Customer Reviews

Panasonic DMR-ES10K DVD Recorder , Black

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD Recorder

Pros: Great low price. Excellent recordings ,even in the LP (4Hr) speed.

Cons: PIP & Commercial Skip wont work on Finalized DVDs.

Full Review :
Unlike all previous Panasonic DVD recorders. Besides being able to record on DVD-R and DVD-RAM. This new model will also record on , DVD+R , DVD-RW. This is a much needed and smart move by Panasonic.

But a word of caution. Due to strict new copy protection laws. Some broadcasts now contain Copy Control signals. They may have one of three signal types: Copy-Free, Copy-Once, or Copy-Never. The recorder limits the recording according to the copy protection signal. Copy-Free encoded signals can be recorded at any time with any compatible blank disk type.Copy-Never encoded signals can not be recorded on this unit. Many of your premium cable stations(HBO,SHO)are Copy-Once programs. This means you may record the program to a disk. But you are not able to take that disk and then make a copy of it. According to the manual copy once programs may only be recorded using DVD-RAM. However I did not have any problems recording HBO using all types of DVD disks.

Being that this is only a $200 unit. It is not made as sturdily as some of the previous models. But the many important new features and low price make up for that.

Panasonic made alot of bold claims about this unit.I was hesitant about them , especially since this is only a $200 unit. While other DVD recorders like the SONY sell for nearly $400.00. But I am happy to report that all the claims are true. The unit works great. Panasonic really backs up all thier claims about this DVD recorder.

All the DVDs I made recorded played back with very high quality. I also found no problems with compatibility when playing those DVDs back on other DVD players. Recordings made in the four (4) hour (LP) speed looked identical to those made using the (2) Hour(SP)speed.The VCR Plus feature is fairly useless if you have it connected to a CABLE box. But if you have it connected to a standard antenna then VCR Plus is a useful feature.

The remote control also controls your TV. It can also be adjusted so that it wont control any other Panasonic equipment you may own. Among the important new features is that all the new Panasonic models for 2005 now have improved horizontal resolution. In the LP (4 Hours) mode, this DVD recorder has images twice as sharp as last year's models. It gives up to 500 lines resolution. This is double the horizontal resolution compared to the 250 lines of conventional LP mode recording. Thanks to this, you now have high quality four hour recordings as sharp as the Two Hour (SP )speed.

Another new feature is what Panasonic calls "VHS Refresh". This feature offers improved quality when Dubbing VHS to DVD. When connecting a VCR and the DVD recorder to record VHS videotape images onto a DVD disk. Something similar to a "Time Base Corrector", helps reduce jitter and also performs signal conversion to create a stable signal.

The unit also has 3D Digital Noise Reduction which detects and virtually eliminates randomly generated noise and color errors to help minimize flicker. This 3D DNR works on any video input source. Thanks to these two technologies, the video input signal is automatically detected and optimum processing is performed to provide an easy way to even more beautiful digital pictures. There is also a Digital Noise Reduction for playback. This helps clear up recordings made in the EP 6 hour speed. This unit has an option to allow up to Eight (8) hours of recording time. Although I really don't recommend recording with the 8 hour speed due to quality issues.

One of the most important new features is the nearly instantaneous response time in start-up and recording. It is as quick as five seconds from the DVD-RAM insertion to Play or Record. The unit has nearly as fast times for other blank DVD media. Disk finalizing takes about four minutes which is a bit slow.But that's a minor trade-off for the very quick disk recognition. The Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD Recorder also has a "One Touch Record" button. Each press gives 30 Minutes recording time up to 4 hours. The unit then powers itself off after the recording time has finished.

All Panasonic DVD recorders offer all the benefits of the DVD-RAM format. Which include " Chasing Playback". -- This feature lets you view a program that you're currently recording from any point that's already been recorded, while continuing to record the live program in progress. So you no longer have to wait for the entire program to be recorded before watching it from the beginning to the end. Simultaneous Recording & Playback are also possible using DVD RAM. This way you can record a live TV program while watching any other program that's been previously recorded on the same disk. Time Slip Button -- Just press the Time Slip button once during recording on a DVD RAM, to start playing back the scene recorded 30 seconds earlier. You can also use the cursor keys to return to any point from 1 to 360 minutes earlier.

The Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD Recorder offers a PIP(Picture-in-Picture function) and commercial skip during playback.

Please note : These two features will NOT work after the DVD +/-R/W disks are finalized. These features also wont work on pre-recorded (store bought) DVD movies. They do work on on DVD RAM disks. Since those disks do not need to be finalized.

The unit has a new layout with finalize and disk setup which makes it alot easier to use. Also new is that it goes into record mode and loaded blank and pre-recorded DVDs so much faster. Both are major improvements over earlier units. I also liked the smaller size, and large easy to read numerical readout. Total ease of use is also much improved. But novices will still need to read the manual thoroughly. I like the new sleek look. This model seems very user friendly and priced low enough. So if you haven't already purchased a DVD Recorder. Then this is the unit that may make you put away your VCR. For those who like their components to match. This unit also comes in Black. I have only one minor complaint. There is no disk time remaining display during a DVD movie playback. The time remaining display is viewable during all recording modes to view the recording time left on disk.

Connections - 1 RF(TV) Input/1 RF(TV)Output, 1-Front Panel Audio/Video(S-Video)3-Rear Panel Audio/Video(S-Video),1 Rear Panel component video input. 1- Audio/Video (S-Video)Outputs,1- Digital Audio Optical Output.

If you need even more features than the DMR-ES10 offers. There is the DMR-EH50 model ($500) which features a 100GB hard disk drive. This gives up to 177 hours of recording time using the hard drive.

The Bottom Line :
Low Price with great Quality LP speed video ,new user friendly features. All adds up to an excellent DVD Recorder

I'm not going to say what's already been said so I'll just give my pros and cons about it.

Pros:
Renaming recorded titles on discs is easier because you can press certain buttons like number 1 to take you to a row of letters & numbers with the onscreen keyboard. (example: push 1 to take you to the row with ABCD abcd 1234 etc.)
Auto time and date set.
Three S-video connections two in back and one in front.

Cons:
No auto chapter skip markers until after the disc is finalized (which is only 5 minute markers). But this isn't much of a big deal because with the "time slip" feature you can quickly get to the end of a disc to make sure everything recorded ok. And after its finalized you can just input the chapter number. So let's say you want to go to 3 hours into the disc just punch in the chapter number like 10 for example.

All discs have to be finalized in order to work with other DVD players including -RW which can still be "formatted" and used again of course. I don't like this much because the Liteon I had recorded discs that didn't need to be finalized before they would play on any other player at least for RW.

Disc speed (quality) is not displayed onscreen so you'll have to look at the recorder to know what speed you're in.

No zoom for DVD movies.

No DV link for people with those type of camcorders that use it.

Not really a con but this unit has no fan in back. It has one air vent in back and two on the sides. I wonder if heat could become a problem later.

Other then all that it seems like a pretty good recorder despite it won't record macrovision VHS. And for now there is no hack for it.

Update: Last Thursday 2/12/09 it officially died. Too bad. I was expecting it to last longer.

The actual DVD recorder is awesome. Solid crisp clear play back on recorded media I tested. This unit is VERY Easy to program and use once you figure it out. Instructions on how to use the unit are almost useless making what should have been straight forward simple directions badly writen, overly complicated and pitifully incomplete. The directions jump, skip, bob and weave from subject to subject explaining nothing in detail. The directions assume so many things that they are laughable. Also this unit lacks a quick start guide which is usually better at explaining the unit than ponderous bloated confused instruction manuals like this one.

The Grits N Gravy of the issue is how well does the actual DVD recorder work. I tested it on may DVD types and found the recordings to be solidly good on all DVD types tested. This recorder makes a better quality recording on EP Extended Play 6 hour mode than any DVD reorder I have seen. It is a work horse, as I have been recording many of my videos to DVD and this recorder has been nothing less than flawless.

I have burned 26 DVD's thus far and not a coaster in the bunch. This unit takes a long time to finalize a disk but when it is done it Finalized it is done right. I could care less how much time it takes to Finalize so long as it is done right. The format for navigating the menus is well thought out and intuitive. Anyone with 2 brain cells should have this DVD recorder player all figured out in a day.

My only negative about this DVD player is its lack of an onscreen indication of the currely selected record speed. You have to look at the unit itself to figure out what record settings you have really selected. It is really a dumb system but after you get used to this quirk you can start burning your heart out on this machine because it loves to work well.

For the little bit of money this DVD recorder costs it is a steal at this price. This DVD recorder does not have all the bells and whistles of higher priced units but neither does it have lots of useless crap that can too easily screw up a DVD. This is a good honest hard working DVD recorder for a good honest low price more things should be this good!

I am seriously considering buying another one of these in the near future.

This model shares the same construction/internals as the hard drive equipped EH50, at half the price. Panasonic is the earliest developer of DVD recorders and this is a very mature product with premium components, R & D benfits shared by higher end models all the way up to their Blu-ray recorders. The ES10 Black version has pure white lettering, which looks a bit cheap, but otherwise a high quality product. The accessories, esp. the stylish remote and bonus DVD-RAM, make it an excellent buy.

DVD-RW is not editable (cutting chapters, etc.), but after finalizing, the disc is divided into convenient 5- minute segments (chapters). Editing features require DVD-RAM, I've yet to try it out. I transferred several non-macrovision protected VHS tapes and the picture is great. According to forums, Panasonic may not have the best MPEG compressor, but its analogue to digial circuitry is one of the best. This makes it best for ironing out the "wrinkles" in your old VHS tapes.
It's amazing that a low cost unit could replace the VCR and DVD player, greatly reducing wire clutter behind the cabinet. I can finally put away those bulky VHS cassettes, contents transferred to more accessible, and maybe better looking, DVDs.

I have owned the ES10 for about 3 months now and have yet to have a single problem with it. I rarely write reviews but am so pleased with this product I felt compelled to let others know how good it is. I have yet to make a single coaster. It's everything it was billed to be. Great buy.

I purchased this unit, and found the feature set to be great. But in playing my existing DVD-Rs -- which had been recorded on a Toshiba PC and played fine on my other DVD player -- problems developed. The Panasonic would play the first half fine, but then in the second half it would start displaying big unpainted blocks on the screen, and then finally hang for a few seconds and return to the menu. It did this on multiple DVDs, all of which played fine all the way through on my other DVD player (a Toshiba).

Just in case there was some unexpected thing they could suggest, I contacted Panasonic support. After traversing a large phone menu, I was told someone would be with me in an estimated 25 minutes. I hung up and exchanged the unit for another just like it. The second one had exactly the same issue. I tried giving Panasonic support one more chance -- this time they estimated 40 minutes to speak to someone.

So I returned the unit and bought a Toshiba D-R4 Multi-Drive DVD Recorder. It is the same price (slightly less in fact), and has almost exactly the same features. As a double-check before buying it, I called Toshiba support to ask them about disk editing, and a technical support agent answered within about 30 seconds and answered my question. So the support is there too.

Most importantly, it plays all my DVDs fine. But also, after trying it, I found several features in the Toshiba that had not been on the Panasonic, to my pleasant surprise. They include:
- A "zoom" feature, which lets you magnify part of the screen to see something you are interested in
- A "replay" button, which backs up an amount you can set to hear again what someone on the show said, see something cool again, etc. This is a feature I had missed in my previous DVD player from my TiVo. Replay is much more useful than rewind, wait, play, try to get the timing right.
- Shows how long a program is, and what % you are through it. The Panasonic showed how far you are into the program, but not how much time is remaining or what % you are through it. In deciding whether to finish a movie now or hold the rest for later, this is pretty helpful information.
- Will record timer programs even if you forget and leave the DVD recorder turned on, so long as there is a disc loaded with space on it.
- It even has free shipping, which the Panasonic does not.

In the end, I was quite glad the Panasonic had these problems, so I would find the Toshiba D-R4 instead and get these additional features for free. The only issue I found on the Toshiba is that it is only available in silver (which doesn't match all my black Audio Video components well), but that is a pretty small issue.

What a fantastic machine for a fantastic price! I have already started transferring my huge mountain of VHS and camcorder tapes to disc and have had ZERO problems thus far! I have used both dvd+r and dvd-r with no problems and have played them both back on a Mac computer and an older model RCA dvd player. I find it simple to use and the picture is just beautiful. I'm glad I waited for this model instead of purchasing one last year for almost double the price! Plus I'm having a blast pulling out my old vhs movies that have been gathering dust for over 20 years!
Plus there are a ton of great features and this machines works just like a VCR as far as programming your favorite shows to watch later. There are some excellent deals on blank discs out there as well, too. I highly recommend this unit (even told Mom about it)!!!!

I bought the Panasonic to record shows I wanted to keep from my TiVo. After reading some Amazon reviews and Consumer Reports, I decided Panasonic was a great DVD recorder brand and went with it.

I've already recorded to DVD-R and DVD-RW and both were easy and turned out great. The 1-hr and 2-hr quality is excellent. It also has a "flexible" recording mode that maximizes the quality of a recording if it's just over a certain length, but just below the next recording mode. The unit itself doesn't feel like it's built very solid, but I'm not too concerned. The unit also seems to get pretty hot while recording, so make sure you have ample ventilation and don't put it right on top of your amplifier.

My only usability complaint is that to finalize the disc, you have to go through a lot of menu options. I wish there was just a finalize button on the remote and then one confirmation option. I guess I also don't really like the random thumbnail images that it displays in the disc menu either. It'd be nice to pick a thumbnail that might better represent what the recording is, but this is a very minor complaint. ** edit 09/13/05- I just found out how to edit the thumbnails-- yay!

I couldn't be happier with the performance and value of this unit. I'm going to transfer my wife's collection of exercise VHS tapes to DVD next and a couple of home videos then retire the VCR. BTW, pick up a Verbatim 100-pack spindle of DVD-R's from Amazon. They're a steal right now at under $35 (ASIN: B0002IQ1FS).

Finally, a product that works exactly as advertised. I'm had this unit for several months now and have given it quite a workout and have had no problems whatsoever. It works exactly as if it was a VCR but it records on discs instead of tapes. The audio and video quality is superb -- you won't be disappointed -- there were no unhappy surprises for me with this unit, for once, I can't find anything to complain about.

This is a great machine. I wanted a way to save programs from my DVR to DVD and this Panasonic is just the ticket.

My oldest son is an A/V professional and he always praises Panasonic's engineering, reliability, and price. Once again - he's right. This machine sets up quickly and comes with clear instructions for using the different types of recordable DVD media available.

The only shortcoming I found with this machine is a personal wish for a few more standard outputs, but my A/V setup is somewhat complex.

If you simply want to record to DVDs, this machine will make you a satisfied customer.