Panasonic DMR-BWT500 / 700 / 800

A great unit but does have one flaw. The remote controllers all have a 2 second delay for record/pla – I've been buying Panasonic DVD and later Blu Ray recorders since the DMR-E30 in 2003. I've also owned the DMR-EH55, EH60, EX75 and the later BWT500. These can be made region free by Panasonic or via firmware. Their is only one flaw with the later blu ray models is a 2 second delay after pressing the record button, pause or play buttons. No… Read more ·  1

idea why they've not corrected this. One of my customer friends has since bought the later 945 blu ray treble tuner model which is far better than the latest 955 model as their is modded firmware out there where some clever person has made it far better and able to do much more than the specs on the unit.

There is nothing out here that records as well as these. Can even set it to edit out the ads.

These later models changed the layout of the remote controller where many of us Panny owners are not happy. The del button is up near the top where most of us are happy with it in the low right corner. So what I do is use my ex75 remote on the later recorders and only use the bwt500 remote for the epg(program guide).

I am in the process of buying the later 955 model. I should have bought the 945 model but missed out on those great discounts when they were clearing them out. I don't think retailers realized the 945 is so much better than the latest 955 model.

I've done my own reviews on these over the many years. I know more about these than any of these retailers. Many I know do not understand the sheer power of these units.

Must set all recordings for DR so that when burning back to blu ray it only takes a few minutes.

The recordings sharpen up the recorded show which no other recorder can do.

Many DVD or Blu Ray authoring businesses I know prefer to use these recorders over software via a pc as they are that powerful.

If there are to many recorded shows or if it gets down under 10 hours of DR video then things start going haywire with the unit. Clear some space and it corrects itself. If it doesn't then format the drive and all will be well again.

Not happy with Panasonic after sales service – Did not realise cannot unlock DVD zones, lots of , sorry but take it to a service centre and they will unlock, !! Not very convenient, and customer service couldn't have been less interested to assist

very disapointed – Bought panasonic dmr-bwt700 new 2012, blu ray and dvd disc's started freezing, not long after recorded programs began freezing. Very disapointed as unit was quite expensive and needs replacing. I would like to hear a response from panasonic as to why this could happen with their quality control measures as they are. viera link poor quality

Super-smart when connected with a Panasonic Viera - Now the DMR-BWT720 – Our DMR-BWT720 was purchased and operated with an older Viera TV for about two months. The integration with the TV and the two remotes was a bit confusing to start, but with a newer networked TV there is quite a lot more integration capability. The capability to record two programs at once is heralded as a real bonus, but we don't often need… Read more

that sort of capability. Just the capability to time shift and to backup to disk, USB stick or DVD, BluRay or hard drive is pretty useful.

Panasonic apps for iPad or Android mean that you can even view your recorded programs on your networked device while another family member is watching the TV that is close connected - even though the DMR-BWT720 looks to be just displaying the clock. Pretty slick. I could watch recorded Insiders on the iPad while my wife was watching the cricket or rather had it on.

Good to be able to record to other media or play as a server to computers or whatever. Quality picture and recording and the tech-wizzery. Slow to record to disk media - DVD or BluRay

A wonderful machine !!! – Panasonic DMR-BWT-700SL --what an amazing recorder - not only can you record two channels at once while still watching another , you can also start watching a program while it is still being recorded-a great unit. still have a lot to learn about this amazing machine. bit daunting at first , using the remote!- bit slow on start up.

Excellent machine – We purchased the Panasonic-DMR-BWT700-GL to replace a Samsung BD C8900A and I must say we have been very impressed. Yes it is a little slow on start-up, but most of these units with the built in PVR have the same problem. Having the dual tuner is great and region free DVD playback, this was one of our biggest problems with the Samsung. Also the… Read more

recording live TV function (up to 1.5 hrs)is fantastic, you can walk away from the TV come back and pick up right where you left off, not to mention never having to watch commercials again if you time it right. The functions are a bit confusing at first, but once you get used to them it is fine. The price was a bit high and I'm sure as with most technology these days it will probably drop as soon as the next model comes out. The dual tuner, live TV recording, region free DVD playback The lack of a viewing window in the TV guide, little bit pricey.