400GB DVR DVD Recorder

Here’s the next piece of electronica set to drive Jack Valenti into a mental institution: The Panasonic DMR-E500H.

Dmre500

The real excitement is the machine’s Specs: Its 400GB hard disk drive can record more than 700 hours of video from cable, satellite or broadcast. Any of that programming can be then burned to DVD for convenient place and time-shifting.

Its ability to “takes requests from cell phones while you are on the road” is a fun feature; More interestingly, it can be networked with other TVs and PCs in the home.

Selected SPECS for the Panasonic DMRE500

Plays pre-recorded DVD’s, CD’s, MP3s
Built in analogue TV tuner
Ethernet connection for networking
DVD-Audio (5.1) playback, Built-in Dolby Digital and DTS Decoders

Internal 250GB HD or 400GB HD for time shifting

Records DVD-RAM & DVD-R Video Blank Media
Single layer 4.7GB DVD-R system and DVD-RAM 4.7Gb systems
Real-time recording: MPEGII compression (8 hours per disc)

Playback programs recorded to DVD-RAM or HDD while watching another program on DVD-RAM or HDD

High speed transfer to and from HDD to DVD-RAM
Non-linear editing to transfer to DVD-RAM and from DVD-RAM to HDD
Playback while recording even at high bit rates (HDD and DVD-RAM)

Flexible recording mode allows you to manually time for recording and the player will set the best possible bit rate for that time, say 1 hour 15 minutes to fill a disc

daddy wants one . . .

Sources:
The Panasonic DMR-E500 DVD-R / DVD-RAM / HDD Recorder
http://www.avland.co.uk/panasonic/dmre500/dmre500.htm

Honey, did you remember to call the DVD recorder?
By Ed Frauenheim
CNET News.com, September 8, 2004, 6:10 PM
http://news.com.com/2100-1041-5357834.html

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What's been said:

Discussions found on the web:
  1. Mike commented on Sep 16

    Wow. Cool. I wonder what the early-adopter special pricing on that unit will be.

    As a lower cost alternative, look at the Toshiba RD-XS32. You can get this delivered to your door from Amazon for a titch over $389.

  2. glory commented on Sep 16

    jack valenti just retired i think :D but cool nonetheless!

  3. Chibi commented on Sep 17

    I got the DirecTV/Tivo unit (after rebates was almost free as a new DirecTV subscriber–digital cable kinda blows IMO) and just recently added a Pioneer DVR… the 220 model I think–pretty basic, but works just fine and only $279 (can probably find for less than that online). Pretty slick. I can program to record using Tivo and then if it’s worth keeping, I can dump it to dvd. Not at all complicated, either. Slick, slick, slick! Pretty cheap, too. Now once those flat-screen TVs come down a bit more and I can replace my big ol’ 32″ Sony… I’ll never have to leave the house!

  4. Andy commented on Oct 25

    Website setup to “Enhance” or hack DMR-E500H nothing illegal. Just trying to make this beast slightly more functional. http://www.digahack.com

  5. james barselton commented on Feb 10

    HI THERE I AM LOOKING IN TO BUYING THE PANASONICS 700 HOUR TIVO WITH 400 EGABYTE OF HARD DRIVE SPACE BUT ALSO CONSIDERING A DEEL XPS 4 WITH 2 TV TUNERS AND 1.2TERABYTES OR A SONY VAIO-R SERIES WITH 1.6 TERABYTES FOR 2,000 HOURS OF RECORDING TIME BUT CAN I PLUG MY SONY WEGA TV INTO A PC 32 INCHER THANKS BUY BUY.

  6. Russ commented on Feb 15

    Beware of TV Guide Onscreen (TVGOS). I’ve yet to get my DMR E500H TVGOS Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) to work. It is reputedly only reliable over broadcasts or analogue cable but after adhering to the manufacturer’s setup instructions (24hr minumim initial download cycle with unit in stby) it still doesn’t work. OEM and TVGOS troubleshooting efforts are lame. Might return this unit in short order.

  7. Fido commented on Feb 20

    WOOF!

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