Panasonic MDR-E85H Region-free DVD Recorder

Price: discontinued

Panasonic DMR-E85H DVD Recorder with 120 GB Hard Drive

Improving on the industry-leading DMR-E80, Panasonic’s new DMR-E85HS DVD recorder boasts a larger built-in hard drive—the industry’s largest at 120GB—and a set of new features destined to make this one of the leading DVD recorders on the market today. The built-in hard drive memory lets you store up to 284 hours of recorded video, allowing you to edit your choices before archiving your recording permanently on a DVD-R or DVD-RAM disc. And with a new TV Guide On Screen interface built right in, the DMR-E85 lets you find exactly what you want and record it with one-touch ease: select your program from TV Guide’s seven-day listings, press a button, and that’s it! The DMR-E85H does the rest, recording your selections automatically.

Not only a DVD recorder, the versatile DMR-E85H 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! With the DMR-E85HS's 80 GB hard drive, it provides up to 104 hours of recording time without using a disc at all, plus up to 6 hours on a removable 4.7 GB DVD-RAM disc, at varying levels of recording quality. The DMR-E85H 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 DMR-E85H still has the features that made the Panasonic DMR-E80H the industry’s top-selling DVD recorder, including Time Slip, Chasing Playback, Simultaneous Record & Play, One Touch Two-Way Dubbing, and Relief Recording. The Time Slip feature allows you to replay a scene recorded as recently as 30 seconds earlier without disrupting the recording process, simply by touching a button on the remote. With Chasing Playback, you can watch any recorded portion of a live program while continuing to record. Relief Recording automatically shifts recording to the hard drive if there’s not enough space on your DVD-R or DVD-RAM disc—even if you forget to put in a disk.

With new high-speed transfer capabilities, one touch of a button is all it takes to record data from the DMR-E85H's hard disk drive to a DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc at 12x normal speed to a DVD-RAM disc or 24x normal speed to DVD-R (both in EP mode). A one-hour program can be recorded to DVD-RAM in just 5 minutes or to DVD-R in just 2.5 minutes!

Key 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
• Plays CD, CD-R & CD-RW, MP3 CD-R & CD-RW, plus DVD-Audio (Stereo only)
• Built-in 120GB hard drive for recording/playback
• 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 181-channel NTSC tuner
• Automatic timer recording with TV Guide On Screen
• manual recording
• two stereo audio recording modes: Dolby® Digital 2.0 and PCM
• 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

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.

Improved Video Quality in Analog-to-Digital Transfer

Input TBC, 3D Y/C separation circuitry, and 3D digital noise reduction are particularly effective when recording from analog video sources such as conventional VHS or S-VHS VCRs. Input TBC is a built-in time base corrector that delivers highly stable, natural images. The 3D Y/C Separation Circuitry minimizes the dot crawl and color smearing caused by interference between the video signal's Y and C color subcomponents. And, 3D Digital Noise Reduction effectively removes noise components from the signal during playback.

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.

Built-in Hard Disk

Record and store up to 284 hours of programming on the built-in 120 GB hard disk. These recordings can also be transferred from the hard disk to DVD-RAM or DVD-R discs for safekeeping. Simply make your programming edits on the HDD, then burn to disc.

Auto Renewal Recording

Automatically records an episode of a specified TV show either every day or every week directly onto the hard disk, with the most recent episode being recorded right over the previous one.

Relief Recording

The DVD Recorder checks the remaining disc space before recording onto a DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc. If there’s not enough space, your entire program gets recorded onto the hard disk. This feature also works if you’ve chosen to record a program and forgot to insert a disc.

High-Speed Recording

Record from the hard disk to a DVD-RAM disc at up to 12x speed. A one-hour program can be transferred in EP mode from hard disk to DVD-RAM disc in only five minutes!

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-E85H 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.

High-Quality Linear PCM Audio

In addition to Dolby Digital audio recording, the DMR-E85 can record sound using linear PCM (pulse code modulation) without compressing the audio signal, resulting in superb sound quality.

TV Guide On Screen Feature

• Current listings are always close at hand when watching TV.
• Listing info. arrives with your TV signal with no extra connections to manage.
• Find what you want quickly with easy-to-use interface.
• Quick information, from the trusted editors at TV Guide, describe shows of interest.
• One-touch recording lets you select a current or future program, press record, and walk away.
• Browse or search for your favorite show a full week into the future.

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.

Built-in TV Tuner

The DMR-E55 has a built-in 181-channel TV tuner, allowing you to record from TV to DVD-RAM or DVD-R with ease. During the initial start-up, after the antenna has been connected, the recorder will automatically tune in the available stations and set the clock.

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.

DVD VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Progressive Scan: Yes
• DVD Regions: Region-free PAL NTSC playback, regions 1-6
• Video Disc Formats: DVD , DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD
• Video D/A Converter: 54MHz, 10-bit

AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS:

• Audio Disc Formats: CD , CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, DVD-Audio
• Audio D/A Converter: 96kHz, 24-bit
• Virtual Surround: Yes

OUTPUT TERMINALS:

• Composite Video: 2 (RCA)
• S-Video: 2 (4-pin mini DIN)
• Component Video: 1 (RCA x 3)
• Stereo Audio Out: 2 (RCA L/R)
• Optical Digital Out: 1 (TosLink)

INPUT TERMINALS:

• Composite Video: 3 (RCA)
• Stereo Audio In: 3 (RCA L/R)

GENERAL:

• Power Supply: 100-220V @ 50-60Hz
• Power Consumption: 35 Watts
• Dimensions: 16-7/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-3/8"
• Weight: 8.14 lbs.
• FCC Class: FCC Class B, Home Use