Info and forum posts by 'Trentculp'

RE: Is this Panny E55 firmware safe?

Thanks.

Yeah, the UK Panansonic helpline is a contradiction in terms - in fact, I`d describe their attitude as dismissive. Awful. It`s also bizarre that, unlike America, the UK Panny site doesn`t provide updates.

I`ll email the US support site as Gizmo suggested. Cheers.

Is this Panny E55 firmware safe?

My E55`s on the blink. I`ve been advised that I might need to upgrade its firmware. The Panasonic UK telephone support people were not helpful, but I found this page:

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vDownloads?storeId=15001&langId=-1&page=DVDFirmware

I think it might be the American site. I`m worried that the E55 firmware listed might not work in my machine - in fact it might really screw it up!

Advice anyone?

Thanks

Is my E55 dying?

Hi

My E55 is starting to play up. It`s having trouble reading unfinalised RAM and DVD-R disks of various makes, and comes up with "unknown format/non recordable disks" type messages.

Sometimes it will accept a blank disk and record on it, but when I take the disk out and try to play it later, it won`t read it unless it`s been finalized. However, it still plays pre-recorded disks without trouble.

I`m surprised by this. It`s never given me trouble in the 15 months that I`ve had it.

So is this the end?

RE: Epson R200 Printer £49.99 @ Dixons

Hi

I`ve checked my local Dixons and Currys in SW London and they`ve never heard of these price reductions. The websites also show the original price. So where are these R200s being sold at 49 bucks? Is this for real?

Cheers

RE: Sony or Panasonic DVD recorder,which is more reliable.

I`ve had the E55 for about 5 months and I`ve been riding it pretty hard. Its playback/recording reliability is 100% so far.

RE: Recommendations on mp3 players?

Hello

I`ve got an iRiver IHP140 - a 40gb machine bought for 250 from Amazon UK.

It plays mp3s, Ogg and wavs. It`s also an excellent digital recorder with both analogue and digital inputs/outputs. That spec still blows me away. :D

It has an inbuilt FM radio.

It acts as removable hard drive for your PC transferring and storing any type/size of file, although you can only play audio files on it, of course. File transfers are VERY fast using USB2.

It does display .txt files apparently, but I haven`t used that yet. That trick seems slightly pointless to me.

It`s runs for a maximum of 16 hrs on a single battery charge.

Finally, it`s got a very handy wired remote control which replicates all of the controls on the main unit.

The unit sounds amazing, has loads of EQ/spatial effects etc, and runs like a dream so far.

The only drawback is that, because the thing does so much, it can get a little confusing as to which button does what. I have no experience of the ipod, so maybe its navigation is better. But the iRiver certainly out-classes it in terms of features.

For me, it`s one of the best pieces of kit I`ve ever bought, and 40gb certainly goes a hell of a long way.

Hope that helps.

RE: Which iRiver?

The batteries are not replaceable. It`s the only really major drawback with the H100 series. I read somewhere that you will get an average of four or five years life out it, then you`ll basically have a dead machine. The remedy might be to send it to iriver for a new battery, although I`ve no idea how much that would cost (plenty probably).

Then again, in four years there`ll be new players around that will make the iRiver/iPod look like a first generation Walkmans. :)

Meantime you`ll be well served by the H140. Just my opinion though. It`s always worth reading some professional reviews before forking out.

Cheers

This item was edited on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 00:02

RE: Which iRiver?

I bought the H140 because it had double the capacity of the H120 but was only thirty pounds more (from Amazon UK anyway). As far as I know, that`s the only difference apart from the colour.

I posted some comments about the H140 on these pages http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/forums/thread.asp?Forum=211&Thread=330136&Type=1

Cheers

RE: ipod

Hi micoman

I`ve had the iRiver iHP-140 for a week now. Cutting straight to the point:

Good points - it does exactly what is says on the tin. Sound quality (playback and record) is superb.

Bad points - You can`t record from the inbuilt FM radio. The supplied ear-phone plugs are below par. Also, it`s taking me a little time to get used to the central directional navigational button which I manage to misuse on a fairly regular basis ie clicking left when I should click right with the result that I skip tracks by mistake, etc. The button could be a little bigger. Also, most of the buttons and controls have multiple uses - click a button once, it does one thing. Click twice, it does something else. Long hold, and it does yet another thing. So you have to remember what they do or you could get into a pickle. I`ve managed to turn the unit off several times by accident! To be honest, this is just me getting used to the unit. It`s a complex machine and does a lot of different things. A learning curve is inevitable.

Setting up the iriver with a PC is very simple. Just load the drivers from the supplied disc and pow - your PC recognises the iriver as a new drive every time you plug it in. Transferring files to and from PC via USB 2 is incredibly fast - just drag and drop. However, I`ve only transferred .wavs and mp3s so far.

Recording from a hi-fi is simple and effective. You can use the supplied mini-jack cable to plug into you hi-fi outputs. There`s an optical in-out for digital copying, but you have to buy the cable separately. I bought one from Dixons. Works great. You select the recording mode as you please - analogue, optical, microphone, and, like I said, you have the option to record in mp3 (any bitrate) or .wav. One drawback: the record level is automatic - you can`t adjust it. BUT iRiver are supposed to be releasing a free firmware to rectify this quite soon. Hope so, because then I`ll have a portable, full spec digital recorder that at least equals portable DAT and HD recorders costing two or three times as much. Wow!

No CD ripping software is supplied, but you can get a good free one from here:

http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/

It has CDDB, so you can get instant titles for all your tracks. Great.

Phew! That`s that. Obviously, I`m impressed with the iRiver, but the thing could blow up next week - after all, the more complex the machine, the more that can go wrong. Even so, as a do-it-all unit, I`ve not seen better. The iPod has its fans, but it`s expensive for a playback only machine, and to me it looks like a remote control for a piece of medical equipment ;) .

Hope that helps. Cheers and luck.

This item was edited on Saturday, 28th August 2004, 07:44

RE: ipod

Hello

If you`re going to spend 229 on an ipod, you might consider getting an iRiver iHP-140. It does everything that the ipod does plus you get

40 gb
16hrs battery playback
Records straight to mp3 (any bitrate) or .wav via optical and analogue line inputs
Has a built in microphone and an input for a external one
Plays mp3, ogg, wav
Can transfer and store any type of data
Displays .txt. files...
...and, yes, it has a built in FM radio.

Is that enough for everyone? :)

I bought one last week and it`s one the best pieces of kit I`ve ever forked out for. Did I mention that it also looks gorgeous? Black and silver, all metal.

If you`re interested, try Amazon. They`re doing it for 250.

Cheers and luck

RE: Panny E55 Recording from VHS

Hello

I`ve made lots of VHS to E55 recordings using the scarts at the back of the E55 - ie. scart OUT from the VHS to scart IN on the Panasonic. I use a simple scart lead. I haven`t used the front AVs yet so I don`t know how they work.

If you`re using the E55`s AV2 input, have you checked that the settings are correct? Go to the setup menu, then go to "connection", then go to "AV2 Input". It gives you a choice between "Video", S-Video and RGB. Playing around with these might produce something.

Good luck
Heath

RE: Aspect ratios confusion - help

Mike

Thanks very much for that. I tried experimenting along the lines you suggested, and it seems to work fine. There seems to be a little cropping at the top and bottom of frame in 16:9 but not too much. I`ve only had the Lodos for a few days and its auto mode seems to be responding to the broadcasted ratios.

BTW the Lodos is a pretty good TV for the offer price (159.99), but white tones seem to flare a bit and, as someone else mentioned on another thread, there is a slight bend at the sides of the picture. I don`t think it`s a fault. More likely a design flaw. I can live with it at these prices!

Cheers again, Mike.

This item was edited on Sunday, 20th June 2004, 23:13

Aspect ratios confusion - help

Hi

I have three units, all of which have their own aspect ratio settings. My question is: what are the ideal settings to achieve a true broadcast picture? This is particularly important for my DVD recordings because I`m not sure if the programmes I`m recording are in their true framings.

I have:

A Nokia Mediamaster Freeview box with the following aspect options: normal (4:3) full screen, normal (4:3) letterbox, and widescreen.

A Panasonic E55 DVD recorder with these options: 16:9 Wide TV, 4:3, and Letterbox.

A Lodos 28" widescreen television with: 4:3, Auto, 16:9, 14:9, Cine, and subtitles.

The only unit with an auto function is the Lodos. I think the lack of an auto function on the Nokia is the weakest link in the chain.

Any suggestions for an ideal ratio setup?

Thanks

Best and worst recordable DVD-R blanks. The ultimate list.

Hi

Would members like to list their favourite and least favourite DVD-R brands here? Good to bad in descending order, and maybe with a few critical comments if you want.

It would not only be useful for me, but it might be a handy resource for other visiting newbies looking for fast comparisons.

Maybe someone else could do a thread which covers other formats - or maybe just put them all here.

Cheers.

This item was edited on Saturday, 15th May 2004, 07:13

RE: Urgent - need advice on Toshiba RD-XS30 DVD recorder

Hi goblinspell

Yeah, I understand. It can be seriously exasperating. Actually I`m only considering replacing the E55 because, after using it for a day, I suddenly understood the advantages of HDD. Sometimes you have get up close to see the bleedin` obvious!! ;)

The E55 is fine really. However, there are compression artifacts at lower bitrates that I personally find to be unacceptable. XP mode is broadcast quality and superb. FR (Flexible Recording mode) at 90 mins is the lowest I`d dare go for important recordings. It`s about as good as XP. But the artifacts creep in the lower you go until you hit EP 8hr then yuck! I wouldn`t use this to record anything except programmes that I really hate. There`s a myth that LP and EP modes are equal to VHS, and it`s just that, a myth - IMHO of course.

These compression artifacts are probably common to all domestic DVD recorders and not a shortcoming of the E55. I doubt that the Toshiba is any better in this regard. The technology is still very young, so it`s fair enough I guess. But recording everything on XP is an expensive and impractical proposition, so I`m slightly disappointed.

I`m also having second thoughts about risking an extra 200 quid just for the Toshiba`s HDD especially if the picture isn`t any better. I might as well stick with the Panny until the technology improves overall. I`ll give it a year. By then the machines will probably be twice as good for half the price. Afterall, that`s what happened with DVD players.

Sorry if I put you off. The Panny is probably as good as any other non HDD unit right now, so you might as well get it. At least it has RGB in/out and plays multi-region disks and mp3s - none of which the Toshiba can do.

Oh boy, have I just talked myself out of getting the Tosh or what?! :)

Cheers and luck
Trentculp

This item was edited on Friday, 7th May 2004, 05:14

Urgent - need advice on Toshiba RD-XS30 DVD recorder

Hi

I need to exchange my Panny E55 for a hard disk recorder and I only have a week or so to hit Richer Sounds` return time limit. The Toshiba RD-XS30 looks good but, suspiciously, there`s hardly any information about it on the web or even this forum.

Can anyone fill in the gaps - picture quality, features etc.

Thanks in advance

Panasonic DMRHS2 recorder - any opinions?

Hi

I`m giving serious thought to swapping my recently purchased Panasonic E55 for a DMRHS2 with hard drive. Does anyone know about this machine? Any views on it would be appreciated.

Thanks

RE: Panasonic E55 - A couple of quick questions

Thanks guys

Actually, I`ve found that all of the E55`s record modes on DVD-R will playback on both my Mico Diamante DVD and my PC. No sweat.

Well, I`ve had the E55 for a few days now. It`s a good machine. Initially, I was blown away - I`m a recordable DVD newbie afterall.

BUT...

I have to say that the E55`s LP and EP recording modes are, frankly, not good enough. Someone on another thread said that EP mode was equal to VHS. This is not the case. In fact EP is MUCH worse than VHS`s LP mode. There are pronounced mpeg artifacts below the E55`s SP mode: aliasing, blocking, sparkle and a subtle, but very irritating frozen image effect that lasts for a fraction of a second on any image not moving beyond a certain speed (I hope I explained that clearly). These artifacts are starkly revealed on a hi-res PC monitor. Ouch!

I`m sure these effects aren`t specific to the E55. The technology is young, so I`m sure things will improve. However, because XP and SP only provide 2hrs max, and because DVD-RAM is expensive and not universally compatible, I`m beginning to feel that convenience and cost is compromised. I can now see the benefits of a hard drive.

Well, I could go back to Richer Sounds and exchange the E55 for a hard drive model, but they only have the Panny DMRHS2 (now discontinued by Panasonic) and the Toshiba RDXS30 (region 2 only) in stock. At over 450 each, that`s a big price hike.

Does anyone know anything about those two units? I`ve got about ten days to make up my mind. Advice would be welcome.

Having said all that, the E55 really is a good machine above a certain threshold. Playback is ravishing, especially compared to my cheap old Mico.

My thanks

RE: Panasonic E55 - A couple of quick questions

Thanks for that, phelings.

You and others might be interested to know that The Computer Shop (high street chain) is selling Verbatim DVD-Rs at 12.99 for a pack of 25. Not bad. They seem to work well so far.

I also ordered 25 Datawrite Yellow disks from Burn Media. I hope they`re good. I`d still love to know where I can get cheaper RAM disks.

Yesterday, based partly on views expressed here, I bought an E55. Up to now, it seems like a wise purchase, so thanks to all on the forum. I just (rather selfishly) hope that -R wins out over +R in the long run.

Cheers

Panasonic E55 - A couple of quick questions

Does anyone know if every speed mode (SP, LP, EP etc) recorded with the E55 will play back correctly on standard DVD players?

Also can anyone suggest the best and hopefully cheapest blank DVD-R and DVD-Ram disks? RAM disks seem to be awfully expensive compared to RWs.

Any advice would be appreciated.

My thanks

RE: Panasonic DMRE85 Anyone?

Hi

Anyone know what the difference is between the DMRE85 and the E55? From the very little I know, the E55 seems to be a similar machine but at half the price.

Cheers

Mico Diamante Trouble - Alien Directors Cut

Hi

I just bought the 2 DVD Alien Director`s Cut and I`m having trouble playing the second special features disk. The Mico won`t play the featurettes. Instead, when they are selected, the Mico defaults to its own logo page.

The DVD plays in my PC, so I don`t think it`s a disk problem.

Is there a workaround for the Mico? Can anyone help?

Thanks
Heath

RE: MICO Diamante 3000......HELP!

Howdy

I had the same problem with the diamante and Jam 1. I don`t know about the other DVD titles, but if you wait for the Jam disk to default to the mico screen then press "menu" on the remote, the Jam menu will appear as normal and you can view the disc to your heart`s content. Don`t know why it works like this but it does.

Happy xmas.

RE: Mico Diamante 3000 does not play CDs via digi-out.

Yes. It`s a Sony DAT machine and accepts 44 and 48 digi input. The digi playback sound from a DVD disk is terrific and a hell of a lot better than the analogue output. But I get absolute silence when I play a CD.

Mico Diamante 3000 does not play CDs via digi-out.

The diamante replays DVD sound through digi-out, both optical and coaxal, but it won`t play CD sound through dig-out. I`ve tried adjusting between sample rates and PCM/Bitstream. No joy. Anyone else find this to be the case? Otherwise, good player for the price.

Mico Diamante 3000 region 2 only? Plays CDs via digi-out?

Hello.
I`m pretty new to DVDs, and, flying blind, bought a Diamante 3000 for Xmas. It seems to be an OK machine, but I`m now unsure if it will play region 1 discs. Regions were not specified on the packaging, and I assumed it would be a multi-region player like the much lauded Clasica 20. To my mild horror, I found that the Diamante`s back panel has a globe logo with the number 2 on it. Presumably this means it`s a R2 player only, or are there hidden resources in the machine?

I also wanted the machine to act as a CD player. Analogue-wise, it`s fine in that department, but it will not output digital CD audio through the optical and coaxal sockets and channeled into my Sony DAT machine. Is this a common drawback with DVD players? No digital CD sound?

Thanks and Happy New Year to all.