Flagship DMR-E500 model to be showcased at GITEX Dubai 2004

Sep 11, 2004

Panasonic, the global leader in manufacturing consumer electronics and telecommunication products, will launched its latest range of DVD Recorders at GITEX Dubai 2004, the largest IT exhibition in the region, to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from 3 to 7 of October, 2004. Leading the line-up is the DMR-E500, a remarkable product packed with high functionality and features.

"DVD video recorders are soon replacing traditional VHS recorders and tapes due to their enhanced functionality and versatility. DVD-RAM allows users to record and store high quality video content and images, be it family photographs, TV shows or home movies on its remarkably spacious 400GB hard disk drive," said Koji Naka, Manager, Consumer Products, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE.

"The global demand for DVD recorders is estimated at 24 million sets by 2005. With our new range of DVD recorders we are aiming at capturing up to 50 percent of that market share through production of one million sets per month by 2005," he continued.

The DVD-RAM format has revolutionalised DVD video recording with amazing features like recording moving pictures and storage of PC data on a DVD. Set to become the favourite format in the area of home entertainment, the new combination of DVD recorders are ideal for people who retain a fondness for their old videocassettes while wanting to explore the new world of DVDs.

The new remarkable DIGA DVD Recorder DMR-E500 lets you save more of your favorite photos, TV shows and home movies on a remarkably spacious 400GB hard disk drive. So, in EP mode, you can record and save up to 709 hours worth of whatever inspires you. Plus, its home networking functions let you use a compatible PC or an additional DMR-E500 anywhere in your home to enjoy programs and still images saved in this incredible DVD Recorder. It's so much more than just Record and Playback. The DMR-E500 helps you put your life on DVD.

With the E500 you can then edit the material before transferring it to DVD-R or DVD-RAM discs, which hold up to 8 hours of material on a single-sided disc (or up to 6 hours on a double-sided 9.4GB DVDRAM disc). Thers a variety of recording modes from which to choose, or, simply use the Flexible Recording mode (FR), which calculates the time remaining in your program, as well as the unused space remaining on the disc, and automatically records at the highest picture quality setting that the remaining space will allow.

The DMR-E500 also features the innovative Time Slip? function, which lets you record one program on a disc and play back another from the same disc at the same time. Just press the Time Slip button once during recording to start playing back the scene recorded 30 seconds before. You can also use the cursor keys to return to any point from 1 to 480 minutes ago while watching the playback on a screen. Time Slip? is available while recording onto either a DVD-RAM disc or the hard disk. The 'Chasing Playback' facility allows user to view a recorded portion of a live program from the beginning, while continuing to record the ongoing action.

The built-in 400GB hard disk drive is the largest in the industry. One remarkable DMR-E500 feature is that it can record MPEG4 image data at the same time that it's recording MPEG2 data to the hard disk. In addition, MPEG4 or MPEG2 data recorded by a Multi-AV Camera (D-snap) can be transferred to the DMR-E500 via an SD Memory Card, for editing or storage on the hard disk. The DVD recorder can also convert MPEG2 data to MPEG4 and copy it onto an SD Memory Card in a single step. Also transferring Still image photos from the HDD in JPEG/TIFF format can be done with an SD Memory Card slot or a PCMCIA slot.

Other models in the 2004 DIGA line-up are DMR-E95H, featuring a built-in 160GB hard disk drive that can record up to 284 hours of video and DMR-E85H, featuring a built-in 80GB hard disk drive, which can record up to 142 hours of video on its hard disk drive. The DMR-E75V, a dual deck DVD video recorder/VHS recorder also has two tuners enabling simultaneous recording of two different programs. The DMR-E65 in the DIGA line-up has similar features enabling DVD-RAM and DVD-R disc recording as well as an DV input terminal allowing for direct transfer of images and videos to either DVD-RAM disc or hard disk drive. While the basic model of Panasonic 's DVD recorder DMR-E55 has all the regular features except the DV-input, PC/SD card slot and JPEG Rec & viewer capabilities.

Equipped with new DIGA Engine LSI to enhance the video quality during playback, recording or dubbing, all the new models in the range can now record up to 16 hours on a double-sided DVD-RAM disc and feature a new Direct Navigator that simplifies the process of previewing recorded programs.

The technology used in the Panasonic DVD recorders complies with the DVD-RAM recording format standardized by the DVD Forum. The format offers high storage capacity on removable media, high speed data transmission, exceptional picture and sound quality, fast random-access memory and re-writability up to 100,000 times.

-Ends-

Editor's Note:
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (MEI) best known for its Panasonic, is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronics products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company posted consolidated sales of US$71.92 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004.

For more information, visit the Matsushita web site at http://www.panasonic.co.jp/global/top.html. Panasonic Gulf FZE (PGF) is MEI's first subsidiary company in the Middle East, followed by Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE (PMM), which is the regional marketing headquarters of MEI for operations in the Middle East and African countries.

For further information, please contact:
Suraj Padukone
Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE
Manager, Advertising & PR
P.O.Box 17985, Jebel Ali,
Dubai,
UAE
Tel: +971 4 8819880
Fax: +971 4 8814311

© Press Release 2004