The DMR-EZ48V was purchased as a replacement unit. The ...old one broke down over a period of time and some un-finalized discs were unplayable in any other kind of recorder/player. The new machine works "better" than the old one, though, and I'm happy to have it. There are better recorders with more features, but the Panasonic has a good tuner, and the minor inconveniences of not being able to eject from the remote and navigate with less complexity are acceptable. On the whole, it helps you create good quality discs at home for playback on any device, and it serves well for a modest cost.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
It have some issues at first a...nd I almost returned it but after awhile it started working. It could be because these units have some age on them and believe it or not if they are not used on a regular basis they tend to develop problems. Panasonic overall designs great products and once the VHS tape started playing the picture quality was great. Had some issues with the DVD side at first too but after working with it awhile it came to life with first rate video and sound.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The good: Outstanding DVD...-recording quality, with a best-in-class LP mode; flexible recording speed; chasing playback with DVD-RAM discs; USB port and SDHC card slot for playback of MP3, DivX, and JPEG files; upscales DVD to 1080p; VHS-to-DVD dubbing for home recordings. The bad: VHS operations are a bit slow; expensive; no Blu-ray compatibility. Recording performance: Did not have any trouble getting the Panasonic to record on all disc types, including DVD-RAM, DVD+R/-R, and DVD+RW/-RW, and having it display in the correct aspect ratio on wide-screen TVs. VHS recording performance proved to be much more defined in quality levels. Obviously, SP yielded the best results, while VP rendered material that was barely watchable. We'd recommend taking advantage of the Auto setting and allowing the device to calculate the best setting for the amount of tape you have. We do have one complaint about the speed of the VHS functionality: seems a bit slower than VCRs we have used in the past. But the picture quality and performance of the DMR-EZ48VK surely outweighs its lethargic operation. DVD player performance: Testing pure upconversion performance, we once again started off with HQV. The Panasonic did fine on the first test, demonstrating its ability to handle the full resolution of DVDs. The Toshiba, however, fell apart right away. It could not render the 1080p section, washing out the vertical lines into a flicking box. The Panasonic had middling performance on the next jaggy tests: it had trouble handling the third of the three shifting lines, and the rotating white line had more jaggies than we'd like to see. The Toshiba failed this altogether. On the flag test, the Panasonic also produced quite a few jaggies. Despite handling the resolution test well, the DMR-EZ48VK had some trouble with the detail test, as we saw curved lines known as moire in the white marble steps. On the other hand, it did an excellent job on the 2:3 pull-down test, successfully kicking into film mode in a fraction of a second. The bottom line: Outstanding recording quality, tons of features, and a built-in digital TV tuner make the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK an excellent all-purpose DVD and VHS recorder. Thanks to the rise of Blu-ray, DVD can no longer be considered cutting-edge technology. But with Blu-ray recorders still not a reality--not in North America, anyway--DVD still has the edge when it comes to archiving home video. And because many of those who compulsively record TV shows have a pack rat mentality that dates back to the days of VHS, many of the DVD recorders currently on the market are combo DVD/VCR models. The DMR-EZ48VK also adds some step-up features, such as a USB port and SDHC card slot for playing MP3s, DivX video files, and JPEG picture files. More important is the DMR-EZ48VK's top-notch performance, which gives crisp recordings even in 4-hour LP mode. The unit also includes our favorite feature, flexible recording, which automatically optimizes the video quality of the content to fill a DVD. While the DVD/VHS combination recorder is surely a dying breed (for the most part, anyway) in today's increasingly digital-only media world, I am comfortable recommending the Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK to those who still need a VHS presence and DVD-recording solution in their home theater systems. Overall I have enjoyed this recorder very much and would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a quality DVD/VHS recorder. :) thumbs up
The unit performed very well. You have to allow the VHS t...ime to complete a command before clicking the next command or else the unit locked up. I had to unplug the unit then allow it to reboot which it did without a problem. You need to get a remote if you don't have one. You have to be cautious about selecting SP for the DVD in order to record 2 hr. on the DVD at good quality. I liked the DUB button which issued instructions on what to do. I would recommend this recorder.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Works great, looks like it's never... been used. Had all that was shown in the picture. I was scared when I received it because the outside of the box showed a different model, I was afraid to open it. When I did, it was exactly what I ordered. This was my first purchase and I am very satisfied.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
