ON TEST / DVD RECORDER/VCR COMBI

Verdict Approx price 270

Panasonic DMR-EZ47V
BPicture quality; operating system; versatile features ENo SD card slot; no USB; lacks DiVX or WMA playback
IN THE CORRUPTED words of Mark Twain, reports of the death of VHS are greatly exaggerated. A number of high-prole brands are still making videotape players, although they tend to be combined with hi-tech digital recording to add some up-to-date credibility. The reason why this analogue technology prevails is simple: people still have hordes of treasured tapes that they either want to watch or transfer to DVD disc. Enter the DMR-EZ47V, which combines a DVD recorder with a VCR in one rather chunky unit.
Superb performance and rock-solid operation in one smart box
digital terrestrial tuner. Aside from the full Freeview channel roster, the digital tuner gets you MHEG text and a seven-day EPG, but unlike Sony and Pioneer, Panasonic hasnt yet added series link to its recorders. Among the sockets on the rear is an HDMI output that, bizarrely, enables you to watch VHS tapes in hi-def resolution. The HDMI output is joined by progressive scan-capable component output and two Scarts, enabling you to output and input RGB signals (essential if youre planning on recording from an external digital set-top /// box). The deck can also be hooked up to a home cinema system using the optical digital or analogue stereo audio outputs. A terric range of connections, then, but the front panel lacks an SD card slot or USB port for playing back a digital media collection (and it wont play DiVX or WMA from discs). But there are DV, S-video and composite video inputs for transferring footage from peripheral devices. The deck offers just four quality settings: XP (one hour), SP (2 hours), LP (4 hours), and EP (8 hours). You can roughly double these times when using a dual-layer disc, and Flexible Recording lets you t a programme exactly into the remaining space on a disc. Recordings are stored in the Direct Navigator menu, which uses moving thumbnails and provides access to a range of editing options, including partial delete and playlist editing, which allows you to organise chapters from any recording into a new sequence without affecting the originals. VHS features are fairly basic, but include SP, LP and EP recording modes, a 16-event, one-month timer

The rivals

/ Toshiba SD-38VB
Only plays DVDs, lacks a digital tuner and upscaling, but its under 100. Reviewed: Issue 325
If youve got hordes of tapes to digitise, then this is possibly the best machine for the job///
and S-VHS Quasi Playback (SQPB), which allows you to playback S-VHS tapes in VHS quality.

Features

/ Panasonic DMR-EX95V
Adds a 250GB hard disk to the EZ47Vs impressive feature list to create the ultimate video recorder. To be reviewed
Despite the lack of a hard disk, the deck is still packed with features, although there are a few omissions. On the DVD side, it will record onto every format going, including DVD-RAM, which opens up the possibility of non-linear editing. Those of you upgrading in time for digital switchover can rest assured that this deck features a

Ease of use

Youll soon be right at home with the units impeccable operating system. This generation is easier to use than ever, with a straightforward menu structure, a big-buttoned remote and responsive rmware
036 / What Video & High-Denition TV / Issue 331

WHV331.pandvd 036

30/1/08 11:05:30
Want more info on DVD recorders? See the Jargon Buster p102

Fact le

/ Multi-format DVD recording / 720p/1080i/1080p upscaling / Freeview tuner / MP3 & JPEG playback / S-VHS Quasi Playback
/ Time in Lab: 5 days / Serial No: PP00001026 R 430mm
that eliminates annoying pauses when changing channels or navigating the menus. This slickness extends to the EPG, which uses the left-to-right timeline design made popular by Sky+, in eye-candy colours.

Picture

When working with a decent source such as BBC News 24, the DMR-EZ47Vs sensitive and stable digital tuner produces consistently striking pictures, full of bold, captivating colours and sharp detail. The red captions that accompany news coverage are vivid and rolling text is steady and legible. Happily, the XP mode easily captures these terric Freeview pictures without compromise. Colours enjoy the same levels of intensity, patterns and textures remain focused and theres a pleasing lack of noise. HDMI upscaling is excellent and ensures that recorded images arrive at your screen in the best possible quality. Theres some oversharpening, but its a minor qualm. SP mode sees only a slight drop in quality, with an occasional trace of extra noise in evidence during fast camera pans. This ability to t up to two hours onto a disc in high quality makes it an ideal mode for recording all but epic movies. Even LP mode recordings look great, because the deck retains the 500-line resolution used by XP and SP, whereas other recorders might drop to a lower resolution. Pre-recorded DVD playback is of the highest order, particularly when you spin a top quality disc such as

King Kong, which is packed with chop-smacking colours and enough detail to satisfy the demands of even the biggest TV screens. But the biggest surprise is the quality of VHS playback. With the decks upscaling set to 1080p, VHS images look cleaner and more stable than ever. Our tape of the Star Wars Special Edition looks remarkably clean and colourful, with jitter and colour bleed kept to a minimum. As a result, videos transferred to DVD also look great (subject to the state of the original tape) and if you run out of DVDs, then bear in mind that VHS recordings from the Freeview tuner are perfectly serviceable too.
Playback Test Reading Rating Video jitter: 5ns Audio jitter: 155.1ps S/n ratio: 67.9dB Chroma am: -59.5dB Chroma pm: -56.4dB Chroma N/a Crosstalk: Frequency response at 5.8MHz S-video: +0.1dB Composite: -0.1dB Component: +0.2dB
Recording Test Reading Chroma am: -55.3dB Chroma pm: -54.9dB Frequency response Hq @ 4MHz -0.7dB Sp @ 4MHz -0.8dB Ep @ 2MHz -1.1dB

Rating

Power consumption: Standby: 2W In use: 21W (DVD playback) In use: 18W (VHS playback)

Spec check

Recording formats: DVD-RAM/-RW(Video mode)/R/+RW/+R/+R (DL)/-R (DL) Recording modes: 4 (plus FR mode) Max recording time: 14hr Non-linear editing: Yes TV tuner: Digital Timer: Freeview EPG/16-event, one-month (manual) Guide Plus/Video Plus: No/no Set-top box control: No (slave mode only) Dimensions: 430(w) x 84(h) x 345(d)mm Weight: 5.4kg / Other features: Video upscaling to 720p, 1080i, 1080p; Dolby Digital & DTS output; Viera Link; 7-day EPG; digital text; VHS to DVD/DVD to VHS copying; SP, LP & EP VHS recording; Direct TV recording; Flexible Recording; Chasing Playback/simultaneous recording and playback (RAM); Quick Play (x1.3); slo-mo; frame-by-frame viewing; zoom; Time Slip; JPEG slideshow (rotate, zoom) / Disc Playback: DVD/-RAM/-R/-RW/+R/+RW/+R (DL)/-R (DL)/ CD/-R/-RW, VCD, SVCD, MP3, JPEG / Sockets: Rear outputs: HDMI; component video; 2 Scart (1 RGB/S-video/ composite out & 1 in); S-video; composite video; optical digital audio; stereo audio; RF in & out. Front inputs: DV; S-video; composite video; stereo audio / Contact: www.panasonic.co.uk

Sound

Sound quality is solid right across the board, from the dynamic stereo Dolby Digital recordings (or LPCM in XP mode) to full-on 5.1-channel playback through a home cinema amp and speakers. Audio CDs and MP3 les are also enjoyable, making this a decent source for music and movies. Even VHS tape hiss is kept to a minimum.

Value

If youve got hordes of tapes that need digitising, then this is possibly the best machine for the job, given its superb VHS and DVD picture prowess. You could argue that its pricey for a recorder with no hard disk, and you could buy a budget DVD recorder and VCR separately for less. But youd be missing the convenience of having both in one, as well as that fantastic operating system and performance Z
Some missing features, but on the whole a magnicent recorder for those who cant let VHS go
Issue 331 / What Video & High-Denition TV / 037

WHV331.pandvd 037

30/1/08 11:05:33

Proposal number TF11-034

FY11 Student Tech Fee Competitive Process (Oxford)

Instructions

Complete one form for each project. Any faculty member, staff member or student may submit a proposal. Proposals are due by February 26, 2010. Projects with an academic focus should be e-mailed to the dean of the project lead's division. Projects with a student life focus should be e-mailed to techfee@muohio.edu.
Abbreviated Guidelines for Student Technology Fee Expenditures
The student technology fee should be used primarily in support of instructional technology. Purchases should directly benefit students in meeting the educational goals of their academic programs. High priority should be given to supply access to productivity tools, discipline-specific software packages, internal/external research databases, introductory/advanced training, and access to networked resources from on and off campus. Other areas, such as administrative applications or scientific equipment/laboratories, while worthy, should be funded through other sources. To view the full guidelines for expenditures, as well as the complete list of projects funded in FY09 and FY10, please see the Student Technology Fee website: www.muohio.edu/techfee.
Time Table for FY11 Process
2/26/10 Deadline for proposal submission to Deans or Student Affairs 3/19/10 Proposals posted to Tech Fee web site (www.muohio.edu/techfee) 4/19/10 Review process complete 4/26/10 Recommendations presented to IT Strategic Advisory Council for approval. 7/1/10 First portion of funds released (50% 7/1, 25% 10/1, and 25% 2/1/11) 60 days following completion, or no later than 6/1/11 Final reports due
Proposal Form for FY11 Student Tech Fee Competitive Process (Oxford)
Project Leads Name: Mike Wells E-mail: wellsmd@muohio.edu Telephone: 513-529-4148 Affiliation (Student, CAS, FSB, SEAS, SEHS, SFA, LIB, Other Division,): LIB Other Project Team Members: Sheila Sparks and Dan Battistone 1. Project Short Title (5 to 8 words): Center for Information Management A/V Equipment Expansion/Improvement 2. Brief Description of Project: Because the Center for Information Management (CIM) in King Library is currently the only full service multimedia facility on campus that is available to all majors and disciplines, it is more critical than ever to offer an adequate amount of high quality multimedia hardware and software to meet growing curricular demands. This proposal is aimed to meet those needs by providing additional software licenses for Adobe CS4 Master Collection, and Final Cut Pro, while also addressing the need for new hardware used to import and digitize both audio and video. Additional to the need for
hardware and software, CIM also provides studio suites for audio recording, however at this time, those suites are not adequately optimized for sound recording, and require materials to be purchased to help improve the recording quality within each suite. 3. Impact on Students Served and/or Evidence of Student Need - include the number or percentage of students or courses served: With the growth of multimedia use in every subject matter, CIM continues to work to meet Miamis curricular needs. This growth has been noted statistically, with CIM usage metrics showing times where more students are wishing to use equipment and systems, than that which is available. At the end of each semester it is not uncommon to see a 2:1 student to computer ratio in CIM. This high volume of use causes great stress to the equipment being used, and requires a high level of maintenance. 4. Justification for Funding this Project: This proposal is designed to expand the existing video systems area in CIM by two (2) additional workstations, and to provide more iMacs with the licensing for Final Cut Pro. The aim of this proposal also looks to add one more audio conversion units in CIM and update additional hardware in the CIM Studio Suites. Aside from the software and hardware requirements requested, sound proofing improvements for the CIM studios are also requested. The justification of this proposal as a whole lies in the simple fact that CIM continues to see overall use numbers growing year to year in the number of questions asked, and in the time the facilities are being used. In a recent statistical evaluation, the CIM Studios alone saw over a 400% growth in use for the month of January when comparing 2009 to 2010, while hourly headcount/computer usage data continues to show CIMs overall use growing at a robust level year to year.

Detailed Budget Include all items requested for this project and update the total cost field:
Item Category Item Requested Item 1 Include Product Name & Vendor Number Requested Unit Cost Total Cost

Software

522.30 500.00

6268.00 500.00

Adobe CS4 Master Collection Item 2 Include Product Name & Vendor Final Cut Pro 5 seat license package Hardware Item 1 JVC MiniDV/DVD Burner Combo Model: SR-DVM600 Item TVs Sansui DTV1300 Item 3 VHS/Blu-Ray Combo Panasonic DMP-BD70VK

850.00

4,250.00

115.00 180.00

230.00 1800.00
Item 3 VHS/DVD Format Converter Panasonic DMR-EZ47V Item 4 Ion Tape2PC USB Cassette Deck
Item 5 Ion Audio TTUSB 10 Vinyl

450.00

112.00 129.00 400.00

224.00 258.00 400.00

Recording USB Turntable Item 6 The Crosley Songwriter CD Burner CR248
Other (Explain): Sound Proofing Materials TOTAL
Item 1 ATS Acoustic Panel - 24x48x2 Item 2

1470.00

$15,850.00 Add additional lines/pages as necessary.
5. Briefly describe additional funds available for this project, if any: Funding for the CIM is part of the university libraries overall operating budget and not funded by university computing services. However, the full funding of this proposal will not be possible without support from the technology fee.
6. What happens to the project in year 2 and beyond? Will there be any ongoing costs such as software or hardware maintenance, supplies, staffing, etc? How these will be funded? These materials are being requested as maintenance materials to the ones currently available in CIM. Items will be maintained on an as needed basis from library budgets as deemed by the Dean of Libraries.
7. How will you assess the project? Post-Project Assessment Criteria:
Identify one or more expected project outcomes that indicate project progress and completion. How will you assess the value to students? Measures of enhanced student learning or usage are highly desired. These items should be chosen to facilitate independent evaluation of project completion and value to students.

CIM Management always maintains statistical metrics regarding the use of equipment and software in CIM. This process will continue throughout future operations with additional metrics being applied to the specifics regarding items funded through the Student Technology Fee funds.
9. Attach any other supporting information regarding this request. Examples: Letters of support from
the Department chair(s) if curriculum is being changed or from Dick Pettitt for the Space Utilization Group, if your proposal includes requesting changes in rooms or other spaces. When supplying information on equipment for purchase, note the web address for the desired vendor. 1. JVC SR-DVM600: http://www.amazon.com/JVC-Professional-SR-DVM600US-VideoRecorder/dp/B000KH96K8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265320145&sr=8-1 2. Sansui DTV1300: http://www.amazon.com/Sansui-DTV1300-13-Inch-ColorTuner/dp/B000SMNNE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265320106&sr=8-1 3. Panasonic DMP-BD70VK: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMP-BD70V-Blu-ray-MultimediaPlayer/dp/B001VZ1W5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1266859189&sr=8-1
4. Panasonic DMR-EZ47V: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMR-EZ47V-Up-Converting-1080p-DVDRecorder/dp/B000O3LUKC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265319974&sr=8-1 5. Ion Tape2PC USB Cassette Deck: http://www.amazon.com/Ion-Tape2PC-USB-CassetteDeck/dp/B000VG802I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265319936&sr=8-1 6. Ion Audio TTUSB 10 Vinyl Recording USB Turntable: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-10-Recording-TurntableAudacity/dp/B000PZQPP4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265319890&sr=8-1 7. The Crosley Songwriter CD Burner CR248: http://www.amazon.com/Crosley-CR248-CH-Songwriter-RecorderCherry/dp/B0016LENMI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265319827&sr=8-1 8. Soft Sound Acoustic Panels 24x48 inch panels: http://www.soundproofcow.com/acoustic-panels/sound-quality-panels.html