JVC DR-M100 won't load any discs

[moxiecat]

I have had a JVC DR-M100 for about a year and a half, and I have been very happy with it. IMO, great picture quality.

I used it as recently as three days ago to record some clips on a DVD-RW from a VHS--no trouble.

Today I turn it on. The first blank DVD-RW I put in won't load. I try another. Still won't load. (It says "Disc Loading" for awhile, then either "no disc" or "disc error.") I tried the disc I used a couple days ago that was finalized, and then finally a professional DVD movie. None of them will load in the machine!

Has this happened to anyone? Is there a reset that I can try? (The manual is no help.) I would just buy another if it's dead but I cannot find any of these machines available anywhere. I have never registered for any warranty with it so I guess I can't take it to JVC for repair either?

If anybody has any idea what solution I can try, please post...extremely disappointed. Thanks.

[FulciLives]

Try unplugging it (the power cord) from the wall for say 24 hours or so ... then plug it back in. That will usually "reset" an electronic device such as this.

Sometimes you only have to unplug it for a moment ... othertimes for a 12-24 hour period.

However I have heard of some DVD players and DVD recorders having a special "reset code" but if the JVC has one I do not know what it is.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[moxiecat]

I should have mentioned--I did unplug it for a couple minutes and then plug it back in. Didn't work. I can try the 12-24 hours unplug.

In the manual, under the "initializing" troubleshooting step (if malfunction occurs on the unit when you first turn it on), they say to turn the machine off, then hold down the power button while pressing the stop button. Since my machine has been used for a year and a half, I was hesitant to try that because my problem seems to relate specifically to the laser/machine reading the disc. Is that the type of "reset" you mean?

[lordsmurf]

1ST
The first most likely scenario is your discs are not very good. The RW discs may be dying. Have you tried any DVD-R media, specifically Verbatim DVD-R discs? But then again, you said it would not ever read pressed discs.

2ND
Try an audio CD-ROM, see if it plays. If it does, it means the DVD laser went out. If neither CD or DVD players, maybe dismantle the unit and clean the laser lens. Swab it with a q-tip (preferably a non-cotton soft swab) soaked in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), and then swab it once to dry using a dry swab. Maybe that will help.

3RD
Hopefully the DVD burner inside did not die, but that is possible, and next most likely of
all the possibilities. If so, then the drive needs to be replaced. This is more common with DVD players and computer burners, but all drives will end up dead eventually. It's the major drawback to optical media, the discs will outlast the players by decades.


edited for easier reading

[FulciLives]

In the manual, under the "initializing" troubleshooting step (if malfunction occurs on the unit when you first turn it on), they say to turn the machine off, then hold down the power button while pressing the stop button. Since my machine has been used for a year and a half, I was hesitant to try that because my problem seems to relate specifically to the laser/machine reading the disc. Is that the type of "reset" you mean?

Yes ... that is the type of "reset" I was talking about.

I don't see how it could hurt ... if anything it might help.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
You might want to buy a CD/DVD disc cleaner ... you know the kind you put inside the unit to clean the lens.

[moxiecat]

Hi Lord Smurf, I was hoping you would reply because I did buy this recorder on your recommendation last year--and am now really bummed that non-combo JVC DVD recorders can't be found anywhere online anymore (in case I'd need to replace this one).

I use Fuji DVD-RWs. But if it were the blank discs, wouldn't the bought Hollywood movie work? And it won't read that either.

What do you think I should do? Is there a reset code? Can I call JVC or don't I qualify for service? (Any recommendation on a similar recorder too? Thanks.

[lordsmurf]

I re-edited my post a few times, go read it now.

[FulciLives]

I re-edited my post a few times, go read it now.

It says you edited it 5 times LOL

Of course I've had my fair share of those myself :P

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

edited because I felt like it

[moxiecat]

WELL!!! It looks as if (hopefully) the JVC was just having a bit of a temper tantrum. The machine was unplugged for the 5 minutes or so while I was reading your posts. Then I went back and tried a CD, and it worked. So I put in a Hollywood movie and that also worked. Huh. Went for the biggie and tried a blank DVD-RW. "VR Mode or Video Mode?" Yes, it worked! Phew!!!

Thanks for your help. I hope this won't happen again, but it it does, I'll come right back to this thread.

Lord Smurf, while you're here, do you have a recommendation for a replacement for the JVC DR-M100? I know that's your preferred machine, but if yours died, what machine would you replace it with? My main interest is the best picture quality possible--I don't need a hard drive or VHS combo or anything fancy. It really sucks that JVC doesn't seem to be putting out single DVD recorders anymore. If you have a spare minute, I'd love to know your suggestions, since your JVC did work out really well for me. Thanks.

[lordsmurf]

I'd almost rather not think about it. I'd have to find something with an LSI chipset, 352x480 3-hour mode, and VBR encoding. Maybe that new Polaroid.

[FulciLives]

Some other choices I can think of (in no particular order):

1.) Toshiba D-R5
2.) Polaroid DRM-2001G
3.) Pioneer DVR-640H-s
4.) JVC SR-MV40US or SR-MV50US
5.) JVC DR-DX5S (very nice but the price is insane)

Actually I put that in order from 1.) cheapest to 5.) most expensive.

The JVC SR-MV40US/SR-MV50US models would have the functionality and quality most similiar to that of the old JVC DR-M100 but they aren't cheap.

The best bang for your buck is the Polaroid DRM-2001G which has the LSI chipset and a built-in 80GB HDD all for around $220 when bought at WAL-MART. It does seem to have a few quirks (there is a thread on this website and another at the avsforum website about it) and it only has "fixed" recording modes ... no FR/FLEX mode for optimal bitrate allocation.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[pepegot1]

I had that happen to me a couple of times. I erased the DVD-RW and after that it worked just fine. Give it a try and hope for the best.

[FulciLives]

I had that happen to me a couple of times. I erased the DVD-RW and after that it worked just fine. Give it a try and hope for the best.

Do you mean you erased it with your computer DVD burner or ... ?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[MeekloBraca]

I also had this problem.

It is nothing to do with "a dying disc" as assanine as that sounds. What I did was turn the recorder off with the disc in the recorder and turn it back on and it would work. That happened for a couple of days and then never happened again.