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EH-69 Telephone Support?

post #1 of 19
4/11/12 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 
I may purchase an EH-69 as a back up DVDR (and just test and stash it away) to my DMREH75V and EH55, both of which will ultimately have lived out their lives. I record solely from line outputs from my STB so the tuner, or lack of it, is irrelevant. I simply output one signal from the DVDR to my plasma display and another to my EH55 and to the EH75 when I need to record, in a separate room and from a separate STB, a film playing at the same time on cable.

I realize there is no warranty or repair (even for a fee, I'd guess) support from Panasonic, but, occasionally, over the years, I've still be able to receive some effective telephone support from Panasonic.

Does Panny provide that telephone support for the EH-69?
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post #2 of 19
4/11/12 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Mohundro View Post

...Does Panny provide that telephone support for the EH-69?

I expect they do.

Call the Panasonic UK Customer Communications Centre at 011-44-0844-844-3899
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post #3 of 19
4/11/12 at 11:05am
Thread Starter 
Ah...

I'm in the US, so I'm assuming from your answer that I'd probably get some telephone support only if I called the UK.
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post #4 of 19
4/11/12 at 12:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Mohundro View Post

Ah...

I'm in the US, so I'm assuming from your answer that I'd probably get some telephone support only if I called the UK.

That's what I was thinking. With grey market products one would have difficulty finding any "official" Panasonic support.

Of course, AVS member mickinct is the go-to source for Panasonic repairs.
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post #5 of 19
4/11/12 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DigaDo View Post

Of course, AVS member mickinct is the go-to source for Panasonic repairs.

I cannot speak for MICKINCT, but I would suspect that he would be able to fix most problems that the EH69 would have.
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post #6 of 19
4/11/12 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tips, folks.
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post #7 of 19
4/15/12 at 6:12am
I would try Malaysia. They are on their site still.
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post #8 of 19
4/16/12 at 10:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Mohundro View Post

...I realize there is no warranty or repair (even for a fee, I'd guess) support from Panasonic, but, occasionally, over the years, I've still be able to receive some effective telephone support from Panasonic.

Does Panny provide that telephone support for the EH-69?

I have heard of at least one person who bought their DVD recorder from World-Import. It broke, and they sent it back to W-I for repair. It took a while, but he did get it back, fully repaired, and nothing was touched on his hard drive. I have not had the need to do this, but as a data point, it's worth remembering. No, I don't know about any costs for this repair, or what the repair even was.

I have found the replies to my questions here to be quicker, more reliable and more accurate then most telephone support. Quite a number of times I have called with a question, and the service rep I was talking to didn't even understand the question, much less been able to provide an answer.
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post #9 of 19
4/16/12 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
An addition questuion from the OP:

While manuals for the discontinued DMRs (e.g., the DMR EH55) are readily downloadable from the Panny US site, such manuals for the EH69 are, understandably, not downloadable from the US site, but..also seem not to be downloadable from the support component of the "International" Panny web site, although firmware updates are. Before I purchase the EH69, I wouldn't mind having its instruction manual for review to assure myself that the EH69 will serve my needs. Is there an alternate resource for electronic copies of the EH69 manual?
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post #10 of 19
4/16/12 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 
I just gave it one more try on the International site and this time I selected the UK link and was able to download the operating instructions; however, here are the compatibility (presumably for playing (and DVD creation purposes) note at the beginning of the manual:
"Region number supported by
this unit
Region numbers are allocated to DVD
Recorders and DVD-Video according to where
they are sold.
≥The region number of this unit is “2”.
≥The unit will play DVD-Video marked with
labels containing “2” or “ALL”.

I thought the EH69 should also be an NTSC recorder and player as well as a PAL recorder and player. Where have I gone wrong? Have I misidentified the EH69 I see on the B&H site?
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post #11 of 19
4/16/12 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Mohundro View Post

I just gave it one more try on the International site and this time I selected the UK link and was able to download the operating instructions; however, here are the compatibility (presumably for playing (and DVD creation purposes) note at the beginning of the manual:
"Region number supported by
this unit
Region numbers are allocated to DVD
Recorders and DVD-Video according to where
they are sold.
≥The region number of this unit is 2.
≥The unit will play DVD-Video marked with
labels containing 2 or ALL.

I thought the EH69 should also be an NTSC recorder and player as well as a PAL recorder and player. Where have I gone wrong? Have I misidentified the EH69 I see on the B&H site?

Okay: First, I got my manual on-line here. Second, you will see on page 60 of the manual, showing in the setup where you can choose the TV System, that you can select either PAL or NTSC. Third, the unit is made region-free by B&H, J&R, World-Import, or (presumably) whoever you purchse it from. (I only have experience with those three vendors, but the EH59/69 is available from others.)
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post #12 of 19
4/16/12 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Luke.

By the way, on the UK site, clicking on the "Hard drive dvd recorder" link actually brings up 4 HD DVDRs, one of which, at a quick glance, appears to be a BlueRay DVDR and somewhere, buried in the specs, is the phrase "PAL/NTSC", and is priced at about 550 British Pounds Sterling, a bit less than $1,000 US, including probable shipping costs. I seem to remember from two or three years ago the first BluRay DVDRs being sold in Japan for about $3,000-$4,000.

I think I'll leave well enough alone, gamble on the non-warranty aspect of the purchase and (probably) go for the EH69 at B&H after I read as much of the manual as I can can deal with at a couple of sittings.
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post #13 of 19
4/17/12 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
Church AV Guy,

>Third, the unit is made region-free by B&H, J&R, World-Import, or (presumably) whoever you purchse it from. (I only have experience with those three vendors, but the EH59/69 is available from others.)

I'm a bit concerned that making the EH69 "region-free" might make the DVD-Rs I copy from the hard drive unplayable on my DVD players.

To save the drives on my EH55 and EH75V, I almost always use my Panny BD30, and, occasionally, my DVD-RV32 for playback (usually the BD30 which outputs to my Panny plasma display).

I've purchased just three region-free DVDs from different vendors on EBay and none of the three plays back on my BD player or the RV32.

With the puchase of the EH69, am I likely to have these compatibility problems with DVDs made on the EH69?

I'm a bit confused, I admit, about how the Region 1 coding (I assume it's a coding) connects theoretically with the NTSC standard and/or coding [you can see how confused and uninformed I am here].
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post #14 of 19
4/17/12 at 10:20am
Region codes are typically only for comm. DVDs, but most or all consumer DVDRs code their "home-made" DVDs Region 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, as described here. People should just need the correct NTSC/PAL equip. to play.
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post #15 of 19
4/17/12 at 1:37pm
Wajo is correct, the international Panasonics make DVDs that are all region and will play on any DVD player. All region may be different than region free I just don't know but I do know DVDs made on my EH-59 play just fine on my Panny BD players.
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post #16 of 19
4/17/12 at 8:35pm
Just google EH69 manual. It took me 10 seconds to find and download it. I think i got it from a Euro or UAE panny site. Dont go looking for it, let google find it for you
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post #17 of 19
4/18/12 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Mohundro View Post

Church AV Guy,

>Third, the unit is made region-free by B&H, J&R, World-Import, or (presumably) whoever you purchse it from. (I only have experience with those three vendors, but the EH59/69 is available from others.)

I'm a bit concerned that making the EH69 "region-free" might make the DVD-Rs I copy from the hard drive unplayable on my DVD players.

To save the drives on my EH55 and EH75V, I almost always use my Panny BD30, and, occasionally, my DVD-RV32 for playback (usually the BD30 which outputs to my Panny plasma display).

I've purchased just three region-free DVDs from different vendors on EBay and none of the three plays back on my BD player or the RV32.

With the puchase of the EH69, am I likely to have these compatibility problems with DVDs made on the EH69?

I'm a bit confused, I admit, about how the Region 1 coding (I assume it's a coding) connects theoretically with the NTSC standard and/or coding [you can see how confused and uninformed I am here].

Well, it's always a really good idea to have a separate DVD player, rather than use your recorder as a player, just for the reason you cite. Save the drive for writing, don't waste it on reading by using your machine as a player. Really cheap ($30) DVD players are available that work just fine.

The region-free "hack" only concerns what you can PLAY on the DVD recorder--again, it is for playing only. All DVD recorders make disks that are all region, or region free. From the manual on page 12:

Quote:


DISKS THAT CANNOT BE PLAYED
≥2.6 and 5.2 GB DVD-RAM, 12 cm
≥3.95 and 4.7 GB DVD-R for Authoring
≥DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, +R, +R DL recorded on another unit and not finalised (
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post #18 of 19
4/18/12 at 4:35pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tips on the "region free" issue.

As to the BluRay DVDRs in the UK, it might be better to work the purchase into a UK holiday, buy at retail (Harrods or some reliable video electronics dealer [for price]?) and bring it home. US duties are pretty modest for most consumer items. I purchased my EH55 in Vancouver, B.C. and the crossing border US duty was quite modest. And--the machine was flawed but still under warranty and the old Elgin facilities fixed it satifactorily and under the warranty in spite of the Canada purchase.
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post #19 of 19
4/19/12 at 10:53am
Great! The next time I'm in the UK I'll remember that. This will also be the FIRST time.
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