Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic DMR-EX768EBK Freeview+ 160GB Hard Drive DVD Recorder 1080P Up-Conversion - Black

Good, as usual with Panasonic.

Its main advantage over other disc recorders is that the LP mode (allowing you to put about 4 hr 15 mins onto a DVD) has the same 500 lines of resolution as the SP mode which makes it very economical. I can't tell the difference on my (relatively small screened) TV between LP and SP and consequently usually use the former. Possibly there is a noticeable difference on larger screens.

A slight disappointment is that the inbuilt Freeview receiver doesn't seem quite as good as my old external Panasonic TU-CT41 box.

A step backwards is the abysmal "Guide Plus" EPG which replaces the old Freeview guide. It has space-wasting and distracting high contrast adverts on the left (mostly for BBC magazines) which change frequently making the whole thing so difficult, slow and unpleasant to use that I've reverted to using my external box for programme information.

The EX768 has replaced my ageing Panasonic EH50, which although much loved, couldn't record from my new Sony freeview telly without being very fiddly.

Panasonic have a good reputation with their DVD recorders, and this unit can only strengthen it. Anyone who already owns a "Panny" will instantly feel at home as the design structure of the menus and navigation is identical to previous models - clear, intuitive, and quite attractive.
The major addition to their latest releases is a Freeview tuner. Once you set up and switch on for the first time, it will automatically search and store channels. You can flick through the channels with the EPG, which is where the Panasonic falls down a little.
Instead of a digital EPG, only a Guideplus EPG is provided. This achieves the same end result, but the programme data isn't updated as regularly and the interface looks more rudimentary and basic than Panasonic's user interface (mentioned earlier). Oh and there are adverts on one side of the screen.
The features available are excellent. You can record one episode of a programme or an entire series with a few button presses. If you record a film which is split in two, for the news for example, the Panasonic will automatically cut it out. Whilst recording, you can watch another recording on the hard drive or DVD. There is a selection of recording qualities from XP to EP.
The Panasonic's editing facilites are as good as ever, with the ability to name, erase and create chapters and playlists. When transferring to DVD (permanently), there is also a choice of menu screens to use.

The remote is well laid out and uncomplicated, though the responsiveness could be better. The good news is that the flimsy scroll wheel from past units has been removed.


You could also check out the EX768's more expensive big brothers - EX78 & EX88 - which come with a larger hard drive, USB sockets, Jukebox facilites for more advanced music storage, and in the case of the EX88 an SD slot for digital photographs.



But ultimately, if you are simply looking for a high quality recorder to catch favourite films and programmmes in digital style, especially when on holiday and you need Series Link to capture every episode of your favourite soap, the EX768 is worth every penny.

This is my very first DVD recorder, and not owning one before I did not know what to expect. I did my research in depth and found using specs and customer reviews that this was the one for me....

I do not regret the decision to buy this at all. A very competant machine indeed.

It was set up and recorded within about 10-15 minutes from me opening the box, so very easy in terms of set up. Very good recording quality, and I like the whole "sky plus" set up, picking the programme you want to record and within seconds it has been set to record.

If you are looking for a DVD recorder with hard drive, this is the machine for you!

Brilliant peice of equipment, have always been a "Sony" fan, and all our electronic equipment has been Sony until now, but the Panasonic EX768 and which is connected to a Sony Bravia TV, we purchased because of its good reviews, we can't fault it in any way. Whether using it for recording onto discs, onto the hard drive, playing music CD's or looking at photos, it is excellent. It is quiet, quick and easy to use, all in all, highly recommended.

Plugged this into my Panasonic 42" HD TV and was amazed by the picture quality of the recordings. Very easy to set up and use. The other big wow factor is the Upconversion of normal DVDs to 1080p the difference in quality is very noticeable. So much so that I I've stopped buying the more expensive Bluray disks for my PS3.

The only negatives are that there is no HDMI lead in the box and that the manual is a bit confusing, which seems to be a Panasonic trait.