My Panasonic DVD Recorder (DMR-ES20D) has recently started to have trouble recognising the blank discs I am using with it, often displaying the “NO-READ” message on the front panel with an on screen message saying there is a problem with the disc. If this happened with just one or two discs, I would not be concerned but the other day I must have had to go through about ten new discs before I could find one it would accept. When it accepts a blank disc, it records fine and plays back original pre-recorded DVDs fine too. However when finalising discs I have recently had an error message saying “DVD drive error” although in both instances this occurred the disc still appeared to have finalised.

The discs I am using are a 100-disc spindle of Maxell DVD–R, 4.7GB. I have used the same brand of disc in the past with the recorder without any issue and have had no issue in using the discs on my PC.

I am becoming a little concerned that it may point to a problem with the DVD recorder. However if this was the case then how can it still record at all and how can it play back normal DVDs without any issues?

Any thoughts appreciated

Off the top of my head it could be some faulty discs or the first signs of of the recorder dying, I would personally buy another brand of discs and see what happens.

I have the ES10 and I use Datawrite Pastel Full-Face Printable most of the time.

Thanks I'll have to get some different discs, probably TDK as I have always found them very good in the past. If it is still intermittent on them I would expect it would point towards a problem with the recorder?

It is getting on for about three years old and still (just) under warranty I believe, although proving such an intermittent problem to be hardware rather than disc based would probably be near impossible with there being so many disc brands and cases of recorders liking some discs but not others.

Have you tried formating the disks

Sounds as though it might not be loading the discs correctly due to a dust problem common with some Panasonic models.
I think Gavtech posted instructions on solving this issue some time back.

if it is two or three years old i'd go with the recorder on it's way out,went through the same scenario myself with a panasonic before it died.

sorry i missed the 3 years comment,i can see now you are close to three years use.

[I am getting three years use out of dvd recorders before they are ready for the bin,i've went through two in six years.
pioneer and panasonic]

I could put 100 discs of all brands in the panasonic ,success rate before the fault was 100 discs read no problem,after the fault developed the ratio dropped to 2 discs readable in every 10.

As far as blank dvds go i only use good quality blank dvds i've never willing bought cheaply for the last 7 years.

Dust is unlikely,if you take dvd recorders apart and dvd drives you'll see why.The laser is very small,for dust to make it's way into that section of the drive it would need to come from discs played rather than move into the sealed drive.

panasonics are not especially choosey about media,i find it plays exactly what a pioneer would play,i've now got a new panasonic dvd recorder which i rarely use but it plays all discs,all brands.

quote: " However if this was the case then how can it still record at all and how can it play back normal DVDs without any issues"?


you do know how normal retail dvds are written and made?

You can't say well a retail dvd works therefore a homemade disc should work the same,it shouldn't,homemade discs are inferior to shop dvds.

For a start the laser has to focus harder on the homemade disc, just to read it,it doesn't have to do this with shop films.

I have that problem with my old player (and I'm using Panasonic DVD-RAM discs). It will read recorded discs but not blanks.

I decided to buy a new player. And I can use the old one for playback, or for recording if I use already used discs and erase them first.