News

4/9/2003

Panasonic Introduces DVD Recorder With Industry's Largest Hard Drive - 120GB

Builds Upon 70 Percent U.S. Market Share For DVD-RAM

Building on its technological strengths and leading market position in recordable DVD products, Panasonic introduces the DMR-E100H DVD recorder with built-in 120 GB hard disk drive as the newest member of its "DIGA" line. During the first three months of 2003, DVD-RAM/R-format recorders captured 70.2 percent of the U.S. DVD consumer recorder market, according to The NPD Group. The new DMR-E100H reaffirms the growing strength of DVD-RAM/R and Panasonic's leadership position in recordable DVD.

The DMR-E100H gives consumers the option of recording on either a DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc or storing up to 160 hours of video on its hard disk drive.

The DMR-E100H is ideal for compiling personal movie libraries or for archiving, preserving, cataloging and enjoying family videos. The new model can be used for storing and playing back digital video (MPEG2/MPEG4 files) and photos (JPEG/TIFF files)1 from a compatible digital video camcorder/camera with an SD Memory Card slot or PCMCIA slot2.

The DMR-E100H has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1199.95.

One remarkable DMR-E100H feature is that it can record MPEG4 image data at the same time it is recording MPEG2 data to the hard disk. The DMR-E100H can also transfer MPEG data to an SD Memory Card at high speeds for storage or for use in other devices. For example, you could transfer a recorded TV program from the DMR-E100H to an SD Memory Card and then use a compatible digital video camcorder/camera to view the program away from the home. In addition, MPEG4 or MPEG2 data recorded by such devices can be transferred to the DMR-E100H via an SD Memory Card for editing or storage on the hard disk. The DMR-E100H can also convert MPEG2 data to MPEG4 and copy it onto an SD Memory Card in a single step.

One touch of a button is all it takes to record data from the DMR-E100H's hard disk drive to a DVD-RAM or DVD-R3 disc at high speeds4. Recording goes at a quick 12x normal speed to a DVD-RAM disc or 24x normal speed to DVD-R5 (both in EP mode). For example, a one-hour program can be recorded to DVD-RAM in just 5 minutes or to DVD-R in just 2.5 minutes. Recording from a DVD-RAM disc to the DMR-E100H hard disk drive is also possible.

The DMR-E100H lets users view a previously recorded program onto a DVD-RAM disc or the hard disk drive while simultaneously recording a different program. With Chasing Playback, users can also view the recorded portion of a live program, from the beginning, while continuing to record that program until its completion. The Time Slip feature also allows viewers to replay a scene recorded 30 seconds earlier without disrupting the recording process, simply by touching a button on the remote.

"The DMR-E100H allows consumers to take full advantage of a hard drive and DVD-RAM's capabilities," says Alberto Reggiani, National Marketing Manager for DVD products. "They won't copy over previously recorded shows by mistake. Also, they don't have to search for the beginning of an earlier recorded program: one touch of a button brings them back to the start for almost immediate playback."

The DMR-E100H offers a host of other useful and convenient functions. Auto Renewal Recording, a PVR-like function, lets users automatically record a favorite show every day or every week onto the hard disk or DVD-RAM disc.

Creating an original video on DVD is easy with the DMR-E100H. Using the DV input terminal and DV cable (IEEE1394), images can be recorded from a digital camcorder directly to the hard disk drive or a DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc. To make editing easier, the DV Automatic Recording mode creates a playlist, which consists of a sequence of thumbnail still images each representing a different scene.

Thumbnail display of contents is also possible for recording to a DVD-RAM or DVD-R6 disc. Since each scene is displayed with a thumbnail image, it's easy for users to select the sequence of scenes they want to play back.

The DMR-E100H also features Progressive Scan7, which ensures optimum picture quality when viewing DVD movies.

The DVD video recording technology used in the DMR-E100H complies with the DVD-RAM recording formats standardized by the DVD Forum. DVD-RAM provides a single format for computer and video-based applications. The format offers high storage capacity on removable media, high-speed data transmission, exceptional picture and sound quality, fast random-access memory, and rewritability up to 100,000 times.

As the popularity and applications of digital video expand, there's increasing consumer demand for digital equipment and media that can record and store high-resolution digital images. The Panasonic DMR-E100H is the ideal choice for today's expanding digital media environment.

www.panasonic.com