retrieve content from DVR hard drive

Hi,
My Panasonic DMR-EH55 is going in for repair. It will not burn DVDs from the hard drive. How else can I retrieve the content from the unit's hard drive? Will I be able to burn it onto DVDs using my computer's DVD burner?
Thanks,
Jamie

Unfortunately the information on the HDD is not easily read by a computer. People have done it with considerable effort for each title. There is a thread on AVS where someone described how he was able to read info off his Panasonic HDD but again it wasn't for the faint of heart and very time consuming.
Note unless the HDD is the fault Panasonic will leave your HDD programs intact. It sounds more like a DVD drive problem than HDD.
BTW are you taking advantage of the $130 flat rate Panasonic repair? If paying by T&M the DVD drive itself costs in excess of $400

Information concerning the $130 flat-rate repair through the corporate Panasonic Digital Service Center in Elk Grove Village Illinois is found in this post:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/f106/panaso...8/#post2111599

Jeff and Diga,
I had read the post about the $130 before I called them. I was told that this is no longer available, and that the repair center is not in Illinois anymore; it is in Texas and is called McAllen Service Center.
The hard drive is fine: it records fine and I can do all the editing. The machine just doesn't recognize ANY disks, blank, home-recorded or commercially burned. Not even the cleaning disk. It tries hard, but just makes that chugging sound and eventually says "no read".
I've already posted another thread asking what my options are if the Panny proves too costly to repair. I don't get why anyone would want a DVR WITHOUT a hard drive, but I know they're virtually impossible to come by anymore. I really like being able to edit on the hard drive before burning, and create chapters.
Thanks again,
Jamie

"Chugging" noises most often indicate that the DVD Drive has a dirty lens or a failed laser assembly.

I have successfully swapped DVD Drives between different 2006 models as reported in this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1082922

Another AVS member advised me in a PM that he had replaced laser assemblies with those purchased from gazglasgow, an eBay seller in Glasgow Scotland. Here is the current listing for the laser assembly used in 2006 models:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=350056638787

I have not personally replaced the laser assembly in a DVD Drive. I have swapped the laser assembly/laser assembly mounting panel and sub panel as a unit. (I do not work on machines other than my own.)

With 2006 models the "approved" Panasonic repair procedure is replacement of the DVD Drive and the Digital PCB as a "module." The DVD Drive/Digital PCB "module" for a DMR-EH55 is described as RFKNEH55P RAM/DIGITAL PCB MODULE, retail priced at $633.20.

One would hope that Panasonic continues to offer the $130 flat-rate repair.

Here is the contact information for the Panasonic repair facility in McAllen Texas:

PANASONIC CUSTOMER SERVICE CEN 4900 B #12 GEORGE MCVAY DRIVE MC ALLEN TX 78503 (800) 211-7262

Many people just aren't interested in archiving programs to DVD. HDD units are considered a threat to DVD box set sales.

It's disappointing to hear about the service centre but not surprising. Bad economic times means layoffs, closing business units, and that flat-rate was just too good a deal in most instances.

Earlier today I spoke briefly with someone at Elk Grove Village. They indicated that all machines currently at Elk Grove will be repaired but all future work should be sent to the Panasonic Customer Service Center in McAllen Texas.

Then I attempted to call the Panasonic Customer Service Center in McAllen Texas. There were recorded announcements but I was unable to speak with a live person.

Then I called Panasonic Customer Service. I was placed on hold after telling the associate that I was seeking information regarding out-of-warranty repairs for DVD recorders through the Panasonic Customer Service Center in McAllen Texas. I was transferred to Technical Assistance. After waiting on hold around fifty minutes I was able to speak with someone. I repeated my inquiry. The associate described an exchange process for warranty or out-of-warranty DVD recorders. She said that they do not repair the customer's machine but exchange it for a refurbished machine of the same model, if available, or a similar model if the same model is not available. She mentioned sending a copy of the receipt (probably for warranty exchanges) and including with the returned machine a brief description of the machine's problems. She needed to know what state I was in and the model number of the machine I wished to return for exchange. I told her that I had a non-functional DMR-ES46V and I live in Oregon. She quoted a DMR-ES46V exchange to an Oregon address at $140, including shipping. She confirmed that there isn't a single flat-rate that applies to all models shipped to all locations. She then said that if I want to do an exchange someone would call me back within thirty minutes. I declined.

McAllen Texas appears to be within two miles of the Mexican border.

Perhaps Panasonic has combined it's Mexican refurbishing operation with this Customer Service Center.

Both of my refurbished Panasonics came in sealed brown Panasonic boxes that had a sticker that included "Refurbished in Mexico" just below the words "Manufactured in Malaysia."

RichardT over at AVS posted this for you Jamie:
"To the poster on CDFREAKS, or anyone else, who wants to retrieve from the HDD but DVD is not working, could they borrow dvdr and connect via s-video & audio? Wouldn't be high-speed, but even a no-hdd recorder could be used to salvage some valued footage. (I'm not a cdfreaks member.)"

So if you have another DVDR or I suppose even a VCR if PQ isn't that important, you can do as RichardT suggested and just PLAY realtime your EH-55 and record on the other device.

What is AVS?

Where can i find this thread?

AVS is another forum, here's a link to the Thread I was referring to.

I don't know if this will help, but...

My DMR-EH55 recently suffered the same failure (a conversation with an authorized repair service indicated that it is VERY common).

I contacted PARTS at Panasonic...the replacement unit is RFKNEH55P...and costs $433...with a $200 "dead unit" rebate.

Mine, luckily, was covered under their extended warranty, so it was repaired, locally, for free.

If you CAN purchase the extended warranty...I highly recommend it for THESE units. If you can not...the part at a net $233 is the way to go. The DVR-EH55 units are selling daily on ebay for up to $900...even as high as $300 for DEAD units.

Hope some of this info helps someone.

jp

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Last edited by poerboy; 17-07-2009 at 18:57.

Thanks for the info on the refurb exchange -- I will have to look into that for my HS2.

If you want to exchange the DVD unit, you need to makes sure it is compatible. I called Parts and asked what the price for the DVD drive on my HS2 was (over $400). Then I asked what other models use that same part: (E30, T3040). Still looking on ebay for any of these.

As for getting the content off, pardon my old-school approach ... but that's what the video-out connectors on the back of the unit are for. Hook it up to another recorder and play. Not as good as dubbing from hd to dvd, but it works.

I'm amazed that folks' first approach to resolve a problem is to spend money when there may be a simple and inexpensive remedy. See my response in the thread you opened today.

If you check out model year '02 in this post http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post16171983
you'll see it looks like only model year '02 drives will work according to Panasonic. The T3040 is just the commercial version of your HS2 while the commercial version of the E30 would be the T3030.

You are, of course, correct for many cases. I my case the MOTOR on the drive was what failed. I don't know if this is the common failure mode on these units.

There are three "motors" in the DVD Drive.

One motor propels the laser assembly along the rods; a second motor turns the spindle that causes the disc to rotate; a third motor opens and closes the disc tray and operates the slide cam that causes the spindle assembly to rise for read, write, and finalizing operations and descend to allow the disc tray to be opened.

For a summary of operational and alignment information, including photos, see this post and the one that follows it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post15745506