Humax DMR-E55 User's Manual
Contents
1. 039 EHC 08 DVD REC G Test 21 9 04 5 31 PM Page 56 an 400 Does JVC s fine first entry into the DVD Recorder market mark the death of VHS JVC DR M1 N ADMITTING DEFEAT IN THE BATTLE TO keep its invention the video cassette alive JVC has done the DVD Recorder market a big favour Where we do have a few gripes with the UK s first combined RW and RAM recorder is its connections which include a RGB enabled Scart and separate S Video and stereo audio outputs However the second Scart at the back of the unit which connects set top boxes cannot handle RGB sources it will only accept composite or S Video sources An i Link terminal on front panel allows digital dubbing from camcorders Its living memory playback feature watching a recording while it s still being made is unique to RAM compatible machines or those with hard drives and some DVD RW machines Recordings can be made onto almost universally accepted DVD R discs DVD RW disks can be formatted in video mode or VR mode The latter allows free editing of contents but the former is more widely compatible That s made up for by satellite control only with Sky digiboxes and the great free rate FR recording mode which calculates time left on the disc in various recording modes This means you can chop and change between bitrates on one recordable or rewritable disc DVD RECORDING Picture quality in XP and SP mode recordings is2. GuidePlus Variable bit rate recording Non linear editing Playlist editing Timer No of recording modes Trick play functions Zoom Progressive scan playback CONNECTIONS RGB Scart in out Component video out DVI or HDMI out S video in out Composite video in out Stereo audio out Optical digital audio out Electrical digital audio out i Link in out Photo card slot VERDICT Ease of Use Features Looks Picture Sound Value YES YES YES NO YES YES 6 event NO NO NO NO 5 MES MES NO We say Easy to install with a good remote which controls many of the functions but has fairly basic features NO YES We say Not RGB ready and only supports composite and S video so set top boxes can t be connected We say This retro looking model is at the lower end of the market and comes with what you would expect in the way of features A budget Philips clone with limited editing options it s nevertheless a good performer when it comes to sound while recordings made in SP mode are as good as the original broadcast Better though to spend a bit more and get an RGB input and more flexible editing capability We say Onscreen user interface is easy to navigate while DVD playback is difficult to fault NO YES We say This budget recorder lacks RGB input We say It may be a budget DVD recorder but this smart model is the equal of many more expensive units DVD
3. playback picture quality is more than adequate while sound too is very reliable Recordings made in SP mode are near DVD quality although sounds quality is fairly weak All in all a great value recorder for the price just don t expect miracles We say It s a bit light on features especially RGB recording for digital TV and it can t divide DVD RW recordings NO YES We say You can t make RGB recordings from digital TV sources but you can do DV dubbing from digital camcorders We say By no means a bad DVD recorder at Humax s first attempt Quite easy to use and fine for recording analogue terrestrial TV but sadly not digital Its eye catching design complemented by a stylishly thin remote control is let down by a Sluggish menu system and above all the price A good unit but other recorders offer just as much for the money A sizeable drop in price may be needed if Humax is to keep up with its rivals YES YES NO YES NES vies 8 event one month We say RAM compati bility means fantastic editing options and progressive scan gives a great picture NO YES We say No RGB input is a letdown but recordings made from a good S video source look excellent We say Fantastic audio although there s no manual control of recording levels and very good picture quality combined with an attractive street price equals a good value unit Slight pulling noticeable with captions but overall
4. clear while the DR MI s progressive scan playback works with recordings and PAL software With a such a low street price JVC s DR M1 is only a hard drive and a RGB input away from perfection Satellite control Prog scan No RGB input Satellite control won t work with Freeview or Sky 300 Great features and a familiar VCR look and make this perfect for the newly converted Panasonic DMR E55 T MAY BE AT THE LOW END OF PANASONIC S DIGA range but what the DMR E55 lacks hard drive DV input it makes up for in great picture sound and a myriad of recording functions That s largely down to its compatibility with DVD RAM and DVD R formats but be aware that DVD RW discs cannot be used for recording Its four recording modes XP SP LP and EP range from one to eight hrs of recording time Picture quality on XP mode is outstanding as it is with pre recorded DVDs while the more flexible SP mode is excellent Other modes are still better quality than VCR recordings Timer recordings can be made manually or with 56 ESSENTIAL HI FI amp HOME CINEMA VideoPlus and there is also a PDC facility The DVD RAM format offers extensive editing and is perfect for daily recording and deleting It also enables chasing playback allowing you to watch the start of a recording while it continues to record as well as time slip which means the last 30 secs of live TV can be replayed a boon for sports fans Playba
5. say No problems with connections There is even iLink to take DV camcorder footage We say Not yet rated We say Not yet rated We say Not yet rated Ease of Use Features Looks Picture Sound Value We say Despite the long specs this deck is very average when it comes to basics like picture and sound It may be multiregional and have lots of inputs but the lack of VideoPlus or similar programme guide and the fact that the progressive scan func tion copes only with NTSC marks this out as a dubious foreign import clearly not aimed at UK consumers We say This elegant deck may not be the cheapest DVD recorder out there but but it s one of the best thanks to the combination of DVD RAM flexibility and DVD R compatibility The RGB input on the recorder is vital for anyone with digital TV Freeview Sky or cable A great all purpose recorder for day to day use and reasonably priced We say Like the cheaper DMR E55 this elegant deck is not the most affordable but its recording and playback performance is so damn good it makes it impossible to seriously fault though DV camcorder enthusiasts should note that there is no DV output for dubbing edited footage back to a camcorder Overall a great machine if you can justify the price We say Colourful and detail laden pictures on recordings made in optimum modes makes this a special deck Others can compete there but not over the inclusion by Philip
6. a camcorder We say Included on Thomson s earlier media recorders USB memory card readers for MP3s or digital pictures have been left out from this model We say Neither of the two Scart inputs will accept an RGB video signal We say Lacks a DV input but generally well endowed with connections We say Not yet reviewed Ease of Use Features Looks Picture Sound Value We say Not yet reviewed We say Not yet reviewed We say With a very muted playback of commercial DVDs this is an average deck although even coupled with its underwhelming audio it would serve a basic surround sound system adequately Lack of digibox control and memory card or DV input for camcorders ensures a conclusion that this is a no frills unit aimed squarely at the gadget unconscious We say With hard disk recorders DVD still relatively expensive this deck makes a good substitute Thanks to DVD RAM compatibility its editing features are many and extras like pause live TV are possible DVD playback is good and much better than most entry level decks We say It looks chunky and the remote is clunky but it boasts excellent connectivity if not editing options being DVD RW compatible The one hour HQ recording mode is great so this deck is for people who need to archive and is not the best for daily use We say Not yet reviewed OVERALL o o RRR 60 ESSENTIAL HI FI amp HOME CINEMA p
7. ck functions include Direct Navigator which et displays full motion thumbnails of all recordings on a 3 disc while Playback NR reduces picture noise and Virtual Surround Sound mode does what it says with only two speakers Expansive connectivity comprises component video output for PAL and NSTC progressive scan RGB Scart input and output S video support an optical digital audio out and front panel AV inputs for connecting a camcorder Missing features like a memory card slot i Link digital video connection and hard drive can be found on other Panasonic models 338 Versatility of DVD RAM recording 235 Attractive design aa DVD RW recordings would have been useful No DV input 039 EHC 08 DVD REC G Test MAKE MODEL Price Recording formats RGB recording DVD Audio playback Video CD Super Video CD CD R CD RW playback MP3 JPEG playback Tel Web FEATURES SPECIFICATIONS 21 9 04 5 33 PM Page 58 DVD Recorders CYBERHOME CHDVR750 25A GOODMANS GDVD300R HUMAX DRP 560 LG DR4810 LOEWE CENTROS 200 aps 400 300 450 DVD RAM DVD R RW 49 21 0238000 0870 8730080 020 8547 4240 0870 3305000 0870 6075544 0800 0276465 www cyberhome europede _www goodmans couk _wwwhumaxdigital com MICO ESPEJO R311 200 DVD R DVD RW NO NO YES YES YES NO 0852 2951 4538 www micoelectric com VideoPlus PDC
8. cordngmedes 5 a S a a E E YES YES Zoom NO SEITEN YES Se fwe s s CONNECTIONS We say Instead of a time remaining counter the machine gives a useless readout of of the percentage of space left We say This recorder is ideal for time shifting TV shows but not for recording camcorder footage and digital still images We say This recorder is ideal for time shifting TV shows as well as recording camcorder footage and digital still images We say The first recorder to include GuidePlus which makes timer recordings simple Editing is limited We say Not yet rated We say Similar to the entry jlevel DVD R610 with the addition of an 8hr recording mode We say Sony s entry level machine is a basic model for recording TV shows with chasing playback RGB Scart in out NO YES YES YES YES YES YENE YES YES MESES Component video out YES DVI or HDMI out NO S video in out YES YES Composite video in out YES YES Stereo audio out YES Optical digital audio out VES YES eS Electrical digital audio out YES iLink in out NO Photo card slot NO VERDICT We say Plenty of outputs but recording trom digital TV via S video suffers from a flawed MPEG converter We say Has everything you might need for recording analogue or digital TV but won t accept DV footage We say Basically this is a DMR E55 with the addition of a DV i Link input plus PC card and SD card slots We
9. it can t be faulted as a DVD player The combination of DVD R and DVD RAM gives you freedom while editing All it needs is an RGB input We say Menus and scans through DVD chapters are smooth and editing on DVD RW discs in VR mode is easy NO YES YES YES We say The lack of inputs makes this virtually useless for making quality recordings from digital TV We say It might be available at a decent price but there s a good reason Despite attractive casing this is a fairly mediocre recorder that suffers trom limited editing options and a poor array of inputs Fewer recording modes than most models and a bland picture make this a limited albeit easy to use deck that is worth avoiding better units are available and much cheaper We say Editing features combined with dual RW format support are great but the lack of progressive scan is a disappointment at this price NO YES YES YES YES YES NO NO YES We say Neither Scart supports S video or RGB input so decent quality digibox recordings require plugging an S video cable into its front We say A disappointing case of style over substance Lacking even rear S video input let alone RGB there s no proper way to get good recordings from digital TV which is daft and there s no progressive scan playback Dual format recording is handy but apart from the excellent editing features it s quite tricky to use MESMES NO NO NO NO 6 e
10. s of GuidePlus a seriously special addition Editing may be limited and the menu navigation may be a little slow but it s so feature packed we don t have any major gripes We say Not yet rated We say Not yet rated We say Not yet rated OVERALL kkk RRR RK RR O OOO p ESSENTIAL HI FI amp HOME CINEMA 59 039 EHC 08 DVD REC G Test MAKE MODEL Price Recording formats RGB recording DVD Audio playback Video CD Super Video CD CD R CD RW playback MP3 JPEG playback Tel Web FEATURES SPECIFICATIONS POPPE Seo E HEE EEEE EEE EEEE EE EEEEEE EEE EE EEEEEHEEEOEHEEE EEE EEEEEEEHEEEOEEEEMECEO EE EEEEETEEEOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHE ESOP EEEEEESEEEEHETEEEEEEEEEEEEESEEEEHEESOEHS EE EEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESEEHEEE PSHE EE EESEEEEELEEHELEEEEEEESELELEDELEEEEEEMELEEESESEEEEELEEHEEEEEEEEE SESE EEE E Ee 21 9 04 5 34 PM Page 60 DVD Recorders ene a ee SONY RDR GXD500 SONY RDR GX700 THOMSON DTH 8005 TOSHIBA DR 1 YAMADA DVR 8000 HITACHI DV RX7000 500 500 400 400 200 279 DVD RW vs s Jwe Joe C amp S YES NO VESES VESES vwm m w m 01628 643000 www umax co uk www toshiba co uk www sony co uk www thomson europe com www sony co uk www hitachidigital com media com VideoPlus PDC GuidePlus Variable bit rate recording Non linear editing Playlist editing Timer No of recording modes Trick play func
11. tions Zoom Progressive scan playback CONNECTIONS NO YES VES YES NES NO NO YES YES YES YES oo a S y Y 4 NO NO YES NO We say The only UK DVD recorder with a built in Freeview digital terrestrial TV tuner We say Similar to the GXD500 but with no Freeview tuner has DV camcorder inputs instead We say The high price tag does not include the picture enhancing progressive scan We say Use of DVD RAM opens up editing We say Navigation display is long winded and of all the recording modes only HQ is of any notable quality possibilities but watch cross compatibility with other DVD players function We say Not yet reviewed POP e eee eee eee see EEE EEE E SEH HEEOEEOEHF OEE ES EEEEE EE SEEEETSEEEETESELEEEEOLOEEEEMHEOEE TEE OEEEETEEEOEEETEEEEETE SESE ELEOEEOPSEEEOTESOLEET ET SOEEETEEEEETESOLEEEEEEOEHSTSEOEETESOHEEEELEEEEETHEEEETES OLEH EOE PETE TEE EEETESOLEEE ELLE EEETEEELEHESELEEEELEMOLETSEELEDELELEEEELELOEEEDEEEEEDEDO oo RGB Scart in out Component video out DVI or HDMI out S video in out Composite video in out Stereo audio out Optical digital audio out Electrical digital audio out i Link in out Photo card slot VERDICT Neon nes MES ES NES VES NES MES YES po SSN NO YES YES YES YES YES NES YES YES YES NO NO We say Sports a built in Freeview digital terrestrial TV tuner We say A pity the i Link is an input only as you can t output edited DV footage to
12. vent 5 YES NO NO We say Offers fewer editing options than the Philips deck it was cloned from NO YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES WES NO MES NO NO NO We say No RGB input is bad for digibox users and there s no RGB out if you select S video input kK KK kkk kK kkk kK We say There are too many cut corners here for the budget price to overcome It s too easy to mistakenly record over a partially recorded disc the remote lacks any class and DVD R recordings can t easily be edited We do like the audio output which is good on both surround sound sources and CDs and the picture quality is excellent What a shame it has no RGB input for recording digital TV sources OVERALL Dn Akk donk aoa 58 ESSENTIAL HI FI amp HOME CINEMA 039 EHC 08 DVD REC G Test 21 9 04 5 34 PM Page 59 sponsored by m oXP MAKE MODEL MUSTEK R100B PANASONIC DMR E55 PANASONIC DMR E65 PHILIPS DVD R80 PHILIPS DVD R610 PHILIPS DVD R615 SONY RDR GX300 SPECIFICATIONS Price 200 300 400 500 200 230 400 CoE YES DVD Audio playback NO Video CD Super Video CD VES YES CD R CD RW playback YES YES MP3 JPEG playback YES NO Ta 08705 111999 Web T ne ee S VideoPlus PDC Vito Wes VESMES YESMES ES AES Nio VES YES YEs GuidePlus NO Variable bit rate recording YES Nowtnear editing YES E YES Timer YES Noofre
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search