Panasonic DMR-ES15 review

Less impressive is the inclusion of only an analogue TV tuner. This limits your choice of channels, affects overall image quality and makes recordings less easy to programme. You can still connect a separate digital receiver but, as mentioned, picture quality is compromised using the standard Scart input.

Without an EPG to assist you, there are several ways to make recordings, ranging from simple one-touch functions to timer recordings and VideoPlus. Panasonic's Quick Start function means recordings are instantly initiated without the usual delay that means you often miss the start of programmes.

As usual, there are several recording modes each of which trade overall picture quality with recording capacity. Using the highest quality (XP) mode gives you an hour's recording on a standard 4.7GB disc; with SP you get 2hrs; LP gives you 4hrs and EP provides 8hrs. There's also the useful Flexible Recording (FP) mode, which automatically selects the best quality mode that enables recordings to fit on the remaining disc space. It's ideal if you're not sure how much disc space you have left, or if you want fit films onto a single disc using the best possible quality.

The Disc Navigator menu system is expertly organised using thumbnail images to easily recognise recordings. There's also a host of post-editing features, especially using the hard-disk nature of DVD-RAM discs, that let you delete, name, protect and organise recordings.

Performance
The performance of recordings is always dictated by the quality of the integrated TV tuner, which acts as a master copy for recordings to recreate. Although in this instance it's only an analogue tuner, image quality is more than acceptable.

Broadcast images appear stable and poised with relatively little interference from picture noise. Decent black levels expose sharply defined edges and contrast even in dimly lit scenes. Beautifully balanced colours are equally adept at realising the natural tones in daytime chat shows as they are depicting superficial effects in action films.

Recordings, especially using the two highest quality modes, are faithfully accurate to the original. Edges begin to fray and movement occasionally stumbles using the LP mode, but there's still less deterioration than you would expect. Only the blurred, grainy images produced by the lowest quality EP mode should be ignored if possible.

Thankfully, DVD playback hasn't been ignored as merely an afterthought. Progressive scan pictures in particular are impressively clean and cohesive with a tight grip on movement and digital disturbances in all but the most complex scenes, and colours appear more vibrant without losing any natural realism.

Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Kate Macefield