Go To Latest Video ReviewsRefine search for Home Cinema
Panasonic DMR-EX88 DVD/HDD Recorder Review
| Author | Danny Phillips |
| Published | 26th May 2008 |
| Manufacturer | Panasonic |
| Price | £329.57 (Exc VAT) |
| as reviewed | £379.00 (Inc VAT) |
| Latest Price | Click here |
| Features |  |
| Performance | |
| Value |  |
| Overall | |
5 comments
Email
TrustedReviews NewslettersThe beauty of Sky+ is that it's so simple to use even your Nan can record an entire series of Midsomer Murders without getting flustered. Features like pause live TV and Series Link have really caught our imagination, making it easier than ever to record and watch TV. And thanks to Freeview Playback, terrestrial digital PVRs now offer the same level of simplicity and flexibility as Sky's satellite trendsetter.
But for some reason DVD/HDD combis have always lived in the shadow of hard-disk PVRs, which isn't really fair when you consider that they offer loads more features and let you burn discs of your favourite shows. Perhaps people think they're simply not sexy enough or too complicated to use, but if that's the case then the introduction Freeview Playback into the DVD/HDD combi world will make them seem a lot more attractive.
The DMR-EX88 is one of the first DVD/HDD recorders to sport a Playback badge and completes Panasonic's ‘holy trinity' of new combis, which also includes the DMR-EX78 and EX768 - both of which we enthused over elsewhere on this site. The EX88 is the top-end DVD/HDD model (not counting the VHS-equipped DMR-EX98V).
At 400GB, it boasts the largest hard-disk capacity in the range, which not only allows you to record up to 712 hours of TV but also store MP3 and JPEG files, turning it into a virtual jukebox and photo album. You can also make TV recordings directly onto DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R or DVD+R discs, or copy stuff from the hard-disk to any of these formats. If you need more that the eight hours of recording time offered by these formats, then you can also copy HDD recordings to dual-layer DVD-R and DVD+R discs, increasing the recording time to over 14 hours.
It's not the most inspirational piece of AV kit we've ever clapped eyes on, though, putting functionality over frills with a rather dull black finish. But open the flap on the front and things get a little more exciting, with the discovery of a USB port for plugging in memory devices and playing back media files, and an SD card slot, which you won't find on the EX78 or 768. The slot accepts SDHC (High Capacity) cards of 4GB and over, and allows you to play back MPEG-2 SD video as well as JPEG photos. It's joined by a DV input to transfer camcorder footage in the highest possible quality, plus a set of AV inputs.
Newsletters
Register to receive the latest Reviews and News Headlines directly to your Inbox every day, and enter our regular competitions. More Info.
Latest 4 of 5 Comments
Have your say: Leave a comment below about this article.
Nick@Redhill said on 26th October 2008
Kevin OLeary said on 17th February 2009
I own a Panasonic DMR-EH50 DVD recorder. On the basis of this, which was fairly good, I purchased a DMR-EX88 recorder. I found out (after the fact) that I cannot save titles (which... more
rpage said on 8th March 2009
Panasonic can issue software updates and have done so for their LCDs... Strange that they cannot issue an update for this device... Seems like someone simply forgot to carry over... more
Dewi Lewis said on 4th September 2009
1. The DMR EX88 cannot fast dub/copy a DVD to HDD, one has to watch the video and any fast forward or other actions will not be recorded.
2. It cannot play unfinalis... more
See all 5 comments on this article.
Add your comment
You must be logged in to comment. Login or register here.
Can you please clarify whether the EX88 will record Freesat images obtained from the tuner in a Panasonic TH-46PZ81B at the higher Freesat HD resolution (obviously the programme be... more