Hi

Got a light buzzing sound coming for the machine, is that just the noise of the drive when recording, or a capactior going bad, or a fuse--If it's the last 2 things i can't replace those myself, not experience with any electrical soldering or anything. Guess if it is the last 2, back to Panasonic Service Center it goes

The only moving parts in a DMR-ES15 are found in the DVD drive, the front panel DVD drive tray cover/door, and the flip-down door for the front panel inputs. Be sure that your machine is located on a level surface.

Perhaps your DVD drive just needs cleaning of the rubber and plastic parts of the spindle and hub. Here is a link to that information:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13246060#post13246060

If the fuse blows the machine would be dead. Another poster has a link to interior photos of his Panasonic. In the first photo of this group notice in the left lower corner that the fuse is held in place by its retaining clips seen on the motherboard near the ac cord socket. (My DMR-ES35V models use the same fuse as the model shown, designated as F11101, 250V 2A.) Electrolytic capacitors are the jacketed cannisters (that appear much like a flashlight battery). Here is the post with the link to the photos:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13268159#post13268159

The DMR-ES15 doesn't have a fan. On fan-equipped models there might be enough vibration to cause buzzing.

If the buzzing is not specifically associated with mechanical aspects of DVD drive operation there is a slight chance that it may originate from screws missing from the sides or back of the top cover.

My Dell Dimension E510 buzzes frequently. I have added filiment tape and other padding in several locations but still the buzzing comes and goes. It took a while to isolate the exact buzzing parts assembly and location: the right side of the front panel's ventilation tunnel. When it starts buzzing I squeeze the inner and outer panels together for a few seconds. That usually fixes it until the next time. It's quiet at the moment . . .

Well I noticed that when i first turned it on this morning, sounded like was coming from drive area, just cleaned the spindle and hub like a day ago, not making any grinding sounds or any other unusual noises. Recording just fine though--been recording for about 8 hours now, it's on an open stand, plenty of air ventalition. Might be normal sound of the drive running--i'm not really sure, just upgraded to quieter Computer, so now i hear sounds i normally didn't with my old one running all the time.

If it only makes the sound when a DVD is inserted in the drive I would say it's something associated with the drive itself. Like Digado said check for possible loose screw on cover or any you took off when cleaning the spindle. Note I have also noticed if I have a sticker on just one side of a DVD it will give a slight noise due to the imbalance of the disc spinning. In that case I will put a sticker of the same size on the opposite side of the disc(obviously on the top side only).
The ES-15 and all series of the same year, the DVD drive is more noisy in general than the ES-30 model year. Just cheaper in general, as far as weight of unit. Recording quality is identical, IMO. Just lighter materials which don't absorb sound as much.

Yeah i'll look at all the screws again, and just see how it handles after that. Had a DVD+RW disc in the drive at that time(not sure if that mattered or not). But Machine does work well, and nice and happy with it.

When I mistakenly recorded with a DVD+RW in my first DMR-ES30V (a model that does not support that media) there was a high pitched screeching during the whole recording.

Once I inserted proper DVD- media there was no further problem until the DVD drive failed about ten months later. The DVD drive was replaced under warranty by the Panasonic Service Center in Elgin IL.

That DMR-ES30V has given outstanding service, now with more than 4,200 recording hours.

I do not use any type of DVD+ media in my thirteen functional Panasonics.

The DVD+R and DVD+RW were a gift from a friend that didn't know what type of discs my machine worked well with, so use them a little bit, but mostly use DVD -R and -RAM's. Gotta find some DVD-RW's and DVD-R DL discs sometime

Office Depot has some good deals on their brand -RW's at times. Not this week though. I've had good luck with those. Actually I've never seen -R DL's in a store. +R DL's are much more common, but the one spindle I bought(Windata +R DL) did not work in the ES-15, even though the unit said is should support DL media. It just kept wanting to format the discs, which did nothing. The same discs worked just fine in my EZ-17. Not sure if -R DL's might work in the ES-15 but I'd say +R DL's didn't, at least that brand.

Machine sounded fine when i shut it off for the night, probably was the +RW in the drive, As for -RW's i'll look for them, and maybe tomorrow go thru the DVD-Ram discs and clean off what is on them for a change. +R Dl's sorta worked over the few months and sorta didn't, Dynex didn't work, 5 of 15 of them did, Memorex 3 of 3 worked.


Overall my Es15 works great, just have to have Right Media in it. May turn it back on tonight, not sure yet, unless i end up watching a dvd(with DVD player) and not recording anymore tonight.