I currently own a Panasonic DMR-EH55 and love it but was recently browsing for newer models and it seems that consumer DVR's with built in hard drives have disappeared completely unless you're looking to spend a couple thousand dollars on a professional unit. What happened? Panasonic used to have several different models with different sized hard drives. Have they been taken off the market due to legal issues?
Thanks,
Rick
That is certainly disappointing to hear. I have been very happy with my Panasonic EH-55S and feel that these companies just didn't do enough to market the units. My EH-55S allows me to record movies, tv shows, sporting events, etc.. on the built in hard drive, edit out the commercials, and then burn them to DVD for archiving. I guess most people in the US would rather pay a monthly fee to Tivo or their cable company for a subscription DVR service rather than having full control over what they record.
I think there was some sort of issue besides market. As mentioned in this thread, why put up with a subscription cost for less flexibility? When I purchased my Panasonic unit five years ago, it took over 2 yrs with three repair shop visits until it stabilized. It's been great for a couple of yrs now, but I wonder if premature release of the technology cause manufacturers to pull product. Perhaps avoiding class action. I also speculate that manufacturers had some pressure from both the DVR subscription outfits and from content providers. Subscription had to have felt threatened by HDD DVRs. Similar on the ability to copy non-protected DVDs and perhaps other cable content, such as PPV.
I have nothing to point toward in my thinking this way. But there must be reasons that the various manufacturers simultaneously drop DVR HDD not long after bringing such product to market. But now have units coming back in. That doesn't indicate lack of a market to me, but something else. And when you can't find an explanation online, it's because the answer is complex and/or embarrassing to someone powerful enough to keep it under wraps. Yes?
