Customer Reviews

Panasonic DMR-EZ49vEBK Super Multi Format Combi Recorder with Freeview

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Bought this item for my parents who do not have SKY or a recordable hard drive facility. Like all Panasonic items this is an excellent product, great value for money as it was on offer. It must be easy to use as my Dad can use it. The delivery of the product was easy to follow and it arrived in super fast time. I would have no problem in recommending this item.

The VHS on my previous EZ45 wouldn't work - and there were various other repairs needed and the freeview stopped producing a good picture, so I decided to upgrade to this model.
It's basically the same model with UsB added - though I haven't explored everything yet. Like the older machine I can easily transfer VHS tapes to DVD and record from my camcorder via the S-video [and there are other inputs too]- though, make no mistake it's a complicated gadget when you want to get the best out of it, and it takes time to work out what all the remote buttons do.
Freeview sets up easily though the programme guide display has a big empty box on the left reducing the width. [Since the unit updated itself I now know that it is a dedicated advertisement slot and you can't get rid of it! MOST ANNOYING!]
I'm glad to have a fully functioning machine once again and have no hesitation in recommending it.

Panasonic DMR-EZ49vEBK Super Multi Format Combi Recorder with Freeview I bought this machine to convert old vhs tapes to dvd. Bingo it works. I'm so pleased that I made the effort after so many years telling myself that I must do it. The machine is easy to set up, it does most of it for itself, I also have a Panasonic tv so I can now just use the one remote. I would say go and buy it if you have the same needs as me. I'm 65 and love this machine for saving all my old memories to dvd. It was a fun task. It uses all format dvds and playback is top notch.

Those with expertise can comment most usefully on the technical aspects. I am not one of them - in my seventies, as ever, extremely nervous and inept when it comes to machines. The Panasonic thus represented a challenge, especially when setting up - instructions at times puzzling, assuming knowledge and skills not possessed. (Experiences described in reviews on these pages proved very helpful - especially the comments that followed in answer to problems encountered.)

Practice has since made perfect with daily usage, the Panasonic in every respect an enormous improvement on its predecessor. Recording in particular is far easier - as yet not a single programme minus its start and end. Picture quality is perfect. It would be wrong to deprive of stars because of my inability to cope with initial intricacies, only right to award full marks for the excellent service now given. In short, I am delighted - the Panasonic a boon.

Recommended - but try to ensure someone with skill does the installing.

My old Bush VCR finally died and despite the modern gadget world and the advent of recording to a SKY+ box(I still have a standard Sky Box)or other harddrive or even on to DVD, I still think VHS has its uses when just wanting to record something to see but not keep. Only the other day I wanted to see a horse race, so left the VCR to record it...it wasn't something I'd want to waste a DVD-R for or fiddle around with a DVD-RW. So VHS may have a Dark Ages tinge to it these days, but it still has it uses.

The reason for choosing this machine was mainly the DVD/VCR combination. I've been wanting to finally copy to DVD some old videos. I found the process for copying to DVD quite simple, and the results were very good quality, even from quite fuzzy old tapes.

The initial set-up was very simple. I have the machine in my bedroom and only use Sky with it. I don't have an aerial feed into the room, so I can't comment on the Freeview set-up for channels. I found the set-up with my Sky box was relatively simple.

I should say that the instruction manual looks a little scary to begin with, but I highly recommend that you spend some time reading it. Most operations you require give a fairly easy step-by-step guide. Start with the basic operation pages and read it a few times before you try to set-up everything, and get used to the little codes they use for the instructions of usage, which vary depending on the type of recordable DVD you use and the modes of recording you use, such as Long Play or Standard Play.

The Remote Control is a little scary to look at too, especially if you've never owned a Panasonic DVD player before. But again, the instruction manual soon solves the functions of various buttons.

I find recording to DVD-R very simple, as you do not need to Format the disc first. The Finalizing process was also very simple. A nice touch is when you turn the machine on, whether it's in VHS or DVD mode the LCD display will tell you how much recording space you have on the disc or tape in the machine, using your current mode.

I take one star off for some slightly nit-picky reasons. The unit is a bit slow to respond. When you turn the machine on, it will say "Hello", which is all lovely and polite, but it can take 30 seconds to 1 minute to start up and allow you to record with it. If you've just remembered a programme you want to record, it can be infuriating, waiting to finally press the record button. When you finally do press the record button it's a second or two before it actually flashes the red record symbol on the display, making you wonder, to begin with, if the remote control is working.
The unit is a little noisy, more so with VHS. It's an electronic hum most of the time, but a little louder than I'm used to. The rewind or fast forward on VHS is almost like a turbo, and makes a lot of noise too. But it's something you'll get used to.

The unit does not have a harddrive, which makes editing almost impossible when copying old tapes to DVD, but for me personally that wasn't too much of a bother.
For the price, this is a very good quality machine, and does exactly what it says on the tin! I'm so pleased with the overall quality that when I eventually get myself a new TV I intend to look at Panasonic ones first.

This is a very versatile piece of kit. It will record to tape or DVD at a number of different speeds (and in NTSC or PAL formats). It will also copy from DVD to tape and vice versa and is quite easy to use. It is future-proof, in that it has a Freeview tuner and doesn't rely on the analogue signal which is currently being closed down. For those, like me, unused to recording to a DVD, there is the novel feature that the machine will set the recording standard to fit the available space on the disc. If, for example, you want to record a two hour ten minute film (on a two hour disc), rather than have to accept a poor quality result and spare disc space by using half speed, you can tell the recorder to fit the programme to the space. You will then be able to record the whole film on the whole disc with just a small trade-off in quality. When installing the unit, I did have one problem: the instructions indicate that, when connecting with an HDMI lead, the unit will automatically detect the High Definition level that the TV can accept. This was not true in the case of my Sony WRX1. My set can only show output at 1080i but the unit was trying to send a signal at 1080p, did not modify this and I ended up with an "Out of Range" message and an otherwise blank screen. Although the unit has a manual setting for its output, I could not access this because I could not monitor the set-up process on screen. I tried changing the HDMI for a SCART connection, whereupon I could go through the set-up but could not change the output HD level - because I was not using an HDMI connection! The answer was to connect with both and now everything is working OK. I can thoroughly recommend this recorder: it does everything that I want and at a very reasonable price.

Following the demise of my old video player (still a vital piece of equipment for my grandaughter to view her favourite videos when she visits) I decided to replace this equipment and at the same time update my DVD recorder/player. Having researched the market I decided on the Panasonic DMR-EZ49vEBK Multi Format Combi Recorder. This proved to be a wise decision as I have nothing but praise for the equipment. I found it easy to set up and use and its picture quality is first rate. Even some of my very old videos have taken on a new life with the equipments ability to upgrade old recordings. Tranferring footage from my Video Camera to DVD is easily achieved as is transferring programmes from Sky Satellite. If you have Sky Plus the best method is to record it first onto the sky plus hard disc and then transfer it to DVD. The Combi Recorder does have built in freeview which I have no doubt is excellent although since I have Satellite I have not used this facility. The summerise, therefore, the equipment is first rate and good value for money

I bought the Panasonic DMR-EZ49vEBK Super Multi Format Combi Recorder with Freeview, as I have a Panasonic Vierra TV.
Fed-up with all the Cables and different Remotes...so, when the Video-recorder stopped working, I opted for the above Product.
I'm not very good, when it comes to connecting Cables, or using new technical Items.
I was amazed, how easy it was to connect....it Tunes itself....and use it!
One Remote for everything! It is a great Unit and very easy to operate, with beautiful Sound and Pictures....even can plug my Camera into it or my USB-stick.
All in all, it is "Child's-Play" with 100% Satisfaction....

This was purchased for my elderley Mother who is nearly 76 as she has many videos that she still wishes to be able to watch. The operation is so good and set up couldnt have been easier, I am a bit of a technophobe, but this was just plug it in and it pretty much does all the work.

My Mother is happy and able to use along side her sky tv - everyone is happy, hope this helps any would be purchasers.

This was purchased by an 81 year old neighbour / friend of my sister. I was asked to set it up and show him how to use it. I must say I found it very simple to set up, and had it working within about five minutes of removing it from the box. The Freeview tuner very quickly found and stored all the channels, over 60 free TV and more than 20 radio stations if I remember correctly. The Freeview picture, via scart in this case, is more than acceptable, but do note that there is an HDMI output available if your TV has the appropriate input, and most now do. Changing between the DVD and VCR drives is very simple indeed, with a single button push on the pretty solid remote control. Setting up for recording again is very simple, and you are prompted to enter whether you wish to record to DVD or VHS. The unit's owner seemed to find it easy enough to get to grips with, although only time will really tell on that one. I gave it four, rather than five stars, for one reason, the Program Guide, which I find a bit slow to access, same as my Panasonic Blu-ray recorder - not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination, but not the best either. Bottom line - if you're looking for a such a piece of equipment, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this.