Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19776 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

Just hope it doesn't break outside of warranty
We bought our DMR-EX85EB-S in February 2007 and it stopped being able to receive a digital TV signal last week.

So I took it to be repaired at Tower in Hadleigh, Essex, the local Panasonic service reps, where we paid a £40 fee for them to investigate the problem.

Their answer - the whole motherboard needs replacing at a cost of £175 so it's not financially viable.

Their equally unappealing alternative was that we can have £40 off the cost of a replacement.

I know we're in a throw away society - for heavens sake this week I took back a Breville kettle to Currys that I bough two months ago that had stopped working - but really, wouldn't it be nice if a device as expensive as this could have a working life longer than one and a half years?

Not over-rated
This is the third DVD/HD recorder I have owned. I bought the original DVD/HD machine, the Panasonic HS2, a basic machine, still going strong. I also bought a much better, but unreliable JVC, which finally died completely. Panasonic seem to have come back with better machines, picking up ideas like thumbnail menus, DVD-RW and no timer button, while retaining good features like automatic programming titling and cartridge DVD-RAM.

Contrary to one review here, this machine certainly can be used while it is recording. You can watch any disc or programme on the hard disk, including the programme you are recording (from the beginning). This is a feature of all the machines I have owned. You can not record while copying a disc, but that's no big deal.

It seems a bit of a niggle to complain about how long it takes to power up. How long does you computer take? A lot longer than this machine. I don't know about the clock not changing, mine comes up with the right time even after it has been unplugged all night. I like the freeview recording and the programme guide is fine, just like the ones on freeview boxes, except you can set a recording from there.

The remote is a lot better than the HS2, which was certainly bad. This one, while not being the most powerful, I find ok. My machine has worked perfectly and works with old discs that the previous machine could not read. I don't find this machine to be at all difficult to use. It is also much quieter than my previous machines. My only criticism is that it only reads SD movie files from particular video cameras. It does not read the movie files from many cameras including Panasonic own Lumix range. I would like to see it read any popular format, anywhere on an SD card. My best machine so far and I'm very happy with it.

Good, but overrated
Just thought I'd make the effort to give some feedback, as I had read these reviews before I bought mine and think they are a little over generous.

I've had mine a couple of weeks and I will probably take it back as I don't believe it's as good as it should be for the money.

The most annoying thing is that you can't use it while it's recording a tv program.

It's so slow to respond it's painful. It takes around 30 seconds to switch on, which is frustrating. I have to turn it on twice for some reason to get it to come on.

The one film I have recorded doesn't playback smoothly after about 1hr.

I guess the last two problems are because mine might be faulty.

It will play mp3s. but only off a dvd? You can't save them onto the hard drive, or play them off the sd card slot. Although I have to be honest, that's hyper critical because I was actually pretty chuffed to be able play mp3s on it at all.

On the plus side, the picture quality using a hdmi cable and a hd telly is great, as it the sound using my amp.

All in all, I'm taking mine back. (Didn't get it from Amazon). I may get it replaced to find out it was just a one off. If that turns out to be the case, I'll update this review.

Given that you can't use it while it's recording tv, I think I'll just get my money back.

Hope that helps.