Panasonic DMR-HS2 Review

Overall Rating

Looks great, records well from free to air.

Responds very slowly to commands, macrovision protected.

This machine Panasonic DMR-HS2 has a HDD and DVD drive/recorder built in.
The recording sequence is to record your information to the HDD and if required burn it to the DVD disc.
Works great from free to air information but the above sequence does NOT work when recording from DVD movies because of the built in Macrovision protection. This short fall makes it one very expensive machine to record TV shows.

Members' Comments onjenko.'s Review

• Broad Marsh. on 11th Apr 2003

  Completely disagree with the comments from this reviewer. Suggest he reads what can be done with it and not you cannot do. No DVD recorder will record from DVDs without copy protection removal electronics

• Lyndon. on 30th May 2003

  Fair comment. Isn't copying pre-recorded DVDs illegal, anyway?

• Bonzo Banana. on 7th Jul 2003

  Its not macrovision stopping recording dvds as thats for stopping video recorders (tape type). Its another form of protection that actually informs the dvd recorder not to record the dvd. Its a flag thats encrypted into hidden areas of the image I believe. If the flag is there it shouldn't record. Panasonic have to obide by this.

• shanestrong on 19th Mar 2004

  I bought one of these machines last week and it's been fantastic. I still think i'm watching the TV when i'm actualy watching a recording.
  Most films on DVD are eventualy aired on digital stellite anyway, so just wait and record it from them! If, unlike me, you watch the same film over and over again why dont you think of a legal copy as an investment. I like factual programmes and documentaries so this machine is perfect for me, I can archive to RAM or record to DVD-R and give to a friend. Like another reviewer said, take a look at what it DOES do and not what it doesnt, I love editing out ads and its a piece of cake.You can even record soaps in the background while watching something interesting and then burn it to DVD so your missus can watch it when your not around...these machines are soooo complicated darling..ill record it for you !!
  My verdict...buy one today and throw your VHS recorder in the bin (It will be in a museum soon anyway) The japanese can now store hours and hours of high quality video on a credit card size compact flash device.

• ashleylongley on 15th Oct 2004

  I've had mine for a while now and still think it's the mutt's nuts. Record quality 2nd to none. Would say only restriction is dvd-r and ram only.

• ashleylongley on 15th Oct 2004

  I've had mine for a while now and still think it's the mutt's nuts. Record quality 2nd to none. Would say only restriction is dvd-r and ram only.

• jhkelly on 13th Nov 2004

  I bought one of the first DMR-HS2s that came off the line and I've had problems with recording quality from older home VHS tapes recorded with a camera. You know how the auto aperture and level control in the older cameras "jumps" when a brighter object comes into the picture? This DMR-HS2 I have accentuates this making it umbearable to watch. I borrowed a later version of the same model and it did not have this problem. Panasonic service claims there are no upgrades - I don't belive them. Making a DVD recording of a factory-recorded VHS tape (non-copy guarded) works fantastic!

• Anthrakas on 30th Oct 2005

  Review is on assumed use of the machine and not on what the machine is sold for. Do not buy this machine if you think you can copy DVD's with it.