Panasonic E-85 lower recording quality than E-80?

1130 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by 7481387, Feb 26, 2005

Alzarius

Discussion Starter · Feb 20, 2005

I have both the E-80 and the E-85. I used the E-80 for about 10 months before buying another unit because I wanted to record 2 different channels at the same time.

I've now been using the E-85 for about 2 months now, and I've noticed that programs recorded from the E-85 look significantly more pixelated. With the E-80, I usually record sports programs (basketball, football) with the SP mode, and the picture looks great and it's hard to tell that you're watching a recording and not directly from the TV. With the E-85, even the SP setting has significant pixelation. In fact, I've compared the two while recording the same program, and the E-85 SP mode looks almost like the E-80 on a 2.5-3hr FR mode.

I'm not very happy with this. Has anyone else noticed a difference?

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ngohit

· #2 · Feb 21, 2005

I returned the E85 specifically because I was unhappy with it's SP recording quality. Your description of "pixilated" might be a good way to describe what I found unacceptable. On a few other threads I tried to describe it as fuzzy or digital-looking.

Since returning it the end of last week, I hooked up the non-HD JVC my cousin is letting me borrow for a few months. JVC and Panasonic have the same mother company. The JVC picture quality in SP is fantastic, the quality the E85 I had should have had. Even the LP is light years better than the E85. Too bad it doesn't have a HD--but at least I have the costco.com Pioneer 420 in another room ;>

I do want a HD DVR that will take -RAM, so I'm waiting to see what people think of the upcoming Panasonic E50s or see what JVCs are available.

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Mike Up

· #3 · Feb 21, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Alzarius
I have both the E-80 and the E-85. I used the E-80 for about 10 months before buying another unit because I wanted to record 2 different channels at the same time.

I've now been using the E-85 for about 2 months now, and I've noticed that programs recorded from the E-85 look significantly more pixelated. With the E-80, I usually record sports programs (basketball, football) with the SP mode, and the picture looks great and it's hard to tell that you're watching a recording and not directly from the TV. With the E-85, even the SP setting has significant pixelation. In fact, I've compared the two while recording the same program, and the E-85 SP mode looks almost like the E-80 on a 2.5-3hr FR mode.

I'm not very happy with this. Has anyone else noticed a difference?

I owned both the E80H and the E85H. I sent the E80H back for a refund because of the banding artifact the Panasonics produce.

About a year later, I gave Panasonic another chance and bought the E85H. I felt the banding artifacts on the E85H were significantly worse than the artifacts the E80H produced. Neither recorder produced a quality that was acceptable to me, but the E80H was better noticeably.

Have a good one.

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Mike Up

· #4 · Feb 22, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by ngohit
I hooked up the non-HD JVC my cousin is letting me borrow for a few months. JVC and Panasonic have the same mother company. The JVC picture quality in SP is fantastic, the quality the E85 I had should have had. Even the LP is light years better than the E85. Too bad it doesn't have a HD--but at least I have the costco.com Pioneer 420 in another room ;>

JVC does have a HDD model but it's a bit more pricey ~$700.

Since you already have the Pioneer DVR-420H as I do, I don't think your going to find as much bang for the buck as with that.

Myself, I personally won't buy a VCR combo unit because VCRs have proven to me, to be an unreliable mechanical device that's prone for failure within 2 to 3 years. While there are the exceptions, VCRs just don't have a good life expectancy and JVC should had not bundled a VCR into their only HDD DVD recorder. Oh well, they'll learn.

Have a good one.

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ngohit

· #5 · Feb 22, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike Up
JVC does have a HDD model but it's a bit more pricey ~$700.

Since you already have the Pioneer DVR-420H as I do, I don't think your going to find as much bang for the buck as with that.

Myself, I personally won't buy a VCR combo unit because VCRs have proven to me, to be an unreliable mechanical device that's prone for failure within 2 to 3 years. While there are the exceptions, VCRs just don't have a good life expectancy and JVC should had not bundled a VCR into their only HDD DVD recorder. Oh well, they'll learn.

Have a good one.

I won't buy a combo unit either, Mike. Any combo, DVD/VHS, TV/DVD, etc. is asking for trouble.

Yes, that 420H was a screaming buy. Problem is, it does not record on -RAM, and I have a pile of -RAM from the E85 I returned. I had a lot of jumbled FoodTV (and other stuff) VCR tapes I started to record. Rather than clog up the HD, I moved everything over to -RAM to gradually edit. Now? Groan. Maybe I'll try to find a _good_ computer store and find out which are the good external, PC burners that will accept the -RAM.

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Mike Up

· #6 · Feb 22, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by ngohit
I won't buy a combo unit either, Mike. Any combo, DVD/VHS, TV/DVD, etc. is asking for trouble.

Yes, that 420H was a screaming buy. Problem is, it does not record on -RAM, and I have a pile of -RAM from the E85 I returned. I had a lot of jumbled FoodTV (and other stuff) VCR tapes I started to record. Rather than clog up the HD, I moved everything over to -RAM to gradually edit. Now? Groan. Maybe I'll try to find a _good_ computer store and find out which are the good external, PC burners that will accept the -RAM.

I didn't go the PC route mainly because all of the incompatibilities and conflicts I had when trying to capture video from either a PC card or external USB Tuner.

It seems like you're past the hard part with content all ready on RAM. It might be cheaper and perhaps more beneficial for you to get a burner/RAM reader drive and editing software that supports DD 2.0 as MF3. Someone here posted MF3 was only $50 and I'm sure you'll be able to find a drive ~$100. That way if the Pioneer's editing isn't good enough, you can use MF3 and make custom title and "CHAPTER" menus. Ah, I wish recorders other Toshiba, would come out with chapter menus.

Anyhow, good luck.

Have a good one.

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jpurkey

· #7 · Feb 22, 2005

A combo VCR/DVDR is a good buy, especially if you have a lot of tapes to copy to DVD. If one part should breaks, you do have to replace it. However, if you buy two units and one breaks you'd have to replace it too. So, there really isn't a difference. In the end, you have two units. And a VCR/DVDR doesn't take up much more space than a single unit, even if one part isn't working.

I would not get a combo VCR/DVDR/HD though. If the HD breaks then you can't just replace it, at least I don't think you can. You'd have to buy another DVDR/HD to get a HD and would then have two DVD recorders.

TV's with built in VCRs are something else I'd avoid as the VCR is likely to go bad long before the TV does. And a TV with VCR takes up more space than a regular TV, so you are not saving space really and would be wasting space once the VCR breaks.

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HoustonGuy

· #8 · Feb 23, 2005

MikeUP- Are you playing the E-80 or E-85 recordings back on any of the top "Secrets DVD players? See link below. You always fail to mention what unit you play back on. If you are playing back on any DVD recorder then all your and others findings about banding , MB etc are BS. The XP-30 , RP82 and the Denons(all top 7 -see link) These players show the E-80 recorded discs to be better than the Pio recorded discs. Not a lot but definitely recocognizible. Again it is in the quality of your player -not the recorded disc.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-b...deInt=0&mpeg=0

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Mike Up

· #9 · Feb 23, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by HoustonGuy
MikeUP- Are you playing the E-80 or E-85 recordings back on any of the top "Secrets DVD players? See link below. You always fail to mention what unit you play back on. If you are playing back on any DVD recorder then all your and others findings about banding , MB etc are BS. The XP-30 , RP82 and the Denons(all top 7 -see link) These players show the E-80 recorded discs to be better than the Pio recorded discs. Not a lot but definitely recocognizible. Again it is in the quality of your player -not the recorded disc.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-b...deInt=0&mpeg=0

Unlike you HoustonGuy, I don't think I have to have the best DVD player to make the E80 DVDs acceptable.

The fact is the defect is in the recording, doesn't matter how much processing any DVD player has to make it less apparent. The artifact is still there regardless, even if you process it to make it more pleasing.

BTW, I don't watch in progressive, I watch in NTSC. Secret's tests are mainly worried about progressive playback. They mean little else.

You go pay for all of these 'recommended' players so they'll hide the defect. The rest of us will just use a recorder and a player that doesn't need to a hide a defect, that isn't there.

BTW, not trying to flame you, but you act like your word is the rule. Sorry, it's not, not even close. So you stick to your system that you like, and the rest of us will stick to ours.

Have a good one.

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7481387

· #10 · Feb 23, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by HoustonGuy
MikeUP - Are you playing the E-80 or E-85 recordings back on any of the top "Secrets DVD players? You always fail to mention what unit you play back on. If you are playing back on any DVD recorder then all your and others findings about banding, MB, etc., are BS. The XP-30, RP82 and the Denons (all top 7). These players show the E-80 recorded discs to be better than the Pio recorded discs. Not a lot but definitely recocognizible. Again it is in the quality of your player - not the recorded disc.

How about the quality of the recorder? I'm no expert, but it seems to me you shouldn't have to take the disc out of your $400 recorder and play it back on another machine just to get decent picture quality.

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MarkhamPete

· #11 · Feb 23, 2005

Quote:

I have no problem believing that a recorded disc can actually be better than it looks while being played back on the same recorder. But I also believe that all machines are not alike, same make and model# may have different components and not always produce identical results. If someone claims to have a problem with their's, I would tend to believe them rather than to call BS.

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jpurkey

· #12 · Feb 23, 2005

Don't know about anyone else, but since the discs I'm recording are hopefully going to outlast my Panasonic recorder then I'm more interested in how they look when played on other DVD players. I'm not too concerned about how they look when played on the Panasonic. I'd rather it be that way than have them look good on the Panasonic and look bad on other players.

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dsmith901

· #13 · Feb 24, 2005

I have owned the E80 for about 18 months and PQ has been outstanding at XP and SP modes. Last December I bought a E85 and the PQ was comparable to the E80, but the audio was bad, so I returned it. Apparently the PQ on the E85 is a problem on some units (and the audio too) but a replacement unit may be fine. Panasonic is pushing these things out the door, so QC may be suffering a bit more than previous. Anyway, I got the Comcast HD DVR so a second recorder was no longer needed.

That said, I caution all users to be sure your video input (cable) connection is tight - a loose connection will seriously degrade PQ, which is not the fault of the recorder.

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7481387

· #14 · Feb 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by jpurkey
Don't know about anyone else, but since the discs I'm recording are hopefully going to outlast my Panasonic recorder then I'm more interested in how they look when played on other DVD players. I'm not too concerned about how they look when played on the Panasonic. I'd rather it be that way than have them look good on the Panasonic and look bad on other players.

If you HAVE to choose, then yeah, I'd have to agree. But should we have to choose? Why can't we have a DVD recorder that creates DVD's that play back well on both itself and other players? Is it really that hard to do???

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