Taking on the “the more goodies the better” philosophy, Panasonic has created the first DVD-R/DVD-RAM recorder with built in Hard Disk recording options.

Hard-Disk recording, popularized by systems such as TiVo and UltimateTV has been enjoyed by millions, but has rarely been convenient to store the information conveniently to DVD without convoluted combinations of cables and Ethernet cards. The DMR-HS2 merges these units for easy DVD recording.

The unit features many extra bells and whistles as well. In addition to standard video inputs, users can begin recording images from a digital video camera via a DV input, as well as a PC card slot for use with memory cards. The PC slots enable users to
download and save digital images from an SD Memory Card, MultiMedia Card, Compact Flash, Smart Media and other flash memory cards. The DMR-HS2 can record a maximum of 52 hours (in the EP mode) of video on its 40 GB hard disk drive. VHS tapes can also be transferred to either the Hard Disk or DVD. For those concerned with a lack of DVD quality with the extra features included here, the player will be progressive scan.

With inputs for just about every media imaginable, the DMR-HS2 will be priced at $999.95 and is shipping now.