Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #120351 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: DMR-EX85EB-S
• Released on: 2006-10-02

Manufacturer's Description
If future proofing is important in selecting your DVD recorder, the new Hard Drive model DMREX85 from Panasonic will offer just that. Besides combining both DVD Recorder and high capacity Hard Drive recording in one unit, equipped with an integrated digital terrestrial tuner ready for the start of the analogue switch off, now just a couple of years away.

They also boast an HDMI terminal and the technology to upscale standard definition material to high definition quality. Perfect partners for the latest HD panels.

The DMREX85 has a 250GB drive and is capable of recording a massive 443 hours of footage and its not just TV content that you are able to store. DMREX85 models have an SD card slot and JPEG digital photos can also be transferred to the hard drive for convenient storage and luxuriant playback!

An integrated Freeview recorder is an increasingly popular choice for those wanting to upgrade to digital, and benefit from up to an additional 40 TV and 24 radio channels with no subscription charge The DIGA DMEX85 also has a analogue tuner, rising to the challenges of accommodating both consumers who have adequate Digital Broadcast reception and those who are yet to enjoy strong enough reception.

By connecting an HDMI cable to your HD ready TV, you can enjoy your DVDs in beautiful high quality pictures on par with that of High Definition images. You can also convert other non-HD signals, such as JPEGs from your SD card, to HD level for playback with improved picture quality.

High definition (10801 720p) Up conversion with HDMI

The DMREX85 offers recording onto and playback from ALL DVD disk types. i.e. DVD RAM -R/-RW , +R/+RW, including the new dual layer and 16 x speed -R disks, allowing total freedom of choice and potential to share cherished recordings. In addition to the expected playback of music CDs, the DMREX85 will now playback MP3 and JPEG from both CD R/RW and DVD-R, an additional bonus for those archiving digital photos on their PC.

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

SIMPLY THE BEST CURRENTLY ON SALE
I received the recorder 7 days ago, using the on screen prompts, set up was a breeze. Progammes can be set for recording easily using the programme display, with the opportunity of amending start/stop times if required. Copying from the hard drive to DVD is straight forward,you need to utilize the advanced option if you do not want the DVD to auto finalise. (I contacted Panasonic customer service for this information They were most helpful in sorting my question).
The picture was noticibly clearer and brighter using the free to view channels. Excellent product

A very good recorder but could do even better
I have had this recorder for 9 months and it gets used by me and the rest of my family extensively. It is very good quality and easy to use.

I would like to make the following observations for anyone thinking of buying one. None of these are critical and it is probably still the best of what you can buy now. BUT...

The hard disk gets filled up quickly even at 250GB and unless you are very disciplined at deleting or copying off onto DVD it becomes a constant battle to decide what to delete before you can record more. I do this once a week to free up about 20 hours of space. If I was buying again I would want to look at 1TByte (but no one sells one yet - wait for Panasonic 2008 models!). Why can we not have swappable hard disks or even better upgradable hard disks.

The biggest gripe I have (and it is one that means I would not buy this model given my time again) is there are NO EFFECTIVE PARENTAL CONTROL features. Although you can stop kids watching adult DVD's you cannot stop them recording unsuitable material from TV channels (e.g. early hours of the morning) and watching that at some other time. I would expect to see the ability to block channels, block channels by time and block individual recordings. All of these features are available from the HUMAX PVR models and many of these features from PANASONIC rivals - wake up PANASONIC.

Finally DVD-RAMs in catridges are brilliant for young kids. They are effectively indistructible and this is the only DVD recorder which supports cartridge DVD-RAMs. Rememeber it is not jkust kids that can damage DVDs and if you really want to preserve a recording then DVD-RAMs in cartridges are the bees knees.

State of the art at the moment
This is universally reviewed as a 5/5 product. There is no better at the moment for picture quality and amount of features (though you can never get every feature you want in 1 product).

Re "When you set time recordings the player will not play standard region dvds, you have to delete all the timings" - the manual does not confirm this, perhaps it was a fault with very early productions.

Note: The manual for the DMR-EX85 says it plays DiVX. The manual for the DMR-EX85EB says it dosn't.