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If your a regular user, and have a few bucks, I'd have a pro set it up with you.It flashes wierd numbers and letters, when doing various sequences. Had a few machines since. Good thing you only do the automatic channel setup once. Probably would make sense, if you could find them in the book.
But, digging all this out of the instruction book, for the regular user,(me), is monumental. JVC, $2000. On some channels it sits on them for 3-4 seconds. This machine is nothing like that one. Stop the DVD disc and it flashes C31, or some such.
1st you have to get deep into the instructions to find that the digital tuner does not relate to the VHS side of this machine. Buy the ingredients, and it'll probably make waffles.
Who cares.As others mention, it does some stuff very slowly. That's kinda wierd to me.
Where's the progress. Got mt first VCR in 1979.
So the VHS is only good for 'playing', such as dubbing or playing pre-recordered tapes.Like my 1st DVD recorder, it can do most anything. Bought my first Panasonic DVD recorder many yrs ago.
Still using it. Longest channel setup time I've ever seen.Took it back to the store.
It has limited editing capabilities and I have noticed more drop outs in EP mode than with a JVC 100MR. The clock seems to loose a few seconds a day. This recorder has many good extras such as play while recording, audio at 1.3 speed as well as the ability to record double layer and record for 8 hours in exteneded mote. For the price, however, it is a good buy.
I can only verify most of the problems noted in previous reviews. Frankly, I couldn't find anything else at a reasonable price. It always quickly goes away, but when guests are over to watch, I have to start make excuses at the least opportune time.Most DVD remotes have a MENU button to get to the DVD main menu (you know, where you select PLAY or Special Features). On this one you have to navigate a function menu on the player to get to the DVD main menu. I had some freezing problems early on -- but not since going through the RAM update process. But this is DEFINATELY not typical Panasonic quality.
I would love to have it just record in the native format rather than trying to second guess -- I often end up having to unstretch or zoom an improperly formatted recording, which of course means you've lost resolution along the way. Found out that it will NOT record digital TV to VHS, which like so much about this machine, is counterintuitive. Also the clock is inaccurate -- has to be reset every week or so if you're relying on it to start a recording on time.It annoyingly does letterbox or stretch on playback for different programs, seemingly without reason. Doesn't always do this, though -- but I can't figure out any consistency.I turned off the VIERALink between the DVD and TV.
The two of them often conspired against me -- turning the player off when I turned the TV off to listen to a CD. What the heck, who needs that type of help.All that said, picture quality is quite good, and if you can learn its idiosyncracies, it's probably worth the $200. I've had this unit for a couple of months. The mode indicator flickers on and off in the upper right corner of the screen at random times during DVD playback.
Channel changing is ridiculous -- slow to respond and the channel display on the screen goes randomly back and forth between the last and next channel. Similar delays upon powerup or powerdown -- you end up pressing the button again and again, which it REMEMBERS, and soon you're lost and frustrated while trying to do the simplest things.We actually bought it in prep for the digital switchover -- to record to VHS to play on the old TV in the exercise room. It's a programmer's hack.
after the freeze up, I would not beable to get all of the digital stations in my area.however, Panasonic has a very good service program. Panasonic has promised, at no cost to me, to repair my unit.if they do as they say they will do, I will let you know. at first my product worked fine and it got all of the digital stationsin my area.then my unit started to freeze up. candymanw@yahoo.com
Maybe my unit is defective somehow (although it seems to work). I push the "open/close" button on the dvd drive, and it takes 20 seconds for it to decide to open. The most infuriating piece of electronic equipment I have every owned. I'm usually pretty good (actually, very good) at computers, connecting equipment and such, but this thing has me stumped. But this unit drives me crazy.
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