Panasonic DMRES20D review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Guy Cocker

Reviewed on: 6 March 2006

Tags: Panasonic, Panasonic DMRES20D, DVD playback, hard drive, broadcast

We like:

Ease of use; Freeview integration; wide recording format support

We don't like:

Lacks features such as DV input, DivX and SD card slot; no hard drive; no dual-layer DVD+R support

You might also need:

DVD-R/-RW/+R/+RW/-RAM discs, DVD movies, component video cable

CNET UK judgement:

The ES20D offers one simple benefit to consumers -- the combination of DVD recorder and Freeview tuner in one box. This makes recording far easier as you can zip around the guide with ease, but in order to keep the low price tag the features list has been shrunk to minuscule proportions. If you're not a power user you might be able to put up with the omissions, but everyone else would find better value by spending more money on a fully featured HDD/DVD combi

Full review:

Panasonic recorders are the Volvos of the DVD world. Solid and reliable, they don't usually innovate, nor are they cheap, but they can always be depended on for quality. The company has been producing DVD and hard drive combos for a long time, and it has also produced an excellent integrated Freeview hard drive recorder. The ES20D is the company's first DVD recorder and digital tuner combo unit, offering higher quality picture recordings and convenient scheduling from the electronic programme guide. Continue Reading...