I purchased the DMR-XW380 twin tunner freeview HDD tv recorder from Amazon after reading the reviews of Amazon site and other sites.
Firstly let me say its a dream to set up and takes only 10 to 15 easy minutes and I am no electronics expert.There are only three cables to plug in i.e. mains,HMDI and tv arial in the basic connection mode were you only require to connect to a TV.
Much has been said about the adverts that occupy the programme select screen. This is a window left of the programme menue and is not too large.
However I did not like the idea of having adverts displayed to me this way and after reading one of the reviews which said that when setting up if you did not put your address and postcode into the set up menu the adds would not appear and the advertisment window would remain grey showing no adverts.I followed this advice and indeed I can state that I receive no adverts with the advert display window remaining grey. You are told by the operating booklet that by putting in your address and post code you improve the chances of having the recorder returned in the event of having the unit stolen.It seems that there may be a secondary reason for getting you to put in your address and post code!? Perhaps if you have entered your address and post code you cannot then go back so may have to "suffer" the adverts but I have knowledge if this is the case.
Instructions booklet was easy to read and fairly clear to understand. I stayed away from blue ray versions of this device since I dont think the "juice is worth the squeeze" on additional cost. Recorded blue ray are so expensive and this unit employs upscaling which promotes a pretty high def picture anyway from standard recorded DVD. Yes you can put loads more info onto a blank blue ray disc so this might provide a reason if you copy a lot to DVD discs.Yes the disc copying function is not a fast process but it is easy to perform.I found this no problem at all.
Another area of concern to some people was the cut off point when recording tv programmes. For some reason you are told that up to two minutes may be lost from a programme if you select the recorded times presented on the recording menu (ie two back to back recordings). I have not yet lost any recorded info this way but it is very easy indeed to increase up to a max of 10 mins the recording time and this is achieved on the same screen menu.
Some criticism is seen of the recorders speed of use. I find its speed of carrying out the required function is OK...yes it can take a few seconds moving from one screen menu to another but really no big deal and no show stopper.
If you have selected power save options in the initial set up screen then you will not be able to select "quick start recording" from the standby mode and indeed this will slow down the "instant" recording of a programme since it takes longer to boot up. I agree there are quite a few keys to press to edit out adverts when downloading to a blank DVD but there is a learning curve to everything in this area. The operating instructions clearly show how to carry out this function.
If you get parental guidance alerts then you must have selected to have them since this option is presented to you when you initially set up the recorder.I chose not to have them and I dont receive them.
So by not putting in your address and post code and not opting for power save or parental guidance you will set up the recorder in the quickest mode when recording from standby and you will not receive the adverts or parental guidance. This I can say is found in my case with the freeview twin tunner version stated above.
Yes perhaps not cheap but I find the recorder a slim device that is easy to use and is a quality recorder. The 250GB hard drive is plenty big enough for most peoples requirements.
There are plenty of other things you can do with this recorder e.g. music and alternative connections to router etc but I have not as yet looked at these features.
Hope this helps
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (58) | (296) | (306) | (63) |
| Price | From £129.00 | £272.50 | £197.00 | £315.00 |
| Sold By | Available from these sellers | Amazon.co.uk | Hughes Electrical | magicdiscounts |
| Colour | Black | Black | Black | Black |
Product description
Manufacturer's Description
Free your HD with the Panasonic DMR-XW380EBK 250GB HDD DVD recorder, featuring twin Freeview+HD Tuners to give you subscription-free High Definition programming.
With twin HD tuners, you can enjoy high definition broadcasts with no subscription and no monthly fee.
Freeview+HD
Record 2 channels - never miss your favourite programs
Thanks to the twin tuners, you can record two channels at once, straight to the recorder's built-in Hard Disc Drive. Alternatively, you can record one channel while watching another, or even record two while watching a DVD or content you've saved to the HDD.
With so many channels to choose from and so many recording and viewing options, it's as good as writing the TV guide yourself.
Twin Digital tuners
Freeview+HD and Freesat+HD are the only way to enjoy high definition broadcasts with no subscription and no monthly fee. With over 140 channels, including HD offerings from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, you'll always find something to watch. Plus, because it's all recordable straight onto the recorder, you'll never have to miss your favourite shows again.
Record up to two channels at once, and watch pre-recorded shows off the HDD at the same time.
Pause and rewind live TV
The recorder's DIGA system is the new simple and convenient way of pausing and rewinding live TV. With the ability to rewind up to 2 hours, you'll never miss a thing. You can pause live TV as though you were watching a DVD.
HD Recording
Record with no loss of quality
With the recorder's DR mode, you can record HD content and broadcasts direct to the HDD without the slightest change in quality. You get the same unforgettable picture, the same crisp 5.1ch surround sound and the same subtitles and audio description. It's full High Definition in all its glory - just as it was intended and yours to view whenever you like.
Fast HD conversion
We want your HD recording world to be as flexible as possible so we offer a range of High Speed Copy Modes to make the handling of your HD content easier.
Panasonic's original H.264 Encoder provides a convenient and space-saving compression format that saves valuable space on your recorder's HDD and allows a number of programs to be saved to a single Blu-ray Disc. In addition, the Encoder ensures superb picture clarity in both slow and fast motion playback.
Viewing and recording has never been easier with Panasonic's simple DIGA system.
High-speed copying
Copying content from the HDD to disc is not only simple; it can be done at incredibly high speeds. Your family movies and photos can be copied to a DVD so you can share them with all your friends and family.
Eco Friendly Power Features
Intelligent Auto Standby means that when you're finished watching a film on your DVD recorder, you can simply press "TV" and the recorder will automatically revert to standby mode.
Furthermore, recorders with the Power Save function will automatically turn on and off at the same time as your TV, ensuring that it never uses power unnecessarily.
HD Network Hub
Store photos and videos in High Definition
This recorder makes it easy to store and manage all your favourite HD content in one convenient place. Finally, a simple way to really enjoy and save HD home movies from a camcorder without a PC. Shoot your HD movie and transfer to the hard disc. This player is also great for transferring HD images. Or, if you want to share with all your friends and family, why not save them in standard definition to DVD so everyone can enjoy?
Record, edit and share your home movies and photographs via the HDD.
DLNA networking
The DLNA Network Technology transforms your recorder into a true home hub. Simply connect to your wireless home network (LAN) and you can send AVCHD, JPEG files and recorded TV programmes to your DLNA capable VIERA TV, Blu-ray player, PC, and other devices on your existing network.
Internet TV
Stay connected with VIERA CAST and BD Live
With VIERA CAST we've broken down the barriers between TV and the internet. It allows you to access live web content including YouTube and Picasa, where you can access those shared videos and pictures live on your TV screen.
Customer Questions & Answers