A Pioneer DVD fix it problem

[kenmt]

I have a Pioneer DVD, model DVR-720Hs that is out of order. The problem is that at start up, after the Power On message shows, it then cuts out and can't be restarted until it has rested for variable lengths of time. Is there anyone out there who has the answer to this problem. I suspected the lithium battery but the power read-out is close to the designated 3V, and it is permanently fixed in position so I would like to have the exchange procedure explained to me. Would appreciate any help on this matter. Cheers, Kenmt.

[redwudz]

Sounds like a possible failing power supply. I would visually inspect all the PS capacitors for swelling or leakage, also any obviously overheated or burned parts in there.

And welcome to our forums.

[kenmt]

Thank you Redwudz,
the only signs of heating are around the transformer area but no more than I thought would be normal. There is continuity across the power inlet.

[orsetto]

The DVR-720 is nearly identical to the DVR-520, which was the most popular Pioneer recorder sold in North America. This chassis has known issues with the power supply going bad after a few years, with the symptoms you describe. There is a tutorial on how to refurbish/upgrade the power supply at www.pioneerfaq.info, but the site is primarily Dutch and navigation can be tricky. There is a lot of chatter on forums about how "easy" it is to repair power supply problems (which are surprisingly common in many brands of recorder of that era), but it ain't necessarily so. It involves sourcing new caps and other pieces, soldering skills, and no small amount of steady hand dexterity. Unless you ALREADY do electronics repairs as a hobby or as part of your job, its better to just bring the unit in for service by a professional. Faulty caps can be hard to isolate.

Self-repair can cost as little as $10 US if you know where to get the parts and know how to service circuit boards, professional repair can run $75-200 US. In New Zealand it is still possible to buy new DVD/HDD recorders: if professional repair estimate of your DVR-720 seems too high consider buying a new recorder. The DVR-720 is a 2004 model, you're WAY overdue for burner failure and Pioneer replacement burners can cost more than a new recorder. Consider all the factors before spending a lot on repairs. Its worth asking around if anyone you know has electronics repair skills and would do you a favor, with a model this old there's nothing to lose. (Note if the problem is in the lithium battery backup system, repairs might require a proprietary Pioneer PC Workstation to reset the motherboard after battery replacement on some units.)

[kenmt]

Thank you Orsetto,
your reply is a perfect example of an instructive and thougtful thread. Really appreciated.
Kenmt.

[orsetto]

Glad to help if I can, Kermit, thanks for the kind feedback!

I didn't really mean to discourage you from trying to fix your 720, just to give some perspective on possible hangups. I've been performing minor repairs and upgrades on many models of Pioneer for the last few years, so have learned a few things along the way. The 720 is quite a nice unit, in North America the near-identical 520 had a big cult following and there are HUGE threads here and elsewhere regarding repairs and upgrades for it. The difficulty today is that Pioneer recently went bust as a company: original factory service and some parts can be hard to come by.

The 520/720/920 were somewhat transitional models for Pioneer, the chassis design varied for each production run so the service manual indicates at least three possible scenarios if the lithium backup battery is changed. On some units you just swap the battery and your're done, others will require a special firmware reloading disc, and others must be connected to a Pioneer serial cable and workstation to reboot the motherboard. The parts price for replacement power caps is nothing, the trick is whether you can provide the labor yourself or know a techie who can replace the caps cleanly for you at a decent cost. If you start with the power caps, and don't sink too much money into it, it can be worth a try as it may solve your problem. If not, you would need to move on to lithium battery replacement which could flatlline the recorder unless/until a Pio service center can reboot it.

The biggest risk with sinking a lot of money into any older DVD recorder is eventual burner failure. Replacement recorder burners are near-impossible to get and cost a fortune if you find them. It can be very disappointing to spend $150 repairing the power supply of a recorder only to have the burner fail 3-6 months later, requiring another $200 to fix or discarding the recorder altogether. The track record of the 2004 Pioneer x20 series is roughly 75% of them have experienced burner failure by 2007, the other 25% are miraculously still operational but could fail at any moment. The burner in the 520/720/920 is a variation of the generic DVR-107 or DVR-AO7 burner that was sold for PC installation, the only difference is the custom controller board for the recorder version. If you search carefully, Pioneer 107 burners appear now and then on eBay for $20-40US, there was also an identical TEAC DV-W58DP which can still be found as new old stock. Many of us have kept our old Pios alive by doing a careful transplant: remove the burner from the recorder, open it carefully, remove its green controller board, and swap it into the replacement generic burner (discarding its own generic controller board). When installed back in the unit, it assumes nothing has changed because it still sees its original controller board, and everything works. This is much less expensive than purchasing an entire new official Pio replacement burner, which costs more than a new recorder nowadays. Another tactic thats been employed successfully is to seek out a second-hand "broken" non-HDD nmodel of the same series: many used DVR-220 and -320 recorders have perfectly good burners you can harvest to use in a 520/720/920. For whatever reason the DVD-only 220/320 suffered from power supply burnout much quicker, they sell for nothing on eBay as "won't power on" liquidations.

Good Luck!

[kenmt]

Thank You once again Orsetto. I wish I lived around the corner from you, that way I could have brought the DVR over to you for fixing or parts. I have a feeling it will end up as parts. This particular set was purchased by my nephew who was living in Singapore at the time. which coincides whith your dating of 2004. It certainly is a throwaway society today.
Regards Kenmt.