News

New DIGA DVD video recorders from Panasonic with fast response times of just one second (20/3/2005)

The new DVD recorders provide the following unique facilities:

1) Extremely fast response time of just one second (Quick Start)
2) Multiformat recording and playback
3) Extremely high picture quality even in LP mode
4) Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) with DMR-EH52 with hard disk

As renewed evidence of its leading position in the area of DVD recording products, Panasonic is introducing three new DIGA DVD recorders, which offer the user a previously unheard of flexibility in the recording and playing back of DVDs. The "Super Drive System" denotes the most significant features such as extreme speed, highest picture quality and easy, convenient operation. The "Quick Start" function ensures that the models in this range are ready to record after just one second, and that the EPG on the DMR-EH52 with hard disk is available for immediate use. Playing back of DVDs, CDs etc takes only around 10 seconds from inserting the disc until it starts to play.

With its 64x high-speed copying from hard disk to DVD-R, the DMR-EH52 is twice as fast as its predecessors. It copies a one-hour film (EP mode) onto a blank 8x DVD-R in only 56 seconds.

With the horizontal resolution in LP mode having been improved to 500 lines, the definition is now twice as high as with the previous models. A new, high-resolution and extremely fast 12-bit analogue/digital converter registers even the subtlest nuances and produces outstanding, balanced recordings of amazing depth. The result is up to four hours of recording capacity in perfect DVD quality on only one disc. A maximum of eight hours can be recorded on a single-sided DVD. Integrated TBC (Time Base Corrector) and DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) ensure sharp contours and a reduction of colour and black and white noise when copying VHS tapes to DVD.

All models also feature PAL Progressive so that you can enjoy highly detailed, high-resolution playback. The three new models, the DMR-ES10, DMR-ES30V and DMR-EH52, let you record onto DVD-RW (video format) and DVD+R (single layer), as well as allowing you to play back from DVD+RW. This makes them extremely versatile.

The DIGA DVD video recorders from Panasonic offer all the advantages of the DVD-RAM format, such as simultaneous recording and playback, random access, time-slip playback, versatile editing options and compatibility with many data formats.

Thanks to the multiformat recording and playback functions, it is at last possible to use a number of different DVD blanks.

With all three models, recordings can be made on DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/-R & DVD+R discs. It is therefore possible to play DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/-R1, DVD+RW1/+R, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, Video-CD, Audio-CD (CD-DA) and CD-R/RW2 MP3*/JPEG formatted discs.

The DMR-EH52 also has an 80 GB hard disk, which enables 142 hours of recordings to be made. The DMR-EH52 can hold 68 hours of recordings on the hard disk in DVD quality, which is the same as the recording time of the DMR-E95H with160 GB. With the "GUIDE Plus+(R) System" Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), the screen replaces your TV listings magazine and is always up-to-date. With this EPG, you can select whether to display the stations horizontally or vertically on the screen. Programming is child's play at the press of a button. The user-friendly remote control is equipped with a "Smart Wheel(TM)" for rapid finding of recorded programs (quick search and fast-forward at speeds of up to 200x) - playback can therefore be started faster than ever before. "Smooth Search" is available at speeds of two to five times.

The DMR-EH52's built-in SD card slot, in conjunction with the SD Viewer for JPEG/ TIFF images, allows fast and easy networking and file sharing between the DVD recorder and many PCs, digital cameras and video cameras, as well as other SD-enabled A/V devices.

The DMR-ES30V has all the functions of the DMR-ES10 and additionally features a built-in VHS video recorder, which can be used to copy films in S-VHS quality to DVD. With its double tuner, it can also record two programs simultaneously, one on DVD and the other on VHS cassette.

The new DMR-EH52 and DMR-ES10 DVD recorders will be available in March 2005 at non-binding recommended prices of 549 euros and 299 euros respectively. The DMR-ES30V will follow in April 2005 at an RRP of 499 euros.

* For content recorded on CD-R/RW media from CDs for your personal use.

Playability may vary depending on content and disc. MP3 audio decoding technology is licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson Multimedia.

1 Discs recorded and finalised* on DVD video recorders / cameras. * This process allows playback on compatible equipment.

2 This unit can play CD-DA format audio from CD-R and CD-RW discs. Depending on the recording conditions, it may not be possible to play some CD-R and CD-RW discs.

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