ITV is in talks with freesat and Panasonic regarding its High Definition broadcasts and the ability to record/archive HD  programmes to Blu-ray discs.

Currently ITV’s HD content is flagged with “Copy Never” codes, which prevent it from being copied by the new Panasonic  Blu-ray recorders from the hard disc to Blu-ray.

The BBC allows its HD content to be copied once, from the machine’s hard drive. See this post

ITV is talking to both parties in order to find a suitable solution to the issue for HD content, that will be in line with the broadcaster’s programmed rights contracts.

There are lots of images and screen shots of the EPG etc on the nine page review and is well worth a look even if you can only dream about buying one at the moment, the price will fall with time……

See the review here

Update: Cnet have also reviewed the Panasonic BS750 this is the smaller capacity hard disc drive version of the BS850 and awarded it 9/10 you can see the Cnet review here

“Overall the BS850 I’d rate the BS850 as an amazing bit of kit. Panasonic has launched a number of BD recorders globally (in Japan, France, Australia, with Germany to come shortly), but none are an exact match of this model. It’s unique and more than a little brilliant.”

The review can be seen here.

The three models are:

• DMR-BS850 High Definition Twin freesat Tuner 500 GB Hard Disc Drive and Blu-ray Disc Recorders
• DMR-BS750 High Definition Twin freesat Tuner 250 GB Hard Disc Drive and Blu-ray Disc Recorders
• DMR-XS350 High Definition Twin freesat Tuner 250 GB Hard Disc Drive and DVD Recorder (Standard Definition archiving to disc)

All three models come with twin freesat HD tuners allowing recording of two simultaneous programmes on different channels to the onboard hard disc drive these can be HD (High Definition) or SD (Standard Definition) programmes and then archiving to Blu-ray or DVD disc, the DMR-XS350 will only allow standard definition archiving.

If the recorders are used with a Viera flat screen TV the propriety Panasonic Viera link functions can be used to control recording with the Viera TV remote control making recording and pausing live TV easier. The top of the range DMR-BS80 will accept up to 77 hours of HD recording or 240 hours of HL recording direct to its hard disc and 24 hours of HD programmes can be archived onto a Blu-ray disc in high speed copy mode. Part or all of the hard drive can also be used as a music jukebox allowing you to copy your CD’s and mp3’s to the hard disc for instant playback.

All three models feature high image quality PHL reference Chroma Processor Plus and P4HD delivering deep, detailed images from recorded programmes. All models also come with Bonus View and BD Live a feature which allows downloading from the internet special features and images for a BD Live enabled Blu-ray movie.

The DMR-BS850 and DMR-BS750 support Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio Essential on Blu-ray discs and if connected to compatible home cinema amplifier you can utilise the exceptional quality of 7.1 surround sound of Blu-ray discs. If recording a HD broadcast the hard disc will record Full HD picture quality, 5.1 surround sound, subtitles and audio description, obviously to appreciate 5.1 surround sound you will needs to be using compatible home cinema amplifier.

All three models come with a SD card slot and USB input to allow easy transfer of home movies and images to the hard disc or Blu-ray / DVD drive.

Prices are still to confirmed but expect the top of the range DMR-BS850 to be around £999, the DMR-BS750 at around £899 and the DMR-XS350 £699. These prices are very high and we would expect them to fall as the product establishes itself into the market, unfortunately the high exchange rate is not helping the issue at the moment.

The DMR offers a serious rival to the Sky+ HD box and has features only Sky users could wish for without any subscription and all three Panasonic’s  do feature cutting edge technology and if you can afford one do offer the benefit of one box under the TV does everything but until the price is a bit more realistic we can’t see them having runaway success of the Humax HDR.

Link to article on:  Panasonic website

Related article: Panasonic to launch freesat+ HD PVR with Blu Ray

“The on-board Freesat HD tuner is probably the most tangible benefit, but who wouldn’t also be at least intrigued by a contrast ratio deemed to be ‘infinite’? Exactly.

Broadcast TV reception is impressive – even the analogue tuner offers natural colours and coherent motion tracking.

Freesat tuner delivers lustrous images
And there’s no doubt you’ll get bored by the current HD content of the Freesat platform before you get bored of looking at the lustrous, detailed and refined images the Freesat tuner delivers. Oh, for more HD channels.

A switch to DVD movies brings more good news. Even in the blackest of scenes, the Panasonic offers strong levels of detail and exemplary contrasts. Motion is handled tidily, and colours are neutral, subtle and believable.

Up the ante to Blu-ray discs at 1080p/24fps, and the ‘G10′s command of colour, contrast and detail is even more impressive. Very complex patterns can cause it a moment’s anxiety, but it’s a very impressive plasma set overall.”

Looks like Panasonic have another winner on their hands with the TX-P42G10 following on from the success of the PZ81 series freesat HD TV’s last year.

We can only agree that more HD channels would be a bonus, hopefully soon….

The full review can be seen on their website whathifi.com and the P42G10 goes head to head in a supertest of 40-42in TVs in the May 2009 issue of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, on sale April 8th.

You can see the full specification, availability and prices here.

The DMR-BS850, will feature a 500GB hard drive, in addition to the Blu-ray recorder and SD slot, also being released at the same time will be DMR-XS350 a twin tuner freesat+ PVR 500GB hard drive with a standard DVD recorder with SD slot.

It is not known if both models will be able to record freesat HD to the Blu Ray disc as the freesat specification has copy protection enabled on HD broadcasts this currently only allows recording to the hard drive.

No prices are available at this time but expect it to be expensive as with new products testing the water and expect prices to fall when production sales increase.

Panasonic full HD LCD TV with freesat built-in is a convenient and high quality way to view over 130 digital TV and radio channels including brilliant HD programmes from the BBC and ITV, all for free.* The LZD81 series boasts a high contrast ratio of an incredible 10,000:1 with ISC (Intelligent Scene Controller) ensuring consistent deep black levels and crisp on-screen motion. This new line-up also features V-Real Pro 3 picture technology which perfectly optimises the performance of the display panel to render smooth, crystal clear motion without compromising on delicate colours with rich gradation. The full HD resolution panel beautifully reproduces all High Definition sources including Blu-ray and the freesat HD programming. Plus the V-Real Pro 3 processor also offers up-scaling capabilities, second to none when it comes to reproducing standard definition sources such as DVD or TV programming, where HD is not yet available.

Picture quality is also enhanced with an extra wide colour gamut with x.v.Colour, which produces richer, more vivid colouring from x.v.Colour** signals. Many LCD’s suffer from colour wash-out when not viewed from directly in front, however, Panasonic’s latest generation of IPS Alpha panels have an extra wide 178 degree viewing angle, both horizontally and vertically, meaning the whole family can watch TV from anywhere in the room.

These TV’s come equipped with V-Audio Surround sound for the complete home cinema experience, delivering the best of sound with V-Audio surround and V-Audio technologies which feature Panasonic’s unique digital amplifier and BBE (Bass Boost Enhancement).

For ease of use these LCD’s come equipped with three HDMI connector slots, to connect all your AV equipment, such as a Blu-ray disc player, DVD recorder and camcorders with 24p playback, as well as 2 SCART connectors, SD Card (JPEG) and PC Input. The LZD81’s also feature freesat EPG and Gemstar GUIDEplusâ„¢, 7-day on-screen electronic programme guides with easy to navigate categories for both satellite and terrestrial digital services. They also feature Viera Link, which allows interlinked operation of various Panasonic AV devices using only the remote control, by simply connecting the devices to each other by an HDMI cable.

The LZD81’s also incorporate “Eco Mode,” automatically adjusting the picture settings depending on the ambient lighting conditions. The image brightness changes according to the level of room lighting to achieve an energy-saving operation.

All Panasonic freesat models are supplied with HD & SD Digital Satellite, SD Digital Terrestrial and SD Analogue Terrestrial Tuners with easy user navigation between freesat, Freeview and analogue terrestrial services.

Digital reception for the whole UK
In addition to providing access to HD services, freesat also offers a route to other digital TV and radio services for out of coverage areas. With 98% of UK households within the freesat footprint virtually all homes in the UK can enjoy switching to digital right now.

Initial reviews from Home Cinema Choice (awarding the 46″ TH-46PZ81B a best buy), Trusted Reviews (awarding the 46″ TH-46PZ81B 9/10) and What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision (awarding the 46″ TH-46PZ81B a coveted 5 stars). These are all outstanding reviews as this is the Panasonic’s first venture into the freesat offering Panasonic really do need applauding, the initial prices seem to be fluctuating at the moment but considering that you would expect to pay £150 for a stand alone HD freesat set top box which the Viera PZ81 has built into the TV’s are not that much expensive than the rest of the Viera range.

Panasonic have a short (7 minute) video of the PZ81

Its state-of-the-art technology gives amazing picture quality, with the Intelligent Frame Creation giving fantastic resolution even during fast moving scenes – something football fans and film buffs will both appreciate.

Every image is richly detailed – from the brightest sunshine to the darkest night sky – and contrast is enhanced by the new Real Black Drive system that creates deep, robust blacks and reproduces scenes with a fine balance of light and shadow.

Sound is enhanced with its in-built V-Real Pro 3 surround sound technology (with bass extension), while the 24p Real Cinema settings offers enhanced judder-free playback, giving a smooth ‘film’ look. The 3 HDMI sockets allow you to hook-up your Blu-ray player, PVRs and games consoles with ease.

Also capable of playing footage straight from your camcorder in high-definition mode and you can view a slideshow of your photos – just remove the SD memory card from your digital still camera, and slip it in the slot.

This television is ‘high definition ready’ which means it has the ability to display high definition signals with the addition of a separate HD receiver. HD broadcasts are at a much higher resolution than regular analogue or digital broadcasts and have greatly enhanced picture quality. The level of detail is astonishing with clearer, sharper and more vibrant images.

1080p
1080p is the purest form of high definition that a television can display. This leads to a smoother, more film-like image, which will satisfy sports and movie lovers alike. With a 1080p signal, the information that makes up an image is displayed “progressively” or all at once, rather than in an “interlaced” fashion.

These stylish and desirable plasmas boast a host of features to deliver outstanding moving picture resolution and beautiful colour reproduction together with brilliant sound and easy operation, giving viewers the optimum HD viewing experience.

A Panasonic HD plasma TV with Freesat built-in is a quick and convenient way to view a wide range of channels including brilliant HD programmes from the BBC and ITV, all for free.
The full article can be see here