SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

scoobiesnacks — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:18:54 GMT

I can't see any point in this device if it can't record HD to blu - ray due to copy protection. As far as I know all the freesat HD is copy protected. Though I hope someone tells me otherwise.

The screenshots show signs of the old Panasonic user interface which I think is dreadfully clunky and out of date. I have their last VHS DVD HDD model and its not user friendly at all.

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

professorhat — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:09:02 GMT

Agreed, I never bothered with a DVD recorder as, using a Topfield, I can archive anything which I record and want to keep on to my Mac using the USB socket. All that's needed is a similar Freesat / Freeview HD tuner with a gigabit ethernet socket to do the same - I don't see a need for a Blu-Ray recordable drive for this. Blu-Ray as a medium makes sense for purchasable films to buy since it would take your average user a few days to download one film at the moment, but this doesn't apply for broadcast material.

As for copy protection, I can't believe these guys haven't yet learnt from every other consumer recordable device which is out there. The consumer is not your enemy, people, the mass pirates in the likes of the Far East have that well and truly covered and putting copy protection on a broadcast is not going to stop them. All it's going to do is just annoy the average law abiding user since they have to decide what they have to delete in order to keep and fit every copyrighted broadcast on their hard drive. It's ridiculous, when will these guys wake up?!

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

fido87456 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:22:13 GMT

I've been hoping these would come out soon, but at £899+ they're are a bit steep! I was hoping they'd be under £599. I'd be happy if they released one with a HDD recorder and just a BD player instead of a recorder, as I guess its the BD recorder that pushes the price up so much...

I have a Panny DVD/HDD recorder currently and can honestly say that I have never used the DVD recorder function, but then I don't feel any need to keep things that I've recorded off TV forever so the HDD is enough for me.

I agree with the poster above about the panasonic TV guide, slow, clunky and not enough channels/times shown on screen at the same time, the guide on my Sony W4000 is far more user friendly.

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Clare Newsome — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:26:09 GMT

Freesat's HD content is currently copy protected, but Panasonic says BBC HD is lifting the copy protection in time for the launch of these recorders.

It expects most content to be copy-protection-free, other than the occasional copyright-sensitive broadcast (such as some movies), which may be copy-once - in other words, you can make your own back-up to Blu-ray, but no more.

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Richard Melville — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:42:04 GMT

And, however you look at it, record once is fine for anyone? Isn't it? Also it's very slim considering what's squeezed inside: 430x66x330 in fact.

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Ravey Gravey Davy — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:41:19 GMT

The blu ray recording is OTT but the rest of it is precisely what I am looking for as a freesat receiving HD recorder with CD/ jukebox facility and at a ridiculously small size.When is the review???

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Clare Newsome — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:55:24 GMT

We've been promised review units by late May/early June - we should have our test here online/in mag by the time the recorders hit the shops in late June.

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

professorhat — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:20:24 GMT

Thanks for the update - good to hear the content won't all be copy protected and yes, I guess copy once should really be good enough for most people. Admittedly my post last night was a little brash and I can well understand why someone would want one of these, even if I don't personally!

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

kjelly — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:21:35 GMT

Hi...Do we know yet whether you can stuff the harddisk with media files from your home PC, and simply use it as a directly connected media server? WOuld do away with need for XBOX/PS3 etc ect (for those who dont play games)...

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Andy Clough — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:54:52 GMT

The recorders will handle copy and playback of AVCHD video via the SD memory card slot and USB terminal; the latter will also enable MP3, JPEG and DiVX playback and CDs can be ripped to the hard drive which includes support for the Gracenote database. That enough for you?

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

kjelly — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:05:29 GMT

no... so close, but so far. They should open up the Hard Drive for general use and utilise the already onboard encoder/decoder firmware to turn the box into a media-player unit. Additionally they could code a small application to sit on your networked PC and stream media from there to your TV via the box and your loal network. Its simple stuff, but looks like we have to wait longer ...

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

charlesnancarrow — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:41:24 GMT

This product is exactly what I'm looking for - I have an HDD/DVD recorder, and although I mainly use the HDD, I do use the DVD recorder to watch recorded programmes on other DVD players (particularly the portable). Upgrading to HD will mean I don't have to fiddle around with my Technomate receiver and plug in hard drives. Great also to hear that BBC are also removing the copy protection.

The key thing now is the quality of the Blu Ray as a player. Do the What Hi-fi team know whether this will be similar to the entry level Panasonic players or a higher up model?

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Andy Clough — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:25:28 GMT

The Blu-ray mechanicals are closely based on the Panasonic DMP-BD60, which we've just tested. The BD recorders use the same PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus and P4HD technology as the player-only model. Which is very good.

And if you go for the DMR-BS850 model, you'll get the same audio upgrade components as used in the DMP-BD60.

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

AndrewH13 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:44:03 GMT

Can you record to DVD-R and input from DVD-R(W) to amalgamate on Blu-Rays? If it's similar to BD60, that probably means no analogue outs I take it?

re: SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

Gort1951 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:54:27 GMT

If you can afford the £1000 for this then most people will have a big tv. 7 channel display for the guide on a 50" tv ! Most of the display is filled will irrelevant information.

There should be a button to hide it and show a 10+ channel guide.

Not as bad as Samsung's 4 line epg on their dvd recorders.