Panasonic DMR-PWT550EB Blu-Ray Player and HDD Recorder with Freeview Play, Black

Product Information

Availability of Apps is not included within the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty, or the John Lewis 2-year Guarantee for audio visual products, or the 5-year Guarantee for TVs. The DMR-PWT550 is enabled with Wi-Fi so it can access a range of online applications from Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and All 4 to social media like Facebook and Twitter. There are five high-definition modes (HG, HX, HE, HL and HM, the latter extending maximum recording time to 341 hours), and four SD modes (XP, SP, LP, EP, offering between 107 and 860 hours). You are also unable to change any settings while a recording is taking place and using the EPG when watching a previously recorded event sees you placed back in to live TV upon exit; it’s sometimes useful to be able to see what’s coming on later or schedule another recording while watching one so we’d like to see this addressed also.

Please note that [Pay in 3 instalments] [and] [Pay in 30 days] agreements are not regulated by the FCA.A Swedish public limited company (publikt bankaktiebolag) registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office with organisation number: 556737-0431.

Blu-ray discs load quickly and the Quick Start mode means you don’t have to wait long for the deck to boot up.

Had good reviews on several sources and was already familiar and happy with panasonic firmware operations. The Panasonic DMRPWT550 has twin HD tuners which means that you can not only pause and rewind live TV but also record two different channels at the same time. The service is free from subscription and compatible with existing broadband services, Apps such as the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 are available.

Built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to connect your DMRPWT500EB to the internet to access a wealth of catch-up and TV on demand content. The main limitation – and it’s a pretty big one – is that you can’t access DLNA playback or copy videos when a recording is in progress. Quick Start" needs to be set to "ON" and "Power Save for Network Standby" needs to be set to "OFF" to activate "Quick Start".The build quality is solid with a black metal chassis and tinted facia which conceals a tray-loading disc mechanism and houses a useful display panel. Using the Freeview Play EPG to stream Match of the Day 2 from BBC iPlayer in hi-def, the image has a gauzy, jagged quality that detracts from the HD experience.