Panasonic DMR-ES20 DVD-RAM Recorder

Record your home movies and your favorite TV programs easily to DVD disc with the Panasonic DMR-ES20 progressive scan recorder/player, which can record to write-once DVD+R and DVD-R media or rewritable DVD-RW and DVD-RAM discs (the latter being a great choice for temporary storage of recorded material as it can be rewritten more than DVD-RW). It's easy to record TV programming with the built-in analog TV tuner with RF pass-through and seven-day electronic programming guide (EPG). In addition to standard DVD movie and CD audio discs and its compatible recordable formats, the DMR-ES20 can play back DVD+RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, JPEG, and MP3. Panasonic's Time Slip function consists of two features designed to give you added flexibility and control when making DVD recordings: Chasing Playback and Simultaneous Record & Play. With Chasing Playback, you don't have to wait for an entire program to be recorded before watching it from beginning to end. This feature allows you to watch a program that's currently being recorded from any point that's already been recorded--while continuing to record the live program in progress. Simultaneous Record & Play allows you to record a program onto a disc while simultaneously watching any other program that's previously been recorded on the same disc.

You can set your recorder to one of five different recording speeds, each varying in recording quality and length. EP mode yields the most recording time, LP & SP modes provide less recording time with higher quality recording, and XP mode gives you the highest quality recording. There's also the FR (Flexible Recording) mode that lets you record with the best picture quality possible for the recording time and remaining space on the disc.

The Direct Navigator feature makes it easy to find a previously recorded program on a disc. A list of recording dates, times, channels and (user-entered) titles are shown on screen. With the Playlist Playback function, you can perform simple non-linear video editing using, such as rearranging the order of scenes, skipping over unwanted scenes, or copying selections

Jump directly to any spot on a disc and begin playback or recording right away with the Rapid Random Access function. Even if there is no sequential area of empty space available, this DVD recorder can record data on available space throughout the rest of the disc. You will also avoid searching for a blank spot to start recording, or accidentally recording over desired material.

It offers an optical digital audio output for Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound and a Firewire (also known as IEEE1394 or i.Link) for direct connection to a digital video camcorder. This recorder/player also offers the following connection options:

Composite video Input: 2 (1 front) Composite audio (L/R) Input: 2 pair (1 front) S-Video Input: 2 (1 front) RF Input: 1

What's in the Box: DVD recorder/player, remote control (with batteries)