The Panasonic DMR-ES35V is a combo VHS/DVD recorder — one box that handles both formats, with a dedicated VHS→DVD dubbing function built in. If you have a stack of VHS tapes you want to preserve, this is the kind of machine that makes the transfer process straightforward. This post walks through the full process from loading media to a finalized disc ready for any player.

What the machine handles

The DMR-ES35V records to and plays back from a wide range of DVD formats: DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW. For preserving VHS content, DVD+R is usually the right choice — it’s widely compatible with standalone players and once finalized, it’s done. The machine won’t accept Blu-ray media.

The front panel is labeled clearly for both modes, and there’s a physical button for switching between VHS and DVD sides. The remote handles most of the menu navigation.

Connecting to a TV

The DMR-ES35V outputs via standard composite AV (red/white/yellow RCA) or component video (red/green/blue). Composite is the easier connection for most setups. Run an AV cable from the output jacks on the back to your TV’s AV input, switch the TV to that input, and you’ll see the machine’s display when it powers on.

The dubbing process, step by step

Load the VHS tape. Put your tape in the VHS slot on the front of the machine. The mechanism pulls it in. You should be able to see the tape playing on the TV through the composite connection before you load the disc.

Load the DVD. The disc tray is separate from the VHS slot. Open it, put in a blank DVD+R (or DVD-R, DVD+RW, etc.), and close it. The machine reads the disc.

Format the disc. The first time a blank disc goes in, the machine prompts: “Disc is not formatted. Do you wish to format?” Use the remote to navigate to Yes and press Enter. The format process completes quickly — typically under 30 seconds despite the menu’s “2 minutes” estimate. Once formatted, the disc is ready to record to.

Initiate the VHS→DVD copy. There’s a dedicated button on the front panel for this. The panel is labeled with two arrows — one pointing toward VHS, one toward DVD. Press the button in the VHS→DVD direction. The machine displays a message: “Press and hold button for 3 seconds to start copying from VHS to DVD in SP mode.” Hold the button for three seconds, then press Record.

At this point, the VHS tape starts playing automatically and the machine records the output to DVD in real time. SP mode records at standard quality — 2 hours of VHS fits on one disc. LP mode doubles the recording time at reduced quality.

Stop when you’re done. If you let it run, the machine records until the tape ends, then finalizes the disc automatically. If you want to capture only part of a tape, press Stop when you’re done. The machine writes the recording and waits for you to finalize.

Finalize the disc. Without finalization, the disc plays fine in the DMR-ES35V but may not play in other DVD players. To finalize: press the Functions button on the remote, navigate to DVD Management, select Finalize, confirm. The process takes approximately five minutes — the disc is being written with the final table of contents that makes it compatible with external players. The machine warns that finalizing closes the disc to further recording; once finalized, you can’t add more content.

Test playback. Eject the VHS tape. Press Play with only the DVD loaded. The disc menu should appear on screen — the same menu that would appear in any compatible DVD player. Navigate to Play and confirm the video is there and playing correctly.

What to know going in

The SP mode recording is one-to-one with the tape — two hours of tape takes two hours to dub. There’s no way to speed it up. If you have a large collection of tapes to convert, plan for the time investment.

The machine doesn’t have scene detection or chapter marking during the VHS→DVD copy. The resulting DVD is one continuous chapter. For home videos this is usually fine; for commercially recorded tapes where you might want chapter navigation, it’s a limitation.

DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs can be re-recorded after formatting, but to add new content after a previous recording session they need to be re-formatted (erasing the existing content). DVD+R and DVD-R are write-once — after finalization they become permanent.

The bigger picture: VHS preservation

The window for VHS preservation is getting narrower. Magnetic tape degrades over time — color loss, playback dropouts, and in severe cases mold or sticky-shed syndrome — and the machines that can play the tapes are aging out of reliable operation. A working VCR/DVD combo like the DMR-ES35V is a practical tool for getting video off tape while it’s still possible.

For higher-quality transfers than real-time SP-mode dubbing, dedicated video capture hardware (like an Elgato or AVerMedia capture card paired with a standalone VCR and a computer) gives more control over the output format and resolution. But for a straightforward, no-computer-required solution to dub a stack of home video tapes, the built-in dubbing function on a combo machine is hard to beat for simplicity.

References and further reading

• Panasonic DMR-ES35V owner’s manual — Manualslib — full manual including input/output specs and recording mode details
• VHS tape preservation guide — The Library of Congress — guidance on assessing tape condition before dubbing