Review on Panasonic PV-D4762 DVD-VCR Combo: A Convenient Multimedia Solution by John Swain

I've had this DVD/VCR combo for a few weeks now and I can say I'm very impressed. I have a DVD-Video connected to a home theater receiver using an S-Video connection. The receiver itself also connects to my 32" TV via an S-Video connection. The picture on the DVD is fantastic! I've played several DVDs, some with complex content (like The Matrix, Star Wars Episode I), and This set worked flawlessly. No nasty digital artifacts that I could see. The set also offers a component video connection that supports progressive scan. When Santa brings me this widescreen HD TV it will be great to see how it works! I also connected the DVD audio to the same receiver via an optical digital connection (note: connecting cable not included). The device outputs Dolby Digital and DTS audio streams. As my receiver decodes both forms of encoding , I was able to play all the movies with 5.1 surround soundtracks in full glory. Brilliant! Certainly better than hearing through my TV's built-in speakers. The The DVD section also plays normal CDs and home-made MP3 CDs, both CD-R and CD-RW, perfectly. Few devices support MP3 on CD-RW, so thanks to Panasonic for that. With 128k compression, the audio is suitable for normal listening. With 192k compression, it's hard to tell apart from a regular CD, and you can still burn hours of music onto a disc. If you don't have a CD burner, get one! The VCR section is good too and has some features my previous unit didn't have including program index marking and advertising promotion. The latter works quite well, about 80% of the recorded commercials are automatically recognized and fast-forwarded. It also offers 3 tape speeds: SP (1 x capacity), LP (2 x capacity) and SLP (3 x capacity). This allows you to choose the best compromise between tape usage and video quality. The SP's video quality is pretty good, as is the HiFi stereo sound. Please note that video output is only available via a composite or RF (antenna) connection. S-Video and component video are not available. This is common with DVD/VCR combos from all other brands, so Panasonic is not alone. However, this means you need 2 connections to your receiver/TV and to switch inputs on your TV when switching between DVD and VCR. (Why can't manufacturers put in an upconverter so you only need a video connection?) Now for the not-so-good news. The remote while doing its job doesn't look or feel like it's going to last very long. It is made of ultra light plastic and painted with silver paint to give it a metallic look. The bright blue of the DVD labels is barely visible against the silver background, and the small dents on the legs that touch when placed on the coffee table are already worn off by the paint. After all, although there is a light button, only 3 buttons are illuminated. So don't expect to be able to use the remote easily in a dark room. do yourself a favor Buy a decent learning remote and transfer the codes you need. And the last remark. If you want to get the best out of DVD-Video, connect it to your TV using the best connection it can support (progressive component, then interlaced component, then S-Video, then composite, then RF in a pinch) . If you're using component or S-Video, be prepared to switch inputs when switching between DVD and VCR. However, these are minor issues. If you are looking for a quality DVD player or VCR, check out this device. If you're both in the market for the price, that's no problem.