Lot #73: Panasonic Dvd Recorder DMR-ES15

The ES15 is Panasonic's most affordable disc recorder to date and as an entry-level upgrade to your VCR, it's ideal. Multi-format compatibility means you can record and playback using practically any disc format. Features Panasonic's DMR-ES15 is a truly universal recorder that will accept software discs in practically every format. You can record and playback a variety of formats including DVD-RAM, DVD-/+R, DVD-/+RW and even the latest dual-layer discs that double your recording time. Not only does this make shopping for software easier, but it also gives you extra versatility with recordings. You can use Panasonic's preferred DVD-RAM to make edited and time slip recordings, -/+RW for temporary or portable recordings and -/+R discs for permanent copies. The list of playback formats is equally inclusive, stretching from standard DVD and CDs to encoded discs and even DVD-Audio, although playback is restricted to two channels only. Less impressive is the inclusion of only an analogue TV tuner. This limits your choice of channels, affects overall image quality and makes recordings less easy to programme. You can still connect a separate digital receiver but, as mentioned, picture quality is compromised using the standard Scart input. Without an EPG to assist you, there are several ways to make recordings, ranging from simple one-touch functions to timer recordings and VideoPlus. Panasonic's Quick Start function means recordings are instantly initiated without the usual delay that means you often miss the start of programmes. As usual, there are several recording modes each of which trade overall picture quality with recording capacity. Using the highest quality (XP) mode gives you an hour's recording on a standard 4.7GB disc; with SP you get 2hrs; LP gives you 4hrs and EP provides 8hrs. There's also the useful Flexible Recording (FP) mode, which automatically selects the best quality mode that enables recordings to fit on the remaining disc space. It's ideal if you're not sure how much disc space you have left, or if you want fit films onto a single disc using the best possible quality. The Disc Navigator menu system is expertly organised using thumbnail images to easily recognise recordings. There's also a host of post-editing features, especially using the hard-disk nature of DVD-RAM discs, that let you delete, name, protect and organise recordings. Pickup category timeslot {A}