Replace your DVD Recorder Drive!
 

Guys, made a breakthrough today on replacing my broken DVD drive in my JVC DR-MH30S and wanted to pass this on in case anyone else out there has the same problem I did.

OK, so my DVD drive went out in my JVC DR-MH30S. The model number of my particular drive is GDA-4040b and is made by LG. Well, I couldn't find a GDA-4040b anywhere, so I had to buy a GSA-4040b. I tried installing the GSA-4040b directly into my DR-MH30S, but it noticed I was putting a different drive in and popped out the tray looking for the JVC upgrade disc, which I couldn't find anywhere. Here is what I did to make things work...

I was desparate not to pay the $200+ to get my unit fixed, so decided to take the controller board out of the GDA-4040b and install it into the GSA-4040b drive. The surgery went pretty easy (you can download the GSA-4040b manual on line which shows you how to take it apart). I installed the drive and the DR-MH30S recognized the drive as the old GDA-4040b. I works like a champ now!

My next trick is to break the code on replacing the hard drive, which will most certainly go out eventually.

I'm sure this process will work with any DVD Recorder as long as the drives are compatible like the GDA and GSA are.

More to come!

There is a guy on videohelp.com that used Linux to clone the hard drive. But you NEED TO DO IT WHILE THE DRIVE IS GOOD! You need a backup in place before it breaks, not after. That was the only caveat.

I wish I could find a JVC DR-MH30 that was in like-new working condition for under $300. ......

..... I've had to settle on a RCA DRN8030 with 80GB, which uses a Zoran chipset (nice, but not quite an LSI chipset) and has a decent 3-hour with a nominal level of picture cleaning. But I have the option of swapping out the 80GB drive for a 320GB drive! I'll be doing that soon. Big downside is you cannot use the mono tuner unless you like audio whine (I feed mine via s-video from a digital cable box).

LS...check out the below link concerning a DR-MH30S for under $300...buy it now is $299.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...title=dr-mh30s

I'll check out that link about cloning the drive...and you're right, it needs to be done before it crashes.

My goal would be to do several and then be able to switch them out as I need more recording time. They are VERY easy to take out and put in. As long as the system doesn't know the difference between the drives there will be no problems.

More to come...and thanks again!

Wow! Congrats on hacking your way through such major "surgery".

LS you liked the RCA? I got one last week and took it back because it was nothing like my JVC, the tuner did not work at all (showed everything in black and white) and could not work with the HD streams that digital cable was feeding it (which the JVC does fine in widescreen).

Maybe I got a defective unit but I was not a fan.

Thanks Phillip...

Hope it helps others out there do the same.