Panasonic DMR-EZ17K DVD Player/Recorder - Page 15

Here's my update- whereas I had suspected it was a fan noise, I now think it is the sound of the disc spinning inside. I checked it again, this morning, after removing the disc and shutting it down. The sound was now dead silent.

So does that make any sense? Dead silent with an empty disc tray and powered down, but if you shutdown w a disc installed (as you would typically do in preparation for a scheduled recording), the disc spins eternally?! Normally, you would expect it to spindown when you shutdown...or maybe it spins down after some amount of time? It just seems weird that the disc spinning would operate independently from the rest of the recorder.

Just a thought, do you have the Instant On turned on? I don't think it should make a difference, but who knows. I've been keeping my Instant On turned off.

That thought had crossed my mind, as well, but I know I had set it to "off" in the past. I have been meaning to check it, again, to confirm it is still off.

Since cleaning the hub/spindle on my EZ17 about 2 weeks ago, I have not had a failed freeze up scheduled timer recording. Maybe it’s too soon to tell, but I was starting to get the freeze up on a regular basis. Nothing had changed except time, so I figured it probably was an electrical or mechanical component failure versus a firmware problem. I did not see any leaky capacitors when I took off the unit’s cover. After removing the drive’s cover I cleaned the rubber part on the hub/spindle & some dirt did come off. Also cleaned the lens.

My older ES20 has never had this problem so it made me think why the EZ17 series did. Short story, some time ago I spoke with a Panasonic engineer who had helped out with a bug on the ES20. About a year ago I called him regarding how noisy the drive was on the EZ17 when doing Chase Play. He said like anything else they try to reduce the cost of products. While he did specifically say the new drives were cheaper than the old drives, I’m guessing they are.

Perhaps the new/cheaper drives do not clamp down on the disc as firmly as the old drives. Therefore it does not take too much dirt in order to cause slippage & therefore a failed recording. That’s just a guess on my part. Anyway the little cleaning made a big difference.

Thank you DigaDo for your cleaning instructions.

At the moment SCI-FI channel is showing Twilight Zone episodes all day long. Most of the Twilight Zone episodes I have are dubbed from videotapes or were recorded at EP so I'm recording today's episodes at LP with a DMR-EZ17 connected cable-ready to our local Comcast service.

I'm watching some of these episodes through the DMR-EZ17 as it records. A few minutes ago there was a brief period where the screen went blank. I looked at the EZ17's counter and observed that it was frozen, for perhaps four seconds, on the minutes and seconds. As I'm typing this happened again but only two seconds or so this time. In both instances once the picture returned to normal the EZ17's counter's seconds display started to advance as is normal during a recording. This is the first time I've observed this behavoir.

Has anyone else observed this behavoir?

Strange, I never noticed that problem(lots of other problems, just not that one). AFA TZ I've been lucky enough to procure all 5 seasons from commercial DVD. I just love the clarity of the conversions to DVD as well as NO station bugs or commercial interruptions.

This morning one of my daily use DMR-EZ17 recorders of February 2007 manufacture, originally entering my service in October 2007, suffered a DVD Drive laser assembly failure at around 1,665 recording hours. The DVD Drive had satisfactorily recorded two movies bulked as a single title late last night to a Taiyo Yuden Premium Line 8x DVD-R. Powering up this morning returned a message window “check disc” and a "no read" front panel display. The DVD Drive made the "clunking" "chugging" and "errrp" noises that are common indications of a dirty lens or a failed laser assembly. That DVD Drive had its most recent lens and hub/spindle cleaning less than two and a half months ago. This morning a new lens and hub/spindle cleaning did not restore functionality.

A 2006 model year DMR-ES25 with 1,338 laser use hours (mostly playing DVDs) was swapped into the failed EZ17 model’s place. The ES25 was set up, configured and the unfinalized DVD from the EZ17 was finalized by the ES25. This DVD was auditioned, finding last night’s recording normal in every respect.

Two of my four DMR-EZ17 models have experienced DVD Drive laser assembly failures in the last three months. The other failed DMR-EZ17 was of January 2007 manufacture with the laser assembly failure occurring at around 1,523 recording hours. I now have two DMR-EZ17 “clunkers” that have been designated as “parts machines.”

DMR-EZ17 score: two down, two more to go.

So is this what you have been seeing in general with your recorders? That you get 15-1600 recording hours out of them before they fail?

My report concerning two DMR-EZ17 models with recently failed laser assemblies should be regarded as anecdotal.

A survey of my Panasonic DVD Recorder list with latest recording log data shows these estimated recording hours for my Panasonics:

2005 models:

**DMR-ES30V 4,384 (Panasonic replaced the DVD Drive, under warranty, due to a failed laser assembly at around 1073 hours.)
**DMR-ES30V 2,890
**DMR-ES40V 355

2006 models:

**DMR-ES35V 2,985
**DMR-ES35V 0 (This ES35 is new in its box)
**DMR-ES35V 3,097
**DMR-ES35V 1,390
*DMR-ES35V 522 (Originally purchased as a parts machine with a good DVD Drive that was swapped into an ES15. Now fully functional with swapped in DVD Drive originally from the other ES35 parts machine and Digital PCB from the below ES35.)
**DMR-ES35V 120 (Factory replaced DVD Drive and Digital PCB swapped in from DMR-ES46V. Original ES35V DVD Drive had laser assembly failure at 3,140 recording hours.)
***DMR-ES46V 3,140 (Swapped in DVD Drive from above ES35 due to failed laser assembly at 3,140 hours. This DMR-ES46 is "dead.")
***DMR-ES35V (Originally purchased as a parts machine. Good original DVD was then swapped into an ES15. That DVD Drive laser assembly later failed after nine months use.)
*DMR-ES25 1,338 (This figure is laser use time, mostly playing DVDs, not recording hours)
**DMR-ES15 2,987
**DMR-ES15 1,048
***DMR-ES15 (This ES15 was purchased with a bad DVD Drive. A good DVD Drive from a DMR-ES35 parts machine was swapped into place, the recorder was used for nine months until the DVD Drive laser assembly failed with around 1,113 recording hours.)
***DMR-ES15 (This ES15 was purchased with a bad DVD Drive. A good DVD Drive from a DMR-ES35 parts machine was swapped into place, the recorder was used for around one month and then rotated into standby use. Eight months later this ES15 was found "dead." This DVD Drive, along with a good Digital PCB--see above--was later swapped into the ES35 attributed with 522 recording hours.)

2007 models:

***DMR-EZ17 1,665 (failed laser assembly)
***DMR-EZ17 1,523 (failed laser assembly)
*DMR-EZ17 1,982
*DMR-EZ17 907

2008 model:

*DMR-EZ28 1,156

Notes:

*These recorders are in daily use.
**These recorders are set aside for standby use.
***These recorders are designated as parts machines.

Wow, not a post to this thread since 2/09 and at one time it was in daily use. My guess is most people have either given up on their EZ-17 or they've got a real quirk and it's still working
Digado, in regards to your NIB ES-30v, I had to check my local CraigsList to see if you snagged this NIB combo, but now I see it's a ES-35v. I think $175 is a little steep for a '06 model but I guess if one doesn't care about the analog tuner it's a better bet than a EZ-48v

Jeff,

The "new" DMR-ES35V was purchased in September 2008. I opened the sealed box, examined the contents, set it up and checked it out. I may have made a two to five minute recording on it and swapped that disc to another Panasonic for later recording/finalization and returned this ES35 to its box where it's remained ever since. So, technically this DMR-ES35V isn't strictly a "NIB" Panasonic.

From the original owner I purchased the DMR-ES46 as a parts machine. The original owner had problems so he returned the ES46 to Costco. Costco sent it to a local "authorized" repair shop that replaced the RFKNES46VP DVD RAM module (Digital PCB and DVD Drive). Then Costco returned this ES46 to the original owner. The original owner told me that he continued to have more problems with the ES46 so he put it back in its box and stored it away a closet for a year or more. When he did some housecleaning he found the ES46 and advertised it on Craig's List. When the owner gave me the original Customer Receipt showing the correct serial number and the "authorized" repair shop's $323.35 repair charged back to Costco I was eager to purchase the ES46 for the asking price of $20. Once home I checked out this ES46 finding it "dead" but the Digital PCB and DVD Drive were in new condition. As mentioned above, these parts were then swapped into one of the DMR-ES35V models.

With my current set up I make extensive use of RF pass through connections so I prefer using DVD recorders with unmodulated RF outputs. The ES30 and ES35 models are outstanding products, the main workhorses used in my ten month long 5,200 title dubbing/copying project. In those models the RF outputs are easy enough to switch to an unmodulated status. Even with their modulated outputs they would be effective as the last recorder on a pass through connection.

The one DMR-ES35V that's in current use, was originally a $15.29 parts machine that I recently brought back to full functionality, is now connected to the family TV.

I thought the family TV deserved a rebuilt ES35 that's much better than the dreadful, little-used DMR-ES40V (even though the ES40 set us back $269.99 in December 2005). I keep the DMR-ES40V as its DVD Drive has only 355 recording hours. That DVD Drive is the same model as found in the DMR-ES30V. With my daughter's two ES30 models and my two ES30 models there are four "high mileage" ES30 models in this household. The first ES30 that may experience a laser assembly failure will get the ES40 DVD Drive. Then the dreadful DMR-ES40V will be nothing but parts.

I could have sworn your post said your NIB was a ES-30v I guess my link makes even more sense then.
Oh and you do know you can easily turn the RF modulator OFF on your Pannys don't you? It's buried in the manual and is hidden under the subject something about if you're getting a poor picture from the RF out
I wrote the page number on the front of my ES-30v after it took me quite a long time to find it upon getting my second ES-30v. On all my ES-30vs I've turned OFF the RF mod. I don't know why they couldn't just title the header "How to turn off the RF modulator"

DigaDo,

Some time ago in one of these threads I recall reading how to check the hours and/or power that the laser was using. With your vast knowledge of the Panny recorders I'm presuming that this information might have come from you. If so, how does one access the service menu or do whatever it takes to check out the laser?

Thanks in advance.

I've mentioned Service Mode in different contexts in recent posts. What follows is a sampling.

This post identifies the different methods, based upon model type, to enter Service Mode:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post16694871

These two posts mention the interpretation of laser power calibration and both attempt to reproduce page 29 of the DMR-EH75 Service Manual (the images are better in the second post) where the information is typical of that found in other Panasonic service manuals:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post16883143

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...2#post17125192

(Unfortunately, I've been unable to reproduce scanned images that provide good results in attachments to my AVS posts. If I were to find an effective and simple method to reproduce Service Mode pages in my posts I would do so. I've had much better results with scanned images at CD Freaks, recently renamed MyCe.)

This post describes entering Service Mode (with a DMR-ES15 or similar model), accessing Laser Used Time and Accumulated Working Time, and exiting Service Mode:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post17168377

The quoted post provides more detail as to a variety of service mode utilities and my response cautions against uninformed experimentation:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...5#post15370175

This post mentions certain deficiencies in Panasonic Service Manuals and provides some of the "missing" service information:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...5#post16832715

You can use the "Snapshot Tool" icon in Adobe PDF Reader to select an image, paste it in a simple graphic program (I use Lexmark printer SW that came with it), massage it if desired (I do a "1-click enhancement"), save as a .jpg file, then use Photobucket.com or other image site to upload to and hold your pics for Inserting with the AVS "Insert Image" tool?

The pics then appear directly in your post via the URL links the image-hosting site provides.

Click #2 in my sig. for procedure on image hosting/inserting.

This thread was last active more than three years ago.

Jeff, would you believe that I still have one of my four EZ17s still set up for daily use?

Well, here it is recording Shirley Temple's Curly Top (1935) as I type:

Wow, 3 years and to think this was the tread that got me started at AVS! (I remember reading and corresponding with Home Video Guy who seems to be long gone, wonder what ever happened to his EZ-17....).
My first Panasonics were the '05 ES-30v combos and '06 ES-15/25s. I really liked them, they were real workhouses and never gave me trouble but with the coming of the OTA transition to digital I wanted a DVDR with a digital tuner. The EZ-17 was the logical step(I didn't really know about HDD DVDRs at the time).
My first EZ-17 crapped out while still in warranty so the store exchanged it for another, that one also quit working(both gave me consistent trouble recording and failed burns). By the time the 4th quit(all under warranty) I was at my whits end so I looked online to see if others were having similar problems, turns out some were although maybe not to the degree I was. My fifth try was a EZ-27(ez-17 w/hdmi output) which also failed. My 6th and final try was another EZ-17 but when this one failed I gave up and just ran with a CECB hooked up to one of my reliable ES series Panasonics.
I did try a EZ-28 when they first came out and while it never quit on me and I liked it's picture quality I did notice several of the "bugs" of the EZ-17 had not been fixed so I returned it while I could. A few years later I purchased a like new one off of Craigs list for $50 that I still have to this day, mostly for prepping a select number of discs for my more reliable ES Panasonics. I also use it to burn realtime DL discs as the EZ-28 handles those quite well, much better than the EZ-17 did.
Overall it sounds like you had much better luck than I did with the '07 Panasonics, for me they were a total disaster and I wouldn't purchase another unless it was extremely cheap and even then I'd never rely on it

Perhaps my Friday post of was just like saying "It looks like we have a no-hitter going here."

This morning I found the front panel display with running zeros and the disc tray was extended. After powering this EZ17 down and back up I heard the dreaded "clunking" of a failed laser assembly. The DVD had recorded two titles from TCM but the failure occured on the third title.The DVD couldn't be finalized in another Panasonic but it's probably playable in a Panasonic.

Bummer
I feel the same thing will happen when I state I've never had a failed laser in any of my Panasonics even though I've burned 1000s of DVDs......All the time when Panasonic was offering the $120 then $130 flat rate repair I was never able to take advantage of the great deal and even now with all the great things I've read about Mickinct I'm not able to see this first hand. Not that I'm complaining.....

The EZ17 that just failed was the last of my four EZ17 models left standing. Now they're all junk. I can't really complain about this EZ17 as it had run up about 3,800 recording hours since I put it into service in December 2007.

Today I pulled the EZ17 out of the stack, swapping in a 2005 DMR-ES20. As I type this post the ES20 has a scheduled recording in progress.