Panasonic DMR-EX77 160GB Storage, , DVD Recorder Reviews

+ I can record all freeview channels while watching another freeview channel. Quality of picture on hard drive is excellent.

- The only minor complaint is that if you use the guide to record programmes,
it is safer to extend the finishing time by a few minutes because if the schedules
overrun you will lose the end of the programme hence the 9 out of 10 on reliability.

+ FREEVIEW BUILT IN, HARD DRIVE AND FLOPPY DRIVE.

- SLOW SWITCH ON.

+ Does almost everything, and does it almost perfectly. Works perfectly for playback or for dvd watching while hdd recording. Excellent picture, good remote, really good unit overall.

- No picture or sound while viewing EPG. Can't view info or EPG when recording. Doesn't tell you how long a recorded file is, but these are quite small issues. Only a single tuner, as are most dvd/hdd units.

+ I read from others that this one takes a long time to boot up from off, so I leave it in constant stand-by but once switched it off and didn't find it took too long to boot up.
The unit is easy to use and most importantly to me the fan is ultra quiet.
I would definetly recommend this one.
The only very minor point is that it can only record one channel at a time, I have read of others that can record two, but this is such a minor point and doesn't cause any inconvenience.
Well worth buying.

- Reviewer left no comment

+ Well made and flexible operation.

- Manual not easy to navigate

+ Up to now it's been great,but still going through the functions bit by bit,but would recommend it to anyone as my brother did.

- None

+ Easy to use, EPG,good picture quality even when the signal is poor and other DVB boxes show pixelated or no picture.

- single tuner, which means you cannot record one program while watching another digital channel. Even much cheaper digital recorders usually have twin tuners as standard.

+ Reviewer left no comment

- you can only watch what you are recording

+ couldn't be simpler to record from tv, more memory than you'll ever need, couldn't find anything to match it for the same money

- would be handy if it played DivX files. Once you've recorded from tv to hard drive, you can't then record onto DVD, although I think this is more a copyright issue than a problem with the player

+ Attractive slim unit. Excellent picture quality. Very useful additional features such as an integrated SD card reader.

- A little slow to respond to some commands. Takes some time to get used to all the functions required. User manual takes some time to navigate.

+ Recorder is easy to set up - pretty much plug and play really. It is also very easy to select programmes for recording from EPG - easy to adjust timings in case you're worried about programme over-running. Editing programmes is also easy. I would say that the 160gb HDD is more than sufficient but it depends how much of a telly addict you are and how much time you've got to watch all the stufff you've recorded!
Not much difference in playback quality between standard play (SP) and XP. Have not used LP so can't comment. Overall a very good piece of kit and well worth looking at if you're in the market for a DVD/HDD with Freeview tuner.

- Had the machine a month now and not experienced and problems, so no bad points to report.

+ Esae of use.

- Basic instructions need to be improved in the manual. Manufacturers should not assume any knowledge of operating this and associated equipment by the user.

+ I really like the quality of picture, the breadth of services the unit provides, and tremendously increased access to channels which my old Freeview box couldn't deliver. A main reason for buying this was to help transfer video from my ageing Digital 8 camcorder & stock of films onto DVD so I could import into the computer for editing and storage. It's really good for this, although I accept there are other ways it could be done. I'm glad I made this choice, & that I waited a bit longer for the silver unit to become available.

- It's irritatingly slow starting-up from off or standby. If you want to record something spontaneously & the unit's not already on, you can expect to miss the first minute or two. Also, I've not yet been able to figure out whether or how you can start to record a programme you're already watching & set the unit to switch itself off. But this might be down to me not yet working out how to operate it correctly.The (almost Biblical proportions!) instruction book says you should be able to repeatedly press the record button for 30 minute sessions, as I'm used to with the VCR, but that doesn't do the trick. If I want to go to bed & record the end of a film it has to be left to record all night - then if you forget the next morning it's still recording onto the hard disk when you get home from work at tea-time!

+ Very easy to connect and operate.
Recording to the hard disc could not be any more simple.
Quality of picture from freeview and HDD/DVD is excellent.

- None found so far.

+ Best gadget ever bought, really easy to use.

- Not found any yet.

+ Sleek design, easy to use and tune into TV, Reliable and well worth the money.

- Can be a little slow to start up but no other bad points would definately recommend.

+ It does everything expected of it very well with good sound and picture quality. Havn't yet used it in all the functions available.

- Found it a little complicated to use at first which is expected with complex equipment such as this. But it gets easier with practice as you get to know the menus etc

+ Easy to set up a recording of Sky programme using the Ext Link. Plenty of space on the hard drive and it takes about 8 minutes to burn a DVD. Good editing features for camcorders.

- Instruction book not well laid out, JPEG images not as good as a pc

+ High Definition output ( HDMI )
Secure Digital Memory Card Input

- Unable to play or record AVI movies

+ THE PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY ARE EXCELLENT, EVEN AT LOWER QUALITY RATES. THE THUMBNAIL GALLERY OF RECORDINGS IS BETTER THAN A SIMPLE TEXTUAL REPRESENTATION. THE BUILT IN DIGITAL FREEVIEW SERVICE ALLOWING RECORDINGS TO BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING TO SET A TIMER SETTING AND THEN STORED TO DVD OR THE HARD DRIVE.

- THE CONTROLS TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO GET USED TO BUT ARE FAIRLY INTUITIVE. THE PLASTIC FACIA LOOKS RATHER VULNERABLE AND I WOULD PREFER IF IT WAS SET IN THE CABINET INSTEAD OF BEING EXPOSED.

+ a superb piece of kit does everything it says on the box.freeview tuner is also very good giving me stations that i previously could not recieve,it also has the ability to tweak signals for extra,good reception!
editing features are superb and digital transfers to disc and hdd very easy, 160gb memmerory is more than enough space for me,and have aleady transfered most of my families home videos onto disc with superb quality.

- none so far well done panasonic

+ everything

- none

+ reliable in use, no problems with sound/picture sync. unlike some systems.
easy to programme for recordings.
covers many recording formats.

- would be better with a duel tuner.

+ Ease of recording, especially using programme guide.

- Direct Navigator key too close to arrow key. Unable to combine titles

+ the instuctions book lets you do things very easy

- none

+ Ease of recording

- Remote control too complex and not user friendly

+ Love being able to record to hard disk - also to watch a dvd and record a programme at the same time
Easy to use once it has been set up

- Tricky to set up but not impossible

+ Picture and sound quality are excellent.

- It's been known to stop recording a programme part way through but that's probably finger trouble. Takes a frustrating age to boot up.

+ Quiet operation, excellent playback quality and Freeview tuner is fantastic with good Electronic Programme Guide. Multi-region player that has so far played everything that has been thrown at it! Highly recommended!

- No dual-tuner, but this is not a major issue

+ I found it easy to setup and worked very well,even with my old aerial. The remote is easy to use and also controls the TV in normal mode. I like the fact you can record a programme to the hard disc and then copy to DVD-R if you want to keep for good. Would also advise to buy DVD-RAM disc's as this acts like a extra hard drive if you run out of room, which has not happened yet.

- Only has the one tuner. Which does not cause an issue for me as I have Cable TV anyway.

+ with a little technical know how it is easy to operate and the more you use it the easier it becomes,the instructions are all there but you have to find them and only time will tell

- On initial set up you have to read all the instructions to know what you are doing

+ Excellent picture and sound quality.

- Minor niggles :
1) Cannot appear to "lock" recordings to stop the childern watching something inappropriate.
2) When you put the "EPG" TV Guide on you cannot see or hear the channel you are on (unlike Sony machines)
3) Function in abundance, but not always intuitive to use (I've had the box 5 months and still don't know how to exclude unwanted channels from the EPG)

+ Reviewer left no comment

- Difficult to Program

+ Basic features are easy to get to grips with.
Timeslip

- PVRs with Freeview are still expensive
Won't create AVI files

+ Easy to set up. Simple to access recorded programmes and delete.

- Difficulty in linking instant record through Viera link. Cannot set up to record a series of the same title programmes.

+ Looks good and excellent specification.

- Cannot edit timer schedule while recording

+ Very sleek looking and doesn't take up as much room as other similar units.
Very easy to programme and nice automatic software and channel updates.
Much cheaper than most for the same or more functions.

- No series link to automatically record your favourite show.

+ Easy to programme recording

- Disappointing display when using a CD and very difficult to select an individual track.

+ This machine is so easy to use. Generally, I had to set the video when we wanted to record something. After only a couple of weeks, our whole family of technophobes can use the dvd with ease. It is fantastic not having to look for a video which can be recorded over. Fantastic machine. We have transferred old videos to dvd - even editing is a breeze.

- Haven't discovered any.

+ Reviewer left no comment

- Cannot tune into ITV channels on digital settings

+ Well presented operating manual.

- Wiring set up as shown in the manual would not work with satbox.
No disc eject on remote.

+ TV guide works very well allowing easy selection of programmes to record.

- If not on standby, takes more than half a minute to start up and, if started from the Viera tv link, it interupts tv viewing for a short while when doing so.

+ Ease of use - even my wife can use it!

- nothing really - perhaps if you don't get a very good freeview reception you might regret that it on has a freeview tuner (no analogue tuner)

+ This product is very easy to use and the instructions are clear and simple. I have been able to recrord all VHS taped items onto DVD along with recordings made on a camcorder etc.
The Harddrive facility is an excelent addition. Great Value for money.

- None.. More Hard Drive Space wouldn't go a miss...hee hee

+ None

- Slow, slow, slow and awkward

+ every thing

- none really

+ Easy to use - elegant -superb value

- not quite sure about efficiency of Viera link to TV - it seems some of the functions can clash with one another but that is a general Panasonic issue and not recorder specific

+ Easy to program from TV guide. Easy to navigate menus. Fast copy to DVD.

- Small niggles; 'Status display' doesn't show program length only time position, instant record period only settable from front panel, chapters can't be seen after setting, not able to edit chapter points.

+ This is the second model that we hav bought. Its very easy to use and the direct navigator is a good feature.

- Our first model broke down after two years out of warrenty and was not repairable.

+ Easy ti use

- Slow to switch on

+ easy to use and fantastic picture

- Reviewer left no comment

+ Great recording features and playback is great. Also Freeview box is good

- Very , very slow response on remote particularly when switching on the dvd or hdr.

+ it has many features that i can use, editing is good and transfer to dvd is adequate. does what it says on the box...

- massive manual to read which is very complicated. must be read before you even start to use the machine. very complicated machine to get the hang of. screen auto sizing and set up complicated. too much technical jargon some of which i had to look up on the internet to find out what it meant. not enough examples of use to guide you through set-up.

+ normal panasonic reliability

- Reviewer left no comment

+ Easy to use once you get the hang of it.

- I found the User manual misleading when trying to connect to a TV, VCR and satellite box. Also explanations of using some functions are not as clear as they could be.

+ Easy programming for recording to hard disk

- Rather long instruction booklet

+ Simple to connect, understand and operate.

- Reviewer left no comment

+ very easy to use and great value compared with Sony equivalent.

- no series link.

+ Reviewer left no comment

- Bit of a problem getting ITV channel

+ Excellent picture quality and features, Easy to use for commonly used functions but has a lot more tricks hidden away for those wanting them. Excellent partner if you have a Panasonic Viera TV. The Up conversion to 1080p makes a big difference to picture quality if you have a TV that can show it. The Freeview alternative to Sky+ etc.

- A few minor niggles with how the controls work in some instances but nothing you can't get used to.

+ Easy to record things

- Some times the recording doesn't start at the time you want it to

+ Nice and easy to use. Good picture and sound. Enough disk space for normal use. Nice remote.

- None

+ Got it for my mum and dad. If they can work out how to use it quickly it must be easy to use.

- None, they are very happy with it.

+ ease of use

- remote issues

+ easy to set up in any system,easy to get started with recording,

- instructions not very clear with some things being quite technical and spread about in different sections of the instructions .The get you started part more informative than the main book of instructions.

+ Lots of features Simple basic use

- learning to use all of the features

+
very easy to use even the wife can use it

- upscalling ok but nothing to shout about

+ Works with DVD- DVD+ and DVD-RAM.

- Reviewer left no comment

+ AS ABOVE

- 1/.NO OPEN AND CLOSE ON REMOTE
2/.IF PROGRAMMES ARE OVERRUNNING, RECORDER STARTS REGARDLESS OF THIS AND KEEPS TO THE EXACT SCHEDULE AS ADVERTISED (SO START & END OF RECORDING CAN BE MISSED).
3/.NO ONE TOUCH RECORDING FOR 30 MINUTE INCRIMENTS ON REMOTE

+ Able to watch a recorded HDD programme while recording another. Top product.......

- Slow start up.
When finnished watching one recorded prog the HDD runs onto the next recorded prog until you press stop, this can lead to the next prog accedently being deleted and not the watched prog.

+ The machine found the freeview channels straight away. It is easy to record programmes using the programme guide for freeview channels. It is quick and easy (minutes) to record a programme from the HDD to DVD disk if doing a quick copy of an item that will fit onto the disk.
Easy to rename and partially delete all the adverts out of the recorded programme on the HDD.
Can watch a previously recorded item on the HDD whilst recording something else off live TV.

- Manual is huge!
It is slower and more complicated if trying to fit more programmes onto a DVD from the HDD (basically has to run in real time in order to copy). Quite a few menus to get through in order to do this and you have to remember how to get there (therefore the manual is used quite a lot).
Sometimes the recordings miss the end or the beginning off the timed programmes.

+ Upscaling is nice

- no pause for live TV, slow menus, tricky to get use to, cheap feeling remote and slow to respond, can't watch one channel and record another!!

+ Reviewer left no comment

- can not save mp3 files to hard drive.
can only copy dvds if they are dvd+/-rw, will not even copy home made dvds if they are on dvd+/-r

+ really good recording and easy to operate . perfect.

- none

+ simple to use remote in comparison to others

- only slight fault and not a big deal is the dvd tray feels slightly flimsy,you must be carefull when loading a dvd

+ generaly nice and simplecto use and set up, once you are used to the interface this is a good all round product nice amount of inter connectability ( could do with a couple more scart sockets for childrens games etc)

- some instructions are not clearly explaned for non technicaly minded people
colud use a one page laminated quick operation guide

+ Great Product - especially the Electronic Program Guide which is very easy to use. Nice easy and clear layout on the remote control unit.

- Reviewer left no comment

+ Very easy set up for free veiw recording

- Bit more complicated recording from sky TV.

+ Easy to record future programmes

- Cannot record photos to other than RAM disc

+ Easy to use, record either hard drive or disc or transfer one to the other, good price.

- No second tuner

+ Easy to use to record programs off the television

- None as yet, however we have not yet used all the functions

+ Easy to set up, easy to use, best DVD recorder I have ever owned for ease of use

- None

+ simple to opperate

- will not play some formats

+ Ease of setting the timer to record

- Not being able to watch another channel whilst recording

+ Looks Sleek & Stylish in Piano Black.
Would compliment any Tv Cabinet

- Not Multi-Region