Hi all,

A few hours ago I switched on my Panasonic DMR-EZ45V DVD/VHS combo recorder to record something off the television.

When I put a blank DVD in the drive, the drive kept making a noise, which is difficult to describe, almost like the drive was trying to do something a couldn't and kept trying. It makes this sound for about a second, stops, and tries again. Come to think of it, it's like a deep whirring noise, perhaps like the motor?

After about 20 seconds an error message appears on the screen along the lines of "the disc could not be read". I've tried several discs - both recordable and pre-recorded - all of them are the same.

I need to find the original paperwork to check to see if the machine is still under warranty just in case it is faulty - I hope it isn't because I really need it at the moment and I definitely can't afford to buy a new one as I am on sick benefit.

It is at least a year old and has really light use during that time, perhaps only recording two or three discs a week.

I paid over the odds when I bought it - I bought it from my Mum's mail order catalogue and I think it was the best part of £400 before interest and I've only paid for about half of it.

Has anyone come across this problem before - is it definitely likely to be broken?

Many thanks,

Steve.

We've found the paperwork and we've discovered that, if the machine has a 1-year warranty, then it expired last month.

Does anyone know how long the warranty is? Am I right in thinking that it is only 12 months?

Thanks,

Steve.

if you goto the thread EZ25 JTP dated 16 - 03 - 2008, and scroll down Gavtech might be helpful if your brave enough to open your machine.

This is the thread that Robert is referring to above:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=746079


Whether this can be of any use to you depends on whether you would describe the noise as clunking [ not usually fixable ] or grinding [ usually fixable ]

Go to the thread to see whether it may be any help.

Have you tried any other discs?
It may have just been a problematic disc.

Many thanks for the replies.

The noise isn't so much a grinding as a deep whirring noise - like the disc spinning up and nothing happening.

I've tried a different recordable disc and one pre-recorded disc with the same result.

It's a real shame really because it's been a great unit until now - I don't think I've had any failed discs - much more reliable than my previous Goodmans recorder, which I might need to bring back into service for a few days as my Sky+ free space is critical.

A couple of questions about the potential fix as described in the other post. Firstly, any idea on how long the fix might last? and secondly how difficult is it - I've got PC hardware experience but I'm rubbish at fixing things that are small and fiddly. If only they use PC DVD drives that you could simply swap over.

At the moment, we're holding fire for a couple of days, at least until Monday. We're waiting to hear from the supplier's helpdesk to see if there is anything that they can do. Unless Panasonic offer more than 12 months warranty, the warranty expired March 2008, having been purchased March 2007 - I'm assuming the warranty is 12 months - I don't know for certain.

Problem is it's still being paid for on mail order catalogue credit with at least £200 outstanding.

I think it's unlikely that the supplier will be able to do anything - in which case we'll attempt the fix. Hopefully, the fix will see me through the rest of this year and hopefully I'll then be in a better financial position to consider replacing it with a more up-to-date model.

Thanks again,

Steve.

Well - what a surprise - my Panasonic has been back to the repair shop 3 times for this same problem and is there at the moment. One repair guy phoned to say that the RAM is on it's way out and it is not economical to repair (that's apparently the noise!), then another repair guy called to say he could find no problems?? So I am a bit confused! BUT - he was using a RAM disk, not a DVD to dub and recommended that we try this route. He did say that the machine is on it w'say out, but we will most probably get a bit more life out of it using RAM disks, I will give them a go and keep you updated!

The really annoying thing about this, is that this problem has been around since we had the machine and it was under warranty a few years ago - I'm just waiting for the bill now:

The fix would last as long as it takes for the disc platform to lose it's tack again, and that is environmentally circumstantial.
However, from your description , it does not sound as though this fix applies, or would work.

The drives are easily swappable, but dedicated units that are ludicrously priced so as to make replacement uneconomic.
Such is the nature of modern consumerism and consumer electronics.

{ I address this to Looey Kane also}

The central core of DVD performance and reliability hinges around the optical link between the laser and the disc and there are a number of variables which have major affects on this.

The laser itself is subject to a steady ageing process and degrades over time and becomes less efficient.

This accounts for a typical user experience where a disc type they have always used starts to become unreliable.
More often than not, changing to a quality disc which is well matched to the machine will restore reliability.
Nevertheless it should be recognised that lasers have finite and somewhat unpredictable lives and can fail 'prematurely'.

The match between the laser and disc and firmware is critical to get good burns, so using discs that are well matched to the machine is important.

Disc quality is enormously variable and one of the most significant factors in reliability.
It accounts for why some users burn thousands of discs and never have a single failure, and other live a lottery never knowing whether a burn will succeed.

In other words, using only quality discs from quality factories using proven dyes can transform your DVDR experience.
Discs are so cheap anyway, it is a complete false economy to buy 'cheap' discs. Buy only quality discs.

Hi, I have this problem with my ES20 machine - with some discs it makes a noise like it is retrying to read the disc, and then gives up. It also is becoming less reliable at actually recording and playing recordings (and mine is just over a year old). My previous Panny E20 recorder lasted about 3 years before failing in this way.
My advice - don't pay too much for a DVD only recorder, and probably best getting a HDD version

We phoned the mail order catalogue supplier back because we hadn't heard from them and they just said that I needed to contact Panasonic and gave me a number which doesn't work.

I contacted Panasonic via their website, and they don't actually offer repairs - they have a network of service centres instead.

I contacted the one nearest to me in Coventry who also offer a collect and return service which I need because I can't drive.

They are going to collect it for assessment on Thursday. For the assessment and collect and return service they are charging £20.

Once they know what's wrong and whether or not it can be fixed their labour charge is £59 plus the cost of any parts. I suspect that the £59 is excluding VAT.

Considering that I still owe about £200 on the credit agreement (the retail price was £299 less interest) I think it's a course of action that I needed to take.

If they can't fix it, it will have only cost me £20 to find out. And I assume that they have Panasonic experience so they might know what is wrong immediately.

To repair it might only cost me £79 plus the £200 still owed on the purchase, so £279. To replace it would cost me £150 possibly, and I'd still need to repay the original credit so £370 if you include the fee to find out it's beyond repair.

Steve.

Hi Steve.

Some points you may wish to consider.

Have look at this thread and see the points I have raised in post number 2 in that thread:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=711820

I have two ES20D machines. One of them developed this problem ...... loaded a disc and it sounded as though it was spinning in the tray, made a sort of grinding noise and the recorder couldn't read the disc. As it was just under a year old I took it back and they replaced the whole disc drive unit. The other machine has been fine, so far, although that one has not been used as much.... so I'm aware that the same thing may happen with that one.

The total cost of replacing the disc drive unit would have been £165 acording to the invoice repair sheet.

Many thanks, Gavtech. I've found a number for Panasonic and will speak to them in the morning and I'll post here what happens.

Cheers,

Steve.

I've just had a telephone conversation with the repairers in Coventry.

They said the RAM drive needs replacing - total cost including parts, labour and VAT is £305.75, which is more than the whole machine cost to buy new only just over a year ago (£299.00). The labour charge is £50.21 I think she said. This would mean the RAM drive part costs about £250 !! Interesting considering a RAM drive for a PC can be bought for as little as £20.

I obtained a fax number for Panasonic for them and they are faxing the engineers report and quotation to Panasonic.

We're now waiting for a reply from Panasonic. I'm hoping, fingers-crossed, that they're able to help in some way as I'm on Incapacity Benefit and would be royally stuffed if they can't help, especially as we still owe over £200 on it.

I think that the worst case scenario is Panasonic say that they can't help and the unit is written off, as it would have to be considering that a like-for-like replacement, current model DMR-EZ47, appears to cost between £200 and £240.

I think that the best case scenario would be Panasonic to replace the unit like-for-like.

Steve.

At just over a year old (I trust you have your receipt), then I think you have a good case in law under the Sales of Goods Act against the seller - with whom, of course is your contract of sale.
However, you are right to contact Panasonic. There have been earlier cases where they have been generous in handling such cases.
What distresses me, is that we are seeing so many of these cases. Panasonic are always coming out with new models with ever more and better features, and as a cynic, I wonder if they build in a short life so that we "upgrade" every 12 - 18 months.
Anyhow, Steve, I wish you good luck.
Alan

Did you try the RAM disks? Mine is now back from "repair" and is dubbing fine with RAM disks. I think I'll get another year or so out of it now.

After reading this forum I think you could be right. Every model seems to have it's weak point.

It's true of ALL consumer electronics.

Any device, once out in the field will display what become known as 'stock faults'

You're repairers seem to be very expensive.

As I've said before, I returned my machine to Comet, they replaced (probably) the same RAM disc drive for approx £165. Couldn't believe it as the whole machine new cost £179. However I would have been billed for this had it not been stamped 'nothing to pay' as it was just within the guarantee period.

I would phone around for other quotes for repair now that you know what is wrong ..... that's if you are not successful with Panasonic. I hope they do something for you, good luck with it.

You must persue this claim against the retailer (catalog company?) as this product should not fail so drastically after 13 months. Thy should replace it FOC.

Rgds,
Scorp

I've just heard back from the service centre with very good news. Panasonic have kindly agreed to cover the cost of the parts and labour needed to repair the machine in full, with me only needing to pay the deposit/collect and return charge of £33 which I have already paid.

The service centre are going to order the parts today - which will take upto 5 working days to arrive - they will then repair the machine straight away and give me a call to let me know when they are bringing it back.

A very minor concern that I have is whether or not the new RAM drive will read the discs that I have that haven't been finalised but if it does it will be a bonus - I'll just be really pleased to get my recorder back and give my Sky+ some much needed breathing space.

Steve.

Just a quick update to report that my DVD recorder has been returned fully repaired. I think they needed to replace the drive and the PCB. Also a huge bonus is that the machine recognises my discs that haven't been finalised.

So, basically I'm really pleased to report that the machine is as good as new.

Steve.

That's great news Steve.

Good luck with it. I hope it behaves.