Fixing JVC DVD recorder "LOADING" / JVC will not recognize blank DVDs

lordsmurf · #1 01-30-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Same problems as other members in the forum, the JVC unit will not recognize DVDs It does play CDs ok.
Before taking it to the service center here, I'd like to know whether you could suggest an easy (i'm not a hardware DIY man at all) or simple solution?
Thanks in advance

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If your unit is not recognizing DVDs, then you're likely getting the well-known flashing "LOADING" message on the DVD recorder. Note that the unit is not trying to load anything! This is a generic error message used for any problems the unit is having, or with a disc the unit cannot read. It may as well say "HELP ME" or "PROBLEM DETECTED".

If your unit will read/play CD and CD-R, but not any DVD (burned, blank or retail pressed "store bought"), then the unit may have a dead burner.

If you suspect the disc is to blame (or even if you don't!), the first thing to try is a Verbatim-branded 16x DVD-R made by Mitsubishi (not the "Value Series" crap). At this time, January 2010, all Verbatim discs sold in North America are Mitsubishi, except for the aforementioned Value Series packages. Same for most of the rest of the world. These discs are the most compatible of all DVD media, and are known to work well in this machine. I use them myself, for this very reason.

Learn more about the best blank discs to use in DVD recorders at http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm
Learn the best stores to buy blank DVDs from at http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/buy-blank-discs.htm

If it's not a simple matter of using better blank DVDs, then you may have other problems to address. Some are an easy fix, some take a bit more skill. For example:

replacing dead DVD burner drives -- models usually must match perfectly
replacing bad Chinese capacitors -- look for leaks or bulges inside the unit
simply unsticking stuck parts in the machine, such as the DVD drive tray sticking -- or remove stuck nuisance parts, like the front flip-down trays
putting the machine on a safe and clean power source -- get a good UPS power protector
altering the POWER SAVE mode settings (turn it OFF!)
unplugging the machine when not in use for more than a week
dirty burner / DVD drive -- properly clean a DVD burner with these instructions, don't use a "cleaning disc"

Know that the LOADING errors, and possible workarounds, have been discussed by members of this site a number of time through the years, and then I've personally been involved in related discussions over at VideoHelp.com (usually as the person giving suggested fixes).

These include:

Feel free to browse those forum topic, or just ask here if you're not able to find what you need. Somebody will reply back to you with more assistance.

JVC will also repair the units, free of charge, as recently as December 2009. In many cases, they just swap out the whole board for a new/renewed one, although some repairs have simply been to replace the bad cap.

If this information has been helpful -- maybe providing a cheap fix instead of making you buy a whole new DVD recorder (an inferior model, more than likely!) -- then be sure to give a small donation! Even a small $5 or $10, the price of a computer magazine, will help this site in continuing to provide the kind of information you see here.

If you're truly determined to replace the machine, consider selling it "as is" or for parts -- either in The Digital FAQ marketplace, on craigslist, or on eBay -- somebody will want it. And then learn what to get next by reading our DVD recorder reviews and buyer's guide.

lordsmurf · #2 11-02-2010, 10:05 PM

I had my Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder repaired, due to similar bad capacitors -- the same issue as found on the classic JVC machines from 2004-2005 (DR-M10, M100, MH20, MH30, MH300). So, for all the JVC haters out there, or JVC doubters, know that bad capacitors are not limited to JVC equipment. Indeed, it afflicted companies like AMD, Sony, Panasonic -- they were all hit by this cheap Chinese crap several years ago (circa 2003-2005, give or take).

As I've mentioned in other threads on this forum and elsewhere, it's actually a complicated story that involves corporate espionage and bungled reverse engineering. A Chinese/Taiwanese company stole incomplete Japanese cap specs, replicated them poorly (and without knowing the cap specs were incomplete), and then undercut their Japanese "competitor" (the theft victim) to gain OEM part sales. The faulty electrolyte formula used in the bad caps causes the creation of hydrogen gas, which must escape the enclosure, causing it to bulge or expelling the contents (leaks). Some of it is also due to the use of undersized caps (low voltage), which can bulge, leak or even explode when strained and forced to pass higher currents than they were designed to maintain. Or in some cases, higher currents than they can handle, even if they were rated for the higher volts. For this reason, it's often safe to replace the caps with slightly larger ones, which can help with the longevity of your unit. It's even been reported to help keep down the heat coming off the boards, simply by using larger caps.

Continuing...

Here are my BEFORE images of the recorder, taken shortly after it stopped working. It had been running and plugged in almost daily for about two of three years when it failed.

Look at the three visible capacitors in this photo. Notice the one in front with leakage, while the other two are perfectly flat and shiny -- no leaks, no bulges:

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Here's a close-up of that leaking capacitor.

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From another view, you'll also notice that it is bulging, albeit only very slightly. Sometimes a bad cap bulges, sometimes it leaks -- and sometimes it does both! If you don't see the rounded bulge right away, analyze the shadows. That's not bad photography, but instead the result of light fall-off due to the rounded and bulged top.

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Here's an even closer top view of the bulged surface. Compare it to the flat, smooth shiny cap above it.

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Unfortunately, I had to put the unit back in service immediately, so to date I have not photographed any AFTER images, to show the new caps. Maybe someday I can afford to remove it from the rack, between projects, and take it apart for some new photos.

Understand that the repair work was not performed by a special tech shop, a JVC service center, or anywhere else that most people would suspect or give as their first guess as to who I used. It was fixed by the video lab tech at a local commuity college, who worked in the broadcast communication program. He charged about $25-30 bucks, and it was done in about 20 minutes. It's been working perfectly for almost three years now, since the fix! Students in the lab had the same knowledge, and I would have used one of them had the instructor not been able to spend time on it.

Hopefully these images will further illustrate the JVC issues.

JMThomas · #3 02-03-2012, 07:02 AM

I've heard about the bad capacitors and resisters, and have located and replaced more than a few caps on motherboards. But unless the resisters are burned, they are almost imposable to locate, especially surface mount technology.

So I went searching for specifics for my machine (MV1S) as in a picture of the board with arrows, or at least the component id's printed on the board.

And because I spent an inordinate of amount of time reading all the references without success, I'm posting this description of the repair, found after much googling. It's almost at the end of the thread.

Unfortunately, as often happens with flaky power supplies, the bad power can eventually damage many, many other components. I'm afraid my processor board may have been damaged too.

Finally, there is are microcode "fixes" that not only update the DVD drive to support newer media, but also directly affect the "LOADING" problem (understanding that any problem seems to generate the message).

I've been after JVC, but no one knows nothing, even after calling their attention to the 5 service bulletins that cite firmware upgrades.

Quote:

icouldrey
07-03-06, 10:06 AM
Hi, Taking great interest in these "LOADING" problems with the JVC units.

I'm in the UK with the PAL version of the DR-MV1S - unfortunately mine was fine for ages then the loading messages started and the digital-side picture started "green lining" (after the white dots and lines !). By the time I tried to do something about it, I was too late and warranty had expired. JVC in the UK just were not interested. I tried to get a price from them to have my unit repaired with these known faults - but they wouldn't even provide a price. Basically, they'd only exchange the faulty boards on those under warranty or those under 18 months old with the original purchase receipt (which I've lost !).

To move forward, I've trawled a few discussions on this unit (and the M10 which has the same floor) and followed the suggested fixes. The fixes involve changing 2 x capacitors and 2 x resistors. Having spent a considerable sum on the unit, I didn't want to just bin it !

I performed the component changes in stages to see the effect... Firstly, replaced C5207 with 4700uf 6.3v capacitor - that fixed the "LOADING" problem, but still had bad screen. The following week moved on to the resistors - replacedR5501 and R5502 with 560 ohm 0.5w. Then the "LOADING" came back again - so the following week, replaced the other recommended replacement part - capacitor C5206 - again with 4700uf 6.3v - et voila ! Everything looked great (for a while !).

Capacitors are on the Power board back-right hand side of the unit, the resistors are on the board directly below the DVD unit. I have seen these recommendations for both the DR-MV1 and the M10.

Also, another recommendation found, drilled holes in the outside cover above the power board to provide extra ventilation.

Originally, my screen would start white-dots/lines after about 5-10 minutes and be totally un-watchable after 20 mins. After the above changes, PERFECT picture for hours. However, after days of having the unit working fantastically, I'm back to the green-line scenario where the picture gradually gets worse. At least I don't get the white dots/lines - so must be moving forward.

Has anyone else tried anything like the above and moved forward - or have any other ideas (apart from the obvious bin-it and buy something else) ???????

In other forums I've seen, the above changes fix these units - I'm obviously unlucky !

lordsmurf · #4 02-05-2012, 12:04 AM

Quote:

the bad power can eventually damage many, many other components. I'm afraid my processor board may have been damaged too.

This is one of the things that happens if the unit is used too long, or too many times, after first presenting symptoms. How long did yours go on with intermittent issues before it became so bad that you needed to repair it? In most cases, it tends to be within 4-6 months after first presenting issues.

The #1 way to give these units a longer life it so make sure the "power save" (power vampire) mode is set properly. I don't recall if that is enabled or disabled, but when set properly, the unit goes completely black after maybe 5 minutes. The clock does not run. (Trivia: At the time, when we still lived in an analog TV era, people complained about the inability to use timer recording. That, of course, led to the early deaths of their recorders. In our post-analog DTV era, there's no reason to use timer mode anyway.)

The odds of getting JVC to release firmware to a consumer directly are on par with buying a winning lottery ticket. To be quite blunt, they're SOBs for their refusal to assist long-term customers. They'd rather you call it junk and buy something new, not caring one bit about the fact that the LSI chipset is unavailable.

Your best option is two take two or more machines, cannibalize for parts, and built a new good unit. Don't junk it.