Very frustrating issue with Panasonic recorder.

[dafoe]

So I replaced my broken Panasonic DMR-e80H with the same model. Bought it on ebay. Despite no problems listed it came with a partially functioning remote and other issues. I have at least 150 VHS tapes that I want to transfer to HDD. I'm moving between June 1st and August 1st (the sooner the better) and I have no interest in lugging these with me.

Here's my problem: Whenever I put a tape in and hit play the parental lock comes up. The same thing happens when I play a DVD or anything off the hard drive. The seller doesn't have the code. I set the lock to level 8. Parental lock still comes up. Tracked down a manual and after scanning 60 pages to make sure I didn't miss anything I came across this regarding resetting the parental lock: "While the disc tray is open press and hold [:/6] and [5/9] on the main unit at the same time for more than 5 seconds" What?! Can anyone translate this gibberish? I searched the manual again and can find no button map that even remotely corresponds with [:/6] and [5/9].

I also changed the settings to level 7 and was able to set a new code: 1111. Now when I type that in the lock goes away. But it should not be coming up at all on level 8. It also acts like I am not entering numbers when I enter them on the lock screen. I enter the code and hit enter, the lock screen goes away. But at no point do the numbers I'm entering appear on the screen. I owned this unit before. I know this is not normal behavior.

Any ideas on how to make this stop or what the manual instructions I mentioned earlier mean?

[october262]

Try the factory reset - http://www.avsforum.com/forum/106-dvd-recorders-standard-def/498917-how-factory-reset-.../498917?page=1

[orsetto]

The overall factory reset procedure doesn't affect the separate ratings subsystem.

Panasonic service bulletins suggest you can reset the recorder master PIN code as follows for most of their models:

Power the unit on.

Open the unit's tray.

Select the dvd drive with the Drive Select button.

Press and hold the front panel REC and PLAY buttons together for at least 5 seconds.

The parental PIN code has now been reset to the default code of '0000'.

This should (on most Panasonics) restore the ratings system to null or inoperative, unless you intentionally invoke it later. When set to level 8, there should be no more password requests for any normal playback functions.

[dafoe]

Worked great, october! Thank you so much. I don't know why they couldn't just make that clear in the instruction booklet. But I appreciate the help.

Orsetto, I don't know what to say. All I can tell you is that the factory reset took care of the issue for me. I spent an hour on google before posting here. I previously tried the method you mentioned and it did not work.

[orsetto]

I previously tried the method you mentioned and it did not work.

It seemed you couldn't figure out what Panasonic was getting at with its obtuse text that specifically targets resetting the ratings system. So I tried to clarify that info from another Panasonic source, which identified the buttons (Rec and Play) that Panasonic obscured with its useless "press and hold [:/6] and [5/9] on the main unit" instructions. But alls well that ends well: you got it to work via factory reset!

Panasonic is nothing if not inconsistent in how they follow their own instructions. According to every Panasonic recorder manual in existence, the overall factory reset procedure intentionally skips the parental lock system, which supposedly requires the separate reset (garbled in the E80H manual). From perusing a few similar threads, it looks like Panasonic did enforce this separate reset on later models, going so far as to require a repair center do it internally (for a service fee!) on some recent units.

[dafoe]

I was wrong. When I put another tape in the screen came up again. This time entering the numbers did no good. I think this is just a defective unit. The seller took three to four weeks before shipping it. So I was already annoyed when I got it. At first he wanted me to pay return shipping. Which made me even madder. I was ready to contact ebay when he refunded me and just told me to keep it. He must have known that it was broken. Why else would he give me a full refund?

I guess I will just have to make due with this and sell it as "broken" when I'm done with it. Not like I will have a use for it beyond this transfer process. It doesn't even have a digital tuner.