Panasonic DMR-EH67 Multi-System, Multi-Zone DVD-Recorder

Comments about Panasonic DMR-EH67 Multi-System, Multi-Zone DVD-Recorder:

I use the EH67 (and EH59) daily to record video depositions. The Panny DMR line is still my top recommendation to videographers upgrading to all-digital setups. In this task it reigns supreme in convenience and quality.

The menus are actually very easy to use, once you get the hang of them. New users need not fear these units.

That being said, now on to some info for the power users and videographers out there....

Obviously, I never use the tuner, so I don't care that it's not digital. Also haven't messed with HDMI out or DV input yet.

Coming from older units like EH80/EH85, you'll notice the following differences: the burn speeds are faster. However, maximum speed made a coaster with an awful 1" gap of unburned tracks in the middle of the disc the first time I tried it (gasp!), and it sounded like an airplane taking off, so I turn all mine to "normal (silent)" mode in the setup. At that speed it takes about 6 minutes to burn a full DVDR, and I've only had about 3 discs out of 500 have a bad sector and need to make another copy. (I verify every disc on computer by making an ISO file to ensure 100% readable sectors.)

Also, new units like these use Gracenote libraries pre-installed on the HDD, and the firmware looks for that to validate a working HDD. So simply popping in a new drive after HDD failure doesn't work like in E85 days -- you have to copy a valid image to the HDD first. (Boo hiss Panasonic.) I have two units, so this isn't a problem for me, since the images don't seem to be unit-specific (ie, a 59 copy can resurrect a 67 and vice versa).

Lastly, the battery that maintains the time of day is MUCH smaller than previous generations. Mine only last for about 4 hours without power, then they go back to 00:00 on Jan 1 on the year of the firmware or somesuch. So I have to set the clock before every depo, if I want the date column in Direct Navigator to be useful.

The E80/E85 units were very picky about the brand of media they work with. I assume this is still true, so I've stuck to Sony DVD-R's to be safe, but haven't experimented much to see if other brands work better in the new models than they did in old ones.

On the positive side, finalizing a disc is now streamlined into the normal copy mode like a small batch process. Since that includes finalizing at the end, you are blocked from starting a new recording while dubbing, so you have to use advanced mode to record a new track while dubbing. BTW, the "advanced mode" is identical to the old interface from E85 days that just does the copy and you finalize it later.

The interface in Direct Navigator is better now too. No next/prev buttons to jump screenload to screenload, you just arrow off top or bottom and it scrolls accordingly.

Some differences I've noticed between the 67 and 59: The 59 will automatically group divided titles together. The 67 knows about groups, but doesn't group automatically following a divide title event.

The 59 presents an normal/advanced choice after choosing COPY, whereas the 67 puts advanced copy under the "other" menu and therefore just assumes normal and jumps to track selection following pressing COPY. Therefore, I use the 67 for SP recordings that I'm likely to have to divide into pieces, and use the 59 for LP which I'm less likely to have to divide.

When dividing titles with the 59, the Next Track button jumps to fadeouts between segments, rather than the end of the recording. This is VERY handy for cutting recordings into smaller pieces (to fit on DVDR). This could be a setting that the 67 also supports, but haven't dug around to figure it out.

Even with the limitations listed, I still think the Panasonic DMR line are the best choice for the modern videographer that still uses svideo/composite outputs from 4:3 MiniDV cams, as is still standard in the legal video industry now in late 2010.

Comments about Panasonic DMR-EH67 Multi-System, Multi-Zone DVD-Recorder:

I have owned three other Panasonic DVD Recorders, two of them also had the hard drive. Unfortunately, the circuitry on one of them died, so I opted to buy another unit. There are very few hard drive recorders being made anymore, unless you want to waste your money on the monthly fees of TiVo, for instance. Of the limited choices left, the DMR-EH67 was the best value. No one is offering this size hard drive and many features for less than double what I paid for this unit. It is very user-friendly, not always the case with DVRs and appears to be of better quality than the uint it replaced. One quirk is that it is made for the international market, and therefore, has only a twenty-four hour clock, a small price to pay in my opinion. Remember manufactireres are not making these units for the U.S. market anymore. I use the unit in my gym, where I record NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and college wrestling. I watch the games to keep me motivated as I exercise. The over 100 hours of recording space makes this unit ideal. I never run out of sports to watch as I run, bike, etc. All in all, I have no complaints. [...]