My old DVD player died recently, (new laser needed after less than 2 years....), so I replaced it with the excellent Panasonic DMR-E55 DVD recorder (now around £180 from Dixons, I believe)....
(1) time shift recording from the telly with far better quality and quicker programme access than the clunky video cassette.
Definitely. Mine uses the RGB output from a Sony Sky digital receiver into AV2 which is also looped out via AV1 through to the RGB SCART on the TV.
(2) play video DVD's bought anywhere in the world
My dealer did the multi-region hack for free, it certainly plays Region 1 and Region 2 DVDs quite happily.
(3) play other people's DVD's
Probably - if they're 'finalized' DVD-R ones which your friends have recorded. DVD-R seems to becoming the emerging standard but there are a whole range of discs that it won't play. More expensive players probably would though.
(4) use the box as an interface to hook up my laptop via its SVGA port to show my digipix on the old scart telly
Pass - Can one use SVGA to a basic single video phono (usually yellow) plug? If so, then you could probably use the front panel AV3 input. I can certainly plug my digital still camera into the yellow AV3 input and transfer images from the camera to either a DVD-R or to a DVD-RAM. If your PC has a S-Video socket, you should be able to connect direct to the front panel AV3 S-Video in port though.
The DVD-RAM discs are rewritable but are only compatible with other DVD-RAM players; however your own non-rewritable DVD-R discs should play on other people's players once you've 'finalized' them on the 'disc management' menu.
You could also record from an NTSC TV if you wanted to, but you can't record from PAL and NTSC on the same disc.
I'm very pleased with it - it's the most basic model which Panasonic do, but is fine for what I want it for!
Last edited by BEagle; 10th Nov 2004 at 21:43.