Panasonic MDR-E55K Region-free DVD Recorder

Price: discontinued

Panasonic MDR-E55K DVD Recorder

The Panasonic DMR-E55K DVD Recorder lets you record your favorite TV shows or home movies on blank DVD discs, giving you ultra-clean picture and sound quality without the hassle of VHS tapes. Camcorder owners will love making pristine DVD copies of videos for easy playback, or for sharing with friends and family. Best of all, everything you record will retain the durability, convenience, and pure digital quality of DVD video for years to come.

Not only a DVD recorder, the versatile DMR-E55K also offers progressive-scan DVD playback, plus music from CDs and MP3s on CD-R. You can even enjoy stereo sound from the new DVD-Audio discs! The DMR-E55 offers the flexibility of recording on both DVD-RAM—perfect for instant chapter access and for multiple rerecordings—as well as DVD-R, widely regarded as the most widely compatible of the many DVD formats, great for sharing camcorder footage or home movies with loved ones.

The latest updates to Panasonic's industry-leading DVD recorders increases recording time for maximum storage capability with DVD-R and DVD-RAM discs, giving you up to 16 hours in EP recording mode on a double-sided 9.4GB disc.

Advanced Progressive Scan

Progressive Scanning (480p) creates a picture signal with double the scan lines of a conventional DVD interlaced picture (480i), resulting in higher picture resolution, sharper image quality, and the elimination of virtually all motion artifacts.

Advanced MPEG2 Encoding Using Hybrid VBR Technology

We combined two encoding technologies, Real time VBR (Variable Bit Rate) and Visibility Modulation Technology, to provide MPEG2 recording with superb picture quality. Here's how it works: Real Time VBR adjusts the bit rate according to video signal complexity, in order to optimize the compression ratio. At the same time, Visibility Modulation Technology reduces compression for the most noticeable parts of each signal while it filters out unimportant data to raise compression in other areas. This combination helps assure incredible picture quality for your preferred DVD-RAM recording mode.

Recording to DVD-RAM & DVD-R Discs

Our DVD Recorders can record to both high-capacity DVD-RAM discs and DVD-R discs. DVD-RAM discs can be rewritten up to an incredible 100,000 times and come in the double-sided (9.4GB capacity) and single-sided (4.7GB) varieties in both cartridge (provides additional protection) and non-cartridge types, all of which can be used with our recorders. DVD-RAM discs can be played back on our DVD-RAM-compatible DVD home players and portable players. DVD-R discs are write-once and can be played on most consumer DVD players.

Chasing Playback

Now you no longer have to wait for an entire program to be recorded before watching it from beginning to end. With chasing playback, an element of our Time Slip feature, you can skip back to watch a program currently being recorded from any point that's already been recorded — while continuing to record the live program in progress.

Simultaneous Recording and Playback

The second part of our Time Slip feature, Simultaneous Recording and Playback lets you record a program onto a disc while you’re watching any other program that's previously been recorded on the same disc.

Selectable Recording Modes

Choose from five recording modes to get optimum quality and recording time you need. EP mode yields the most recording time, LP & SP modes provide less recording time with higher quality recording, and XP mode gives you the highest quality recording. There's also the FR (Flexible Recording) mode that lets you record with the best picture quality possible for the recording time and remaining space on the disc.

Incredible Storage Capacity

Record up to 12 hours of video on our 2-sided, 9.4GB DVD-RAM discs. These discs can also be played back on a DVD-RAM-compatible DVD home player or portable player.

Convenient Storage Options

The ideal medium for long-term storage of your valuable video images, a DVD-RAM disc preserves quality over time, permits overwriting as desired, and takes up only about a third of the space of a VHS cassette.

Simultaneous Record and TV

Similar to most VCRs, the DMR-E55K allows you to watch one channel using the tuner in your TV while recording a different channel using the tuner in this unit.

Rapid Random Access

Jump directly to any spot on a DVD-RAM disc and begin playback or recording right away. Even if there is no sequential area of empty space available, our DVD recorders can record data on available space throughout the rest of the disc. You will also avoid searching for a blank spot to start recording, or accidentally recording over desired material.

Easy Video Editing

Random access makes it easy to perform non-linear editing using just a single DVD Video Recorder, with no need for additional editing equipment.

Direct Navigator

Makes it easy to find a previously recorded program on a disc. A list of recording dates, times, channels and (user-entered) titles are shown on screen. When you move the cursor to any particular recording, the segment is played in the background, so playback can begin immediately upon selection. Program deletion, protection, and title input are also easy to perform. This feature can handle up to 99 titles at once.

Playlist Playback

Lets you perform simple non-linear video editing, such as rearranging the order of scenes, skipping over unwanted scenes, or copying selections, to create custom playlists of favorite scenes on a disc.

Bookmark Feature

Up to 5 points on a DVD or CD can be "bookmarked" in the unit's memory until the unit is powered off or the DVD tray is opened. When recording to a DVD-RAM disc or DVD-R disc, up to 999 markers can be recorded on the disc; they remain intact even if you remove the disc.

CM (Commercial) Skip

When playing back a TV program recorded on DVD-RAM or DVD-R, the CM Skip feature advances playback by one minute, allowing you to skip commercials with ease.

Slow Motion

When playing a DVD or VCD, the picture can be paused (freeze frame) and played in both forward and backward directions at five different speeds.

Fast Scan

When playing a DVD or CD, you can scan both forward and backward at five different speeds. Menu options allow you to turn off audio when fast-scanning.

Parental Controls

Set custom control levels using ratings from 0-8. Protected programming can only be accessed using the 4-digit password you set.

Still Mode

Select between Automatic, Field, or Frame mode when the 'Pause' function is activated. "Field" mode displays still pictures without blur. "Frame" mode is sharper still, for best display of on-screen text or fine detail.

Panasonic Multibrand Remote Control

The remote is pre-configured to operate several brands of TVs, so you can control your DVD recorder and the basic functions of your television with one remote. Some of the less-used buttons are hidden under a retractable panel to stay out of the way. The remote can be set to one of three codes so it doesn't interfere with other Panasonic DVD equipment in the same system.

Features:

• Region-free PAL NTSC playback, regions 1-6
• Plays DVD-Video, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and Video CD
• Records to DVD-RAM and DVD-R in PAL or NTSC
• Plays CD, CD-R & CD-RW, MP3 CD-R & CD-RW, plus DVD-Audio (Stereo only)
• Hybrid VBR (Variable Bit Rate) recording
• Rapid Random Access
• 3D Digital Noise Reduction
• 54MHz/10-bit video DAC
• selectable interlaced/progressive-scan video (playback only)
• de-interlacer with 3-2 pulldown processing
• built-in PAL tuner (no NTSC)
• optical digital output for Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM (96kHz/24-bit-capable)
• 3 sets of A/V inputs (composite and S-video), including 1 front-panel set
• 2 sets of A/V outputs (composite, S-video) plus 480i/480p selectable component video
• RF input/output for antenna/cable signals
• Convenient multibrand remote
• Colors: Silver or Black