Panasonic DVD recorder US models, years produced and features - Page 2

Thanks for the photo tomwil. I don't think I'll add it to the OP since it doesn't look like the HS1 was ever available in the US and I was trying to just list US or models available in the US in the OP. It is a nice looking unit though, I like the mirrored front. I did update the OP to read that the HS2 was the first US model to have a HDD.


Same here, I didn't notice it at WI the last time I checked which was a few months ago. Since it ends in a 8 instead of a 7 like the EH-57 and EH-67 I might think it's a newer model(it's also all black which is the current EZ-x8 look) but I had kind of thought all the newer Pannys were the EZ ones including the non US machines. I've also seen posts of new EX series Pannys which are non US.

Church,
It would be interesting to see if the EH-68 had the "phrase save" feature, I also really liked that feature, although since the EZ's don't have it I doubt any newer Panny (if the EH-68 is such) would have it.
Oh if you ever get bored(or just need to take your EH-67 apart for cleaning the spindle) it would be interesting to see if it used Panasonic silicone or the newer LSI/Magnum. Since the phrase save feature disappeared about the time Panasonic began using LSI/Magnum silicone I wonder it that has anything to do with it.

Digado, does your ES-40(with LSI silicone) have phrase save?

I guess that tells you where my head is.....
I knew the difference but didn't know the spelling was different. I'll update the OP
I guess it wouldn't be silicone valley then, would it.....

Thanks Digado, it seems like when Panasonic switched to LSI silicon they dropped phrase save, a feature I and a few others use all the time.

BTW I figured out how to add links with one word, so I've been going wild and adding links in the OP to the most posted threads for particular models(some are read only in the archives) and I'm also posting links to all the online manuals for the US Panasonic DVDRs. I'm working my way from the oldest to the newest, enjoy.
If anyone can find the main thread for the EH-75 please post it. The main EH-55 thread is quite used but I can't find a main EH-75 thread which is quite odd since it's probably one of the best Pannys made and quite a few people on AVS seem to have one.

Yes it would probably be a memory issue but it's my guess it would also have to do with the brains or main cpu to enable that feature.
I believe the Phrase Save feature was only available a few years, '05 and '06 for sure. From reading the online manuals it wasn't available '00-'03 for sure and also from '07 to present. I'll update the OP when I figure out exactly what year it was introduced. Just like the eject on remote it was a nice feature while it lasted.

After extensive online manual reading I can say for sure the Phrase Save feature was added in '05(except for the LSI silicon'd ES-20 and ES-40v) and dropped in '07 with the introduction of the LSI silicon'd EZ series
AFA the eject on the remote it wasn't on every Panny DVDR but as you said it was dropped in all models after '04.
While personally I would like the eject on the remote I wouldn't want to trade it for the nicer (IMO) feel of the newer (post '05) remotes with the circular ring. Just preference I guess, I really don't like the spongy feel of my ES-30v's remote keys, they're also a little small for my tastes.
IMO the '06 Panasonic line was the best. Phrase save, nice remote, decent build quality and bug free. '05 had a more solid build but as mentioned I really didn't care for the remotes and some people might care about the 704x480 resolution which was upped to 720x480 in '06 and beyond.

In trying to keep the OP mostly opinion free I'll rate in this post my favorites and least favorites of the Panasonic DVDRs I've actually owned, starting with the best. Again this is only my opinion and only unit's I've owned/used.

EH-55*___Good build quality, bug free, very nice feature set, nice remote, handy TVGOS and HDD,
ES-30v*__IMO the best combo Panasonic made. Very handy dual displays(on unit, one for VHS side one for DVD side(this and the older E75v were the only combos to have this feature), Great build quality, bug free, very nice feature set,
ES-25*___Great simple workhorse, handy HDMI feature, bug free,
ES-15*___Great simple cheap workhorse, I bought (2) new for $99 towards it's end of it's run, bug free,
EZ-28____Great PQ using it's built in digital tuner, some reliability issues and bugs,

Really didn't like
ES-20___Missing many key features, buggy,
EZ-27___Great PQ using it's built in digital tuner, buggy, I had (1) fail with U99,
EZ-17___Great PQ using it's built in digital tuner, buggy, I had (5) of these fail to the point of not working (u99's) within their warranty period (failed anywhere from a few days to ~1 month). I wouldn't really want one of these if given one, with it's digital tuner it had potential but it's my least liked Panasonic,

*Still own one or more

Now that's a remote I could live with
Unfortunately things like joysticks or jog shuttle seem to be one of the first to things to disappear when looking for cost cutting measures.
I'd guess a replacement remote like yours (if you can even get it) would cost darn near as much as a whole cheap Chinese DVDR.
It was that way with my '82 VCR. I paid $60 for a replacement OEM remote and by the end of the 90s you could buy a whole VCR (including remote) for under $50 Take in inflation and you can really see how cost cutting works, for better or worse.

For anyone who hasn't checked out the OP lately I've added links for all the Panasonic DVDRs and corrected some mistakes in the specs.
Most manuals are 5+ Mb so HS internet is preferable. I couldn't find a English manual for the international EH-68 so I posted a Dutch manual so we'd at least have something. If anyone can find a English version let me know and I'll update the OP. Note for whatever reason the international links sometimes requires a few tries before they go through, go figure

In the OP I've listed TVGOS for all the Pannys that had that feature.
TVGOS was added in '04 and '06 was the last year. It was basically just on the HDD models with the exception of the E65 which AFAIK was the only HDD less Panny to have TVGOS.

Yep that one looks better than my Dutch version, at least for us English speaking people I updated the OP.
Boy if I didn't already have a EH-55 I think the EH-68 would be top on my list, if only it had a IR blaster. It sounds like the prefect DVDR for STBs that can automatically change channels though.

I think you're right about the price point issue. It seems like mfgs. are more interested in lower price than a increased feature set.
Since the HDD-less E65 had TVGOS it doesn't seem as though a HDD was required, IOW Panasonic's TVGOS must be on a chip vs. the way Pioneer did it, on the HDD.