Panasonic DMR-BWT700 HDD and Blu-ray recorder combo

Panasonic has a reputation for building digital TV recorders that have impressive features, but are about as user friendly as an angry dominatrix. Maintaining at least one tradition here, the DMR-BWT700 certainly doesn’t skimp on the feature front. It has a 350GB hard drive on board, packs a Blu-ray recorder and can burn discs …

[Anonymous Coward]

Deal breaker

"godforsaken EPG ads."

To me, this is absolutely unacceptable. No matter how good the rest of the machine is, I would not buy it purely for this reason.

[Anonymous Coward]

Overpriced and obsolete

This is Overpriced and obsolete

i've just got a new pvr box that can do way more than this, and it was only £89

[Anonymous Coward]

epg ads

I too find these too obtrusive. They do two things, a) annoy you b) take up valuable screen space better given over to epg data.

Seems like quite a bad deal really only 350gb disc? for that money? surely at the very least 500gb or 1tb would be required.

I think the blu-ray burner is an anachronsim, xfer to a usb harddisc, or to a network drive for the recorded files would be a vastly better, and much cheaper option.

And for that reason, I wont be investing. You're fired!

[Mage]

Reputation

They also have a bad reputation for reading the Standards, usually implementing them in a most limited and stupid way possible. Nor when bugs exposed can you expect them to issue a firmware update.

They probably are correct to record to disc and then re-process for BD, Otherwise a higher potential for drinks coasters or discs that play back on nothing else.

[Ged T]

"...correct to record to disc then re-process for BD..."

Not really a technical issue but one due to a requirement set by my and your BBC regarding the recording of HD material to BD; the BBC mandated that recorder makers have to 'encrypt' the recording to BD, for copyright protection purposes (a Huffman coding method is used). As a result, recording to BD of the unencrypted HD broadcast content (i.e. It's not encrypted when broadcast) becomes a two stage operation.

Of course, this policy applies even if the content has been broadcast free-to-air anywhere else in the world, ensuring that the BBC is looked upon kindly by SONY and the other 'studio' cronnies...

[Lord Elpuss]

59s

59 SECONDS from disc insert to first logo??? And this is considered fairly quick???

I don't have a Blu-Ray player (or even a DVD player any more) as all my content is online, so obviously I missed the memo that taking a minute to load a damn disc was considered acceptable!

[jason 7]

Yeah I dont get it either.

Seems folks are happy to accept shoddy standards and electronics to make sure they have the latest and (well in BD's case no so great) greatest.

When I read about this lag time about 5 years ago I thought it was just 1st generation drives would have this. Seems its a feature then?

[Anonymous Coward]

Seems it's a feature then?

Seems to be a feature of the DRM.

Ripped discs play instantly.

(And also they play on a USB BDROM plugged into an Asus O!Play, which cannot play originals)

[Rosco]

Panny crap

I made the mistake of buying a Panasonic DVD/HDD box. I rue the day. Apart from the EPG adverts (seriously, how can they deem that acceptable?) and the truly abysmal UI (e.g. to show the list of recordings you have to press the button marked "Direct Navigator". Of course, what else would it be called?) the box seems to be incompatible with my *Panasonic TV, made in the same year. I can't watch freeview on the TV if the box is switched on, it interferes with the picture. Panasonic just shrugged when I asked them.

I will never, never buy Panasonic equipment again.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just take it back then

Unfortunately there's only one way to resolve this if Panasonic won't fix it - take it back to the shop and get a refund. You are fully entitled to do this if it doesn't work as advertised, and in the long run it's the only way the manufacturers will learn.