Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Device
Review: I purchased this model in January, primarily to start transferring my hundreds of videotapes onto DVD format. I've put several of them on DVD-RAM discs with no problems. In fact, I love that I can record a whole section and then go back and delete all the commercials and stuff, which cleans up the recording and also returns space to the disk. My only frustration is that at the time I purchased it I had little understanding of the difference between RAM, R and RW. I have now become educated enough to realize that the RAM disks are unplayable on most other machines - so much for making them as gifts! Unfortunately, this machine doesn't play or record to DVD-RW disks, so my only other option is DVD-R. These will be universally playable (supposedly), but require me to watch as I record if I want to eliminate commercials and non-relevant stuff. Much more furstrating because of the time that will be required. Next time I purchase a DVD recorder I will pay more attention to the formats available.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good machine
Review: I purchased this model in January, primarily to start transferring my hundreds of videotapes onto DVD format. I've put several of them on DVD-RAM discs with no problems. In fact, I love that I can record a whole section and then go back and delete all the commercials and stuff, which cleans up the recording and also returns space to the disk. My only frustration is that at the time I purchased it I had little understanding of the difference between RAM, R and RW. I have now become educated enough to realize that the RAM disks are unplayable on most other machines - so much for making them as gifts! Unfortunately, this machine doesn't play or record to DVD-RW disks, so my only other option is DVD-R. These will be universally playable (supposedly), but require me to watch as I record if I want to eliminate commercials and non-relevant stuff. Much more furstrating because of the time that will be required. Next time I purchase a DVD recorder I will pay more attention to the formats available.
Rating: 
Summary: Good unit with a few work-arounds required
Review: I too occasionally have problems formatting RAM media; however, I was able to clear the problem by opening/closing the tray and trying it again. Using this technique, I've never had a RAM disk that couldn't be formatted. Video quality is top-notch at SP (two-hours). I use this unit with my TiVo to save movies/shows to DVD-ROM which then goes in my 300 slot Pioneer DVD Player (F727). So now I can keep all the good stuff, and play them anytime (without getting up.)
Rating:
Summary: Good unit with a few work-arounds required
Review: I too occasionally have problems formatting RAM media; however, I was able to clear the problem by opening/closing the tray and trying it again. Using this technique, I've never had a RAM disk that couldn't be formatted. Video quality is top-notch at SP (two-hours). I use this unit with my TiVo to save movies/shows to DVD-ROM which then goes in my 300 slot Pioneer DVD Player (F727). So now I can keep all the good stuff, and play them anytime (without getting up.)
Rating:
Summary: Glorified VCR but it's a DVD Recorder
Review: I wanted a dvd recorder and this is what the salesman put in my hands. I was mislead at circut city thinking that i could back up my dvds as well as download my tivo recordings from direct tv. it works really good for the downloading the tivo stuff. but forget about the dvd backups, which is why i don't like it. as for a recorder, it works great. The manual is thick, and complicated and it will take me a lifetime to figure out probably. I hope to use it in the future for making dvd of my cam corder. It would be great if someone contacted me and told me of a way to record my dvd feed. I called panasonic and they told me it won't record copy my dvds. Bummer.....
Rating:
Summary: Good Unit for the Money!
Review: I'm sure that more advanced DVD recorders will come on the market soon, but the Panasonic DMR-E20 is good enough for me. I have used it to make back up copies of laserdiscs and VHS tapes, and also some DVDs (Digital Video Editior is required for this to bypass Macrovision and CSS. See "Prospec DVE 773"). The quality has been very good (in 2 hour speed, I've not tried the other speeds yet), and the recorder was very easy to use! I would put the manual away after you've set the clock, it will only confuse you further! I've used DVD-Rs made by Optodisc [money], Apple [money], and Legacy/Ritek [money] all with success. I would point out to potential buyers that your TV must have a dedicated "video channel" for this unit to display on your TV. I had to purchase a new TV because my 20 year old Zenith didn't have a video channel (time for a new one anyway!) I've had success playing back finalized DVD-Rs on my portable DVD player (Panasonic DVLA-95) and my Pioneer 525 with no problems. In short, if you have laserdiscs or VHS tapes (including camcorder footage) that you want to preserve of make portable, this unit is a good choice. The only real con is a lack of digital inputs, but that's all I've found so far!
Rating: 
Summary: Not ready for the general public yet
Review: I've had a similiar experience when I bought one of the first CD recorders years ago (HP). The technology isn't ready yet. First of all my $[money]Maxwell DVD RAM can't be formatted - it is 'locked' and the product won't let me unlock it until I format it ; but I can't format until it is unlocked. The physical lock on the DVDRAM wasn't set. Panasonic didn't provide a DVD-RAM disk or a DRD-R disk with the product. I also bought a $12 DVD-R disk. That worked, but it won't play on my Toshiba DVD player; it does play on my Samsung player; it poorly plays on a AudioVox personal DVD player (the player make a lot of noise like it doing lots of retries to get the data). I also bought a bunch of cheaper (no name) DVD-R disks ...When using those disks, the unit turns itself off (no error messages) after exactly 30 seconds when recording. I don't think I have a bad recorder; that's just the state of the technology.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent machine
Review: I've had my machine since right after they came out, about six months ago. I have 89 single sides of DVD-RAM discs, I say sides because some are 2-sided. I have only had trouble formatting 2 discs out of all of them. All but 4 of them are Optodiscs, which I have had 5 of them with bad spots and 2 that would not format. The company is more than happy to replace them if they have never been removed from the cartridge. Besides the few disc problems this is an awesome machine that records very well in SP, two hour mode. The 4 and 6 hour modes make blocks on moving scenes, annoying to me, but the recordings are much sharper and cleaner than any VCR even if the VCR recording is in SP. This includes prerecorded videos. I record in the 2 hour mode what I want to see later. The recordings are just like watching my satellite receiver. No picture quality loss that I can see, and I am very picky about my TV picture. The only difference is that the picture is a little softer, but if you turn the sharpness a little on the TV there is no difference. Audio quality is far superior to even the best HiFi VCR. Some of the discs I have used many times, with no picture loss at all. Editing capabilities are endless. The time slip is great. If I'm not quite ready to watch a movie at the time it starts, I just start recording then start from the beginning of the movie when I'm ready to watch, while the recorder keeps recording. Watching a different part of the disc while recording does slow down play functions, pause search etc., but the recorder keeps recording flawlessly. It recordes on blank spots automatically wherever they may be on the disc, I've yet to see a seam in recording. I haven't used DVD-Rs. The machine is made around DVD-RAM discs. Half of the features of the recorder do not work with DVD-Rs. I've found that DVD-RAMs in a cartridge are only slightly more than a DVD-Rs If you shop around. And the RAMs are good for 100,000 times, while DVD-Rs are a one time thing. Can't see the point, unless you want to take them elsewhere to play them. The machine is very simple to use. It does need to scan discs each time they are inserted, so it takes a minute to scan the disc before it will record or play. So discs to record on have to be inserted a little before starting recording. One last little tidbit. If you have an E-10 machine too, the discs can be formatted on it, or just erased on it, to get 9 extra minutes per disc SP mode, 2:09 instead of 2:00.I have both and both are excellent machines.
Rating:
Summary: Now my Second DMR-E20S has a recording problem...
Review: My second unit now engages the "Copy Protect Function", which is activated through the Remote Control, by itself. It takes a series of various button presses on the remote control to engage this Copy Protection Feature, but these DMR-E20S's seem Haunted! Anyone familiar with the procedure of button presses you must take to delete a recorded program, knows that it's kind of senseless to have this "Copy Protect Function" anyway. You have to go out of your way to delete a program - It's not as simple as accidentally pressing one or two buttons. But since Panasonic Did include it and when My Machine decides to turn the Copy Protect to "On" by itself, I wind up missing my show because it won't record. Never got a response to my phone calls to Panasonic about the "Format" problem my first unit had. My email about this 2nd unit's problem has been forwarded to Panasonic's Tech. Dept. - Oh Joy! :( My 4 year old VCR still works like new and was 1/10th the price. (Panasonic VCR - B.T.W.)
Rating:
Summary: Now my Second DMR-E20S has a recording problem...
Review: My second unit now engages the "Copy Protect Function", which is activated through the Remote Control, by itself. It takes a series of various button presses on the remote control to engage this Copy Protection Feature, but these DMR-E20S's seem Haunted! Anyone familiar with the procedure of button presses you must take to delete a recorded program, knows that it's kind of senseless to have this "Copy Protect Function" anyway. You have to go out of your way to delete a program - It's not as simple as accidentally pressing one or two buttons. But since Panasonic Did include it and when My Machine decides to turn the Copy Protect to "On" by itself, I wind up missing my show because it won't record. Never got a response to my phone calls to Panasonic about the "Format" problem my first unit had. My email about this 2nd unit's problem has been forwarded to Panasonic's Tech. Dept. - Oh Joy! :( My 4 year old VCR still works like new and was 1/10th the price. (Panasonic VCR - B.T.W.)
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