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Fix for the "Green Guide+ Screen Lock-up" on the Panasonic DMR-E95H
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VideoBob
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21. May 2005 @ 07:55 |
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It's good to see that Panasonic's download site is working now. For the reference of others who have not found it, you can download their firmware upgrades from:
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wc...vlet/vDownloads
However, their on-line DMR-E95HS update file has an earlier date than the one on their CD--although it's exactly the same size:
Download:
Size: 6.50 MB (6,816,472 bytes)
Modified: Thursday, January 27, 2005, 5:44:36 PM
CD:
Size: 6.50 MB (6,816,472 bytes)
Modified: Friday, May 13, 2005, 11:35:14 AM
I also noticed that, while your Drive, Timer, and ROM Checksums are the same, your Main version of 0630DR differs from mine of 0530DR. What is doubly odd is, yours is higher than mine--but my date is later than yours. Courious.
I checked it with a file comparison program and, about 90% of the way through it, the program changes. So, I've zipped the CD version (5-13-05), along with Panasonic's instructions and License, into a self-extracting file and uploaded them to:
http://s14.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=...DI1ANMO2S59FBHT
This link is good for 7 days or 25 downloads--whichever comes first.
bob
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mods
Newbie
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21. May 2005 @ 08:49 |
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All the info here is great on the firmware updates. I do have one question though. Does anyone have the actually update info as to what the firmware codes should be after you run the firmware update.
As Video Bob mentions in his post:
It took a long* time--5 t 10 minutes. If it didn't take, it should have returned to stock and a re-try should work. If it did take, the unit should ignore the upgrade.
Here is my post-upgrade Firmware:
In Service mode, hit:
02 = Display Firmware Versions. The display showed the following for 3 seconds each:
1. DVD Region Code: 1
2. Main Firmware Version: 0530DR
3. Timer firmware Version: 0020DJ
4. DVD Drive firmware version: J131
5. ROM checksum (I think): 000
61 = Date the unit was manufactured. PD20040526 (i.e. 5/26/2004)
bob
I have the identical information on my E95H and have not done the firmware upgrade yet. Aurora442 has what looks like might be a newer main firmware code of 0630DR. Can anyone verify this. Is it a typo? Thanks in advance.
M
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Aurora442
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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21. May 2005 @ 08:57 |
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Bob,
Is it possible that the date on your file is the date it got burned to the CD?
My main firmware is definately 0630DR, It was 0530DR after I did the upgrade you provided, I did not check it before I did the upgrade.
Thanks
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VideoBob
Member
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21. May 2005 @ 11:00 |
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Quote:
Is it possible that the date on your file is the date it got burned to the CD?
My main firmware is definately 0630DR, It was 0530DR after I did the upgrade you provided, I did not check it before I did the upgrade.
Possible, but not likely. I've made several copies since and the Modified date never changes.
Also, the inside is different. It's possible that:
1) Panny started editing from different source codes at different times and ended up with different versions.
2) The Version number isn't really a version number, but something non-sequential--like a checksum.
bob
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mods
Newbie
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21. May 2005 @ 18:04 |
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Hmm sounds like there is still the open ?. Bob did you happen to check what the firmware information was before you installed the new one from Panny? I think that would resolve all of this. I mean it is a little strange that the unit that I bought 3 weeks ago has the same build date and firmware info that you just updated to.
Thanks for the time on this everyone.
M
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VideoBob
Member
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22. May 2005 @ 04:52 |
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Quote:
Bob did you happen to check what the firmware information was before you installed the new one from Panny? I think that would resolve all of this. I mean it is a little strange that the unit that I bought 3 weeks ago has the same build date and firmware info that you just updated to.
No, I didn't check first. :(
As for build date, I checked my serial number against the Japan website (comparing it with their "example") and--after hearing other recent purchasers--have come to the conclusion that there was a sizable lot of the units made last May (at least a container full--probably more)that were hung up in some technical difficulty (customs, bankruptcy, lost in a wharehouse, held in reserve, etc.) and picked up on the bulk disposal market by Buy.com and others.
These would all have build dates within days of each other--although they were sold a year later. Remember this unit origionally sold for $1000.00, but is being moved in the $350 range now.
In fact, it may very well be that the firmware bug was caught and corrected in late May, and these are the units that were already in transit. They would then have been stockpiled until disposition decisions were made. Eventually, the ownners (Panny or a distributor) would have decided that it was cheaper to dump them and rely on an update than to ship them back to Japan and refurb them.
That would explain why Panny (US) would be in the dark a year later about a known problem in Japan--and why the fix is now available.
That would also explain why a larger number of year-old units just hit the market.
bob
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Aurora442
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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23. May 2005 @ 03:09 |
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Update,
This morning my guide finally came in, since I ran the firmware update off the panasonic site, (Main Firmware 0630DR) for the first time it asked me to select a channel line up. Before the update I had reset the unit 3 other times and it had not asked me for this, is this related to the new firmware?
The other question is the unit has had the u99 error twice before while off and not doing anything except maybe downloading the guide It seems to clear itself with the power button press, does anyone have any info on this?
Thanks
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VideoBob
Member
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23. May 2005 @ 07:22 |
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Aurora,
The U99 error is guide related and often occurs at power up, loading the initial guide to your screen while still initializing the disk. It also occurred when you click ahead to far, buffering commands. In both cases, I think it dealt with the guide routine not buffering interrupts correctly (i.e. a programming glitch in the guide section that doesn't play nice with other actions). I eliminated this before my upgrade by disableing the auto-load feature of the guide.
I wouldn't worry too much about pre-upgrade problems if you have now upgraded. Wait and see.
And, yes, choosing channel line-up is a normal part of the intitialization--but can only occur *after* the first download (or it wouldn't know what choices to offer you).
If you are in an area with *lots* of channels, delete the ones you don't subscribe to (or don't want to watch, like the "Cooking in Farci" channel). That frees up a lot of programming space and minimizes download time. Too many channels can lead to too little data downloaded for many of them.
bob
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59bobster
Newbie
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24. May 2005 @ 18:29 |
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Newbie here, can you tell me how to get into "service" mode to check the firmware info? Thanks
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VideoBob
Member
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26. May 2005 @ 10:23 |
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Follow the first link in the first post and skip down to "Commands."
The codes are the same for both the E85 and the E95.
bob
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n4v1n
Newbie
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26. May 2005 @ 16:33 |
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I am thinking about purchasing this unit, and I was just wondering, the specs on the recorder say that the TV guide won't work with satellite or digital cable, but is there anyway that I could just hit the record button while a program is running without using the guide for digital cable or satellite? Is the guide the only way you can record things? I know this might be a dumb question but I want to know more about the unit because I dont own it yet. Thanks a bunch.
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59bobster
Newbie
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26. May 2005 @ 23:35 |
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I'm no expert, but I've been using mine like a VCR, entering the on and off times I want to record as I experienced some missing info with the TV Guide listings when it was new. We record as many as 8 shows a day in various time slots and it hasn't failed once using this method.
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Aurora442
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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27. May 2005 @ 02:55 |
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I actually have Digital cable in Boston RCN, I am using it with the Motorola cable box, the guide is working fine, also the manual says it will work with digital or analog cable systems.
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VideoBob
Member
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27. May 2005 @ 06:58 |
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The problem with Digital Cable, as I understand it, is in channel selecting the high-numbered channels. I believe there is a workaround for this related to reassigning channels--but I'm not sure, since I don't use a box.
You can hook your box into one of the Video inputs and still use the RF for Guide+ programming on the Basic Cable channels.
As for Satelite, they do not inject the Guide+ signal, so the programming information never arrives--but you can program it like a VCR--and I *think* the VCR+ codes still work (since they are really a time/date/channel algorithm).
Guide-based programming is *so* handy, that if you must go with Satellite, I'd get a TiVo or ReplayTV-based unit or you will eventually regret it. I like my ReplayTV unit because it will record from a saved keyword search. I have a couple of Sony TiVo units, but haven't gotten around to hooking them up yet.
bob
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n4v1n
Newbie
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27. May 2005 @ 12:00 |
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So in other words, you can't record satellite at all? Is that what you guys are saying?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. May 2005 @ 12:00
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rchouts
Newbie
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27. May 2005 @ 13:26 |
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Video Bob---You mention Service Mode and how to find the curent firmware version, Could you go into that a little deeper? How do you get to the service mode screen? Last nite I was just checking the panasonic site for newer firmware as I know that most of the other DV w/HD have firmware updates from time to time, and came accross the firmware update for the DMRE95 and downloaded it. The file name is DMRE95.exe. My unit is working fine and I don't want to change it if I don't have to. The only thing that has me puzzeled is it now takes a long time to go from standby to on. Do you know what is causing that? It just started doing that 2 days ago before that it fired up right away.
Thanking you in advance for your input.
Ron Houts Round Rock TX
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VideoBob
Member
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27. May 2005 @ 17:29 |
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Quote:
So in other words, you can't record satellite at all? Is that what you guys are saying?
No, we'resaying the *guide* won't work over satellite. It still programs like a top-of-the-line VCR+ compatible VCR.
You just can't highlight a program in the guide and say "Record." You can do that in your Satellite box and then tell the PVR to record from, say, Video1 from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. every Thursday.
Or, if you can translate the channels, you can have the PVR control the box--you just have to look up the programs and manually program the PVR.
bob
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VideoBob
Member
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27. May 2005 @ 17:37 |
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Quote:
Video Bob---You mention Service Mode and how to find the curent firmware version, Could you go into that a little deeper? How do you get to the service mode screen?
That's covered extensively in the first link in the first post of this thread. Other comments and codes can be found by searching on "Panasonic service mode".
Quote:
Last nite I was just checking the panasonic site for newer firmware as I know that most of the other DV w/HD have firmware updates from time to time, and came accross the firmware update for the DMRE95 and downloaded it. The file name is DMRE95.exe. My unit is working fine and I don't want to change it if I don't have to.
Smart. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Quote:
The only thing that has me puzzeled is it now takes a long time to go from standby to on. Do you know what is causing that? It just started doing that 2 days ago before that it fired up right away.
It fires up if the disk is spun up to speed--like when you have a standby recording in process. That was prbably the case when it came on fast.
It normally takes a few seconds to power up, because it spins down the disk when it sleeps and needs to spin it back up again before recording. It also has to buffer the first 30 seconds or so of what is on the default channel so the timeslip functionwill work. It doesn't give yo control iuntil it's ready.
You can speed this up a little by turning off the "Auto-load Guide" fature in the Guide setup screen.
bob
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. May 2005 @ 17:38
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rchouts
Newbie
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29. May 2005 @ 13:56 |
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Thanks for the info. We had a power outage yesterday and I lost all of the TV guide download which I spent hours straitening out (putting the chanels in order). When I got the original dowload all the chanels were scrambled, is this normal for TV Guide? It would seem to me that if they have the right listing, and it was, the listings should be in numerical chanel order. We get a lot of power outages here in Central TX, due to the winds that accompany our Thunder Storms, even though our utilities are buried, some in the grid are not, so power ineruptions are the norm. I can't see me having to rearange the channels every couple weeks or so. I think tomorow I will put a UPS on the AC power cord.
Thanks again for your info
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VideoBob
Member
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30. May 2005 @ 18:09 |
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Quote:
We had a power outage yesterday and I lost all of the TV guide download which I spent hours straitening out (putting the chanels in order). When I got the original dowload all the chanels were scrambled, is this normal for TV Guide?
Yep.
Quote:
It would seem to me that if they have the right listing, and it was, the listings should be in numerical chanel order.
Yep, they should be. It isn't the only stupid part of the design. Having to turn the whole thing off all night, every night is pure insanity.
Quote:
We get a lot of power outages here in Central TX, due to the winds that accompany our Thunder Storms, even though our utilities are buried, some in the grid are not, so power ineruptions are the norm. I can't see me having to rearange the channels every couple weeks or so. I think tomorow I will put a UPS on the AC power cord.
I keep my computer equipment on one UPS and my video equipment on another. Even in urban Southern California, there are enough local power outages over time to justify it. In fact, it only takes one.
bob
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DV1165
Newbie
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2. August 2005 @ 19:10 |
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I am seeking Clarification:
What steps are necessary in the event of Hard Drive Failure on a Panasonic DVD Recorder. I currently own an E85, but I'm looking at the E500. From what I've read here in the forum it would seem that an ide drive of equal size (to the current drive) needs to be purchased, and installed in the recorder. Boot to service mode and have the machine format the drive and then restart and start recording. Is this an accurate depiction if not hat other steps are required?
Thanks
Clark
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VideoBob
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5. August 2005 @ 07:34 |
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I have no experience with the E500, but have an E85 and an E95.
Your synopsis seem accurate enough, except there is no need to duplicate your drive. However, no matter ow large the drive, the Panasonic firmware limits it to the original drive size for that model. :(
[In my original post I said a larger drive would give you more room--I was wrong. It works on my ReplayTV and Tivo units, but not on Pannys.]
Avoid SATA drives, however.
bob
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. January 2006 @ 13:05
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Aurora442
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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3. January 2006 @ 07:25 |
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I tried to install a 300 gig in my Panasonic recorder and was only able to use it as a 160 gig. When I put the origional drive back all the data was lost and I had to reformat it. I have the DMR-E95.
Was there any step that I missed?
Recently I had a crash where I could not get into any of the guide features and my clock was wrong. I did a complete reset now it will no longer download the guide or set the clock automatically.
Thanks
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VideoBob
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6. January 2006 @ 13:21 |
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Aurora442 said:
Quote:
I tried to install a 300 gig in my Panasonic recorder and was only able to use it as a 160 gig. When I put the origional drive back all the data was lost and I had to reformat it. I have the DMR-E95.
Was there any step that I missed?
No, I misspoke--confusing my DMR's with my other recorders. Panny will not let you go over factory size. I've now corrected that in my earlier post. I tried it myself and, of course, it failed. :(
Quote:
Recently I had a crash where I could not get into any of the guide features and my clock was wrong. I did a complete reset now it will no longer download the guide or set the clock automatically.
1). Select the HDD and remove *ANY* disks from the DVD drive(This is IMPORTANT, as leaving writable media in the DVD drive has caused me much greif in the past--see other threads for details).
2). Hold the power switch on the FRONT PANEL (not the remote) down until all of the lights but the time go out (about 5-10 seconds). If the red timer clock is on, you didn't wait long enough. This is what I call a "Soft Reset" and seems to do everything that a "Hard Reset" (Ch UP/Ch DOWN) does *WITHOUT* destroying your listings or schedules.
3). UNPLUG the unit for AT LEAST 30 seconds. This seems to be the UNIVERSAL FIX for most of Panny's "Weird" problems. If you don't do either a Soft Reset first, however, you could lose listings and/or schedules.
4). Using the remote, power it up *TWICE*. The first time does not seem to enable the scheduling feature.
The clock and the listings don't update with the unit on. The clock (and maybe the listings) don't update with it off, either *UNTIL* you turn it back on.
To force a clock update, manually set the clock to 1:50 p.m., Power off and wait 20 minutes. When you turn it back on, the clock should be right. (This might work with other times and less off-time, but it works *EVERY TIME* with these figures, so I haven't bothered to experiment.
Finally, both of my Pannys (DMR-E85 and -E95) at different addresses on the same cable systm (Leisure World/Golden Rain 92637) both stopped downloading listings starting two days ago. The first missing listing is for Thursday, Jan 12, 2006 and I have "No Listing" for everything from midnight Weds. night on.
I have had no power outages (they are both on UPS's) and no errors on either machine during that time.
Is anyone else experiencing similar problems or should I look to my cable provider?
bob
Bob, Laguna Woods, CA 92637; Leisure World Analog Cable; No box
Panasonic DMR-E85HS (1 Year) and DMR-E95HS (6 Months) [TVGOS]
RCA DRS-7000N [3-day TVGOS]
ReplayTV 5504 (Monthly$ 14-Day ReplayTV)
Panny ShowStopper 1000 (ReplayTV 2000) [7-Day Free ReplayTV]
2 x Sony 1000 (Not currently hooked up) [Free TiVo]
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. January 2006 @ 13:29
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