VideoHelp Forum
+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 19 of 19
Thread
  1. Hoping to avoid a major servicing hassle, I'm putting this out to see if anyone else with this unit has had this happen, and what wisdom they can provide. I have already spoken to Panasonic through their 800 number, but am not convinced that the woman I spoke to is very savvy (sounds like she was just reading off a prepared card -- I don't think she's really a tech).

    I put a blank DVD-R disc in my DMR-E30 this morning to record something. I started a recording, then a few seconds later decidedto abort it. I pressed stop and proceeded to try to eject the disc.

    Pressing open/close yields a few seconds of nothing, then the unit displays "close" and locks up -- no functions work, not even the power button. Unplugging and replugging the unit results in "recovery," then once the unit has resumed its normal status, the same problem occurs.

    If I do not try to eject, the functions still work, but display odd things. Hitting "functions" I see disc setting, timer recording, set up, and flex disc highlighted, but direct navigator, resume play, and play from top are not. Pressing disc setting yields choices of enter title, disc protection, erase all programs, and format. (In other words, as if this were a DVD-RAM disc and not a DVD-R). If I press "play," nothing happens. If I try to record, I am told that "this disc is only available for playback."

    If I power off normally, and try to switch the unit back on, it does not come on.

    I don't know if this is just a really bad disc, or if the unit itself is screwed. I wonder if there is a way to carefully physically extract the disc without causing more problems or voiding the warranty. While the unit is still under warranty, the nearest service dealer is 42 miles from me, and I do not own a car, so it will be a major hassle to find a way of getting the thing to them only to posibly find that there is a 3-minute fix for the problem. Plus I have a backlog of over 100 DVDs that need to be burned on the thing, and if I can't resolve this in a day or two, I may be forced to purchase another unit anyway, and worry about fixing this one when things slow down.

    ANY wisdom, suggestion, or magic incantation would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
    Quote Quote  
  2. Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    South Florida
    Search Comp PM
    Try holding the power button for a few seconds until it resets itself. This should be pretty evident. Then eject the disc. The unit should be fine. I have one of the higher end Panasonics at work and love it, but bought a cheaper Samsung for home, which is made by the same people, same deck as the Panasonic, and I have realized, with the amount of stuff I am transferring, it doesn't handle way, and have found some serious problems with it, such as the one you described. Also, don't use Fuji media. It caused me to return 2 decks, before I realized that was the problem. Hope this helps.
    Quote Quote  
  3. No go -- still does the same thing. I'd like to think (hope?) that the disc is the problem, and if there is a way to physically (and SAFELY) open the thing up and extract the disc, then perhaps when switched back on, the unit will read no disc and work fine from there. But again, I don't want to make things worse and then find that I've voided the warranty.

    When I talked to the Panasonic gal, she had me try a weird maneuver where you hit the open/close, fast reverse, and pause buttons at the same time (on the unit, not on the remote). I guess that is some sort of reset function, and it did get the unit off when it was locked up, but as soon as it was powered back up -- same deal.
    Quote Quote  
  4. Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    South Florida
    Search Comp PM
    My unit is less than a month old, but it's done it a couple of times, and that worked. Try leaving it unplugged for a while, and then retry it. I believe it took me a few times to get the disc out.
    Quote Quote  
  5. READ THE MANUAL

    Theres a guide there ahow to troubleshoot
    that problem, like a reset...happens sometimes
    to me also, not latlely though, dont use any
    bad media, or this happens...not saying this
    is cause, just be very careful, treat it with care..
    Quote Quote  
  6. Well, I tried the close/open-fast rewind-pause trick again, this time while the unit was OFF, and lo and behold, it came on and ejected the disc.

    HOWEVER, I then inserted a new blank disc into the unit, and it seemed to set up normally, but when I hit record, it tells me the disc cannot be recorded on, only played back. (The same message I got with the last one while it was stuck). I went through the same process, and tried a disc from a new upopened spindle, and the same thing occurred -- it just suddenly doesn't seem to recognize DVD-R media as recordable. (And it's the same brand I have been using successfully for several months.)

    So, it sounds more like the problem is the unit and not the disc. Unfortunately, that service center closest to me says that even if I can ship the unit, it will be at least 10 days before the tech can even look at it, and I can't do without for that long. So, I suppose I am going to have to go and purchase another one, and worry about fixing this one later. Like you, I have used this machine a LOT -- probably gone through 500-600 discs since I got it. I'd hate to think it has burned out that quickly, but then again, I think these consumer units are intended primarily for the average Joe who uses it occasionally to burn a DVD of a wedding or barmitzvah video, and not to do 30-50 DVDs a week.
    Quote Quote  
  7. READ THE MANUAL


    I'm way beyond that -- tried what little was in the manual, and what the Panasonic rep told me on the phone. I'm not entirely sure that any of these procedures actually does a full reset of the processor -- if this is a software glitch, there ought to be a way to put everything back into default, start from scratch mode.
    Quote Quote  
  8. Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    South Florida
    Search Comp PM
    Are you using a different type of media? Again, as everyone is saying, it doesn't like certain media types. You said you opened a new spindell, but was it the same brand? Same brand you've always used?
    Check out this thread:

    https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=185559

    I am going to use mine to transfer all my home movies and VHS collection, but I plan on using it for business as well. I hope it holds out.
    Quote Quote  
  9. Are you using a different type of media? Again, as everyone is saying, it doesn't like certain media types. You said you opened a new spindell, but was it the same brand? Same brand you've always used?

    Yup....I had used the first 20 or so of a spindle of 50 when things started going awry. I opened a brand-new spindle -- same thing. Same ones I've used for months with no problems except the occasional coaster (and that seems to be a fault of the finalization process -- I've found that if you so much as breathe on the machine while finalizing, you can easilt get a disc that plays fine on the Panasonic, but will lock up on regular DVD players).

    Check out this thread:
    https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=185559


    Looked at the thread -- doesn't seem to be QUITE the same problem -- they are talking about starting recordings and having them bomb out after a minute or two and go into recover -- with mine right now, it doesn't even let me record to begin with and still won't eject unless I use the three-finger reset described above. When I put in a blank, it reads it and detects it as a DVD-R and shows that in the little window, but then if you hit record it says that the disc can only be used for playback.


    [/i]
    Quote Quote  
  10. Actually, this thread desribes a problem closer to what I am experiencing. Close, but not quite:

    https://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/t116332.html

    Browsing some other sites' forum posts via Google, problems of this general type seem to crop up a lot on the early Panasonic models, and there seems to be no easy fix for it -- you either have a lemon or you don't I can handle VCRs that last for six months and then die, because the cheap price of a new unit makes repair ludicrous, but I'd like to think they would engineer these DVD Recorders a little better if they are going to attract a strong customer base -- people don't want to spend $400-500 or more for a machine that breaks down in less than a year.

    Me, I have no choice but to go out and get another one right now -- I use this unit for one of my businesses, and I have a backlog of about 100 DVDs I have to burn. Every service center I've called say it will be 10-14 days minimum after receiving the unit before they can even look at it -- I guess a lot of people are having these things repaired, and they have quite a backlog of their own -- and I can't be idle that long. I still plan to have this one looked at eventually, and I was planning at some point in the future to get a second machine, but I don't need to be spending money on one NOW.

    Ain't life wonderful?
    Quote Quote  
  11. Update -- OK, FWIW I played with the thing again for some time and finally got it working again. Sort of. I have changed my mind and now believe it is a media problem. I am getting some successful burns, and then other times I get a variety of problems (shut down and recover just after starting recording, U11 error after putting disc in, etc.) that others on the forum have associated with bad media in the past. Even though I am using the same brand/type of media I have used all along, and have never encountered these problems, it is possible that I just happened to get a couple of spindles from a flaky batch (some quality control guy was having a bad day I guess). I can't afford to just chuck these, so I'm going to slag through them and deal with the annoyances until they are gone.

    One great suggestion I found is to name the disc before you do anything else. I'm finding that if it is a bad disc, it won't even take a title and will give a U11 when you try, so at least that's a quick way of weeding out the clunkers before wasting too much time.
    Quote Quote  
  12. Originally Posted by JJ1958
    ...it is possible that I just happened to get a couple of spindles from a flaky batch (some quality control guy was having a bad day I guess)...
    Or you didn't get what you ordered. It happened to me once. If you can, chceck Manufacturer ID with DVDInfoPro and compare it with your old "good" disc
    Quote Quote  
  13. You say alot about your media but don't say what specific manf media you are using. Verb? Sky? Accu? -r +r ?? dvdram?

    Now why don't you use PANASONIC media? For a panasonic machine you test it with PANASONIC dvdram media that is the media my machine came with.
    Quote Quote  
  14. It's funny how your opinion changes when you gather more data.....I have found out that the problems ONLY occur upon first use of the machine on any given day, after the unit has been idle all night. Believe it or not, here is what works for me......if I turn the unit on, attempt a recording and get U11 and other errors, I eject the disc, put in a known good disc that has previously been recorded, play it for a minute or so, then stop and eject that disc and reinsert the blank......after this it will work fine for the rest of the day!!!!!

    So it could have something to do with the unit not initializing properly after a long period of idleness. I don't think temp is a problem as the ambient temp in the room does stay in the 65-75 degree range at all times. The fans and vents are all clean and unobstructed.

    For now, as long as this works, it is a minor annoyance compared to the prospect of having to repair or replace the machine.
    Quote Quote  
  15. Member lacywest's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    California
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by JJ1958
    ..... When I talked to the Panasonic gal, she had me try a weird maneuver where you hit the open/close, fast reverse, and pause buttons at the same time (on the unit, not on the remote). I guess that is some sort of reset function, and it did get the unit off when it was locked up, but as soon as it was powered back up -- same deal.
    Where is the PAUSE button on the DMR-50 ??????????????????

    I want to reset my DMR E50S
    Quote Quote  
  16. Member
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    I used to have the same error with the E-20 and I upgraded to the E-80H and I also used to have the same troubles with the e80,anyway the problem was the media and then I switched to either compusa 1x dvd-r media and also the princo 4x dvd-r media and I later found out that the compusa are in fact princo also.And finally some times I would get the uncompatable message also but the trick is to eject and reload the same disc until it clears so try that and it should work because it did work every time for me.. 8) :P
    Quote Quote  
  17. Man, that is Deja Vu!

    I had the EXACT same problem with my DMR-E50. I had burned 2 Memorex DVD-Rs no problem, and the third gave me trouble. It gave me a picture that was intermittently really pixelly, like DUPLO pixels!

    Thinking it was a bad disk, I tried another disk. I did the same thing. I then thought that maybe the signal I was trying to record was too weak, and it wasn't working (it was a VHS taped at EP of a very snowy channel).

    I figured I'd just try to record the TV, and then all hell broke loose. I had the same non-eject, no-functions problems you described. I eventually got the unit to respond by unplugging it, waiting a minute, and then plugging it back in.

    The very next day, I took the unit back to the local A/V shop I got it from, and demanded a replacement. They were a but unsure, but I told them straight out it was replacement or money back. They suggested a Toshiba (which could also do RW) but it wasn't made in Japan, and I told them no way.

    I tried the bummer disk in the new machine, and it jammed it as well, but not as badly.

    I've burned 6 other disks since then (I don't have a lot of time to do burning, as you can see), no trouble. They've all been Maxell, made in Japan disks.

    My experience thus tells me:

    1.) Don't use Memorex in Panasonic machines
    2.) Buy disks Made in Japan where possible
    3.) Maxells seem to work very well, so use them
    4.) don't give sales staff a choice

    My -E50 sits idle all night too, and I've not had any problems with firing it up the next day.

    I've also not found that there's been any problem burning ANYTHING on the Panasonic RAM disks. Even the really snowy VHS will record (as well as possible) fine on the RAMs. Either they're really good disks, or the bad quality doesn't really affect the performance of the disk in the machine, and I had two bad disks in a box of 5!

    Memorex just doesn't seem to work with Panasonic, which is unfortunate, since they are cheap.
    Mechworker
    Quote Quote  
  18. Try Accu disks they are great. Cheap too, about $65/100 from meritline.com

    Also, don't push the buttons again & again. Wait after pushing a button it can take time for the machine to get ready for that input.

    "Where is the PAUSE button on the DMR-50 ??????????????????"

    Doesn't have one, they took those out afterwards. Thats why a e30 is nice you can control it completely from the front panel.
    Quote Quote  
  19. Member lacywest's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    California
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by handyguy
    Try Accu disks they are great. Cheap too, about $65/100 from meritline.com

    Also, don't push the buttons again & again. Wait after pushing a button it can take time for the machine to get ready for that input.

    "Where is the PAUSE button on the DMR-50 ??????????????????"

    Doesn't have one, they took those out afterwards. Thats why a e30 is nice you can control it completely from the front panel.
    Ok thanks ... a Ritek DVD-R 2x ... did fine last night ... I put 3 shows on in separate sections and it did finalize correctly. I guess it doesn't like CompUsa cheap 1x DVD-Rs .... but it didn't mess up before ???
    Quote Quote  



Similar Threads

Visit our sponsor! Try DVDFab and backup Blu-rays!