Problems with Panasonic DMR-E85H

Bal2005 said:
For other people I would question the recorder, but as I have pointed out in previous post's, if your machine has been modified in anyway then Panasonic will hold that against you and your only cause would be to prove to where you bought the machine, that due to the mod it has rendered the machine to develop a fault.

Some sites do have in small print that any modded machines are not covered by the warranty.

Thanks

I'm curious what sorts of mods people do to their recorders that would void the warranty. Most piracy devices that I've seen are external and I can't for the life of me come up with another mod to do to it.
 
smokin said:
I'm curious what sorts of mods people do to their recorders that would void the warranty. Most piracy devices that I've seen are external and I can't for the life of me come up with another mod to do to it.
Multi-region mods.

Some are mod boards and some are software where they can change drive speeds etc if not correctly authorised.

Remember the mod file doesn't just have the region codes in but all sorts.

Thanks
 
Hi, I'm adding my name to the 'petition' reporting an issue with the DMR-E85H. My machine is 21 months old and has starting to exhibit the symptoms described by many of the people who've left messages on this thread: Display blanking entirely, endless self checking etc..
I will write to Panasonic and suggest that this is a very common fault and is a design problem which renders the machine 'unfit for purpose'.
 
The fun never stops with the DMR-E85H, now when I try turning it on it can take up to 15 mins (yes really 15 mins) to boot up after self checking all that time and when I try turning it off it just reboots again another 15 mins to end up going back to an on status, I'm taking it back to the retailers in the next week or two not for the first time this year either.

Lucky for me I have Just discovered the fun of SKY+ since I got my HD box, it knocks the DMR-E85H into a crocked hat for recording.
 
Does anyone know if the latest models (EX95V, EX85, EX75 etc) suffer these dubbing/fanalizing/selfcheck problems. It seems these are slightly enhanced (with digital tuner) versions of the old problematic machines.
 
My DMR-E85H is now over 2 years old and is the oldest of my four Panasonic dvd recorders. It did have the odd glitch around six months ago when a disc was stuck in the tray and I had to open the laser compartment to remove the disc. Since then it has worked fine and is still in good working order.

I switch off all my recorders at the mains input when they are not in use - perhaps that's what keeps them in good order.
 
My E85 is still going strong and I suspect many others are as well. The problem with looking at threads such as this is that it can lead you to believe that everyone has this problem and it's 100% certain to happen at some time, the truth is that a lot of people only visit forums when they have problems.
 
ROYOLD said:
My DMR-E85H is now over 2 years old and is the oldest of my four Panasonic dvd recorders. It did have the odd glitch around six months ago when a disc was stuck in the tray and I had to open the laser compartment to remove the disc. Since then it has worked fine and is still in good working order.

I switch off all my recorders at the mains input when they are not in use - perhaps that's what keeps them in good order.
Yes royold disconnecting from the mains and leaving overnight corrected my machine. While I don't usually do this it wouldn't hurt now and again.
norfred
 
Well mine is 2 years old now too, and doesnt even get set to standby. It is on 100% of the time with the timer set so that it can record programs every day of the week. Had a hard disk go after 3 months which was replaced, but other than that nothing to report. Hope I am not tempting fate with this!

In fact there is an arguement that component lifetime is actually reduced by unplugging as they are then subjected to regular heat cycles, whereas standby keeps the components at operating temperature and places less stress on them. Our PCs at work are left on and are far more reliable than ones which people at home switch on and off regularly.
 
I'm pleased to hear several owner good experiences with Panny recorders. I have a DMR E20 that's nearly 5 years old, and has given fault-free service, but my DMR EH80 at five months is suffering the same self-check/dubbing/finalizing problems as many people report in this forum.
I'd like to be assured that the 2006 models don't inherit the same bugs.
 
Noooooo... My 85 has just go this dreaded problem at 25 months old! Nothing I can do will fix it... firmware upgrade will not load (unsupported displays which apparently means I have the latest firmware) and leaving it off does not help either! I have however written to Panasonic who wrote me a nice letter inviting me to get it assessed and they may 'consider' paying for it to be repaired! Watch this space (could take a while to organise)...
 
thedraper said:
Noooooo... My 85 has just go this dreaded problem at 25 months old! Nothing I can do will fix it... firmware upgrade will not load (unsupported displays which apparently means I have the latest firmware) and leaving it off does not help either! I have however written to Panasonic who wrote me a nice letter inviting me to get it assessed and they may 'consider' paying for it to be repaired! Watch this space (could take a while to organise)...
Good luck. I hope you get a satisfactory solution - and I'm sure we would all like to hear what the real problem is. It may be a batch of bad DVD-RAM drives, but I suspect something more sinister, like a fundamental system/software design fault. The fact that failures occur after a period of successful operation suggests that something is getting worn out, or perhaps thermal fatique. Mine (DMR-EH80) has died after 5 months, so by any stretch, that's an unreasonable life for a permium brand product. I think we should all take every opportunity to stress to Panasonic that they should provide a more secure method of backing up the HDD - like an optional external HDD, or ethernet connectability to a PC, etc.
 
Hi !

I'm amazed no one has actually got the correct info on the actual cause of this problem. :)

Basically, the PSU used in this hard drive model is near enough the same as the basic model with no HDD.

So - add the extra load caused by the PSU and it fails eventually. That's why most of the problems seem to occur when dubbing. Both the RAM drive and HDD are running flat out.

You may find it hard to believe, but it's a fact. A defective PSU can cause the repeated "Self Check" message, "Hello" > "Bye" display, random shutdowns etc.

The cure is to replace three parts in the PSU, and it's not an expensive fix. The parts are available from Panasonic to authorised service agents only.

As long as the unit is taken to an Authorised DSN repair centre, they will upgrade the firmware to the latest version at the same time. This usually helps with any media compatibilty problems etc.

I've repaired lots of this model for the same fault, and it's rare that the HDD fails.

There is an issue on early E85's which makes it look like the HDD has failed, but it hasn't. It's just the drive silicon serial number is no longer recognised by the Panasonic software. The fix for this is to replace the drive with any old HDD, power on then back off. Remove the HDD you just fitted, and put the original HDD back in.

When you power up, the recorder will display a "format new drive" message. DON'T do this (unless you want to loose all your recordings). Just press Return (or exit) on the remote to get back to the normal menu's etc.

As a previous post states - be very careful with the flexi cable connected to the HDD, it's very thin and easily damaged. Mains voltages can kill, so unplug the set from the mains before removing the top cover. You have been warned!

Anyone want any specific info - send me a PM off list. Can't discuss too much here !

Cheers

MJ
 
Thanks MJ - that's good to know.

But like a lot of the folk who've had the problem after 24 months plus, I've now convinced myself that I can justify buying the new DMR-EX75 (Freeview + EPG + HDMI = too good to ignore!). Do you foresee the same problem with the newer models, or have Panasonic sorted things now?
 
£150 for a hard drive. What an outrage. You can buy a standard 40Gb hard drive anywhere for about £40 - I seriously doubt that Panasonic use any other kind of HD ...
 
peck2000 said:
£150 for a hard drive. What an outrage. You can buy a standard 40Gb hard drive anywhere for about £40 - I seriously doubt that Panasonic use any other kind of HD ...

The HDD in the DMR-E85H is 80GB but I agree. £150 for an 80GB HDD is too much.
 
nialli said:
Thanks MJ - that's good to know.

But like a lot of the folk who've had the problem after 24 months plus, I've now convinced myself that I can justify buying the new DMR-EX75 (Freeview + EPG + HDMI = too good to ignore!). Do you foresee the same problem with the newer models, or have Panasonic sorted things now?

There is no service data on the EX75 or EX95 series recorders yet. However, I doubt if there will be a reoccurence of the problem. The EX series recorders are also upscaling players - which could be handy! :)

I think the problem with the E series (E55 / E85 etc) is genuinely down to a batch of components in particular. The reason for coming to this conclusion is that some other E series recorders dont have any problems, yet have the same part in the PSU.

If you have a faulty unit, it really has to be repaired by an Authorised Panasonic DSN (Digital Service Network) member. Any other dealer cannot do the repair (officially) and probably doesnt have this information anyway. Most DSN Service Centres will also upgrade the firmware at the same time. This can help iron out any disc compatibility problems etc.

If you still have the proof of purchase, it's worth talking politely to the staff at Panasonic Customer Care (especially if the unit is under 2 years old or just over). You may find that if you express how disappointed you are at such a high value product failing so soon, they become sympathetic and advise you to take it to a DSN for examination. You may end up having to pay for labour (or they may offer to pay for parts or parts and labour) - but either way, you'll get the thing fixed properly.

Cheers

MJ
 
Well, my problems with the DMR-E85H became so pervasive I couldn't stand it any more. I had waited the five months because I didn't want to be without my recorder! Thankfully I had purchased a five year extended warranty from Circuit City for $100 when I bought it new, something I have seldom done with a major electronics purchase.

I received my Panasonic from the service tech two weeks ago, and after 35 discs recorded or so, I am happy to report problem solved. The only note the tech made about the recorder damage was he "updated the firmware" and cleaned some things of dust. Also noted was that I should use "genuine Panasonic DVDs" when using this recorder, since I sent along eight samples of different brands of blank DVD's that refused to read in the player. Amusingly, I've checked five major electronics retailers making up the bulk of US electronics sales, and have yet to encounter a single Panasonic DVD for sale, anywhere. Since my DVD-R has roughly 6000 hours of recording time on it and maybe 1200 discs all of different brands, I think I'll take my chances, LOL.


Thanks for the great forum and finally inspiring me to get that thing fixed. See ya around. :hiya:
 
Well I have had my repair estimate from my authorised repair agent (costing me £40 - deductible from repair bill).... £275!!!! Outrageous as the thing only cost just over £400 new and a new Panasonic one can be bought for about £300 with a better spec (even bottom of the range ones have a better spec now). Why would anyone get it fixed?

What is interesting is they have diagnosed a faulty RAM drive but with the proviso it could be other things as well (meaning even more money). They said they have seen it quite a lot before and sometimes it does reoccur as 'some players are just dodgy'! I have sent the estimate off to Panasonic and am now awaiting their response...
 
Wow...£275!

I've just ordered a new multiregion DMREX75 for £349. I figure by the time they're back in stock and I get mine delivered, my E85H will have become unusable. At the moment, it self checks when dubbing anything over half a DVD but I've found that if I dub SP recordings of less than 60 minutes over one by one, it just about makes it. DVD-RAM dubs are now showing the same symptoms as DVD-R ones. :(

And last night the HDD went into Self-Check as I scrolled through the Navigator...

Can't live without one. And the new spec is so strong I just hope my faith in Panasonic will pay dividends :confused:
 
having followed this thread since my E85 starting self-checking everytime you inserted a disk i finally bit the bullet and attacked my powersupply with a soldering iron last night. other posters have helpfully suggested what needed changing and now for less than £15 i have a working E85 again :)

ok, so its only been running for a day but i can now play DVDs and dub from the hard drive to a disk which i couldn't do before....just hope the fix holds out.

Rich
 
Nialli's E-85, RIP. April 2004 - July 2006

Now it won't even start up. Plug it in, shows 00.00. Turn it on; does a Self Check then goes blank. Took top off to remove inserted DVD. Left overnight off mains. Plugged in this morning - dead to the world.

15 hours of recordings on HDD gone. :(

Call me a mug, but I've ordered another Panny. EX-75 coming this week. Hopefully it will last until HD-DVD or Blu Ray is a reasonable price. Fingers crossed.
 
Well, wadayaknow...

I took the lid off and plugged it back into the mains, just to see how hot it got internally. Sure enough, same routine - self check, then dead and no display. But about fifteen minutes later it bursts into life! How odd.

Glad to say I've now managed to dub all my HDD onto DVD-RAMS (no failures - that's the first time that's happened in months). I'll be leaving the top off for a few days until the arrival of my EX-75 so if I need to use it I can.

Anyone else with a dead box may want to try the same thing; the top's held on by two side screws and three at the back - you have to push it slightly to release. I wouldn't recommend leaving it plugged in unattended with the top off just in case, and obviously it'll attract dust over time, but if you've stuff on your HDD you need to get off, it may just work for you.
 
All that leaving the top off is doing is allowing more ventilation. You didn't have this unit in an enclosed space I presume?
Is the fan working?
 
Mine finally gave up the ghost and wouldn't even start. Took in a local elecltrical repair shop and they took it in to have a look at it.

80 quid and a new power supply later I still have all my recordings of Lost and Doctor Who and it works a treat, everything now works without a hitch.

They updated the software as well which thankfully didn't disrupte the multi-region.

I'm now happy for at least the next three months, was kinda hoping they would come back with a ridiculos quote so I could buy a new one :)
 

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