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Panasonic DMR-E50 DVD-RAM/DVD-R recorder 380
heres never been a better time to buy a DVD recorder, since price is no longer a restricting factor as Panasonics latest entry-level recorder ably demonstrates. The DMR-E50 costs around 380, and when you consider that the brands debut machine (the DMR-E20) cost a cool 1,000, this is absolutely astonishing. It uses DVD-RAM, perhaps the most versatile format, enabling features like Timeslip, which lets you watch the beginning of a programme thats still being recorded or watch a different recording while recording another. Yep, this is an all-singing, all-dancing machine that is incredible value for money. It also looks the part. The par-for-the-course silver styling is attractive enough, and there are plenty of fascia-mounted buttons for up-close tweaking. Under a flap on the front is a selection of video and audio inputs, but sadly no digital camcorder i.Link connectivity. Round the back are two Scarts, both of which are RGB-capable, plus composite and S-video inputs/outputs and a bevy of audio connections. Auto tuning efficiently tunes the channels into the correct Video Plus order. The remote looks complicated but is easy to master and youll be racing round the elegant menus in no time. Theres plenty to configure, both for DVD recording and playback. The DMR-E50 offers four levels of recording quality XP, SP, LP and EP, which provide maximum recording times of one hour, two hours, four hours and six hours respectively. The Panasonic also offers the brands unique FR mode, which works out the best recording bitrate for the space left on the disc meaning that you always get the best possible pictures. Any recordings stored on a disc are accessed by pressing Direct Navigator on the remote. This index is superb, using thumbnails for each recording. Other nifty features include playlist editing, where you can piece together clips of your recordings. Camcorder users will love this feature.

Test Scenes

EastEnders

Walford wonders

On to performance and, as with all Panasonics recorders, picture quality is immaculate. XP is the best quality setting, and is a showcase for everything thats good about digital recording bright, forceful colours and pin-sharp detail. Whats more, the stability of images exposes wobbly old VHS as the archaic technology that it is. SP recordings are also highly impressive, virtually identical to XP except for the faintest increase in digital artefacts. However, for day-to-day recording needs you may want to opt for LP or EP, which offer longer recording times. You wont be disappointed here either, as pictures retain a high amount of detail and colour, though edges do appear dottier and large background areas are less stable than XP or SP. Nevertheless, these artefacts are far preferable to the tizzing and softness associated with VHS.
The Walford locals are impressively rendered, and fast-moving objects are steady in XP and LP modes

Shrek Monstrous strength

The colours in Shreks green skin and the dragons fiery breath are strong and unsullied by noise

Good Points

Overwhelming features list with additions such as Timeslip putting this recorder in a different league. DVD-RAM is great for editing, and recording quality is second to none.

Do the timewarp

The Timeslip functions work faultlessly, and editing together your own footage provides hours of fun. Its easy to pick up and clips playback seamlessly. The only problem you may face with DVD-RAM recordings and this could possibly be a big problem is that theyre incompatible with the vast majority of regular DVD players. Thats why the DMR-E50 boasts write-once DVD-R recording. These discs are compatible with any player, and use the same picture quality settings as above. As a DVD player, the DMR-E50 is exemplary in terms of picture and sound quality. You can rest assured that DVDs are noise-free and detailed, while Dolby Digital, DTS and CD playback is hugely enjoyable. Panasonic maintains its DVD recorder track record with the DMR-E50. It may be incompatible with most DVD players, but DVD-RAM is a wonderfully flexible format. It has some amazing features, offers high-quality pictures and can be found online for around 350, which makes it incredible value for money. Further Info

Call Panasonic or visit www.panasonic.co.uk

Bad Points

DVD-RAM is incompatible with the majority of DVD players, and i.Link connection would have been the icing on the cake

Overall

Immaculate recordings and tons of features for around an incredible 400 if you hunt around. Bargain!

Ratings

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall

5555555555

66 What Home Cinema August 2003

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DVD Recorders Special
PANASONIC DMR-E50 DVD-RAM/DVD-R recorder 450

WINNING FORMULA

If it aint broke, dont fix it is Panasonics ethos with the DMR-E50. As Danny Phillips finds, it maintains the companys excellent DVD recording pedigree at a more inviting price
Looks complicated but youll soon get the hang of it
Panasonic earned high praise for its DMR-E20 and DMR-E30 DVD recorders. Like its predecessors, the DMR-E50 records onto rewriteable DVD-RAM and write-once DVD-R discs, as well as offering a range of flexible recording and playback options. Aside from minor cosmetic alterations, the most significant aspect of this model is its price, some 100 less than the DMR-E30.

DESCRIPTION

While it shares the same dimensions as the DMR-E30, there have been design tweaks. More buttons have been added to the fascia, most of which are embedded into an unsightly black strip that runs the width of the unit. We are disappointed that the DMR-E20s mirrored fascia hasnt reappeared. A panel of AV inputs (composite video, S-video and stereo audio) is provided on the front for hooking up external devices like camcorders (but sadly, theres no i.Link input this will be on the DMR-E60, due by June). A matching set of these inputs is found on the rear, along with their corresponding outputs. Theres also one Scart output and one input, both of which handle RGB. This is great news for owners
of digiboxes who want to record best-quality pictures. Optical digital audio output for multichannel receivers and RF loopthrough complete the selection. The remote control is almost identical to the DMR-E30s, and is far less daunting than youd imagine. Its crowded with buttons, but theyre intelligently placed and a slide-down panel at the bottom conceals some lesser-used keys. The zapper can also control TVs from a variety of manufacturers.

OPERATION

An efficient auto-tuning mode finds and stores all the analogue channels in the correct VideoPlus order and sets the clock. Press Functions on the remote and a grid of nine options appears, one of which is the setup menu. Theres plenty to configure here, such as TV aspect ratio, type of video output and various sound options. Altering these is no trouble at all, thanks to the logical and attractive menu presentation. There are four main recording quality settings: XP (which provides 1hr recording time per 4.7GB disc), SP (2hr), LP (4hr) and EP (6hr). There is also a Flexible Recording mode (available for both DVD-RAM
No mirrored fascia, and why the unsightly black strip?
A healthy array of sockets no i.Link, though
and DVD-R recordings), which calculates the optimal bitrate for a given amount of time so you always get the best possible picture quality, no matter how much space is left on the disc. This mode gives the DMR-E50 a distinct advantage over its various DVD+RW and DVD-RW rivals. Recordings are managed using the Direct Navigator. This is basically a list of recordings made, with details of each given alongside. Here, you can erase part of a recording, delete it entirely or divide it, using a highly impressive user interface. Create Playlist is a simple non-linear editing system that lets you piece together clips of footage. Simply select start and stop points within a recording and they are then played back seamlessly in sequence. This is made possible by the flexibility of DVD-RAM. Another feature made possible by DVD-RAM is Timeslip. Accessed from the remote or fascia, this mode lets you start watching a recording while its still being recorded (Chasing Play), or watch a different recording stored on the same disc.
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SPECIFICATIONS
FEATURES DVD-Video, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-RW (Video mode), DVD-R, DVD+R playback; DVD-RAM/DVD-R recording; DD & DTS compatible; Q-Link; auto/manual tuning; 16-event, one-month timer with VideoPlus & PDC; Timeslip; 4 recording modes; Flexible Recording (FR) mode; One Touch Recording; Direct TV recording; Direct Navigator; Create Playlist; PAL/NTSC recording & playback; disc protection; disc formatting; DVD-R finalisation; Quick View; 5 search speeds; 5 slo-mo speeds; 5 bookmarks; V.S.S.; Dialog Enhancer; Soft, Fine, Cinema presets; repeat; TV/DVD remote SOCKETS Front: S-video in; composite video in; stereo audio in Rear: 2 Scarts (1 in, 1 out, both RGB, S-video/composite video); S-video in; composite video in; stereo audio in; S-video out; composite video out; stereo audio out; optical digital audio out; RF in and loopthrough TEST DATA DVD playback: Video jitter: 9ns (below av) Signal-to-noise ratio: -71.3dB (good) Chroma AM/PM: -71.5dB/-71dB (exc/exc) Chroma crosstalk: -49.2dB (below av) Frequency response (S-video) at 5.8MHz: -7.09dB (very good) composite video at 5.8MHz: -6.83dB (v gd) Audio jitter: 495.7ps (average) DVD recording: Chroma AM/PM: -64.4dB/ -62.1dB (excellent/excellent) Freq response (SP) at 5.8MHz: -6.2dB (ex) DIMENSIONS 430(w) x 79(h) x 283(d)mm CONTACT Panasonic 08705 357357
Other features on offer include a 16-event, one-month timer with VideoPlus, Dolby Digital and DTS compatibility plus dynamic range compression. Also on board are Soft, Fine and Cinema picture presets, noise reduction, VSS pseudo-surround mode and Dialog Enhancer.

PERFORMANCE

The quality of recordings in XP mode is flawless. RGB video captured from a digibox retains every single ounce of colour and detail. Images are exceptionally solid, crisp and stable, with no MPEG artefacts whatsoever. Even tricky content like smoke and running water cant trip the DMR-E50 up, and fast-moving objects dont shimmer around the edges. SP mode is virtually identical in terms of colour fidelity and detail reproduction, but the lower bitrate causes the occasional appearance of MPEG artefacts. LP and EP are useful for longer recordings, and in terms of colour and detail, picture quality is fairly pleasing. The increase in MPEG artefacts becomes much more noticeable, resulting in softer pictures and juddering on large

areas of colour. The results are still clearly preferable to VHS in terms of stability a little shimmer here and there is far more tolerable than analogue mush and tizzing. In comparison with Philips DVD recorders, theres very little difference in recording quality. However, in the lower-quality modes Panasonics pictures seem slightly less blocky than those of Philips recorders.
output, or enjoying a CD through the analogue output. Either way, its very smooth and satisfying. The quality of recorded stereo sound (encoded in Dolby Digital) is of the highest order. If youre used to VCRs, the lack of hiss will be extremely welcome.

CONCLUSION

Panasonic hit on a winning formula with its previous -RAM recorders and has applied it to the DMR-E50. Its basically the DMR-E30 in new clothes, offering the same excellent recording quality at a lower price. And because DVD-RAM is a much more versatile format than DVD+RW, the DMR-E50 is a far more sophisticated prospect than its nearest rivals from Philips. Timeslip, basic editing and the Flexible Recording mode are extremely impressive features that make a mockery of the 450 price tag. The main drawbacks are that DVD-RAM is incompatible with the vast majority of DVD players, whereas DVD+RW is widely compatible, and blank DVD-RAM discs are more expensive than +RWs. Other than that, the DMR-E50 is unbeatable
The DMR-E50s primary function may be a recorder, but as a DVD player it excels. The strength and depth of colours makes movies jump out at you, while the precisely rendered detail provides startling clarity. We couldnt spot one untidy or bleeding edge, and the smooth pictures suggest that theres a highly competent MPEG decoder churning away inside. There are no problems with sound either, whether you are blasting a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack through the digital
excellent recording quality at a lower price

VERDICT

WHATS GOOD Recording quality; Timeslip; Play List; FR mode WHATS BAD Poor compatibility of -RAM; no i.Link in OVERALL A sophisticated DVD recorder with excellent recording quality PICTURE.%%%%% SOUND.%%%% FEATURES.%%%%% EASE OF USE.%%%%% VALUE.%%%%% OVERALL.%%%%%