took under 5mins to get it to play music).

Automan.

The website now indicates "Processing completed" so I should have my new gadget very soon...

Automan.

How much did you pay, and where did you buy it from please Automan?

Thanks

DaveP

www.unbeatable.co.uk and it was £844.96 + £7.99 delivery.

However it was only despatched today and thus won't now arrive till Monday or Tuesday :'(

Automan.

Yes,
I've got it...

The unit has a big fan stuck on the back - I shall photograph it.

Inputs & Outputs Are As Follows.

On back

RF In
RF Out
SCART - TV - AV1
SCART - DECODER/EXT - AV2

S-Video In - AV4
Left / Right RCA Jacks In - AV4
Composite In - AV4

S-Video - Out
Left/Right RCA Jacks Out
Composite Out

Optical Out

On Front
S-Video In - AV3
Left/Right RCA Jacks - AV3
Composite In - AV3

Firewire Input.


First impressions....
Hard disk - screams! - fan not running.
Remote control - very unresponsive.
Complicated to use

Plus points...
Daisy chaned with sky+ to TV passes thru RGB when in standby and widescreen switching works in standby and playing back recordings from hard disk.

Hard disk off in standby - silence

At first I thought it had an audio problem. When 1st connected I was only getting audio on left channel and hiss on right (this was from rf channels, remeber them?).

When I found the menu to config the in/out to RGB the hiss went away?

More soon when I try to record to DVD...

Automan.

See http://www.hummer.co.uk/dmr-hs2.htm for some shots of the device / connections.

Automan.

I thought my unit would like a 80Gig hard disc.

Don't bother, the machine yields the same recording times as it does with a 40gig disc.

The standard disk is a standard Maxtor 4D040H2 which is normal ball bearing drive

The disc I tried was the 80gig variant of the same drive.

Is also very tricky to get the disc out!

Automan.

The inside of the player can be seen at http://www.hummer.co.uk/Panasonic/inside-s.jpg

Note the very strange hard disc IDE cable that runs over the DVD drive.

Also the fan seems to run all the time but the airflow is ducted to cool the hard disc and power supply unit.

I assume the fan is variable spped as it was running quite slow.

P.S.
The disc cannot be read by DOS or Windows

Automan.

Certainly not noticed any noise problems with mine.

As for the responsiveness of the remote – again no problems after you get used to the fact that it takes a degree of time to write to the Ram or –R disc and hence wont process commands when its doing this.

Also you have to remember to select either the HDD or DVD drive to address – something I’ve forgotten on a couple of occasions.

All in all quite the most advanced piece of kit I’ve ever owned – am extremely pleased with it.

Well, I have written to Santa asking for one of these, but getting real information on its capabilities and potential limitations is proving difficult.

Apart from the PVR and DVD recording facilities, I am hoping that I can also take advantage of the DV-in and JPEG still photo facilities. I would also like to be able to maximise communications and DVD sharing with my iMac and DVD equipped Toshiba laptop PC.

So has anyone got some real hands-on experience to answer the following: -

1. If you record TV or DV via the iLink port to a DVD-R are the files readable on (a) a PC and, I'll be lucky here, (b) an IMac?

2. Will it record DV data files downloaded via a firewire cable from the iMac or only from a DV camcorder and does that camcorder have to be a Panasonic?

3. If you can download DV data files from a Mac or PC, can you also download any other types of files for transfer or direct recording (obviously unread) onto a DVD-R?

4. Which device controls the recording process?

5. If you input JPEG photos (in my case they will be from a Fuji digital Camera using a Smartmedia/PCMIA adapter card) to the HD, can you select specific images and re-record them to the DVD drive and if you make a DVD-R, will those files still be readable as standrad JPEG files back into either one of my computers?

That'll do for now !!!

So has anyone got some real hands-on experience to answer the following: -

1. If you record TV or DV via the iLink port to a DVD-R are the files readable on (a) a PC and, I'll be lucky here, (b) an IMac?

Havent done any tests with a DVDR as I didnt want to waste discs, but having bought a DVD rom drive that can read RAM discs, the recorder writes the files as .VOR, which can be renamed .VOB and then demuxed or "played with" as conventional DVD Video files.

2. Will it record DV data files downloaded via a firewire cable from the iMac or only from a DV camcorder and does that camcorder have to be a Panasonic?

Dont have a DV camcorder or DV out enabled device, but I cannot believe that it would be restricted to only Panasonic equipment.


3. If you can download DV data files from a Mac or PC, can you also download any other types of files for transfer or direct recording (obviously unread) onto a DVD-R?

Hmm interesting idea - all depends on whether a DVD Rom drive can read unfinalised discs. The recorder will finalise the disc as a DVD Video, so would imagine that you'd need a file structure for DVD Rom material in the same manner that commercial DVD videos often contain ROM material. As far as I know it is not possible to define file structures and therefore use the recorder as a pseudo DVD Writer. I've got DVD Writers in my pcs so using the recorder in this way hasnt occurred to me to be honest.

4. Which device controls the recording process?

You choose whether you want to record onto HD or DVD. For off air recordings I prefer to use the HD and then edit it before burning onto DVD. Timer settings onto the HD also can use the DVD as a "lifeboat" should you run out of recording time. Dont know if it works the same way if you record onto the DVD first.

5. If you input JPEG photos (in my case they will be from a Fuji digital Camera using a Smartmedia/PCMIA adapter card) to the HD, can you select specific images and re-record them to the DVD drive and if you make a DVD-R, will those files still be readable as standrad JPEG files back into either one of my computers?

Dont know - my digital camera records to an on board 3 inch CD re-writer so havent used memory cards.

I am seriously thinking of getting this model. I am not a technical buff, so would like your easy to understand advice on the best way to set this up. I intend keeping my Toshiba VCR linked up also.This is my system..

Toshiba ( 3 scarts ) TV
Sky digibox ( Grundig 2 scarts)
Toshiba VCR ( 3 scarts )
+ the Panasonic DMRHS2EBS
So can they all be linked in via scart sockets, and which is the way to do it ?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give...

havent tested RGB loop through but I would estimate that if you fed the RGB into AV2 on the DVD recorder, then AV1 out on the recorder into the RGB scart on your TV then you'll be ok.

You could then feed into AV3 or 4 on the DVD a composite signal from your video.

I use an RGB switcher to feed PAL RGB from a DVD player and RGB from a DTT box into AV2, then an S feed from the DVD player to record NTSC. I then use a further S feed if I'm recording from LD or DVHS.

My RGB out then goes into my quattro box and then into the RGB on the TV.

The Panasonic can be put in ciruit between your Digibox and your TV via Scart.

The Panasonic will pass thru RGB when off and can record from your Digibox in RGB mode.

The Panasonic also has S-Video and composite video connections on the back (and on the front with the firewire socket).

If your VCR can output S-Video that would be best (that's what I use) or just composite (scart to composite phono / rca lead required).

Your VCR can be fed from the digibox vcr scart (I expect you already have this connection).

If you see my pictures at http://www.hummer.co.uk/dmr-hs2.htm you should just be able to see all the rear connections.

Automan.

Thanks for all this automan....

Wishing to keep all the equipment connected at all times, (without having to mess about changing cables etc) is this the right way to do it....

1)Digibox to Panasonic ( with one scart lead going from digibox to t.v. and one scart lead going from digibox to Panasonic )

2)Panasonic to VCR

3)VCR to tv

Thanks for taking the time to explain to a guy who doesn't know much about connections !

p.s. pics are great !!

I just got one of these ' splendid ' machines.
So far I am very impressed with the quality of recording and general ease of use.

Has anyone tried to copy, lets say a rented DVD yet. ?

I would 'imagine' that if you were to try it would not work due to the machines uncanny ability to recognise the material is not legally copyable.

Has anyone found a way to bypass this 'glitch' which the unit seems to have ?

It's not a glitch nor is it an uncanny ability, it's deliberate.

Commercial discs carry copy protection mechanisms such as Macrovision and CGMS which all DVD recorders will recognise and refuse to copy. Most commercial tapes are also copy protected.

Murray

Ok - You got me, I have tried to copy a rented DVD.
The macrovision on most pre-recorded tapes and DVDs is easily overcome with products such as Dataview copy box VP-260. These things can be connected between say a playback DVD player and a recording VCR, giving a perfect copy on a video tape.

Although deliberate, this 'glitch' must be overcome somehow as the HS2 STILL can regognise the media.

I know we are not supposed to copy these things but as soon as a so called 'lesser' named maufacturer brings one out that can - lets face it - no one will buy Panasonic again.

In the mean time tonight - I am using a Clad DVDXP to rip a DVD ( I OWN ) to my hard drive selecting to remove the macrovision. I will then use tv out into the HS2 and see if that will sort the thing out.....If I can find a lead long enough.

....Wish me luck folks !!!

Just thought I'd say....It worked a treat.