Panasonic DMR-EX83

Panasonic DMR-EX83 review

The Panasonic DMR-EX83 the ideal way of switching over to digital, because not only does it come equipped with a Freeview tuner, but it also packs a sizeable 250GB hard disk and a burner for dumping recordings onto a DVD.It replaces last year's superb DMR-EX79 and we're hoping the newcomer can provide a similarly impressive performance. FeaturesThat hard disk gives you 441hrs of recording time in the lowest quality EP mode, although in XP that reduces to 55hrs. SP and LP offer 110 and 221hrs respectively, while Flexible Recording optimally fits a recording into a given space. With a hard disk on board, DVD-RAM's versatile array of editing tricks is rendered redundant but write-once recording is always useful for making archive copies. The hard disk doesn't only store Freeview recordings, it also acts as a library for music (MP3, WMA) and JPEG photos, with a clear onscreen menu system that makes it easy to organise your content. Files can be transferred from USB stick or disc, and additionally you can play DivX from USB, DVD or CD. The EX83 also features the CD ripping feature, which enables you to upload music without a PC. This recorder is strictly standard definition and will never be able to receive DVB-T2 broadcasts.