Hi.

I'm new to the forum.

I purchased several Pansonic DMR-ES15s in the past few months. I use the DVD-RAM disks that came with the units. I record tv-shows off of Direct-tv and cable. I generally don't save them. Several times, my new recordings on different units (both satellite and cable) have not recorded over the old shows. What might be the cause of this?

Also .. sometimes when I play back recordings on DVD-RAM or -RW disks, the picture freezes. Do you know why? Do the disks need a cleaning? If so, what is the best way to clean them?

I sometimes use the same disk in several different units. Did I ruin them all by using some of the bad disks in all of the units?

Finally ... should I be using this recorder to record off of Direct-tv or Optimum online cable? Not sure if the signal on either source is analog. Is that why I'm having problems with some recordings? If yes, can you suggest an alternative DVR that will work beyond 2009?

Thanks for your help.

Peter

kmanisland, once full, you have to ERASE DVD-RAM discs to record new shows. Same with DVD-RW.

Some folks here have discovered that washing RAM Discs in warm soapy water removes a nearly invisible residue and often helps with the skipping/freezing type problems. Dry them with a SOFT clean cotton cloth.

Or you may have a defective unit. But washing and drying the discs is cheap and easy and I would try that first.

Thanks for the reply, FullOnShred. I haven't used up the disks yet. Do I wash everything on the back of the disk, including what looks like the recording area? I bought all three of my ES15s at 6th Ave Electronics. The price was very cheap. Maybe they were refurbished models. Has anybody had any good or bad experiences with 6th Ave? I hate the fact that on -RWs you don't gain any time back if you erase a portion of a disk that has some recordings on it.

Has anybody had any good or bad experiences with 6th Ave? I hate the fact that on -RWs you don't gain any time back if you erase a portion of a disk that has some recordings on it.

I had a bad experience with them, I would never do business with them because of that. Had to refuse delivery on an order I placed and then cancelled - it was still shipped, and they would not refund my money after they got the item back. Long story short, I have to file a dispute with my credit card to get my money back, and it took 2 months. Their telephone customer support was the worst of any company I have ever dealt with.

The Recording Side is what you are really wanting to clean. But I wash both sides with warm soapy water. I sguirt a little softsoap on the Disc and "lather" it between my hands. Rinse well and then and gently dry with a soft cotton towel. With RAM discs you don't "record over" old shows. You have to erase the Disc and then record new shows. Do you know how to erase the RAM Discs?

Since you are having trouble with RW Discs too, I am not sure "dirty" Discs is the problem, but it costs very little to try it and see.

Thanks for the reply, FullOnShred. I haven't used up the disks yet. Do I wash everything on the back of the disk, including what looks like the recording area? I bought all three of my ES15s at 6th Ave Electronics. The price was very cheap. Maybe they were refurbished models. Has anybody had any good or bad experiences with 6th Ave? I hate the fact that on -RWs you don't gain any time back if you erase a portion of a disk that has some recordings on it.

kmanisland-

As a general rule, you do not need to wash your discs. I have personally used at least 200 Panasonic RAM discs without a single problem on various (Panasonic) units. The "film" that was mentioned confuses me as I have never had picture freezing, etc. (especially with these discs, which are above average in quality).
The need for washing/cleaning discs should only arise if you are careless and get fingerprints, food stains, etc. on them. Otherwise, washing them is basically a waste of time and if you're not extremely careful, you could put scratches on them while drying them! Be good to your discs and they will be good to you! Handle them only by the sides and center hole and keep them protected in their jewel cases.
I would say that this is a case of user error or a defective unit(s).
6th Ave. has a questionable history and reputation. They have had many complaints against them for many years!
True Panasonic refurbished units come in plain brown boxes instead of the usual black, blue and white decorated boxes that the new units come in.
Were these units resealed or in questionable condition when you received them?
Did they come with a one year warranty (vs. 90 days for refurbs)?
What exactly did you pay for them?
Answers to all of of these questions might determine whether you got a bargain or got taken advantage of (which is all too common by today's standards)!

FullonShred/slprp1:

First of all, thanks for your feedback. I mostly record portions of news or sports shows each night, about ten minutes at a time. I watch them when I get home from work. If I don't want to keep the recording, I press the "delete button" and the unit erases it. Then I record something else. A few times after following this procedure my old recording was not completely erased and my new recording was muffled. If I reformat the disk, won't I lose everything on it, including some stuff I want to keep?

I'm pretty careful with the disks.

I paid $99 for each unit during the holiday season. I bought three of them at 6th Ave Electronics. The price was at least $40 lower than anywhere else. It was packaged in the original box. It has a one year warranty. I know I can send them out for service but am still not sure if the problem is with the unit or with the disks that came with the recorder. The -RWs work a little better but it still freezes sometimes. Plus I love the features of the DVD-RAM.

The -RWs work a little better but it still freezes sometimes. Plus I love the features of the DVD-RAM.
Many Panny users (and some others) have been having problems such as freezing ever since the change in the DST date.

My advice to all (with some reporting success) has been:

1. Set your DVDR clock manually.

2. Turn DST OFF.

If that helps, leave DST OFF until you can get a firmware update to fix the DVDRs DST timing/tracking. You can try setting the clock on auto, but keep DST OFF until then.

Kman, I use ONLY Panasonic DVD-RAM and like you have had very few problems. But one batch of discs I had problems with 2 brand RAM new out of the box. There were no visible fingerprints, but upon close examination under strong light there was a light "haze" covering the entire discs. Panny RAM Discs are very robust and have an excellent scratch resistant coating. I have had zero scratch marks with the treatment I outlined above. And again, I stated twice that this may well NOT be the problem, but imho it is always worth a try when a RAM Disc malfunctions. YMMV. I thank whoever it was who first suggested it on this board. It saved me from ditching 3 good discs. ; )