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Questions about Panasonic ES15

post #1 of 15
2/12/07 at 5:17pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, I know there are like a million posts about this recorder, I've read most of them, but still can't find what I am looking for, and I think that if I buy and return another recorder to Best Buy they are finally going to ban me from the store forever.

The things I am curious about are very superficial, but they drive me nuts and I've yet to find a recorder that will do them all. So my first question about this recorder is:

Does it show the clock (as in what time it is) during disc playback and in tuner mode, or is there at least a way to toggle the display to show it?

The other is:

Can it display the elapsed time AND the remaining time on the screen or on the front display?

Also:

I read contradicting reports about its resume play - does it resume at the last spot after a power off or eject?

And last:

When in progressive scan mode, does it still output interlaced signal over the coaxial and the S-video connections?

I hope someone can answer these, Best Buy has them on sale this week for $119 and I have a 12% off coupon so I could get it for about $110 after taxes.

Thanks.
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post #2 of 15
2/13/07 at 12:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbyslav View Post

Ok, I know there are like a million posts about this recorder, I've read most of them, but still can't find what I am looking for, and I think that if I buy and return another recorder to Best Buy they are finally going to ban me from the store forever.

The things I am curious about are very superficial, but they drive me nuts and I've yet to find a recorder that will do them all. So my first question about this recorder is:

Does it show the clock (as in what time it is) during disc playback and in tuner mode, or is there at least a way to toggle the display to show it? (There is a "status" button that, when clicked twice, shows current time, unused time on the disc, and a running time counter. Didn't know it had that till now!)

The other is:

Can it display the elapsed time AND the remaining time on the screen or on the front display? (Neither, as far as I know. Could be wrong...see above!)

Also:

I read contradicting reports about its resume play - does it resume at the last spot after a power off or eject? (Don't think so. You can stop the disc and resume, but it "forgets" your stopping point if you eject. Don't know about a power out.

And last:

When in progressive scan mode, does it still output interlaced signal over the coaxial and the S-video connections? (No experience with progressive mode)

I hope someone can answer these, Best Buy has them on sale this week for $129 and I have a 12% off coupon so I could get it for about $120 after taxes.

Thanks.

I have a ES-15 and I recommend it highly.
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post #3 of 15
2/13/07 at 10:53am
I don't have one of these machines, but I can assure you that in progressive mode, the S-Video and composite video outputs are inactive, or at least they are not putting out 480p signals. The spec for those interconnects is 480i ONLY. I believe it has been discussed here in the past that there is no remaining time display available.
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post #4 of 15
2/13/07 at 12:02pm
In my area this week Best Buy has the Panny ES15 on sale for $119.99

As for Resume Play, If you press the stop button once you can then go back & pick up where you left off.

If you press the stop button twice it cancels out the Resume Play feature.

When you eject the disc or turn the unit "off" the Resume feature is also canceled.
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post #5 of 15
2/13/07 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbyslav View Post

Can it display the elapsed time AND the remaining time on the screen or on the front display?

I have a year older model (ES20) and there is no way to see the remaining time on finalized or store-bought DVDs. As for unfinalized DVDs, if you press the DISPLAY button twice, the TV screen shows the date, time, elapsed time and remaining time and quality, along with media type, and channel number during recording. The front panel display shows elapsed time, if you press the DISPLAY button on the remote again, you see the channel number, and once again it shows the remaining time - during recording. I forgot what exactly is shown during playback or when idling.


Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbyslav View Post

I read contradicting reports about its resume play - does it resume at the last spot after a power off or eject?

Same answer as Bill1313 above.
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post #6 of 15
2/13/07 at 1:07pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks to all for the respoinses.

I know that S video and coaxial are limited to 480i, however some recorders would output simultaniously progressive scan over component and/or HDMI and interlaced over the S video and coaxial. This is important to me, because I have my recorder connected to a progressive scan projector, and a regular non-digital TV. From what I've tried Samsung R135 and my LiteOn recorders output both signals at the same time, and the rest models I tried did not - Philips 3400, RCA DRC8052, and some PYE don't remember the model number.

I have already ruled out the Panasonic based on your responses. It simply doesn't offer anything to me that the PYE recorder couldn't deliver for about $50 less. I returned that one for two reasons - one was that it could not output both progressive and interlaced signals at the same time, and two was the lack of play/remain/clock info on the display. Those things seem small, but in turn reduce the value of improvement over my Lite On recorder. Its only advantages to me were its stereo tuner and its resume which worked at power off (but not if disc is ejected). If it looked at least semi attractive I might have kept it.

This goes for the Panasonic too, actually, in my eyes this is one of the ugliest recorders on the market, and combined with other missing features I am looking for I just can't justify spending the money on it.

Again, thanks to all posters.
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post #7 of 15
2/14/07 at 7:50am
But the Panny does have the "Time Slip" Feature & the Best "LP" Picture Quality of Any DVD Recorder on the market & most of all the "FR" Recording Mode.
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post #8 of 15
2/14/07 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 
My $50 LiteON has FR mode too. I don't really need the Time Slip much, and I've yet to use a DVD recorder that didn't produce suffician quality recordings for me (except a Daewoo one, and that just doesn't count!). I've also never had any recorder reject any blank DVD I've tried, and I usually buy the cheapest ones I can find around.

I think the next one I am going to try is the RCA DRC8030. It's getting tonnes of bad reviews, and tonnes of good ones, but I am just curious, and tempted by the HDD, at least that would be a substantial difference from what I already have.
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post #9 of 15
2/14/07 at 10:20am
While we're asking about the ES15, I too am thinking about picking one up at BB with the 12% additional discount, and I have one question.

I have looked at the users guide but not sure about widescreen recording capability.

I have a TW HD cable box. I know I can't record HD. But if I record from the STB onto DVD-RAM via AV SVideo input is the recording anamorphic -- will it fill the screen in play back on my 16:9 HDTV? I'm guessing the resolution will only be 480i but that is okay as long as it is anamorphic widescreen.

Thanks in advance
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post #10 of 15
2/14/07 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwdennis View Post

While we're asking about the ES15, I too am thinking about picking one up at BB with the 12% additional discount.

How does one get this additional 12% discount?
And is it good for most anything in the store?

thanks
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post #11 of 15
2/14/07 at 12:50pm
i love this machine. if it had the ability to properly record anamorphic/letterboxed dvds i be in dvd heaven!!!
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post #12 of 15
2/14/07 at 12:56pm
the es15 will record anamorphic images but unlike commercial anamophic/letterboxed dvds it will not simultaneously record the letterbox image. it will do one or the other. dvds ive made on this recorder look excellent thru my panasonic pj. im really hoping the new dmr=ez series for 07 will have that ability.
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post #13 of 15
2/14/07 at 2:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wcpaeb View Post

How does one get this additional 12% discount?
And is it good for most anything in the store?

thanks

They mail them out to regular customers - generally if you have a BB credit card or a rewards zone card. They are good on a lot of things, but not on everything, a lot of categories have minimum purchase requirement. You can always pop there during the weekend and look around, a lot of times if someone who had the coupon didn't see anything they wanted to buy they'll just leave them somewhere in the store.

Oh yeah, to take advantage of the 12% you have to have a BB credit or rewards zone card, otherwise it is 10% discount.
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post #14 of 15
2/14/07 at 6:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by westgate View Post

the es15 will record anamorphic images but unlike commercial anamophic/letterboxed dvds it will not simultaneously record the letterbox image. it will do one or the other. dvds ive made on this recorder look excellent thru my panasonic pj. im really hoping the new dmr=ez series for 07 will have that ability.


Westgate

Thanks for the info. As it turns out I did a test from my DCT6200 Svid out to my Sammy 4095. Unfortunately the display is stretched with the bars at top and bottom, so it looks like DCT6200 does not output widescreen via the Svideo. Think I'll need to go with a DVD recorder with component input.
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post #15 of 15
2/15/07 at 1:01pm
I liked the ES15 so much that I have two units.

I am able to take the DVD-RAM and put it into my portable PC and edit the recordings.

I have a Panasonic DVD-RAM drive in my computer with Panasonic's "DVD-MovieAlbumSE 3" software. (I do not believe the software is available anymore, it came with my Panasonic external burner several years ago)

It is a little easier for me to edit Titles and cut out commercials on the PC. I then just return it to the ES15 and it reads everything fine.
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