Fix my Panny or Buy a new one?

To correct a drifting clock just reset it every few days.

F60 indicates that the “DVD module has not been started. Defect of Digital P.C.B.”

The replacement parts are very expensive if purchased through Panasonic's National Parts Center. The DMR-EZ37V Digital P.C.B. is part RFKB79142C/CP DIGITAL PC BOARD priced at $325.64. The DVD Drive is part VXY1961 DVD DRIVE UNIT priced at $355.58.

That makes the $130 flat-rate repair a bargain. Your DMR-EZ37V should be promptly and efficiently returned to new functional condition. While the Panasonic experts at Elk Grove Village are first rate, there is no way to tell if your machine might have other problems a month later.

An attractive alternative is a 2008 model DMR-EZ48V or DMR-EZ485V “Refurbished By Panasonic” with a “Panasonic Refurbished Product Warranty” offered online (mainly at eBay) by an “Authorized Panasonic Dealers/Reseller” priced around $150 including shipping. Extended warranties through Square Trade are usually offered through those sellers.

A more attractive $250 alternative is the more flexible and reliable Magnavox H2160MW8 HDD/DVD recorder (just now back in stock) at walmart.com. Just attach a VCR to the Magnavox, record your videotaped recordings to the hard drive, edit the video if you like, and high-speed dub to DVD. See Wajo's sticky thread for more information.

I own several Panasonic ES and EZ series recorders as well as Philips and Magnavox HDD/DVD recorders.

You could also look for a new or referbished EZ-28. IMO the '08 EZ-x8's are a fair amount more reliable than the '07 EZ-x7's. If you've been satisfied with a x7 I think you'll be more than satisfied with a x8. Personally I'd steer clear of the EZ-48, instead I'd use a EZ-28 with a external VCR if you needed it. I've just seen too many problems with the EZ-48 to recommend it.
AFA the clock drift, do you have the "auto clock set" option turned on? Using autoclock all my Panny clocks are within fractions of a second of each other. Not that the clock should drift by more than a second a day anyway but I always use the autoclock. Note this will probably go away for me after the analog OTA shutoff in June. If you have cable it may be around a while longer, if you have Sat. only you many not have the autoclock option.

In earlier posts in other threads I've bemoaned the bugs, design flaws and necessary workarounds to keep 2007/2008 EZ series Panasonics functional.

The 2007 models, with the "7" in the model names, are more problematic that the 2008 models, with the "8" in the model names. I own one 2008 model, a DMR-EZ28V that is much more reliable than my four 2007 DMR-EZ17 models.

One of my DMR-EZ17 models that had not been able to maintain it's hold on digital cable channels had been able to maintain it's hold on over-the-air (OTA) digital broadcast channels. That EZ17 had been limited to OTA use--until today. After today's loss of digital OTA channels two new channel scans failed to find the digital broadcast channels. That EZ17 also returned a U99 error so it was removed from service and is now designated a "parts machine."

The combination of a Zenith DTT901 CECB and one (2006) DMR-ES15 will assume all OTA functionality formerly shared between two Panasonics.

Today a "renewed" Philips 3576 arrived. This 3576 model's SKIP 079 utility shows that the hard drive had been powered on for a total of just 36 hours with it's first owner and during the refurbishing process. Only the French language manuals and papers show any indication of use. This 3576 has been set up for dual functionality through an A/B switch. One setting provides a feed originating from a Comcast digital cable box for unscrambling Turner Classic Movies; the other setting (where I ran the channel scan) provides around 120 cable-ready digital sub-channels directly from the Comcast coax cable. This 3576 model increases to seven the number of my machines that may record from TCM, three Magnavox and Philips HDD/DVD recorders and four Panasonic DVD recorders. A tandem recording strategy reduces demand upon individual machines, extending their useful lives.

Yes, I'm a TCM Fan(atic).

The Philips 3576 is definitely an upgrade for you!