palmberg

I replaced my Panasonic DVDA110 last year with a Panasonic-A320U.

The reason I replaced the A110 is because it was starting to pixellate and skip pretty badly about 90 minutes through discs, and the problem got progressively worse. Naturally, the problems started literally DAYS outside of my parts warranty from Panasonic, so rather than deal with the hassle, I went with the A-320U.

And you'll never guess what happened last night at 1:21:20 through "The Insider." Yup, you got it. Same damned problem. Do the lasers come out of alignment on these things like on CD players? Do I need to cushion the player somehow?

Or, as I suspect, are Panasonic only good for about a year and then have to be thrown out?

This is pretty damned frustrating. I'm going to call Panasonic, but I wanted to get a better idea of some others' experiences first so I'd have more ammo.

Thanks, all. Looks like I'll probably be in the market for another player soon.

cinemaphile7

The problem that affected the A110, A310, K510 is well known.(*) The laser optical unit dies after about 3 months of extensive use.
Basically you have to replace the optical pickup. (Part costs around $90).

(*) Pixelation + image hangs when unit is hot.
If you let the unit cool down, you can play the same part without problem.
The more you continue to play, the less time it will work. Instead of freezing at 1:21:20 onthe insider, it will be maybe 1:10, then 1:00, then 55min, etc..


I thought the problem was solved with the A120, 220, 520. (Next generation).
I went through 4 optical unit in less than one year, and - let me tell you - a lot of frustration. (Bought the Customer Care plan from Panasonic.)
Finally they replaced my K510 with a K520 for free.
I will have my 520 for nearly a year now, and it has played flawlessly for me.
(Knock on wood.)


If you decide to have your player repaired, call Panasonic 1-800-637-2007.
And get a one year warranty. Costs around $60, which is less than the price you would pay for the one repair.
There is no Factory Center in Ioha, so you'll probably have to ship it to the nearest one.

But, it seems like you are leaning towards upgrading to another player. May I suggest Toshiba?
I have the 2109 and it plays good for me. (My Panasonic has a better picture, and better slow mo though.)
It does not play VCD though.
Apparently the newer SD1200 and SD220 do.

palmberg

Thanks for that very informative reply.

I really don't see any reason to go with another Panasonic player at this point. I guess I'll have to go do some shopping. That's for the recommendation, as well, but I'm not interested in stepping back in picture quality if I can help it.

Do you know anything about Marantz's players? I have a Marantz receiver and CD player, and I've been VERY pleased with the performance of those components.

Again, thank you.

forcemac

I have a DVD-A115. Does this same problem occur with these particular models too? I just got it, so I am wondering if I just bought a piece of Sh*t or not? I looked around, and around, and around, it seemed to be a good for the price ($145). But I hate to see stuff like this AFTER i buy it...

nate

palmberg

Well, Nate, I couldn't tell you about different models.

I can tell you that only minutes ago I finished watching 4.5 straight hours of movies ("Contact" followed by the better part of "Lost In Space"), and there was not one pixel to be found during that time. "Contact" was one of the disks that was pixelating pretty badly on my DVDA110 when it started having problems, so...who knows? Further testing is in order.

As you've probably figured out by now, the worst part about this problem is that it takes a while to show up. I sure hope you don't have any problems with your player, but a good idea might be to see if you can get some sort of extended warranty from Panasonic. Or, give them a call and see if they've had reports of this problem with the model you have.

In the interim, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

neo247

I got a panasonic A115 and the only times that it has messed up is on Wrestlemania XV and in the beginning of Bad Boys. Other then that its been as good as new. Its too bad that DVD players mess up even after you paid your hard earned bucks (well I did, I had to save my lunch money for 6 months. Thats cause im in high school.)

DVDRules1

I put my Panasonic player through as much as 50+ hours of heavy use each week, and it's had no problems.

chess

ditto for my A120U

no problems at all

------------------
-chess

People who list their movies on DVDtracker are big cheeseballs!

Bring me a shrubbery!

BEC

Jesus! The 110, 115, and 310 had LOT's of "my player died" threads. Here's a few recent ones w/repairs costs:
http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/002993.html
http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/003221.html
http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/003707.html

The _20 models were supposed to be reliable.
This is the first bad 320 post I've seen. Hopefully, this an anomoly and all the pro-Panny _20 supporters have nothing to worry about:

http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/003707.html


Blade usu. posts the following site for the ever growing number of Panny complaints. Note the 120's complaints are starting to pile up. This site has contact info for Panasonic/repair estimates as well:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/bbs/archive/23342.html

That is a disturbing percentage of failed players vs no problems players.
Maybe this forum should start its own Panasonic thread.

Again, let's hope this 320's problems are not the norm - of course better than hoping is getting an EXTENDED WARRANTY or a DIFFERENT BRAND of player.




[This message has been edited by BEC (edited June 19, 2000).]

Chili Palmer

I guess I got a lucky A110 also. I've had it for a year and a half and never experienced any problems. I've been happy with this player and have no need to upgrade right now. Seems like you can get a good or a bad one. But then again, thats the way it is with most electronics.

hellmutt

If the problem is a heating one, I wonder if the differences could be attributed to unit storage?

Those of you who have had no problems, where do you keep your unit? Behind glass, in a small enclosed area? On top of a table, exposed to air currents? I've got a Toshiba, and I ALWAYS recommend this brand to my friends. My picture kicks ass.

palmberg

FYI, my unit is on the second shelf of a steel open-faced rack that has pins going into my oak floors. I think there is a fair amount of vibration that comes off the floor, and I've wondered if that isn't enough to mess with my player's innards. Maybe I should put some thin foam pads under it...?

svadas

knock on wood...no problems to report with my 2 year old A310. hundreds of dvd's played for certain. if I'm not playing a dvd, the laser is normally being used for CD playback. I do have one cd that is pretty scratched up that the unit hangs on, but to be fair, my car won't play it either. if I did have any of the problems people mention, I'd probably not go back to panasonic either.

jonathan.e

No problems after two years on the A310 and the L50 plays like a dream as usual.

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