Can my Panasonic DMR E55 be saved. Any advice appreciated.

[panhead_2006]

Hi. If your reading this and can help, thanks very much.

If you are reading this but cannot help, thanks anyway.

As you may have guessed I own a Panasonic DMR E55 DVD-R recorder (for probably close to two years) which seems to be in pretty poor health over these last few weeks.

The biggest problem is trying to make more than one recording on a disc. The first recording will work fine and irrespective of how much space is left on the disc or if I am using EP, LP, XP the moment you try a second recording it counts to no more than 2 seconds and then stops to read the disc and will not record. I have tried different brands of discs (but they must be no more than 4x speed or the recorder won't work at all and it's instant coaster time as the disc becomes unusable).

I have tried switching it off at the mains for a period of time as in the past I found this helped when it got in the habit of screwing up the finalising of discs, but this has not made any difference on this occasion.

can anyone help??

[undertest]

In your manual there will be a setting - either in the menu somewhere or a key combination to reset the machine to factory default settings. Try this. Also though it might not sound likely, get yourself a dvd lens cleaner. In some cases constant issues like this can simply be because the lens on the laser is dirty and a specific scenario that the lens is trying to perform (locating the end of the first title) is not being accomplished.

[panhead_2006]

Hi. Thanks for the suggestions. I will get a DVD lens cleaner and try that. Had a look at the online manual for the DMR E55 but have a feeling there is no way to restore to factory settings.

Regards

Martyn

[Gavtech]

See page 36 of the manual. You have an option to return to default settings or shipping condition.


Shipping Condition
All the settings except for the ratings level, ratings password and
time settings return to the factory preset. The timer recording
programmes are also cancelled.

Default Settings
All the settings other than the programmed channels, time
settings, country settings, language settings, disc language
settings, ratings level, ratings password and remote control
code return to the factory presets.

Gavin

[panhead_2006]

Thanks to you both for ideas.

I bought a dvd lens cleaner and tried that. Still no better and I tried both of the resets that gavin suggested and still the problem persists.

After trying these things last night I discovered that although the majority of times I pressed the rec button the recorder would stop and go to self check before the counter reached 2 seconds sometimes it would work (this was with the same disc in the recorder all the time).

I am beginning to think this needs to go off to a repairer which is probably not worth it financially.

If anyone has any other ideas please post them here.

Thanks again to those who have tried to help.