Typical lifespan for a stand-alone DVD recorder.

[anzimike]

My pioneer elite dvdr7000 lasted almost 5 years. Now it won't burn reliably, but still plays fine. I tried cleaning but no avail. I figure the burning laser is weak or dead. I replaced it with dvr520.

[samijubal]

I've had my E-10 on repeat play since January hoping it would die before the 5 year warranty ends at the end of the month, it's still going. I don't have any room for it anywhere, it's huge and weighs a ton. Guess I'll just throw it in a pile with the rest of the stuff I never use.

[Marvingj]

I also have a Pioneer Elite Still works, records & plays. It been about 6 years. The only problem will not record anything over 4x. They have a firmware but I didn't want to take a chance because how expensive it was. But thats went they really made heavy DVD recorders.

[classfour]

I have an early Panasonic DMR-E20 that's still going. I bought it new in September 2001. It's not seeing as heavy use as it did at first, but I still use it as a VCR to record from cable. I've not used it for watching DVDs, but have always had another unit for that.

I have a Panasonic E55 that's about one and one-half years old, still working.

I don't smoke, and have always watched the clearances around the DVD recorders.

Have a Toshiba that I bought on ebay four or five months ago.

Not really any problems on any of them, but I suspect the E20 is the best built of the lot - if the weight of the thing indicates anything.

[Seeker47]

I have an early Panasonic DMR-E20 that's still going. I bought it new in September 2001. I suspect the E20 is the best built of the lot - if the weight of the thing indicates anything.

More metal, less plastic ? Same as with the older model VCRs that were built like a tank.

[usually_quiet]

Last night, just for fun, I searched for the power supply board’s part number and looked at the list of parts for my recorder that were offered for sale on Panasonic’s website. The power supply board was not listed. Probably every functional part making it up was there, but not the whole thing.

Since I can’t test circuits and don’t own a soldering iron, I dropped my recorder off at the repair shop today. I’ll find out in a few days whether I made a mistake or not. I never considered taking the extended warranty because it was around $100, 50% of my recorder’s original price, for one year’s additional coverage. I am hoping that my repair will be less than that.

[pinetop]

from what I've read, if you get more than 2 yrs on it, that was a good one.

I don't think there is anyone with a burner older than 2 yrs, and moderate use, not just a furniture.

I have never had a burner die on me. Two cd burners both over 5 yrs old, and a dvd burner that is three years old. I trade sporting events, so I'm a heavy user.
I just added a second dvd burner, an LG. I had to have the lightscribe feature and it was cheap. I just hope it lasts like my Liteon dvd burner has.

[samijubal]

Last night, just for fun, I searched for the power supply board’s part number and looked at the list of parts for my recorder that were offered for sale on Panasonic’s website. The power supply board was not listed. Probably every functional part making it up was there, but not the whole thing.

You would probably have to get the part number from a service manual, or a parts site. The numbers on the board usually aren't the part number.

[verchad]

I've had my panasonic dmr-hs2 for about 3 years 9 months. Did a lot of burning vhs onto dvd intially, then periods of just using it as a dvd player and time shifting tv, and then making 2-5 dvds at a time. Paid close to $1000 when I got it. Still woorks as a dvd player, still records to the hard drive, still burns dvds, althought I tend to have better luck with good media.

[lenti_75]

from what I've read, if you get more than 2 yrs on it, that was a good one.

I don't think there is anyone with a burner older than 2 yrs, and moderate use, not just a furniture.

I have never had a burner die on me. Two cd burners both over 5 yrs old, and a dvd burner that is three years old. I trade sporting events, so I'm a heavy user.
I just added a second dvd burner, an LG. I had to have the lightscribe feature and it was cheap. I just hope it lasts like my Liteon dvd burner has.

dude, I meant dvd standalone burner....jesus, not a pc burner,.....what is this post about ???




there are exemptions from the rule, but we can count them really easy. more people complained about dead ones than real succes and older than 2 yrs.

[Explore Montessori]

Hi, I am in dire need of someone's advice!!
I also own the Dmr-ES10, and it just went dark as well - no power at all - 1 year and 4 months after purchase. I tried a different cable/power supply cord, as well as other outlets, and it does not fix the problem. It was going into "self check" mode the last few times in use before it died.

I dont have the extended warranty, so I am trying to figure out what I should do- send it in for repair or buy a new one.... ? Any other suggestions?

I have a HUGE stack of DVD's that are full but not 'finalized' yet, and were recorded in XP mode (8 hours per disk) on that Panasonic. If I were to buy a new one with a different brand from Panasonic, would I be able to salvage or finalize my disks? These disks are VERY important to me and it would be terribly upsetting if I were to lose any of them!

Anyone please help if you can! Thanks a million in advance!!

[usually_quiet]

Explore Montessori wrote:

I also own the Dmr-ES10, and it just went dark as well - no power at all - 1 year and 4 months after purchase. I tried a different cable/power supply cord, as well as other outlets, and it does not fix the problem. It was going into "self check" mode the last few times in use before it died.

The symptoms you describe are the same ones my recorder exhibited. In the end, I took it to a local repair shop recommended by Panasonic (in the Customer Service section of their website, as I recall.) It cost me $30 (US) to have the problem diagnosed (this was later applied towards labor), $45 for parts (replacement power supply circuit board), and another $5 for tax. I have a 90 day warranty on the repair. It has been working fine for a couple of weeks now, but only time will tell if repairing my recorder was a good decision on my part.

Your costs could well be different, and be sure to call the repair shop(s) to find out about their fees and policies. Another shop in my area wanted $47 to diagnose the problem, which would also have been applied towards labor.

I have a HUGE stack of DVD's that are full but not 'finalized' yet, and were recorded in XP mode (8 hours per disk) on that Panasonic.

I don't know how to "finalize" these discs without a DMR-ES10, but you can extract the content, edit it as desired, and re-author. I have done it a couple of times now for something I really wanted to save. It's a lot of work and quite a learning process, especially if you use all free tools, but it can be done.

This a brief description of the process that worked for me.
1. Extract the content using ISOBuster.
2. Rename the resulting .tao file to .vob.
3. Use VobEdit to demutiplex the "new" ,vob into separate video and audio files.
4. Edit and remultiplex to create separate mpegs for individual programs using your favorite editor.
5. Use an authoring program to make menu(s) and reauthor DVD
6. Test to make sure it plays on PC, and author again if it doesn't work.
7. Burn using PC's dvd burner and whatever burning program you have
8. Hope it will play on your set-top player!

Sorry I don't have time to go into any more detail. Anyone interested in doing this needs to read the guides/program documentation for the software they want to use, search this site, and solicit help on the appropriate fora as needed (if you really get stuck).

[InXess]

Hi, I am in dire need of someone's advice!!
I also own the Dmr-ES10, and it just went dark as well - no power at all - 1 year and 4 months after purchase. I tried a different cable/power supply cord, as well as other outlets, and it does not fix the problem. It was going into "self check" mode the last few times in use before it died.

I dont have the extended warranty, so I am trying to figure out what I should do- send it in for repair or buy a new one.... ? Any other suggestions?

If it dies completely it must be power supply related... take it to a regular TV/VCR repair shop. A skilled guy will fix it in no time for little cash (why Panasonic service shop...?)

Now compare how robust VCR's were in general (not all of them). 2 years of use out of 300-400 bucks gadget is a joke when it comes to industry standards. That's barely fresh out of warranty. Some of you call it OK? How about replacing your microwave. fridge, TV, alarm clock, amplifiers, vacuum cleaner, washer... etc etc every 2 years... and all at the same time...
DVD and derivatives are still crap technology that a spec of dust can easily render useless

[NiteLite]

Man this thread is depressing. Except for usually_quiet getting his unit back up and working.
It's depressing that I just recently purchased a close to $400.00 Pioneer 640h DVD-Recorder and the extended warranty service offered by the place of purchase had a terrible rating from customers. And can find no way to purchase one from another company. Tried Warrantech but couldnt find actual place to buy on the web or the how to process. SOL I guess. But to hear that 400$ "might " get me 2 yrs service is dreadful.
Regards and good luck everyone...
NL

[SingSing]

I have a HUGE stack of DVD's that are full but not 'finalized' yet, and were recorded in XP mode (8 hours per disk) on that Panasonic.

This a brief description of the process that worked for me.
1. Extract the content using ISOBuster.
2. Rename the resulting .tao file to .vob.
3. Use VobEdit to demutiplex the "new" ,vob into separate video and audio files.
4. Edit and remultiplex to create separate mpegs for individual programs using your favorite editor.
5. Use an authoring program to make menu(s) and reauthor DVD

Instead of step 3 to 5, users can use VOBedit's join clip to form one movie, then use IFOedit's create ifo to create a no-menu ifo file. These steps should create a working DVD. I have use these to rebuilt DVD from scratched discs.

[Explore Montessori]

Wow, thanks so much you guys for responding so quickly!! This really helps with my decision - it is very helpful to know the status of your situation, usually_quiet, and that it may cost about $80 ish to repair (as long as the problem is the same and repair shop is comparable)

It's also great to know that there is a way to salvage my burned-but-not-yet-finalized discs, should I choose not to repair the player and just buy a different one.

Hmmmm.... now for my decision.....

Well, first I am going to call around to a few shops (the hassle of going through the re-burning/copying process for 40+ unfinalized & full disks does not sound appealing to me) I'll probably just fork over the $80 to save the time. We'll see what happens. What a bummer. I wish I would have gotten the additional warranty from the store (but I think it was really expensive to I opted out).

One more question, usually_quiet, did your DMR-ES10 ever occasionally making funny noises when the CD would first start spinning? I am thinking mine did so just when the countertop surface was not perfectly flat, but I'm not sure if that was the cause... wanted to see if you ever experienced this noise too... ?

Thanks again for all the input everyone!!!!!!

[Seeker47]

Man this thread is depressing. Except for usually_quiet getting his unit back up and working.
It's depressing that I just recently purchased a close to $400.00 Pioneer 640h DVD-Recorder and the extended warranty service offered by the place of purchase had a terrible rating from customers.

Which one was that ? I sure hope it wasn't GE. (That's who took over for units purchased from Good Guys, as my 520 was. Fortunately, it seems to still be doing well, at what must be past the 1 year mark by now.)

And can find no way to purchase one from another company. Tried Warrantech but couldnt find actual place to buy on the web or the how to process. SOL I guess. But to hear that 400$ "might " get me 2 yrs service is dreadful.

I think the extended warranty options were probably hashed over in more detail in the course of that long 640 thread on AVSforum. I'm still thinking of getting a 640, so I'll see if I grabbed any warranty-relevant bookmarks from that thread.

[usually_quiet]

Explore Montessori wrote:

One more question, usually_quiet, did your DMR-ES10 ever occasionally making funny noises when the CD would first start spinning? I am thinking mine did so just when the countertop surface was not perfectly flat, but I'm not sure if that was the cause... wanted to see if you ever experienced this noise too... ?

My recorder makes a moaning noise every once and a while just before the tray opens so a disc can be removed or just after one is inserted and the tray is closed. DVD-RAM seems to cause the noise more often than DVD-RW, but I rarely use RAM discs these days. I’m pretty sure it’s not perfectly level because everything sits on a wheeled TV cart that rests on a carpeted floor. I can’t really blame the noise on that though, because it is so infrequent.

[NiteLite]

Man this thread is depressing. Except for usually_quiet getting his unit back up and working.
It's depressing that I just recently purchased a close to $400.00 Pioneer 640h DVD-Recorder and the extended warranty service offered by the place of purchase had a terrible rating from customers.

Which one was that ? I sure hope it wasn't GE. (That's who took over for units purchased from Good Guys, as my 520 was. Fortunately, it seems to still be doing well, at what must be past the 1 year mark by now.)

And can find no way to purchase one from another company. Tried Warrantech but couldnt find actual place to buy on the web or the how to process. SOL I guess. But to hear that 400$ "might " get me 2 yrs service is dreadful.

I think the extended warranty options were probably hashed over in more detail in the course of that long 640 thread on AVSforum. I'm still thinking of getting a 640, so I'll see if I grabbed any warranty-relevant bookmarks from that thread.

Seeker47...
It was from Amazon and they use a company named "N.E.W.Customer Service Companies, Inc."
After reading a few pages of the reviews on the site I couldn't go with them. Way too many complaints.
Thanks for the link with the info. I havent checked that AVS thread for quite awhile. Maybe someone has some info there.
Wow, it did become a long thread.
Thanks again,
NL

[Explore Montessori]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I spoke with Panasonic, and they said I could send it in to the Panasonic Digital Service Center in Illinois for repair, and although it's out of warranty and I will have to pay for the repair costs, they will pay for shipping both ways. They are sending me an authorization letter with auth# and I will take it to UPS where they will ship for free. UPS will also package at a 'discounted' rate since I no longer have the box.

This sounds like an allright deal, right?

[DRP]

Sidebar comment to this topic: What a sad state our comsumer driven culture has become when an acceptable consumer electronics component's MTF is two years or less and it's more ecomonical to replace than repair. Consider all the energy, resources and toxic waste associated with the production and disposal of that component and you'll see what I'm getting at here.

I couldn't agree with this more. I also agree with an earlier poster's comment about the cheapest and nastiest generic brand equipment being the most reliable and lasting the longest. That's what I've found too. I also find that the really cheap and nasty gear is the gear that will play more formats, more types of discs and basically allow you to bend the rules much further.

It seems to me that these days as much money is spent in developing a product to fail precisely at the expiration of the warranty as there is in making it work in the first place. Buying an expensive 'name' brand these days just means it will fail closer to the warranty expiration than any other brand.

Example in point... my (very expensive) Nokia mobie phone came out of standard warranty last week and the keypad illumination has just started going on the fritz last night.

[LifeIsGd]

I encountered the same problem with Panasonic DMR-ES10: no display, no power after 1 year + 2 weeks. Very Disappointed!
I bought LG LRH780 for a change; just give others a chance; so far I am happy.

[SingSing]

Wow, art of design in failure after 1 year of service. maybe there is an internal failure timer, another class action suit.

[NiteLite]

Wow, art of design in failure after 1 year of service. maybe there is an internal failure timer, another class action suit.

Well since you brought it up
I either read or heard on a BBC segment...(cant remember but it was not a joke)...that the Asians (Japan, China,etc...cant remember)) had developed a chip or tuned a chip in electronics that would in effect "turn the device off".
In other words, yes, it could one day after warranty expires turn the unit off. It was stated that no repair could be done to fix this other than replacing the product with a new one.
Of course comments about whether it was lawful or moral or anything red flagged that could arise were brought up. But if I remember the "pro-use" side seemed not to be concerned about any of those and responded as if it were the total right of a company to determine how long it's product could work.
So, will we see this in everything from toasters to high-dollar electronics in the very near future? My guess is yes. Unless some legislation is passed - yes.
Disposal everything. Bummer indeed.
NL

[classfour]

Well - misreported the age of my E-20: Date of Manufactur was May 2002, so I bought it new in September 2002. Still works, though.

As to the "mystery chip" that kills things at just over 1 year (i.e. out of warranty): I've had one Norcent DVD player that died right at the 1 year mark (dead power supply) and a Craftsman trimmer that made it 13 months before going kaput (dead ignition module).

Both were electrical - maybe there is such a chip?????

[mdoublem]

Got my JVC DRM10 in early 2004 and it still works great. Probably recorded at least a couple hundred disks. Had a few issues with Loading bug, fixed under warranty. Still has had the issue once every 2-3 months but no other problems and is a real work horse. Guess it will be about 2-1/2 years of use for me.

[oldfart13]

4 years on my Panasonic E80H. One of the best investments I ever made. The Daytek DP-30/Liteon 5001 I repaired a year ago is also still going strong. You'd think there would be a wealth of info on fixing DVD recorders on the web but there isn't, unlike the number of sites showing you how to fix VCRs. What with the DVD recorders having much fewer moving parts you'd think this would be a simpler task as most things seem to default to power supplies or the burner. Time to do some heavy searching on Google....

[Marvingj]

I have a Panny , JVC , Pioneer, Toshiba all for over few years still in great shape. I treated them with TLC.

[oldandinthe way]

See all of those electrolytic capacitors (silver with black wrapping) they dry out due to the heat, even with good ventilation most of this always on equipment will show early failures.

[TimA-C]

The drive on my Liteon 5006b went after about 9 months of fairly heavy use. Fortunately, here in the UK, Liteon gives a 2 year manufacturer's warranty - regardless of what the seller tells you. They arranged to collect it on the Friday and delivered it back with new drive on the Tuesday. No problems since.