Panasonic DMR-ES45VS Thread - Page 13

I haven't tried DVD+R discs, I've tried DVD+RW and I am unable to get this player to play them back. When you insert a movie recorded on DVD+RW it says, "Disc Unformated" and prompts you to format and erase the disc. The same discs I have placed in my other DVD players and they have no problem playing back the same discs. It seems strange that I'm the only one who has noticed this. So if you get a chance to try and put in a pre-recorded DVD+RW disc, then I would love to hear back of what your experience is. For now, I've just changed to recording on DVD-RW and given up on trying to play back DVD+RW discs. DVD-RW seems to work fine. I just wish if Panasonic is going to "say" it plays back DVD+RW discs, then it SHOULD play them back properly.

Someone post a link to the new firmware when it's available. Maybe MY DVD+RW disc playback problem will get fixed, but since I'm the only one that I've heard complain about it, then maybe I'm the only one who has tried a DVD+RW disc.

Typically, +RW discs don't "have to be" formatted, but maybe your Panny would like them better if you did a format before using them...assuming the Panny gives you a format option???

Greetings! I currently have 2 DMR-ES46V models right on top of each other and am using them to dub over sections from various VHS cassettes. However I've noticed that while in the "Copy" menu (VHS to DVD), one unit defaults to "XP Mode" for recording and the other defaults to "SP Mode." It would save me precious seconds (I'm dubbing a LOT of VHS) if both could be defaulted to record in "XP Mode." However, after pouring over the manual, I can't find anything about changing the default! Does anyone have any ideas? Help would be greatly appreciated!

Not sure on the "Combo" units when your using a "Copy Menu" but on other Panny's (And Just About Any Other Brand) the default Recording Mode (Speed) is just the last Recording Mode that you used.

So I would say make sure before you turn them both "Off" that both units are set to record at the "XP" Recording Mode & maybe that means in a "Copy Menu" also?

But maybe if your using them for "Timer Recordings" at "SP" & etc they may default back to the "Timer Recording" Mode?

Bill is correct, the unit will stay on the last rec mode that was used to record something. There is no default mode, that switches back to another mode after recording.
When you are ready to record, just make sure you have the correct mode set.

I only have one Panasonica model, but it seems to default to the SP mode after it is reset (10+ second power button) or otherwise decides to reset itself behind the scenes

I currently have a DVR from Dish Network, can I record to DVD from the DVR? Thanks

^^ Yes. Just connect audio/video cables from the dvr to the recorder, and record the dvr signal on the recorder's line input channel.

The VHS side of my DMR-ES46VS didn't work from day one. See 3/12 post for symptom and 3/29 post for results of the Panasonic Digital Service Center's 1st repair attempt.

After the 2nd repair attempt, it played VHS tapes OK, but tapes recorded with this unit had video noise at the bottom of the screen when they were played on other VCR's. Meeting Panasonic "specs" does not mean that the unit plays or records to VHS specs.

The VHS deck was replaced on the 3rd try and the unit works great. The fact that there were NO other VHS problems discussed on this thread helped me convince the repair supervisor to replace the deck.

Although it took 3 returns for service to fix the problem, I found the Elgin, IL service center to be competent and easy to work with. They paid the shipping costs and had reasonable turn around times. When I requested a call from an experienced tech, I received a call within 2 hours. We had a good technical discussion of the problem and options.

I wanted this combo unit to convert VHS to DVD. It works great.

Amazon has some refurbished Panasonic DMR-ES45VS dvd/vhs units for just over $100.

I have a Samsung dvd player combo which I hate. It often stops playing, can't naviagte within DVD's, and generally is a pain.

I'd like to get a new unit wthich will 1) play dvd's better 2) is a combo dvd/vcr unit 3) will burn DVDs from VHS tapes and 4) (an option) upconvert the dvd signal on our HD tv (although this is an optoin)

Any thought on this unit and whether getting a 3rd-party refurbished unit makes sense

Any other thoughts on what I would be happy with would be apprecited

do it. thats a good price and it will do all you listed. and i personally would prefer the refurb
but if you can get the 46 instead its the same unit but comes with a HDMI cable

Don't do it. Get the Pana DMR-EZ37V instead. It's the same machine as the DMR-ES45VS, but the newer model. The newer model can be found on Ebay for under $150. The DMR-EZ37V is now being carried by Sam's and Costco also, but the price is quite a bit higher than on Ebay. The DMR-EZ37V upconverts up to 1080p, where the previous model did up to 1080i. EZ37V also has a combo digital/analog tuner in it, where the ES45VS only has an analog tuner, and I can tell you from 1st hand experience that the tuner in the ES45VS is crap. If the EZ37V uses the same tuner as the Panasonic plasmas that I have, which is also a combo digital/analog tuner like the EZ37V then it is a much better tuner.

In other words, if you might want to occassionally record some shows from cable, then don't bother getting the DMR-ES45VS, because you will see a bunch of noise and pixels since the tuner is garbage in it. You also won't be able to use it to record from cable in 2009, since that is when all of cable is switching to digital and you will need a digital tuner, which the DMR-ES45VS does not have.

I know this is an older model but I thought I would take a shot and ask minds more enlightened on this subject if there is any hope. This unit outputs dvd's at 480p via component outputs. It is an older unit with no digital video outs so I think I'm screwed for upconversion.

Any firmware updates from Panasonic or inexpensive add-on's that can get me a 720p or 1080i output?

If not, what upconverting dvd player do you recommend will get me the best bang for my buck until I go Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Thanks, swj7872

Player? It would be more appropriate to ask that over in the "DVD Players" sub-forum.

(if you record using DVD-RAM'S on your Panny recorder, you might want to consider a player which will play those.)

My mother-in-law has this machine and would like to copy her still pictures to a disc that she can bring to other people's houses to watch. Is that possible with this machine? It seems you can only put pictures on a RAM disc which can't be used on any other machine (including any of the computers I've tried). I tried a DVD-R with pictures on it from a computer and it wouldn't even display them which much cheaper players do (I realize this machine is a few years old now).

Any suggestions? Maybe she'll just have to do all her stills on a computer, but I got this machine for her a while back hoping she could avoid using the computer as it's easier for her to use her tv.

Thanks.

Even though I haven't actually tried I'm quite sure transfer from SD is only available to RAM discs
One possibility would be if her camera has a composite video output. All mine do and the cable was included. Just play the pictures on her camera and record in realtime to the line input of the ES-45v. Not ideal but will work.

I wonder if the DMR-ES45VS has the same VHS deck as the DMR-E75V, which features a really nice Super Drive transport. That VCR was the best VCR I owned and I have some expensive JVC ss9911u. How is the VCR recording quality?

The same VHS mechanism is common among the 2006 models, DMR-EH75, DMR-ES35, DMR-ES45 and DMR-ES46. The first and second photos show the VHS mechanism in a 2006 DMR-ES35, the third photo shows the similar VHS mechanism in a 2005 DMR-ES30 and the fourth photo shows salvaged parts removed from a DMR-ES35 VHS mechanism chassis.

After two years many have found that the current Panasonic EZ series combo recorders (DMR-EZ37/47/475/48/485) to have bugs and design flaws in abundance.

When copying videotaped recordings to DVD the older ES series combo recorders (DMR-ES30/35/45/46) have the superior FUNCTIONS menu-initiated Time Limited Copying and Flexible Recording features. This method of copying from the built-in VHS mechanism usually produces outstanding transfers, unless there are videotape tracking difficulties. For difficult to track videotapes connect a VCR to an input, play the tapes on the VCR and record from the input where the VCR is connected.

The essential menu-initiated copying features were not included in the design criteria for EZ series combo recorders. The EZ series combo recorders, when using the built-in VHS section, are limited to the front panel copying control. For those that may tolerate crude results, that method of copying videotaped recordings may be good enough. Others will find EZ series combo recorders unsatisfactory for copying videotaped recordings with the built-in VHS mechanism.

Thousands of EZ series combo recorders have been returned by dissatisfied purchasers. Many have been unloaded on Craig's List or eBay. One liquidator (DealTree) was offering hundreds, if not thousands of EZ series combo recorders--with an eBay starting price of $20.98 (including shipping)--back in the summer and fall of 2008.

To read user comments concerning EZ series combo recorders (and for details as to the crude results with the front panel copying procedure) see the DMR-EZ48 thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1014536

Can't disagree with what was just said. Wish I'd never upgraded.