My apologies if this issue has been addressed before. I searched the forums and found similar problems related to U99 but my problem is somewhat different.

I have a Panasonic DMR-E85HP manufactured in March 2004. I've had it for 3 years and have used it pretty much nonstop since purchase. The only times the unit gets powered down are those rare occasions when we have a power failure. Over the course of 3 years that's happened probably 10-15 times. Other than that it's always powered on and almost always busy.

The problem that I'm having is that the unit is stuck with "Please Wait" showing on the display and the tv itself flashes about once a second. This occurs immediately as soon as I plug the power in. From this point I cannot power it down nor can I do anything else except for the function of holding down POWER/STOP for 5 seconds to toggle it into LOCK and UNLOCK mode.

This problem started when I was erasing 2 programs off of the hard drive. Immediately after those programs finished erasing it gave a quick "Please Wait" then it shut down. Immediately after shutting down it automatically powered itself back up and displayed the "Please Wait" message along with the symptoms I mentioned above.

I've gone to http://www.dxcc.com/dmr-e85h.htm and tried all of the button combinations with only the POWER/STOP combination having any results. I have 2 of identical DMR-E85HP's and I tried swapping the drive out of the working unit into this one with no difference whatsoever. I'd be willing to swap out other components from the working model to see if I can isolate the problem but I'm not sure what else would be worth swapping out.

Short of sending this in for repair does anyone have any suggestions? I did see the post regarding the Elgin service center and I suppose that's where I'll send it if I can't fix it myself. But I am open to suggestions if anyone wants to offer anything up. I am very computer literate but not electronics literate so I won't be able to do any sodering or anything like that.

Thanks in advance.
Chris

I've had problems like this and it can be 1 of 3 things most the time, the DVD mech, HD, or the digital PCB ... try swaping the PCB when you open the unit its the board that sits on the left side above the frontal inputs

I have the E80 (previous model year to the E85 ), did you try to leave unplugged for > 10 minutes before plugging it back in?

Try that (10 minutes, then increase it for longer time frames until overnight) to see if you're back to normal.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'm in the middle of leaving it unplugged for 12 hours to see if that internally resets anything. I noticed a couple of posts suggesting that. If that doesn't work I'll try Slapnuts suggestion. Thanks again.

Chris, as long as you're doing a reset, try this: when setting the clock, set it manually (no auto-clock) and turn DST OFF.

Since the DST rules have changed this year, lots of older Panny units are having trouble with the many internal functions relying on time tracking and clock settings. Stations and cable/sat operators have changed the programming for DST rules, but devices that have the OLD rules sometimes have a little, and at times a lot, of trouble with conflicting time-tracking and recording functions. This appears as slow reponse, lost channels, clock upsets, TVGOS time errors, etc.

It's an easy thing to try, even if your problem turns out to be something else?

Chris, as long as you're doing a reset, try this: when setting the clock, set it manually (no auto-clock) and turn DST OFF.

Since the DST rules have changed this year, lots of older Panny units are having trouble with the many internal functions relying on time tracking and clock settings. Stations and cable/sat operators have changed the programming for DST rules, but devices that have the OLD rules sometimes have a little, and at times a lot, of trouble with conflicting time-tracking and recording functions. This appears as slow reponse, lost channels, clock upsets, TVGOS time errors, etc.

It's an easy thing to try, even if your problem turns out to be something else?

Nice tip ... I'm going to try this next time I get one.

Chris, as long as you're doing a reset, try this: when setting the clock, set it manually (no auto-clock) and turn DST OFF.

Since the DST rules have changed this year, lots of older Panny units are having trouble with the many internal functions relying on time tracking and clock settings. Stations and cable/sat operators have changed the programming for DST rules, but devices that have the OLD rules sometimes have a little, and at times a lot, of trouble with conflicting time-tracking and recording functions. This appears as slow reponse, lost channels, clock upsets, TVGOS time errors, etc.

It's an easy thing to try, even if your problem turns out to be something else?

It does sound like a good suggestion but I'm missing the obvious here. How do I adjust the clock setting to manual without being able to bring the unit up? I'm assuming there is a button combination to do this but I didn't notice it on the site I referenced earlier. I'm not able to get into service mode or anything else, it just keeps displaying "Please Wait" and flashes my tv about once a second.

Thanks.

Have you tried setting the unit back to factory defaults? I went to the site linked in post #1 and did not see it mentioned. To do this press the channel up and channel down buttons on the front of the unit for 5 seconds or so. Not sure it it works with this model bit it does with the Panasonics I've had.

Thanks for the suggestion nextoo. I did try that last night but unfortunately it didn't have any impact on it.

Well, I just tried powering it back up after leaving it unplugged for over 12 hours. Unfortunately it's still doing the same thing. I am open to any/all suggestions so please feel free to share your ideas. It was mentioned earlier about setting the clock to manual but I'm not sure how to do that in the state that it's in.

Thanks.

How bout powering off, then powering back on WHILE HOLDING the channel up and down buttons on the front of the unit during the power-up? (Have those buttons depressed before pressing the power button.)

Alot of these DMRs have service modes you can put them in that will tell you exactly what is wrong, but asinine thing is situations like yours you cant do it

Chris - how about if I just send you a spare E80 that I have, when I send you those Kentucky tapes. :)

Chris - how about if I just send you a spare E80 that I have, when I send you those Kentucky tapes. :)

Hey Arthur, what's up buddy? Sorry for not getting back with you on the other board. I've been spending the last couple of days unsuccessfully trying to play DVD repairman :)

I have the same problem. I am thinking the hard drive is now bad. If anyone knows how to fix the Please Wait problem. Please reply.

Thanks. Much

I have 2 of identical DMR-E85HP's and I tried swapping the drive out of the working unit into this one with no difference whatsoever. I'd be willing to swap out other components from the working model to see if I can isolate the problem but I'm not sure what else would be worth swapping out.


The next time you have the cover off, remove the hard drive bracket and look at the capacitors C1270 and C1271. If they look swollen on top, you have a power supply problem, which I suspect is the root cause of the "PLEASE WAIT" problem.

E85 Capacitor Problem (http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/63/143317#3326349)

I found this forum through google search on "Mcallen Texas" which is where the Automated (useless) Assistant told me to send my unit. Some research showed that Mcallen won't repair but instead exchange. I called Mcallen number - the AA came on, and I pressed zero and made it to a person on the first try!! They had me try the "hold the power button down" with no luck then gave me a case number and told me to send to Elgin. Looks like I'm on the road to having my baby back (hopefully for not too much $$).

What I really like about this unit is that its "blind" to digital protection added to programs and movies. If it just recorded in HD and had a digital tuner - sigh....

Jack

I found this forum through google search on "Mcallen Texas" which is where the Automated (useless) Assistant told me to send my unit. Some research showed that Mcallen won't repair but instead exchange. I called Mcallen number - the AA came on, and I pressed zero and made it to a person on the first try!! They had me try the "hold the power button down" with no luck then gave me a case number and told me to send to Elgin. Looks like I'm on the road to having my baby back (hopefully for not too much $$).

What I really like about this unit is that its "blind" to digital protection added to programs and movies. If it just recorded in HD and had a digital tuner - sigh....

Jack

"Please Wait" is the usual indicator of failing or failed capacitors in the power supply. Power supply capacitor failure prevents the hard drive from "spinning up" resulting in the "Please Wait" that doesn't clear itself.

The flat-rate repair through two of Panasonic's corporate Service Centers in Illinois has been $130, including all parts, labor and return shipping. See the first post in this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1056657

Unless there are more serious problems with your DMR-E85H this is a quick turnaround repair. Hopefully, the Panasonic experts will also perform the routine DVD Drive lens and hub/spindle cleaning while your DMR-E85H is torn down for capacitor replacement.

Be sure to report your experience with the Elgin Illinois Service Center.

I searched the forums and found similar problems related to U99 but my problem is somewhat different.

I have a Panasonic DMR-E85HP manufactured in March 2004...

The problem that I'm having is that the unit is stuck with "Please Wait" showing on the display...

Short of sending this in for repair does anyone have any suggestions? I did see the post regarding the Elgin service center and I suppose that's where I'll send it if I can't fix it myself. But I am open to suggestions if anyone wants to offer anything up. I am very computer literate but not electronics literate so I won't be able to do any sodering or anything like that.

That first post in this 2007 thread mentions that the DMR-E85H "Please Wait" situation had been mentioned with "similar problems" in relation to the U99 error. But that first poster's "Please Wait" problem was most likely the very common failing or failed power supply capacitors where the repair requires extensive disassembly and some basic soldering skills. (I've added bold emphasis to call attention to the soldering comment in the original post.)

Here is a recent thread addressing the U99 error in another DMR-E85H:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1253872

What I really like about this unit is that its "blind" to digital protection added to programs and movies. If it just recorded in HD and had a digital tuner - sigh....

Jack

There are no recorders that may record High Definition to removable media (DVDs). All removable media stand-alone recorders are limited to Standard Definition.

What you should consider is a Magnavox 2160 or 513 HDD/DVD recorder. A 2160 like-new refurb may be had for less than $160 at jr.com (I purchased three of these in 2009), or new for less than $200 at walmart.com (I purchased one of these, around $240 back in 2008) or the newly introduced 513, currently priced around $300 at walmart.com.

The first post in Wajo's sticky thread is the gateway to a wealth of information concerning these outstanding products:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940657

Just thought that I would confirm another 'problem solved' case due to bad power supply capacitors C1270 and C1271 (both 680 uF, 16V). My 6 year-old DMR-E85 display suddenly went totally blank, and after re-powering the unit, it displayed the never-ending Please Wait message. The power connector to the HDD showed low, fluctuating voltages. I suspect that these two capacitors, which are in parallel, both failed due to overstress near their maximum rated voltages. The service manual says they operate at about 13.1V, while they are rated at a slightly higher 16V. That's only about an 18% de-rating, while I like to shoot for 50% if I have enough board space. I put in two 680 uF, 25V capacitors to replace the defective parts. The unit works great now! Hopefully the new parts will outlast the originals.

Yes it never hurts to increase the voltage rating of capacitors(as long as you have the physical space to mount them in). I agree running a 16v cap at 16v is not a good idea if longevity is a concern.
You can also go slightly larger(10%) on the uf but I wouldn't suggest going smaller. Again the more uf the larger the size.
Glad a simple fix kept another classic from hitting the recycle bin, I can't really say trash bin since electronic items should really be recycled if unrepairable.

I have SA-HT1500 dvd recordable home system (it is a main unit of SC-HT1500 home theater system, but performs as DMR-E85H and DMR-E95H in its base).

While my dvd recorder after last capacitor replacement repair performs as before, I found strange characters on the front display. I include pictures.

It seems that unit’s display shows more than it should actually be there. The correct numbers should be 723 and R0:07 (a channel number and the remaining space on a DVD-RAM.)

There is also display for XP and SP mode simultaniously, while if I remember correctly only one should be shown for a recording mode selected by the user.

Also there are 3 orange signs under the "DVD" characters – 2 in the shape of square and 1 in the shape of rectangle with bold dot and tiny dot inside of them (as pictured.)
I actually “diagnosed” them before as a sign of failed capacitors after “Please Wait” message cleared from the display and the unit turned on. Then, unit failed to turn on at all, so I opened the unit up. When I was replacing those 3 capacitors (plus 2 more) and doing jump wiring due to some damage to PCB copper trace and pads, I saw that three badly blown capacitors were in similar shape as shown on the display - 2 small ones and 1 tall. The strange signs were not on display when I turned the system back on 2 days ago after the repair.

There are many capacitors with the exactly same specification on the power supply board, so it might be the warning that others are going bad, too. It’s 5.5 years old unit, quite heavily used in first 4 years, so anything can be possible.

Honestly, I am not bothered with the display look so much right now. I am happy that dvd recorder works, and my most important task is to buy DVD-RAMs and transfer everything from HDD to DVD-RAM media during the weekend for later editing. I want to save my valuable recordings first. After that, I plan to reformat the HDD, open up the unit again (whatever it would be required to fix it, if needed).

Just from the curiosity, did anyone see anything similar on the display? If yes, is it something that can be fixed when you open the unit?

Maybe I did not plug some cable tight enough. I had the unit almost completely disassembled since one capacitor was on the large PCB under the dvd burner (requiring de-attaching front and back cover, removing TV tuner, ...), and even I tried to be precise, anything can happen when I put things back together.

I have SA-HT1500 dvd recordable home system ... I found strange characters on the front display.

The display panel appears to be mounted directly on the Main PCB. I am not sure how it is mounted, but you might want to be sure the display is mounted tightly on the board.

Otherwise, I would check the connections between the Main board and all the other boards, especially the Terminal board and the connection between CN8001 and P3908. See diagram.

http://elirion.net/~tomwil/avsforum/Panasonic_B2G.JPG

Thank you for this great picture and reassurance that it might be something wrong with connection/cables. You are always a great help.
I will definitely check all connections again when I'll open the unit. I am still transfering files to DVD-RAMs, but hopefully I'll get inside the unit during the week.

Does anyone know where I can buy these burners.

VXY1945 DVD Drive: Does anyone know where I can buy these burners.

Assuming you are referring to the DMREH75V model, it appears the Panasonic part number is RFKNEH75VP, and is available here (http://www.partstore.com/SearchResults.aspx?q=RFKNEH75VP&SearchTerm=True), here (http://www.encompassparts.com/products/?RFKNEH75VP), and here (http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/PANASONIC-RFKNEH75VP-/P-RFKNEH75VP).

You might want to read this thread (http://ww.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1272957) for more options.

Does anyone know where I can buy these burners.

If you have a DMR-E85H you don't want a VXY1945, that's only for 2006 model year HDD/DVD recorders (DMR-EH55 and DMREH75). This thread addresses Panasonic DVD Drive compatibility considerations:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1082922

I responded to your post in the other thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=20320794#post20320794

Does anyone know where I can buy these burners.

Can you describe the problem with your burner?
Sometimes there are simple remedies to fix dvd burner issues on the end-user level than an expensive original replacement part.

Does anyone know where I can buy these burners.
They are very expensive. Are you sure you really want to go that rout? A new EH59 is less expensive than the part cost of the DVD drive.

Does anyone know where I can buy these burners.

Church AV Guy is right, original replacement dvd burners for Panasonic HDD/DVD recorders are extremely expensive, especially when you compare the price you paid when you bought your unit with the price of a replacement dvd burner.

There are still region free Panasonic models on the market. You will not have a benefit of analog NTSC tuner, but they can record using RCA A/V cables.
Depending on your actual needs, a new Panasonic dvd recorder is maybe your better option. And since dvd recorders are disappearing items from the US market, you may think about this investment now while there are at least some available (unless you consider downgrading to DVD-VHS recorder.)

Since we do not know your exact problem, there is one thing you try do before going any further.
It happened to me personally that my dvd burner stopped recognizing any DVDs (Hollywood originals, my burned ones, ...) two years ago. The solution was to open the unit (while disconnected from the outlet) and unplugging and plugging cables back to dvd burner that were probably loose causing dvd recorder's inability to read and recognize any dvd media at all. When I closed the unit back and turned it on, everything was perfect as before.
It is not usual for cables for IDE dvd burners used in Panasonic models to get loose, but it might happen from time to time.

... The solution was to open the unit (while disconnected from the outlet) and unplugging and plugging cables back to dvd burner that were probably loose causing dvd recorder's inability to read and recognize any dvd media at all. When I closed the unit back and turned it on, everything was perfect as before.
It is not usual for cables for IDE dvd burners used in Panasonic models to get loose, but it might happen from time to time.

The Panasonic ribbon cable contact strips are delicate and easily damage by improper removal and insertion so I discourage disturbing ribbon cables without good reason.

The most common remedy for "no read" situations is cleaning the rubber hub atop the DVD Drive spindle:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14479898#post14479898

Panasonic DVD Drives are of proprietary design. They are not IDE drives. See this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1082922

Thank you for your correction. I apologize for my mistake. I had to confuse IDE cables with Panasonic dvd burner inside Toshiba RD-XS54 that I had opened lately as well.

I completely agree, there might be a risk of damaging cables, so caution is always required, and one needs to know what is acceptable and comfortable level for an average person repair. Many people by cleaning the rubber hub atop the DVD Drive spindle solved their "no read" problem. In my situation, it was not enough, the hub was very clean at that time. I got full functionality of dvd burner back only after unplugging and plugging the cables back. If I remember correctly, it was only the cable between HDD and DVD burner (cables that are usually unpluged when capacitors on power supply PCB need to be replaced.)

However, we all do not know what kind of a problem watchguy1960 actually has and whether he still monitors this forum or not. I think for now, it is very difficult for any of us to be helpful in watchguy1960 situation until he post his reason for dvd burner replacement.

Hi !

I have a Panasonic DMR-E85H. I replaced some capacitors (like may peoples)on the PSU board twice in some years. The first time, it solved my problem. Now after changed capacitors, I tried to do a format of the HDD that work a bit and the Unit reset.
Actually I'm in the loop...I turn on the unit and I have "Unformat" on the display I start the format and after approx 2minutes I have the "bye" and "Please wait" on the display and error message on the tv screen press enter. If I do it I have the "Please wait" and I return to the format screen where the only option is to answer Yes to the format and I start again this loop...
Is it a HDD problem ? Can I just replaced the HDD without do anything else ? Is there a special procedure to do ? If someone have and Idea ???
Thank's