I just saw a local b & m selling the Panny ES15 for $89 + tax. It appears to have all the features I need right now, but I was wondering about HDMI upconverting. I will be upgrading to HD Cable and getting a new HD tv this summer.

After watching HD programming, will I be disappointed with the ES15 picture quality?

Do HDMI upconverting dvdr's make a big difference on HD tv's?

What Panny dvdr models (no vcr como needed) do the HDMI upconversion?

You might be disappointed by the picture quality but only you will be able to answer that question. If you can live with the picture from a store bought dvd after watching HDTV then you probably be happy with the Panny.

The next model up in the line the ES25 has HDMI Output with Upconversion & an SD card slot & the other model without a vcr is the top model the EH55 which adds a HDD but is now almost impossible to find & ran around $450

You might also want to hold off because the new Panny's are just starting to come out & they have NTSC tuners & ATSC (HDTV) tuners in them.

The new model DMR-EZ27 with an HDMI Output & SD card slot replaces the old ES25.

But for only $89.00 if it's new & in a sealed box the ES15 is a great deal.

You might be disappointed by the picture quality but only you will be able to answer that question. If you can live with the picture from a store bought dvd after watching HDTV then you probably be happy with the Panny.

The next model up in the line the ES25 has HDMI Output with Upconversion & an SD card slot & the other model without a vcr is the top model the EH55 which adds a HDD but is now almost impossible to find & ran around $450

You might also want to hold off because the new Panny's are just starting to come out & they have NTSC tuners & ATSC (HDTV) tuners in them.

The new model DMR-EZ27 with an HDMI Output & SD card slot replaces the old ES25.

But for only $89.00 if it's new & in a sealed box the ES15 is a great deal.

Thanks Bill. I guess if I get an HDTV that upconverts everything to 1080i (like the Sony I'm considering), then an upconvering dvdr is not needed. Right?

You also mentioned the dvdr models with HDD. My main use of a new dvdr will be to archive old SVHS family tapes, copy recorded programs from my current DishNetwork dvrs before I sell them (I'm switching to cable for the HD programming), and to record on-demand and ppv programing from the cable box that cannot be recorded directly on the dvr. Should I consider a dvdr with HHD? What are the benefits?

You also refered to the new Pannys having sd and hd tuners built in. Would they require ota antenna connection? How would these built in tuners benefit cable and sat customers who already have hd dvrs?

Yes your right, Your usually better off letting the TV doing the upconverting than having the DVD Player/Recorder doing it. As for an HDMI Output the only reason you might want one also is for hooking it to the tv or in the future if your planning on buying a new Surround Sound Receiver that has HDMI Inputs.

As for the HDTV Tuners in the new Panny's I'm not sure if they are HD QUAM (Cable) tuners or just over the air tuners but from what I hear some places are already selling the Panny DMR-EZ17 so I would keep an eye out on Best Best & Circuit City for them.

As for HDD they are great to have especially for Editing (Cutting Commercials Out & Etc) but at this point in time I really don't think your going to be able to find a Panny or Pioneer left.

If I was you I would grab the ES15 for $89 which is probably going to be about a $100 saving or more over a new EZ17 & it should help you understand all about dvd recorders & if you decide you need a new one with an HDTV Tuner, HDD & etc you can always upgrade to a newer model & use the ES15 in a spare room or bedroom or just even save it as a backup Player/Recorder at that price.

bcab17, what store did you see it at for $89. + tax and was it new in box or an open box item?

thanks

Yep, That's why I thought for $89 in a sealed box & new to grab it. The lowest closeout price I've seen at a B&M store for the ES15 was $99.00

The lowest price I saw it for one week was $109 at Best Buy and I kinda regret not buying it as a backup since one of these days my Panny ES-10 is going to stop working..
Also just yesterday I had a friend e-mail me to let him know when I see a good price on an ES-15...

Sorry for the delayed response, but I just drove about 40 minutes to the only 6th Ave. Electronics store in my area, and they had a stack of about 30 of the Panny ES15s (new in sealed boxes) in the middle of the showroom floor. I picked one up for just under $98 ($89 + tax).

Now I need some help on media. I've read that dvd-ram disks are great with this Panny for re-recording, pause-recording, etc. (much better than dvd-rw). Is that true? Of course, when I tried a few places on my way home nobody had dvd-ram disks. So I picked a 10-pack of Maxell dvd+r disks, but I have no idea if they're a better choice than dvd-r disks. Can anyone explain the differences (plusses and minuses) of the different disk formats? (Again, I apologize for the newbie questions.)

bcab17, thanks for the info.
I just checked their website and they have it listed for $118.. I checked after midnight East Coast time so maybe the sale ended yesterday, weekly sales tend to end on Sat.
But can you tell me which of their 10 or so strores you bought it at and I'll check to see if they still have it at that price and if so maybe I can get it for $89 thru 6th Ave. Electronics website.

thanks

-R is slightly more compatible with dvd players,+R is more recent and has better,small improvements over -R(I use only +R).
6th Ave Electronics was/is known for selling gray market merchandise,maybe that's why it's so low?of course,also it's last years model,and they want to get rid of them.

For what it's worth Best Buy has them on sale again this week (04-01-07 to 04-07-07) for $109.99 But you can always make Circuit City or whoever price march it plus get 10% of the difference.

I would'nt wait toooo long looking for lower prices though because the chains are trying to clean them out as fast as they can now for the new Panny models which might just be sitting in the backroom already :D

6th Ave Electronics was/is known for selling gray market merchandise,maybe that's why it's so low?of course,also it's last years model,and they want to get rid of them.

Thanks for that info. They had me fooled with that blurb on their website that reads.." Authorized Dealer for Everything We Sell".

For what it's worth Best Buy has them on sale again this week (04-01-07 to 04-07-07) for $109.99 But you can always make Circuit City or whoever price march it plus get 10% of the difference.

I would'nt wait toooo long looking for lower prices though because the chains are trying to clean them out as fast as they can now for the new Panny models which might just be sitting in the backroom already :D

Thanks for the info, good advice..Circuit City currently has it on sale for $149.

I bought the ES15 at the 6th Ave. Electronics on Long Island (NY). I'm not sure of the town -- Westbury, I think. It's on Old Country Rd., just west of Meadowbrook Pkwy.

If they are selling "grey market goods" is there anyway I can tell from the box, the invoice, or anything inside the box?

If it is grey market, what does that mean to me? If it works properly isn't that all that matters?

all gray market means is they aren't authorized dealers,and the stuff may have been originally destined for other countries-but if it works fine,then there's no problem.