PANASONIC introduces the first "high definition compatible' D-VHS VCR
Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column
Jonathan Takiff
09/07/1999
KRTBN Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News: Philadelphia Daily News - Pennsylvania
Copyright (C) 1999 KRTBN Knight Ridder Tribune Business News; Source: World Reporter (TM)
PANASONIC INTRODUCES THE FIRST "HIGH-DEFINITION COMPATIBLE' D - VHS VCR
The Gizmo: Panasonic PV-HD 1000 Digital VCR. $999.95. Information: 800-211-PANA or online at panasonic.com
Why We Care: For the sake of higher quality and new applications, the whole world of home electronics is going digital, with video a major element of the revolution.
The red-hot DVD digital video disc format is likely to win over 3 million converts this year. The leading supplier of DirecTV receivers, Thomson (RCA/Proscan/GE brands), is currently selling 10,000 boxes a day for that digital satellite television service. And in increasing numbers, home video shooters are gravitating from conventional VHS and 8mm formats to digital camcorders -- with Mini-DV and Digital 8.
The next big wave is expected to be with over-the-air digitally broadcast TV, though it's gotten off to a much slower start. Sky-high prices for the first-generation digital sets haven't helped, while true high-definition programming available from CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS and Fox has been severely limited. Making matters worse: Until now, there's been no way to record and thus "time-shift" the broadcast digital fare -- so if you wanted to watch the only consistently broadcast high-def program -- "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" -- you had to be in front of the set at 11:35 p.m.
But now Panasonic has introduced the world's first "high-definition compatible" D - VHS VCR, and just in time to capture and preserve the growing quantity of high-def shows planned for the fall season -- most notably 12 hours of prime-time CBS programming (plus sports specials, such as their coverage of the U.S. Open later this month), and ABC's "Monday Night Football" and Super Bowl telecasts. With this new-gen VCR, early adopters can enjoy the HD programming at their leisure, and show off the new medium to friends whenever they drop by -- both factors likely to spark the medium's acceptability. The same Panasonic VCR also serves quite nicely as a recorder of conventional (NTSC) analog TV broadcasts.
How It Works: When functioning in the digital mode, the PV-HD1000 actually operates in a very simple fashion as a "dumb bit" recorder, first capturing and then spitting out a raw digital data stream just the way the broadcaster sends it. All the really hard work of first receiving and later decoding that broadcast stream is done by Panasonic's companion set-top digital receiver box (the TU-DST50, $1,500) which connects to the PV-HD1000 via a single, slender, two-way data cable. (The connection abides to a new high-speed data transfering standard known variously as IEEE-1394, FireWire or I-Link, also big in computer circles.)
To trigger this VCR to go into the digital recording mode, you must use a D - VHS tape (the AY-DF300, $14.95) which has a unique set of identifying holes drilled in the cassette. In fact, an engineer for D - VHS co-developer JVC recently conceded to me that the DF-300 tape formulation is essentially the same as a high grade S-VHS tape, which now sells for half the price of the "digital" version. Could drilling a few extra holes in the shell really be that complicated?
How's The Quality? Fabulous. Viewing Leno at turns "live" and on a D - VHS playback, I couldn't detect a whit of difference in picture quality, when blown up to an 80-inch image with a reasonably high resolution (800 lines) Sharp LCD projector. With the first-generation Panasonic set top box, the D-VCR automatically selects a high-speed recording mode, which nabs 21/2 hours of programming (complete with 5.1-channel Dolby digital sound) on a DF-300 tape. Future-generation boxes and broadcasts putting out a lower-density signal will be able to use the deck's standard-play speed, good for five hours of recording on a DF-300.
Can I Use This Recorder With My Sharp or Mitsubishi, Sony or RCA brand digital TV settop box? Sorry, no. This first generation D - VHS VCR is designed strictly for mating with other Panasonic products. Next year, though, JVC, Philips and others will offer D - VHS recorders which are significantly more versatile and compatible with one another.
And What About Those Digital Disc Recorders? Philips also previewed a rewritable DVD disc recorder at the European electronics show in Berlin last week, and Pioneer talked about (but did not demonstrate) their version of the same. At present, both products are being designed (for late year 2000 introduction) to capture and convert conventional analog TV programs to disc form (two hours per side), for spinning on DVD players. Development of high-definition DVD recorders and players is also in the works, but won't be possible until a new generation of blue lasers is commercialized.
Send e-mail to takiffj@phillynews.com
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