Panasonic DMR E50/E55 drive replacement

[zzucru]

Has anybody ever successfully replaced the DVD drive in a Panasonic recorder? I've searched this site and not found an answer. Just wondering if it is as complex (service disk, service remote, etc) as the Pioneer procedure for DVD / HDD replacement / upgrade. Will I be a pioneer (pun intended) in this procedure?

Thanks in advance.

[jjeff]

Other than replacing your own drive most people opt for the $130 flat fee that Panasonic provides. By the time you consider the cost of the drive and trouble $130 seems well worth it to most.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14451738#post14451738
I don't know a lot about drive replacements but from what I've read Panasonics don't require a service remote like Pios and if you install a drive larger than the factory drive it will only recognize the amount of the original drive. IOW installing a larger drive than original will not give you more recording space.

[zzucru]

I guess I should clarify ... I am asking about the DVD burner not a HDD. The DMR E50/E55 do not have hard drives.

[jjeff]

Oops, sorry I missed that. In that case what I've read that others have done is to cannibalize a similar year recorder and use that drive.
In your case a ES-15 would have the same DVD drive and it would just be a matter of swapping the drive. The ES-15 would be the cheapest recorder with a similar drive to your EH-55. Drives from different year Panasonics will not work. You need a '06 model year DVDR. Note even though the EH-55 was sold new in Canada through the early part of '08 it's still a '06 model year design.