DMR-E55 won't read any discs! Help!

Consumer Electronics
#1

Hope someone can help me fast!
My DVD recorder was finishing a DVD disc like it always did, but stopped all of a sudden.
That disc failed, nothing is on it, and now it won’t read any other disc at all, I keep getting the error message ‘Can’t read, check disc’.

Tried a lot of things that are in the manual, but nothing has worked so far.
My biggest problem is that there are still a lot of shows on the harddrive that I don’t want to lose, but can’t save them on a disc since it won’t read any.

Please help!

#2

First try a lens cleaning disc.

#3

Where could I find one, any particular type, or brand?
More help always welcome!

#4

I have good luck with the Philips Laser lens Cleaner Disc

#5

Ok, if anyone else has suggestions or had the same problem please post!

By the way, is there any way (other then putting on cd’s) to save the shows still in the recorder?
I don’t want to lose them.

#6

Anyone?

#7

When one encounters the “can’t read disc” error it may be a dirty lens or spindle, but it may also be a DVD drive failure or a failure of the DVD drive controller board.

Here is a very helpful thread:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/f106/fixing-your-panny-when-theres-fault-lens-cleaning-doesnt-help-210507/

If this doesn’t correct the problem you may have to replace the DVD drive or controller board. Contact Panasonic for information:

1-888-439-2676
Panasonic Service Center
1590 Touhly Ave
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

If the controller board has failed Panasonic may be the only source for that part.

If the DVD drive itself has failed it is not particularly complicated to swap it with a known-good COMPATIBLE DVD drive. If you knew what other model Panasonics used the same DVD drive you might watch for a used or as-is parts machine of that/those model(s) on eBay. There is one seller that offers such Panasonic products, Dealtree, with separate identities (2ndturn and 2ndturn-closeouts) for used or as-is Panasonic products. Pay special attention to defect descriptions so that you do not get one with a DVD drive with the same defect as yours. The DVD drive assembly may be mounted on top of a subassembly that has the drive controller board. These circuit boards may not be compatible between hard drive models and/or non-hard drive models. See this thread for some disassembly and reassembly tips:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/f106/what-goes-wrong-panasonic-dvd-recorders-230847/

#8

BigProblem,

This is a follow-up to my earlier post.

I am assuming that you misidentified the model number of your Panasonic DVD/Hard Drive recorder. The DMR-E55 is a 2004 model DVD recorder without hard drive. The DMR-EH55 is a 2006 model DVD/Hard Drive recorder. The serial number label will indicate either the month/year or just the year of manufacture (where the first number in the serial number sequence indicates the year of manufacture).

Since Panasonic no longer lists the parts numbers of DVD drives or DVD drive controller circuit boards on their website it is no longer so easy to determine compatibility should you need to replace your DVD drive or its controller circuit board.

I have examined the DVD drives and controller boards on two of my 2006 models, a DMR-ES15 DVR and a DMR-ES35V combo recorder. For a time Panasonic listed DVD drive part numbers on their website. These models used DVD drives with the same part number. While the DVD drives I examined do not share any externally stamped numbers they appear to be identical. Both of these models use the same DVD drive controller board, part number VEP79132. The controller board is located under the DVD drive on the DMR-ES35V and beside the DVD drive on the DMR-ES15.

The fact that two Panasonic 2006 models use the same DVD drive may indicate that the same DVD drive is used on other 2006 models as well. But common parts shared by these models does not necessarily indicate that these parts may be interchanged with those on your DMR-EH55.

In any event the Panasonic Service Center will give you information concerning warranty or non-warranty repair for your DMR-EH55.