Panasonic DMR-EZ475VK DVD Recorder

Talk about a complicated remote!! The only good part about the universal portion is that it supports my 15 y.o Magnavox TV. I've been using this for 3 days now and still haven't figured out all of its functions.

I bought this unit to play DVDs I recorded on my PC but it won't play some +Rs and -RWs that played on my old unit!!! My 5 y.o old Samsung was dying so a brand new DVD player should be backwards compatible. Will be calling Panasonic to see if there's another firmware update (other than the one for the V-Chip that's on their site). From Panasonic's website, "Multi-Format Playback (Playable Disc Type): DVD, DVD-RAM, DVD-R/-RW, DVD-R(DL), +R/+R(DL)/+RW, CD, CD-R/RW." Which means that they explicitly state that this unit WILL play the formats with which I'm having problems.

The 100-page manual is written very illogically, but if you dig hard enough you can find what you need. I found a paragraph written in fine print which reads that it won't play SOME -RWs (see p. 75). It also reads that it won't play discs that haven't been finalized but according to my DVD burning programs, the discs ARE finalized. Still looking for a program that will finalize disc so Panasonic will recognize them.

The unit responds slowly but you have the option for "quick start" which uses more power as it leaves it on all of the time. The TV tuner responds rather slowly. The picture quality is AMAZING! The quality of the VHS recordings are fantastic. However, the unit must be turned off for it to record. My old unit recorded regardless if it was on or off. If you're watching a DVD, it won't record your scheduled programs.

If the unit's recording, you can't use the other inputs. I have my PS2 connected to the 1st input but can't play games if I'm recording! (My old unit was the same.)

I also bought it to copy my recorded VHS tapes to DVD but have yet to try it. It appears simple enough as there is one button on the front of the unit to record to VHS or DVD.

It was very simple to connect to my cable & TV. It came with brightly colored, quick-start, step-by-step pictorial instructions. The unit is larger than my other but is also lighter. Dimensions (H x W x D) 3 5/16" x 16 15/16" x 13 5/8",
Weight 11.66 lbs.

If Panasonic can't resolve its not being able to play back the discs I recorded, I will be returning this unit.

A terrific unit. I have two now! Digital HD and analog SD look great on my 35" Sony XBR analog TV. DVD-RAM disk recording is flawless and so convienent-try it. VCR record is great also. Scheduled recording is very easy to set up.
Transfers old VHS tapes to DVD with push of one button.

Remote and onscreen menues are great. The unit has lots of functions so take your time with set up. Yes you have to turn it off after you set up a record session but it reminds you on screen.

Also looks terrific on 1080p playback with HDMI interface with Sony LCD TV.

Paid less than $125 dollars for refurbed unit on Ebay that looks and works perfect.

This DVD recorder is a refurbished one and replaced another earlier model I had that only lasted one year.
VCR VHS slow motion play back is not clear, disappionting slow motion for tapes not like my earlier Panasonic, however DVD play back in slow motion is good.
Clock is slow losing 5 minutes in a month. Instruction in the manual are the hard to understand Panasonic way. It took me 25 minutes to find out in the manual that you cannot record from digital tuner TV to a VHS tape. Poorly placed information in the manual in fine print. Lots of features that take a lot of time to figure out how to use them. Wish they could change the way things are explained in the manual. SD card reader will only read pictures jepg. not video that could be on an SD card. Very slow at reading pictures off the SD card too. If you have more than 20 pictures on the SD card you will be sitting for several minutes waiting for them to load, as my unit took one minute to pull up 15 pictures from a 7 meg per picture camera.
Digital tuner works ok.
Overall an ok unit that has room for improvement.
I guess it is better than other brands from what I have read, just hope it lasts longer the my other Panasnic model did, which was only a year.

I haven't had a DVD burner for the TV before I bought this unit. I was looking for a DVR unit for just normal broadcasts, but decided to just go with a straight to DVD burner. I bought the refurb unit for a super price, but now I am not sure if that was the best option for me. Since I've had it for about 3 months now, it has "locked up" on me 3 times, so I had to restart the unit. DVDs with just a few minor scuffs don't play well at all on this machine, but play better on my other DVD player. The unit takes awhile to "boot up" and so don't be in a hurry to watch a DVD or pickup the broadcasts in seconds. It also takes its time shutting down. I've had a stand alone Panasonic DVD player before, and it was slow too. The DVD tray is a little noisy and it makes funny sounds when it is accessing chapters. Also, there is no on screen TV guide to program to, just the old fashioned VCR programming. It also has a display screen that pops up occasionally for no reason at all.

The good: It burns DVDs without much trouble. I wouldn't recommend the EP setting. It picks up show info on popular shows and creates a title for each burn. Upconverting is nice and the picture looks good. Just the broadcast is not HD, only 480i. Unless you get the DVD-RAM?

I was not as impressed as I thought I'd be, but for now it will do until Blu-Ray burners are more popular and cheaper.

I like the fact that the machine is quite versitile, I use vhs occasionally, SD cards, and DVD. I can plug my digital cameras into the unit and play directly to my tv or record to dvd without tying up the computer. Recording from vhs to dvd produces the same quality picture, even a tad better on dvd as is on the original tape.
What I didn't like:
1) the recording instructions weren't very clear on set up. A bit of playing around and only 2 ruined dvd's later (not a total loss as they do still play) and I figured out what I needed to do, so more of a minor irritation than a real dislike.
2) I have some old Disney vhs that I wanted to put onto dvd for my kids and grandkids to enjoy. I could not record due to copyright issues. The main reason I got this unit, rather than just a player was so that I could record these tapes and get rid of them. Now I'll have to figure out another bypass.