I need to replace my Panasonic DMR.

[pjblevin]

I bought my Panasonic DMR-E80H almost 2 years ago. I had problems from the beginning, mostly with the owner's manual. It was the worst that I had ever seen. It gave inscrutability a bad name. But I eventually "conquered" the owner's manual, and was able to use the Panasonic. About 6 months ago, it stopped playing DVD's. It would still record & burn, but wouldn't play. (On playback, the video would break up somewhere toward the middle or end of the disc.) I solved that problem by buying a generic (Magnavox) DVD player at Wal-Mart. Cost me $36.00. The Panasonic DMR, by comparison, cost me about $500.00. From then on I just used the Panasonic for recording TiVo downloads, then burning them to DVD. (The Magnavox became my playback unit.) Well, today, the DVD burning function on Panasonic stopped working. I can still download to the Panasonic hard-drive, but cannot dub to the DVD burner. It'll burn a DVD, alright, but the DVD won't play on anything, including the Magnavox. As far as I'm concerned, it's over for my Panasonic. I'm gonna take a $500. hit and move on. Now here's my question: What unit can I buy (no Panasonic, please) that will allow me to 1) copy my downloads from TiVo to a hard-drive 2) Clean-up the download by editing out commercials, etc. 3) Burn a DVD-R that will play on my DVD players. 4) Something simple to use. I don't need a big hard-drive, as I take the stuff off TiVo almost immediately and burn a DVD. I want RELIABILITY. And SIMPLICITY. I don't care too much about cost. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

pjblevin

[lordsmurf]

Consider the JVC DR-M100S or DR-M300S (or DR-MH300 or whatever the model number is)

[pjblevin]

lordsmurf: I appreciate your response and recommendations. Just one question......do you own one of these units? I wanna make sure that I have a hands-on response.

pjblevin

[RDS1955]

Go to the Panasonic site, and use their service center lookup feature.. they usually have em alot of places.. I had a problem with my e80H and took it to a service center in a town in the next state.. they had it about a month, but I got it back and the repair bill came to about $80.00...Works good ..You could also flash the firmware for that unit also..

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vDownloads

[Joakim_A]

Actually you might not even have to take it in at all. Just unscrew the top case of your Panasonic then unscrew the DVD-drive and then unscrew the chassi of the DVD-drive and then use a cotton qtip(you know those things you pick your ears with)

Use some medical alcohol used for wounds that you can get at a pharmacy. Dip the qtip in alcohol and then clean the lens in the drive use use a light touch so that you do not damage the drive mechanism. Then reasemble and then see if it will work.

If not it would be cheaper for you to have your Panasonic repaired if it is just the DVD drive that is faulty. Then it is to buy a new recorder.

Panasonics are not poor quality infact they are considered one of the best in that regard.

[lordsmurf]

Panasonics are notorious for bad hard drives, and even more infamous for replacement hard drives that go bad again. The E80H is the worst offender.
I'm under the impression they use Maxtor, which is probably why it happens. Maxtors suck.

If this was any other model, I would suggest you look at fixing it. But as soon as you said E80H, it was clear to me that it's likely a paperweight not worth more effort.

Then again, Panasonic is not the best quality (VIDEO QUALITY!) machine anyway, and there are plenty of competing machines for you to choose from. JVC, Pioneer, LiteOn, Toshiba, etc.

I've had a JVC DR-M10S since early 2004, and I have nothing to complain about. Great machine, does BEAUTIFUL QUALITY for my work, not a complaint to date from me nor anybody that has gotten work made off it. In fact, almost always compliments.

[Bridge]

Sounds to me like your burner's dead. If you are not going to use it then you could take it apart and try to clean it. Your hard drive sounds o.k. That's why you can record to the hard drive but you've got a problem with the burner. That's why you can't play things back nor dub. The dubbing problem is not with the hard drive it's with the burner. It might need some reading part on the burner but I think you need a new burner and they are NOT cheap. I think they are going for around $300 for the replacement burner.

[pjblevin]

Bridge: You're quite right about the DVD burner (however, the hard-drive will record & play). I didn't know the replacement DVD burner/playback was so expensive! My LG CD/DVD player/burner unit in my PC only cost $150. But I've heard that the cost of replacement parts for anything get really jacked-up. I'm gonna call a Panasonic repair center this morning, and find out what it'll cost to have the DVD burner/player replaced. Thanks for your info.

pjblevin

[pjblevin]

Joakim: Thanks for the tip on cleaning. I've got q-tips. I've got alcohol (both for drinking & for cleaning). So I'll try that if the repair $$$$ is too high.

pjblevin

[pjblevin]

Bridge: First I called the nearest Panasonic repair center, told him what the symptoms were, and asked that IF IT WAS INDEED the DVD burner unit that was bad, what would it cost to fix. He said there was an initial charge of around $75 to look at it, and he wouldn't give me a price for DVD burner replacement. I walked. If anybody out there wants this unit for parts (or to fix, if they're talented), they can have it for free. Cost me about $500 a year-and-a-half ago, and it's low mileage. I'll even throw in free shipping to someone in need. Meanwhile, I'm out the door to Wal-Mart to see if I can find a DVR that I like, and is cheap. No more high-priced stuff for me.

pjblevin

[pjblevin]

Joakim: I took the cover off, looked at the situation, and put the cover back on. I know when I'm in over my head. But thanks anyway.

pjblevin

[lordsmurf]

I've sent you a private message pjblevin.

[handyguy]

Before taking the cover off use compressed air. Open door, turn off unit, unplug & then shoot in some air into the door. Let it dry out a bit if necesary cause some air can be liquidy.

[Rosco]

Coupla of small points..

the earlier Panny's did use Maxtors, but around the E95 they switched to Samsungs, as they still do.

Secondly, I had a burner go out on one of my E80's, of course I worked it to death (probably around 5,000 discs/ram's burned). Panasonic parts wants $497.23 for the 'Ram Drive Assembly' (!!) No, it's not a standard drive setup..

HOWEVER.... after perusing the Panny Parts web site, I found that THE SAME drive is used in the DMR-E50 & DMR-E60 (non-harddrive models). I picked up a NIB E50 from WalMart on clearance for $90, swapped out the drives and the E80 has hummed alone nicely ever since. You probably can find an E50 on eBay for < $75, or if you REALLY don't want the E80, I'll pay for shipping (grin)

[lordsmurf]

Before taking the cover off use compressed air. Open door, turn off unit, unplug & then shoot in some air into the door. Let it dry out a bit if necesary cause some air can be liquidy.

If you shoot compressed air liquid on a coated glass surface, like that of a camera lens or laser, you'll ruin it. The liquid propellant eats away these caotings.

[tluxon]

...I picked up a NIB E50 from WalMart on clearance for $90, swapped out the drives...

You didn't return the E50 to Walmart, did you? I'm a stockholder -

[louthewiz]

I am also an owner of the E-80H and I had the same problems and the problem was that it needed a good cleaning (I used discwasher) and a firmware update from panasonics website and it works as good as new ,so check out all your options before throwing it out. Lou

[handyguy]

"If you shoot compressed air liquid on a coated glass surface, like that of a camera lens or laser, you'll ruin it. "

They make compressed air for electronics.

[lordsmurf]

"If you shoot compressed air liquid on a coated glass surface, like that of a camera lens or laser, you'll ruin it. "

They make compressed air for electronics.

It's all the same, and what I said still stands true, regardless.

[Bridge]

It is a lot cheaper for Panasonic to make a whole unit, just like they do with computers, than it is selling individual parts. That's why a whole unit is like $400 and a drive alone is like $300. I went looking around the Panny website and couldn't even find that model's burner or number anymore.

Rosco, that tip you said about replacing the E80 drive with an E50, and it working is the bomb!!! I didn't know that other drive burners from new models work in the old units.

[Rosco]

Rosco, that tip you said about replacing the E80 drive with an E50, and it working is the bomb!!! I didn't know that other drive burners from new models work in the old units.

You have to make sure that it's the same part number for both of the units involved... go to http://www.pasc.panasonic.com/EpartR/PartsListChoice.asp and get the parts list for a given machine and then compare with another model.

[handyguy]

Or just buy one on ebay. There might be some with working drives, but not displays, etc.