Help ! - I can't get my Panasonic DMR-HS2 to open - crazy machine......

[agent31]

Hi there……

I’m new to this forum, so if you are taking the time to read this / help me, then your time is much appreciated – Cheers.

I have a Panasonic DVD Video Recorder, model DMR-HS2, and can’t get the bugger open ! The machine has been working great for several years (although it’s out of warranty now – Booo !), and only recently have I had any problems with it.

Basically, I put a DVD-RAM (that I had previously recorded a movie onto) into the machine , only to get an “U11” message, indicating that the disc is scratched / corrupt in some way. The machine then went into “Recovery”, and shut down.

Here is where the problems arise. No matter how many ways I can think of to activate the player (e.g. pressing HDD on the terminal, pressing Open/Close on the terminal, etc.) , it simply powers up, recognises that it is in a “U11” state, displays the “Recovery” message, and turns itself off again, 90 seconds later.

If it gave me a freekin’ chance to remove the disc from the tray, then I would do just that, and the problem would go away – just as it did when I had this same problem a year ago. Unfortunately, the solution I used a year ago – simultaneously holding down the Pause, Open/Close and the Back-Skip button on the terminal (to return it to ‘factory settings’) - failed to do the trick this time, as have the various other things I’ve tried, as have the suggestions that the chimps at Panasonic Tech support gave me.

So here is my question to you kind souls – do any of you smart forum people know to get the tray to OPEN ?

Or for that matter, does anyone have any other interesting or helpful hints that could help me ?

Thanks to all……

[redwudz]

I don't suppose it has a 'paper clip' hole like DVD RW drives to manually open the tray? My Pioneer doesn't.

Have you tried unplugging it for a hour or so?

And you might try the CD Freaks forum. http://www.cdfreaks.com/ They may have a Panasonic recorder forum.

Or maybe a member here owns one and has solved the problem.

And welcome to our forums.

[ntscuser]

Press power off.

Hold down "stop" and "channel up" on the main unit simultaneously for five seconds.

[russkelp]

When I had a problem like this and nothing would work, and I was stuck in a constant booting process, I took a flat object and pried open the corner of the tray slightly while hitting the power button. I read that somewhere in the forums here a few years ago.

[agent31]

Thanks for the advice. Here's the state of play......

Have you tried unplugging it for a hour or so?

Had it off for 24hs. Didn’t help, but thanks for the idea.

I don't suppose it has a 'paper clip' hole like DVD RW drives to manually open the tray? My Pioneer doesn't.

No 'paper clip' hole. Good idea though.

Press power off.

Hold down "stop" and "channel up" on the main unit simultaneously for five seconds.

Nope, this didn’t have any effect. Thanks very much for the suggestion, never-the-less.

When I had a problem like this and nothing would work, and I was stuck in a constant booting process, I took a flat object and pried open the corner of the tray slightly while hitting the power button. I read that somewhere in the forums here a few years ago.

Saved this idea for last. Turns out brute force works ! I was sceptical at first – that’s why I waited to do this last – but I eventually thought ‘why not ?’, wedged a plastic knife into the crack in the front of the Open/Close tray, and pressed Power On. I followed this by slowly, and firmly, pulling on the draw-front. Initially nothin’ happened, so I pulled really hard, got the draw open just enough to remove the disc from within it, and allowed the draw close. And hey presto – everything started working again !

So, the moral of the story is that force does work ! Maybe that George W. guy is onto something……

Anyway, thanks to all those that tried to help, and especially russkelp : you are a star, sir.

Great forum, btw. I’m sure I will be back sometime. Thanks again.

[Captain Satellite]

Press power off.

Hold down "stop" and "channel up" on the main unit simultaneously for five seconds.

Thank you! Unlike the manual that says 'channel down'. Carry on...

[night biker]

Hi all,
definitly was easier. I had exactly the same prolem with the same equipment (DMR HS2) and it happened to me last week. I found your forum and I tried all the different ways all of you mentioned but completly unsuccessfully therefore finally I used the mechanical ways.
I took an small knife and when I switched on the DVD, I introduced the knife just to open the tray for about 2/3 mm in the lower side, then i press open/close and I heard the tipical noise trying the dvd unit to open. I leave it and after the recover proccess, the dvd was on and I was able to open the tray and to operate again the dvd.

Once you opened the machine now we need to look for the problem that caused this damage. For me I was trying to dubbing a DVD Ram from the HD of the unit. Indeed the HD was almost full and the DVD was also almost full, because I took another DVD Ram empty and I tried to record it and was recorded normally therefore, probably when the unit is close to the limits something doesnt worksproperly.

this is what I think but really it has not a technical support.

Regards