Most of our readers will already be aware that Panasonic are launching a twin HD tuner 500GB PVR with DVD integrated Blu-ray disk recorder in Europe. Due for release starting in France later this month, the DMR-BW500 has been proudly sitting out on display at this summers IFA and IBC exhibitions. Speaking to journlists during the roadshows M2N Michael Friedrich from Panasonic explains the strategy:
In general to launch a HD recorder the requirement for us is that you have enough free to air content. on air, already available. So that the consumer really can record a lot of content in high definition on their recorder. So in France it became clear already very early that high definition content would be available in sufficient quantity from this autumn. This is why we developed the first model in Europe for France mainly.
With high definition channels now starting on freesat, and freeview HD channels from 2009 – the question is when will we see this recorder in the UK:
So in the UK we are in close discussion with freest. The technology is a bit different that’s why can not simply use the France version. In France its based on DVB-T, the UK version will be satellite. But we are in discussions, and will conclude when it will come to UK soon.
Freesat is the new, free, digital satellite television service from the BBC and ITV. Freesat launched on Tuesday 6 May with free digital channels – television, radio, interactive – plus BBC HD and now ITV HD. Freesat’s channel line-up will grow each month, with up to 200 channels on air by the end of the year.
Freesat will be introducing Freesat+ next month – its digital recorder platform – which includes advanced recording features. Humax is providing the first available high definition twin tuner PVR with Freesat+ branding around the same time. Metronics have indicated their intention of providing their Freesat+ recorder already and is due to be released in 2009. As ever, we await the official announcements by Freesat and Panasonic UK over the next few months. Lets hope their discussions are fruitful and Panasonic’s vision of the UK freesat PVR version is not too long a wait.
Update: Panasonic Press Response
London, 24 October 2008. Panasonic is actively seeking the opportunities to enter the HD recorder category in Europe as early as possible since we have most advanced technology for Hi-def / Blu-ray recording products in the industry.
Public awareness of the HD recorders that we have introduced in other regions such as Australia and France is growing, and it is understandable for the public to be asking questions about when we can introduce such products in the UK.
We are, of course, studying how to come to market with such products in the UK especially since we have enjoyed leading market share performance in the DVD-R market.
The products that we can launch are dependent on the spec on the respective platforms. In the UK currently, the most clarified potential for development of such products is on the Freesat platform.
Whilst we can say we are in discussion with Freesat on the matter, and can say that we see good potential for recordable products on this platform, we are not yet at the stage where we can confirm actual merchandise or schedule. There is no concrete information to share at this stage.
To promote the introduction of Panasonic Freesat BD Recorder or other HD recordable products to the UK public at this time via any media could be potentially misleading and we can already see the spread of information on-line that is based on many assumptions.
I’m not suprised. Freesats information to us this time last year was Panasonic to provide TVs with Freesat built in and Freesat Bluray recorders, Humax the HD Freesat PVR and Alba/Sagem the basic receivers. Good to get some sort of confirmation though.
Another fine example of why it’s not always good to have something first – TNT (France’s implementation of DVB-T) only really started happening about 18 months ago, almost ten years behind the UK’s onDigital service. By having DVB-T tuners that are ten years younger, 100% of DVB-T tuners in France are able to cope with the encoding scheme that gives space for HD broadcasts – not all DVB-T tuners in the UK can cope with this, so we can’t switch on DVB-T HD broadcasts yet…
There is a misconception here. DVB-T tuners in France are built to the same spec as DVB-T tuners in the UK as it’s a Europe wide system. The reason that HD is available in France is that they are transmitting HD in the existing format. Due to lack of spectrum in the UK HD DVB-T will be transmitted in a new format DVB-T2, at the present there are no commercial Freeview DVB-T2 tuners available, only working prototypes. The freeview tuner in my new Sony TV for example is capable of receiving HD if I took it to France but won’t ever work in the UK
I hope Panasonic have the foresight to equip the PVR to record from BOTH FREESAT AND FREEVIEW (may via an input from an integrated tv or Freeview decoder box for the latter).
Many people are using both systems given that programming isn’t mirrored, and buying a PVR that only records from one means many more boxes under the tv and much more expense. Humax seem to not to want listen on this point from discussions I’ve had on other forums. Lets hope Panasonic do and see his as another positive selling point to distinguish their product from the competition. The fact that the French version already has the ability to record from Terrestrial digital has to be a good starting point into making the English Freesat version a dual source recorder.
I agree with Al that both Freesat and Freeview capability is important. I’m intending to buy one of their new TVs that have both tuners on-board and it would be ridiculous for a new recorder not to mirror that (and I wouldn’t bother buying)
Great to hear that Panasonic will be bringing out a Freesat BD-R deck, I’ve had three of their DVD-RAM/HDD recorders over the years and have always been impressed with the quality of the build and the software. As most of the content I watch is home recorded (rather than buying movies) I’ve been holding off on buying Blu Ray content until I could get a recorder – and waited in vain for the DMR-BW900 to hit our shores – also, like may others I suspect, I’ve have been waiting for more HD content to air.
Let hope this news encourages more HD channels to make it onto Freesat soon!