Panasonic DVD recorder

By Mikhail Lvov

Along with more and more wide use of hard disks for recording and storing of video and audio quite popular are DVD recording devices. One of these devices is Panasonic’s DMR-E20S.

This device can record both DVD-RAM and DVD-R. High bit rate and random access to material recorded provide user with wide possibilities. For instance Slip Playback function allows browsing recording program mostly from any place (of course it this is true for already recorded part of program). Because bit rate is pretty high and is 22.16 Mbps it makes possible not only brows the program while it is being recorded but playback one program browsing another one. DVD-Rs recorded by DMR-E20S can by played back by the most DVD players.

Many different interfaces make this device pretty versatile. For high quality signals recording there is RGB input and DV professionals will find IEEE 1394 connector on the device’s panel which allows connecting DMR-E20S to DV camcorder or NLE workstation.

Successor of DMR-E20 — DMR-E30

Rotating wheel on the front panel lets user searching of the necessary clip with 1 minute step. If press this wheel instead of rotating than search step decreases to 30 seconds.

Not less convenient is Direct Navigator function allowing user see full list of material recorded onto disk. Menu lets choose programs from this list for further viewing or deleting. Also manu makes possible play list creating by placing clips in any desirable order. Seamless Playback mode guarantees quality moving from one clip to another. Memory of device allows storing up to 99 play lists and maximum clips quantity for recording onto disk is 999.

For recording user can choose among four modes. XP is best quality mode. In this mode it is possible to record one hour of material onto 4.7 GB DVD-RAM/DVD-R disk. Three other modes are placed in order of quality decreasing: SP, LP and EP with two, four and six hours of recording accordingly. Moreover it is possible to change mode right during recording process. It performs by means of Flexible function which continuously scans free space remaining on disk. If free space becomes too less device is switched into more economical mode. Sure it affects quality of the picture. Also there is possibility of double-side 9.4 GB disks recording which allows recording time to be doubled but requires user intervention for disk reorientation.

In the purpose of image quality increasing variable bit rate (VBR) mode and Visibility Modulation technology are used. It means that compression rate is constantly changing depending on image conditions. VBR changes compression rate depending on number of fine details and (if it is possible to say) quantity of motion in the frame. Visibility Modulation defines less important image areas (background for instance) and applies higher compression rates to these areas. It results in pretty good image with acceptably low bit rate.

As for playback DMR-E20S is ably to understand disks of many formats: CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-RAM and DVD-R. Besides it can read mini DVD-RAM disks used in some Hitachi camcorders.

So one can conclude that Panasonic DMR-E20S DVD recorder allows solving wide task range for TV production.

By Synchro Company