So many companies have been talking about putting Blu-ray into other CE devices. Panasonic is getting in that game—with a VHS combo?
Yes, it seems that old technologies never die… at least not if you pair them with newer technologies. The DMR-BR630V has a VHS/Blu-ray recorder combo.
Gizmodo says the unit has a 320GB hard drive and can write BDRs at six times speed. It also has the latest “MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoder” chips, HDMI and analog connections, and Panasonic’s Viera link technology. Of course, the machine will also allow you to dub all of your old VHS onto Blu-ray, or vice versa as well as standard-def DVD—if you want to party like it’s 1999 (or probably more like 1989).
One thing it doesn’t have: a U.S. release date. According to AV Watch, the DMR-BR630V is expected to hit in Japan on October 1. The price will be somewhere in the $1,450 range.
Of course, pairing VHS w/ the mighty BluRay seems ridiculous - for someone with a large library of VHS-level home videos, their analog memories could be archived to a small handful of BD-Rs.
Not a bad idea. Besides, what does a standalone BD recorder run these days? Not “affordible”, but doubt the VHS end adds a ton of cost to the thing.
The dump to BD won’t improve things, but a single disc could hold wedding, birth, family event, graduation, etc home movies on potentially a single disc.
And soon the landfills see even more videotape…
Funny, I thought it was April 1 as soon as I read the title too!
With 250 line def, just how many hours of “VHS quality” video would you get on 1 Blu ray? hehe
They only need to make a blu- ray recorder + HD drive at least 500GB. They can keep their VHS “drive”.
The first North American CE DVD recorders were around this price so it will come down quick enough.
Watching the opening/closing Olympics made me wish I had a BD recorder (More so for the Athens Olympics)
bd+vhs? is it april 1. $1450? seriously, what are they thinking?
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Rocky, Maybe I can suggest some glasses for you. Blu Ray will always look and… 
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Decent idea, ridiculous price…
If this machine does a really good job of scaling VHS, has HDD space,burns BD and upsclaes SD DVD you can sign me up. Just not for $1500.
Even $1000 is a reasonable MSRP, then we could expect to pick them up for $600-$800, but $1500??