A Wonderful Way for Converting Old Tapes

Author's Rating:

Pros: VHS/DVD conversion, hard drive editing features

Cons: TV Guide feature is very limited

The Bottom Line: 
This Panasonic machine is a unique product with a 80GB hard drive and the ability to copy media in multiple ways. The only downside is the unfortunate TV Guide feature.

Author's Review
My wife and I have been searching for a convenient way to compile our old VHS tapes in organized fashion. The standard VHS/DVD combos seemed okay, but having a hard drive with editing capabilities drew us to this Panasonic model. I was pretty concerned after reading the many negative reviews on this site, but have been very impressed by the 80GB hard drive and copying features.

A Wide Range of Editing Possibilities
We have used this machine to copy numerous VHS tapes holding music, old TV shows, and a few movies. This recorder allows you to copy full tapes or just short clips with only a few clicks. We've had it for several months and have to notice any mistakes.

I worried about the ability to edit recordings once on the hard drive, but there were more features than I expected. You're able to cut titles down to the exact frame using the "Shorten Title" feature. You can also divide large quantities of footage into individual titles using the "Divide Title" feature. Other useful capabilities include the ability to create lengthy titles, specific thumbnails, and individual chapters within the titles.

I'm hardly a technology expert, and agree with other reviewers that the manual was not written by someone who excels at the English language. However, I've found the editing features and copy preparations to be very straightforward after a few days. It takes a bit of trial and error before they work like clockwork, but I've been editing smoothly for a while.

Copying Quality for Diverse Uses
This Panasonic recorder allows you to copy at the XP, SP, LP, and EP speeds. I've been mainly using the SP (two hours on a disc) and LP (four hours) for our DVDs, and the quality has been excellent. Of course, the recorder can only do so much with junky VHS video, but it hasn't reduced the image and sounds in any way. You can also record onto DVD in the same formats.

An interesting features is the Flexible Recording (FR) method, which allows you to get the highest quality from a video regardless of its length. I've only used this speed several times and can't really comment on how it compares to the other speeds, but it is an interesting aspect.

The Mysterious TV Guide
One negative that keeps me from giving a five-star rating is the TV Guide feature, which is designed to function like a Tivo or other DVR. We already have Tivo, so have not need to use the TV Guide. However, I did attempt to set it up and had no success. We have Expanded Basic cable through Charter (no box), and it was not able to locate our service.

Thankfully, the TV Guide was not the purpose of our purchase, so its troubles don't bother me. However, it is disappointing considering the high purchase price of this machine. I'm guessing it would probably work if I spent a great deal of time on it, but we've been focusing on our VHS tapes right now. If this is your main purpose for buying this player, be warned!

Conclusion
The Panasonic DMR-EH75VS machine is a very high-end VCR and DVD player, and I've noticed a significant rise in picture quality when I played tapes and DVDs. We were lucky to purchase it on sale at Circuit City for about $400 using online coupons. You could easily spend over $500 to buy this product.

If you're looking to convert VHS tapes to DVDs and require the hard drive's editing capabilities, I highly recommend this Pansonic product. Before buying it, however, I would seriously think about your own needs and decide if it's the right choice. We're big fans, but it's definitely not a product for everyone.