Black Boxes: Panasonic PV-SS2710 TV/hard disk recorder

by Alessia Cowee
Fall 2001

Panasonic
(800) 211-PANA
[www.panasonic.com]
$800

What could be better than ReplayTV? At your leisure you watch the programs you want to watch, when you want to watch them. Interruptions cease to be a disturbance; you simply pause live television and return when the commotion has quieted down. Did you miss that one-in-a-million baseball triple play or do you want to see that breathtaking hero's moment again? Just point your remote and click Instant Replay. So what could be better? How about a ReplayTV that required no additional cabling?

One-Stop Viewing
What makes the PV-SS2710 stand out from other personal video recorders (PVRs) is that the ReplayTV smarts are built right into the TV, eliminating the need for a separate black box in your entertainment center and the headaches associated with running cables from box to box. The model includes the ShowStopper, a digital, hard-disk recorder. It can hold up to 30 hours of television programming (in extended record setting). The PV-SS2710 HDR combination unit is large, with a 27-inch screen, but the case is sleek, sophisticated and will look nice in any setting.
The PanaBlack picture tube reduces glare and presents a screen image with vibrant, realistic colors and high contrast. The MPEG-2 digital capture records television with exceptional clarity, in three modes. You can record to maximize disk space, attain a higher recording quality or a little bit of both. The PV-SS2710 is compatible with almost any type of broadcast system, whether broadband or standard cable, antennae or satellite TV.

As Easy as Plugging It In
The PV-SS2710 is really as easy to set up as plugging it in. We unboxed the unit, removed the remote control from its packaging, plugged in the TV, connected our cable TV and a phone line to the television, and voilá. Ready to roll. Configuration was simple: we entered the Setup menu, provided our telephone number and broadcast system information, waited while the telephone contacted the ReplayTV network (which took about three minutes), then allowed 20 minutes for the hard disk recorder to download our local program listings.
Within half-an-hour of receiving the product, we were watching an episode of our favorite program. There are no charges for the ReplayTV Channel Guides, nor are there additional telephone charges. Digital recording is a mere button-click away with the lighted universal remote. The unit may be set to record a program every time it occurs, episode by episode, or all shows which meet your defined criteria.

Ready, Set, Record...
No, pause it. I mean stop. Fast-forward, the commercials are irritating. Can I see that one more time?
Television viewing is once again relaxing. You know that the ringing of a telephone or a crying baby won't ruin that season finale of ER. The ShowStopper HDR is capable of pausing live television for up to seven hours, so even if getting the baby back to sleep turns into an extended nap on your part, you can pick up in your viewing right where you left off.
The QuickSkip button instantly fast-forwards 30 seconds, each time you press it, so commercials or breaks between programs don't represent boring, idle time. This function is only possible with delayed or recorded events. For creative viewing, live TV can be advanced one frame at a time, or watched in slow-motion.
The ShowStopper PVR offers a myriad of recording options. The ReplayTV Channel Guide is updated while you sleep, providing program information up to a week in advance.
You can enter recording preferences if you want to record the same shows on a daily basis. If, for example, you want to record every episode of 7th Heaven, simply press Channel Guide, find the show, push Record, then enter your recording preferences. The ShowStopper makes it possible to store as many or as few episodes as you like, with a 30-hour extended recording limit. It is also possible to record one episode of a particular show and have it overwritten with the next recorded episode of the same program. You can search the channel guide by program title or keyword. The Theme-based Recording feature provides users with the capability to record and store shows by title, actor or director.
So, what happens when you hit the 30-hours-of-downloaded-capacity wall? Maybe you've been busy, and haven't yet watched anything you've recorded. Must you forgo downloading Teletubbies for your children, until you've watched some of your backlog? Never fear, there is a solution. Simply hook up the infrared cable that came with your PV-SS2710 to the TV and dump those programs directly from the hard disk recorder onto a videotape. Easy as Tubby toast. Now you're all set to record another 30 hours of your favorite television programming.

Cast Your Ballots
The Panasonic PanaBlack TV/ShowStopper Hard Disk Recorder Combination is hard to top. We were thrilled with its quick setup, friendly interface and multiple options for seeking, recording and storing TV programs. There are two caveats about this system, however. It is not possible to download/record two different programs broadcast in the same timeslot. There is also no way to watch a second live program while one is recording. We can, however, record one show while viewing a previously recorded program.
Taking into account the numerous options for recording, storing and controlling live TV, the attractive case and the reasonable price, we highly recommend the PV-SS2710 for those looking to enhance their home entertainment systems or replace older models. It's safe to say that this high-quality television and hard disk recorder combination is well worth the $800 investment.

SMART SPECS