Category: (CE)
14 new, starting at Too low to display
4 used, starting at $119.99
By interpolating video data using proprietary algorithms, SD format data is up-converted to 1080 x 1920p HD format video data. This conversion increases the richness of the original data by almost six fold, producing the highest possible image quality when viewing content on a large-screen HDTV.Connect your Panasonic DVD recorder to your Viera flat-panel HDTV via an HDMI cable, and the TV channel setting information is automatically downloaded to the recorder. Once the auto preset download is complete, the DVD recorder will keep whichever TV channel you're watching as its receiving channel. This means you can record the program you're watching by just pressing the Record button on the Viera remote. With Viera Link, you don't have to worry about setting the recorder to the right channel every time you want to record something.The Panasonic DMR-EA18K DVD recorder is equipped with an SD Memory Card slot and USB terminal, which makes it easy to view photos from your digital camera. Just slip the SD card into the slot or use the cable to connect the camera to the USB terminal, and you're ready to enjoy a spectacular big-screen slideshow with family and friends. You can even listen to music recorded onto a USB device while viewing your photos.All of Panasonic's DVD recorder models are designed in compliance with Panasonic's universal design principles. Frequently used buttons are located at the top of the main unit to make them easier to see when the unit is placed in a rack and you need to look down when operating it. Both the remote control and Graphical User Interface (GUI) were designed for easy use by everyone, based on the results of a Panasonic survey.
Panasonic DVD recorders are the best!Reviewed by Jeffery P. Gorski, 2010-02-27
My 3rd one in over 9 years.... I got this one only because the very
first one I bought finally had to be replaced. It stopped opening
the DVD tray (and repair cost/time without it was more than buying
this unit) otherwise I'd still be using it. I bought my 2nd
recorder to use on our 2hd TV in the den so I can record stuff
there or edit instructional DVD's I sell at my business- [...] -
and the Panasonic DVD recorders are top notch. All work on the same
basic routine that my original DMR-E30 did so it's a very short
learning curve to learn the small differences in this model from
that one. One nice feature- the unfinalized discs from one unit
will play in the other, so if i need to record something for my
wife on one unit she can watch it on the other w/out wasting a disc
to finalize it for one show- saves discs!
These seem to be very durable machines.... I've burned hundreds of
DVD's over the years on that first unit w/out issue (except for
rare tray opening issues) and the second has burned more than 100
already. They have allowed me to build quite a nice library of
movies, TV shows/series, home movies and sporting events w/out
relying on a computer and programs there.
Good unit for copying dvr recordingsReviewed by Brickboss01, 2010-02-19
Bought this dvd player to free up space on my dvr. Works great for this application, recordings have great picture and sound. I have had it 4 mos. with no problems or complaints. Good value.
Excellent PQ, but Ease of Use and Features Just OKReviewed by Kent Maurer, 2010-02-11
Know ahead of time what you are buying; of course this unit has no
tuners, that is listed EVERYWHERE, so it should be of no surprise.
It does have an IR blaster and features that are intended to
control a set-top-box as if it had internal tuners (including time
scheduling), but I have not tested those features as they are not
of interest. What it REALLY has is EXCELLENT recording picture
quality, and this is exactly what I wanted.
I do a lot of recording from my TiVo, and I have worn out four
different DVD recorders over the years. The move to HD TiVo and HD
big screen TVs has made me super critical of the picture quality on
my archived DVDs, and I have had to replace the majority of them I
made before I got my first HDTV. Just about any recording,
including video tapes, looked fine on the old standard TVs, even on
big screen, but on a big HDTV they just look so nasty they are not
worth watching! So I am very particular about the picture quality
from my current DVD recorders - believe me, they are NOT all the
same! This is especially true if you want to record anything over 2
hours on a single disk.
My last recorder was a Panasonic ES25 - VERY similar to this unit
in features and user interface (except with old analog tuners),
including excellent recorded PQ. I burned around 1,000 disks on
that recorder before it died, so I have reason to believe this one
will last a while too. The Panasonics generally have a poor user
interface(meaning it is harder to understand and use) and many
fewer features when compared to other good quality units, but the
PQ is better. I really miss the editing features of my Philips
recorders - You can do almost NO editing at all on a Panasonic unit
unless you record with a RAMdisk, and I totally refuse to use a
proprietary (and expensive) format!
Besides the excellent PQ, the only really nice feature of this
recorder is the Flexible Recording, which allows you to keep the
highest possible PQ by defining the exact length of the recording
to completely fill the disk. Please do not believe the person that
says this unit will not record a wide screen picture to a DVD+R or
DVD-R disk - that is absolutely WRONG. As long as you have the
output of the recorder set to use with a 16:9 wide screen TV, it
will record a wide screen picture to disk EXACTLY like you see it
on your wide screen TV. These disks have played back in full wide
screen on four different DVD players without problems.
Besides the lack of fancy editing features and poor user interface,
the biggest drawback of this unit is the exceedingly horrible user
manual! This thing is thick, and although it has LOTS of
information, it is so poorly written and organized, with no
explanations of most things discussed, that it has little value.
For example, you can choose to use codes 1, 2 or 3 with the remote,
but it doesn't bother to tell you what the difference is or why you
might want to select one! Other people here have said this unit is
slow - I disagree. There is an initial delay of about 8 seconds on
the first recording to a new disk, that is not a real problem once
you know about it. Any successive recordings on the same disk start
without any delay. The start-up time is fine, and it is actually
much faster than my other recorders in finalizing a disk.
So my bottom line is that you must know for sure what is important
to you. If you value recorded picture quality over all else, this
is the right unit. I tend to record only movies without commercials
or other interruptions, so I can live without the editing. If you
want ease of use, lots of editing features and and a slick user
interface, better look at something else (but your options are
getting few and far between these days). If you want to use it like
a VCR, to record something when you are not there, then erase the
disk and record something else, the RAMdisk features will be of
great value to you.
Don't Buy ThisReviewed by Sammy K. Weavil, 2010-02-01
I looked at this Recorder online for months and finally ordered
it.
I read reviews where people said is was bad to freeze up and i read
reviews that it had the best pictue quality of any Recorder you
could buy.
Picture quality is the main reason i ordered the unit and that it
had an S-Input to get the best signal to the Recorder.
The day i received the product i hooked it to my Directv Receiver's
S-output and turned the unit on but got nothing on my TV screen at
all.
It's not like I've never had any dealings with Video products
because it's been my Hobby for years now.
I tried hooking the unit to my Directv receivers composite output
but still no signal on my TV screen.
So after messing with it for around two hours in called Panasonic
but they didn't tell me anything i didn't know.
I'm not one to give up so i kept trying and finally i got the on
screen Menu and Info to show on my TV screen but still no
signal.
Then about two hours later the signal just came on but then then
unit froze and wouldn't do anything by using the remote.
I could get it to turn on and off by using the controls on the unit
but thats all i could do.
I went through the process that the owners manual gave to do if the
unit froze and i did it again and again for maybe 30 or 40
times.
I unplugged it more times than i can remember but the unit would
not do anything but show a display on it that said REC 1 i think it
was.
Maybe i just got a bad unit,but believe me it was a really bad
unit.
I could only give it a one star rating on everything because i
could never get it do do anyhting to see what it would do.
The only good part about the whole deal was Amazon and the Seller
and both are first rate.
I emailed the seller the night i received the unit and told them i
wanted to return it and the next morning they emailed me a return
UPS label.
I don't like retuning things but with this product i had no choice.
Panasonic DMR-EA18K ReviewReviewed by Paul, 2010-01-17
Bought this model around Xmastime 2009 when my old "first
generation" Panasonic DVD recorder (circa 2004) died unexpectedly.
I try to stick with all Panasonic in my house so all the remotes
will be interchangeble (and I've had generally better luck
historically with reliability than with Sony).
The new unit does the job I expected it to do, however, the one
word I'd use is SLOW. It is very slow to boot up at turn on.
Getting the DVD drawer to open at start up is a two minute ordeal.
Also, it is slow to recognize some commands from the remote.
Another anoying thing, if you pause the recording process and walk
away for more than 10 minutes, it will not restart. You must start
the process over, which means creating another program segment on
the DVD. I'm primarily using the recorder to copy many years worth
of home video to DVD to preserve it from deterioration. Hence, I'd
like a continuous program without having to go back and edit
later.
On a positive note, finalization of a recorded DVD is quicker than
my older unit. It is also much lighter and slimmer, and was cheaper
than the 2004 unit.
