Basically succeeded - but still much potential for

Well, where do you start when a device with such a range of functions ... maybe with my starting position. After about 10 years with analogue HDD / DVD recorders switching to digital cable TV was due, not least because the much better range of programs.
Because the appearance of the recorder is on me but ambivalent overall, I decided, two allocate my review. The first part refers to "normal" users, the second part is then "Freaks" just ;-)

Part 1

The decor is done including tuning in just 30 minutes. Here you select which channel (cable or terrestrial digital digital) you want to save it, is asked what TV format you want to have, etc. All clearly established which energy-saving mode with the help of a high-resolution screen guide and quite logical.
If you have the sender then found, you can create 4 different favorite folders where you can store the desired applications and possibly reorder. Each of these 4 folders can be provided with its own name and then select the TV mode. So you could, for example, by genre or various persons of the household (yes often not all look the same programs ...) proceed.

Admission
You can permanently record the TV program "in the background" and therefore any time to pause live TV picture or even rewind - uninteresting to me, but there it bestimmmt a targeted audience.
By electronic program guide (guide) you can program also broadcasts - who, however, hoped a use technical progress, will be disappointed. My old Sony DVD recorder can here already (allocate genres during the recording, according to certain genres Search etc.) more, and my relating to purchased at roughly the same digital DVD recorder DMR-EX 96 can be even a free text search offering on request only represent vertical program. Then you have to give the BCT-730 unfortunately.
There lived the classic, manual and still clear the timer programming in years from Panasonic Finally.

Management of recordings
Per Direct Navigator to get to the contents of the hard drive where one finds the images in chronological order. Can be summarized in a personal folder (eg crime, series, music, feature films, documentaries, etc.), what increases the clarity considerably.
Per Options menu you can then edit recordings (eg rename, delete, etc.) or even edit. This works particularly well with the excellent automatic chapter of Panasonic. Chapter are set by a recording analysis where the recorder suspected as advertising. The easiest way is to delete these sequences by the function where the points marked and deleted with each other at the end, "Partial Erase".
The ability to create a separate preview has been unfortunately deleted. So you have good typing names, which also is not exactly a pleasure thanks to the murksigen operation to also retrieve recordings. This of course only when programming more than 7 days in advance, otherwise the title is clearly übernommmen the Guide.

Convert / Decrypt
Now it gets a little complicated. Unlike analog DVD recorders can not record the same in the desired quality level, so do not perform, for example, a recording in Long Play. It is stored on disk is always the original stream. The course also has the advantage of being able to make use the Dolby Digital audio tracks on the original image quality (recording mode DR) and example.
As long as you record and deletes - or want to burn the material in original quality on Blu-ray, this is no problem, the recording is programmed (recording mode DR), viewed and deleted.. In this mode, fit about 3h30min HD and SD on a good 10h Blu-ray. These are approximations of the manual, let's see how it looks in practice. When applied to the hard disk is the ca 75h recording in HD and about 220 hours of recording in SD.
If you want more on a Blu-ray accommodate, you already benefit either in receiving the "Convert" or can perform later manually - for example if you later decide to copy on Blu-ray.
The same applies in principle for copying to DVD. Here, too, you set the desired conversion quality.
Converting takes place usefully at night because then normally run fewer shots and the conversion is done in real time.
For this you can then burn with high-speed Blu-ray or DVD.
In DR burned Blu-rays by the way does not run on all Blu-ray players, which should be tested and, where appropriate, set a new player. This can be the way Panasonic does not slide into the shoes, but here the other manufacturers are asked to bring compatible devices on the market. In recent Panasonic players and of course the recorders themselves run the disks.

When shots were encrypted recorded on the hard disk (for example in two simultaneous shots with CI module), it must be decrypted either automatically or manually. According to which criteria the unit decides when it automatically decrypted, I have not been able to comprehend.

***** So if a first-class HD recorder that simultaneously burn Blu-rays and DVDs and play logically, can be is aware that it arises not handmade, 15 kg heavy equipment, which is intended for eternity and may ignore one or the other operating weakness, here the right product and also hardly find (no?) alternatives. *****

In other features I'm here not separately, there are already some excellent reviews, where to find most of what you could still looking for (network, USB, external hard drives, etc.)

Part 2

What goes, goes not, no more or still not ...

Pro:
+ At length the Recorder can display the track time, have always concealed the DVD recorder from Panasonic
+ Almost all menus can be dialed directly (eg from the Settings menu in the Direct Navigator or Timer-Mode, etc.). Previously you had (quite early) to get out of each menu and then or (currently still eg the DMR-EX 96) Press the X button and then enter the appropriate menu respectively.
+ Hard drives can be formatted NTFS now. The instructions here contradicts itself though partially, but I will soon try out.
+ (Addendum 04/01/2014) finally can delete archived films from the hard disk while a recording is in progress
+ (Addendum 04/01/2014) The Time Slip function works with finalized BD-Rs (DR mode), the time jump keys on BD-Rs and DVD-Rs
+ (Addendum 04/01/2014) The recorder remembers the point up to which one has a picture viewed. The annoying chapter Creating that was previously necessary, thus deleted
+ (Addendum 06/01/2014) The recorder has meanwhile also my Sony Blu-ray player is replaced, because it can play neither yes DVD-RAM and not in the BCT 730 (DR-recorded) BD-Rs. In such BD-Rs by the way works for both the Time-Slip, and the Time Slip (-10s / + 60s). Subsequent plus!
+ (Addendum 01.18.2014) have connected and registered a 1TB hard drive - works surprisingly without any problems. Thus, a negative quote at least again be partly offset, because you can find out the size of certain shots in the copy menu from HDD to USB HDD, without that you insert a blank every time. Copying from HDD to USB HDD is also pretty fast. I wonder now if I ever have to burn everything on BR / DVD or simply leave on a HDD. Provided no defect, thus of course a lot of work could be saved. But since there is no positive without negative in 2013 model year, is also found in our Contra a supplement ...

Cons:
- Guide / Timer Programming / Recording
- No vertical program view more possible. This clarity is suffering enormously.
- No searching by genre or even free text
- Genres can not be assigned to the recording
- Even after the genre can not be customized. They are taken from the Guide, and regardless of whether they are wrong or there is no such genre in Guide - it remains as it is
- As before 7-day program preview. This is simply old-fashioned
- Automatic programming lead with 10 minutes is sufficient, the run also with max. 10 minutes against a bad joke, the programmers come up that have never had such a device under field conditions in hand.
- A page-at, horizontal jumping remains in 2013. wishful thinking
- The recorder can not even show all (the case only a few) predefined genres
- As before, you can, for example, daily timer settings Date moderately not narrow. When 5 program to be recorded for each weekday the same time example from about next week, must be programmed either 5 x or just set "day", but then collides possibly with even current programming this or next week.
- 32 timer settings within one month are me (among others from the above reason) too little
- Desirable even selectable status messages aufgenommmenen shipments would (as seen, copied, edited), without seeing that every need in the title menu Change
- The possibility to save certain text modules and to use them when needed, is missing as opposed to the DVD recorders
- The input of characters is still very cumbersome. There is no button for Use spaces if you even need an umlaut, it is criminally absurd and can not delete an entire track titles at once you - mind you, since 2002 ... why there is a Delete button that just then without function is ???
- (Addendum 04/01/2014) The ability to copy a timer entry, there are, unfortunately, still not
- (Addendum 04/01/2014) Copying is a science in itself. A newly inserted BD-R must be formatted by the instrument (at least the TDK 6x that I've tasted). Besides this lapidary message indicates the recorder but no help. So you have to reformat the BD drive and the BD-R so. My old Panasonic DVD recorder was thereby equal asked if I want to reformat and this is done virtually in the workflow.
After copying you are asked whether you want to exit now or not, but the proposal to finalize the BD-R, unfortunately is also absent. Again you have the settings manually. The course is part of in the copy process with integrated and was solved better with my old DVD recorders.
It is the feeling here is not going on that outsourcing was operated. On my Samsung DVD recorder would something not have surprised me, but such hurdles to use are unfamiliar with Panasonic devices.
(Addendum 06/01/2014) If you insert the BD-R and the power fails at rest, he suggests formatting. One can apparently only call immediately when reading the copy menu. Not necessarily an elegant solution, but if you know it ...
- (Addendum 01.06.2014) once tried Did this Roviguide via network and can say that the fact is useless. Although one has the possibility to enter eg "film" as a filter, but then does not get about a list that consists only of films, but the films are only specially marked. In addition I have also found nothing on how to synchronize the favorite list with the Roviguide. So as I Those without Sky subscription, also all Sky channels must display what is not effective course and just staying.

- Direct Navigator
- What do you get displayed: sender, date, name of the recording, start time, duration, recording quality, genre, title number. What is still missing: average data rate, amount of data
- The amount of data you get out only menu's copy by a copy of "faked". This is of course only if a blank is inserted. Here probably goblins are employed, the only think up nonsense ...
- What would be the ideal solution? Create Matching menu and let zusammenrechnen the relevant shots per track mark just. Different data rates it is in fact difficult to predict how full the Blu-ray is with the recordings in question ...
- If the contents of a recording folder (at Panasonic "Create Group") is completely deleted, the folder is deleted. So you should look that always what remains in the folder after copying. Otherwise you have the folder namely re-create and then re-rename again.

- Convert / Decrypt
- Neither the one nor the other can be apparently housed in some time slots to which the user has an influence. If a movie from the recorder automatically decrypted, and you switch the recorder thoughtlessly, decryption is stopped and starts the next standby over again (!!!)
- If I buy a device with two CI slots, I would already want to be able to decode two programs at the same time - the twin tuner is largely useless to me, since the decryption scenario is not just a logical structure.

- Copy
- The estimated copying times are probably meant as a joke. At my first burned DVD recorder noted a copy time of 31 minutes, which I was shocked at short notice. But he was then fortunately in a few minutes ready ...
- (Addendum 6.1.2013) The recorder estimates apparently still about three times as long as the copy process actually takes.
- (Addendum 25.02.2013) the recording and copying functions are not really thought through really. Not enough that you can not select the recording media as the USB-HDD, no, entire folders (which are indeed created independently from the recorder in a series timer) can not be copied as such you.
Request process: make assignable at the timer recording USB HDD and folders
Operation in reality: Source HDD - folder is created automatically - Open folder - click any individual recordings separately and then take in the copy list - Copy to USB HDD - summarize all the individual titles in a folder again ... unbelievable! Who Sohl something comes up with ...?

- General operation
- Apparently, it was in the budget or schedule is not in there, finally a remote control with a new layout to design. Dear you roll apparently the positions of where certain functions are located in the future or simply changing times as the assignment of the colored keys
- Why do we need a Time Slip button when the function call with OK would? How about this: OK to call Time Slip, cursor up and down in 10-minute increments, and cursor left and right in staggered first 15s, then minute increments? Am I the only person who hates unnecessary operating steps !?
- Many important for me buttons are located at the bottom - I'm not the Chinese State Circus under contract ... constantly have to juggle with the remote control or use both hands ...
- Horrendous: when DRM-EX 96 and BCT-730 has, you will be mad, because the key arrangement does not coincide well within Panasonic recorders! The layout is the same since 2006, the functions were changed but for at least the third time!
- The jump buttons ago (60s) and back (10s) continue to be programmed fix and can not be changed by the user.
- Much is nonsensically to operate with the color buttons, although in many cases the OK and cursor keys would allow the same function (eg move programs in the Favorites menu)
- You can enter a station name if you are looking for a particular program - just step or page scrolling possible
- Perhaps one could even agree on which keys you horizontally and with which you can scroll vertically. Why do we still have to scroll up and down in the timer program menu using the skip buttons ???
- If you enter a name of a timer programming and acknowledged, is "OK" proposed to release the timer program - do you do that, but you will find yourself back in the name of the menu. The DVD recorder do this right.
- (Addendum 01/18/2014) Unfortunately it is not possible to specify the recording media as the connected USB HDD. So you have to save the recording always pointing to the internal hard drive and then copy it to the USB HDD. Completely insane solution, but due to the acceptable copy speed OK. Whether it affects the life of the components ...?
- (Addendum 02/25/2014) Due to the chapter markers partially exorbitant often set it is now virtually impossible (depending on the broadcast and recording time) to find a place by itself is set, chapter. It müssste a kind parent bookmarks give the 'overruled' the normal chapter markers

All in all, is so much better use technically, been much worse and much unadjusted still. There would be so much to do for Panasonic, I hope you go there soon once, because otherwise this was my last generation Panasonic recorder and I will in future seek pure receivers or computer-based solutions!
Since there is no alternative product for me and I know a lot of equipment, against the Panasonic is really a revelation, I'll keep it and just work out the odd workaround