User Reviews on Panasonic DMR-BW780

Far too complex and missing basic functionality

3/10

Gordon Hunter

30th June 2011

Well, I thought this was going to be a great PVR to upgrade to, but it went back to the suppliers. Why? Basic functionality is missing!

The vast majority of people who buy a PVR like this are going to be existing PVR users, who are upgrading. Therefore, they will have loads of TV programmes and films already on an existing PVR that they don't want to lose, so come on Panasonic, where is the ability to transfer them over?

Well, here are the options. I could do them in real time playing back over s-video or SCART, losing picture fidelity in the process and leave both PVR's running for a week. However, even this is not possible, because I either get a one week long programme on the Panasonic, or it stops after every one and has to be restarted copying!!! AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

I tried recording several films and TV programmes to a DVD and then copying them to the HDD on the Panasonic, but despite it allowing me to select them all to copy, it actually only copies the first programme and then stops, making you go through the whole copy process again for each programme on the DVD. Why on earth have the menu allow multiple selections of they don't work? VERY FRUSTRATING!

Some basic functionality is needed that provides an HDMI input that can be recorded from, which will automatically detect new films, etc coming in and record them separately with the correct file name - not "Thursday 29th June 09:52" etc. I want to know whether it is an episode of Poirot or whether it is a film such as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Lethal Weapon 3, etc.

For goodness sake guys it has a hard disk in it. You should be able to copy the data from other devices for other manufacturers WITHOUT having to void the warranty and take the disks out of both units!