Best Of Both Worlds: Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK DVD/VHS Recorder Combo
If you’re a film buff who has a closet full of VHS cassettes, but you are also collecting DVDs and may even want to record them, there’s an all-in-one solution that you really might want to consider. It’s the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK.
Of the several Panasonic recorders that have been available on the market, this machine gives the most bang for the buck. The Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK can record broadcast video signals in both DVD and VHS formats. And to reduce your headache later this year when analog broadcast signals disappear forever, this unit will also convert high definition broadcast signals so that you can record them, assuming you are using an outdoor antenna set up. Both DVD and VHS playback are superb.
Perhaps the coolest feature of this Panasonic DVD recorder is the ability to record from VHS to DVD or vice-versa. So if you have some videos that are not yet available on DVD or else are too pricey, and you want to digitize them for longevity’s sake, you won’t have any problems with this recorder. Especially if you’re a fan of foreign film like I am, this is definitely something you would want. It was always problematic for me to find titles on VHS, and I want to hold on to my Fassbinder video collection for as long as I live. Recording them to DVD is a breeze. You can choose between four recording speeds, but XP and SP are the best ones by far.
Other perks of the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK include a slot for SDHC storage cards and a USB port for flash drives. So if you have any photos, MP3s or even DivX video files on a SDHC card or flash drive, you can play them on your TV without having to go to your computer. The DMR-EZ48VK is a DVD multi recorder, which means it has the ability to write to virtually all recordable CD and DVD media (with the exception of course of Blu-Ray and the deceased HD DVD).
In terms of connectivity, you aren’t going to have issues no matter how old your television is. If you’ve recently invested in a high definition TV, you have HDMI output ports to count on, so both 1080i and 1080p signals are supported. Standard AV output with S-Video and a component video output jacks are also there. You can even hook up your camcorder to the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK with the built-in FireWire port.
Amazon.com is selling the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK for about $300. There is also a tunerless version of this recorder, the DMR-EA38VK, for people who have cable or satellite connections that sells for $50-75 less.