PAL
DMR-ES10EB (UK model)
Most caps go for pennies on the dollar, and if you buy direct through Mouser or Digi-Key you can select the brands you use. I prefer Rubycon.. but some people think Nichicon is good enough.
"Last column is current Digi-Key part number" for the caps for the British ES10, the US model will have different caps and values.. but same idea.
Much of the info is from the original Panasonic Schematics and Parts Lists in the Service Manuals. The manuals do recommend if you find a value different on the actual board, to replace with the same value as on the board, in case of design changes after the service manual was printed.
All I did was hunt up Digi-Key part numbers for the originals or found equivalent values and voltage ratings or higher voltage ratings. Generally its best to get out a micrometer and make sure the replacement will "fit" into the same space as the original. In some recorders the clearance or "headroom" is limited by things bolted directly on top of the power supply, like hard drive carriers. This becomes a problem when replacing with a higher voltage, or newer part since they tend to change dimensional shape, often getting skinnier and taller.
The ES10 however is very open. Its chassis was obviously the prototype for combo DVD and HDD recorders that followed.. so its got the most wide open spaces inside the case of any recorder I have ever seen.
Be (very very Very) careful of static discharge around the inputs to this recorder. The LV7107 chip on the underside of the mainboard is reportedly the most likely to be damaged over time by random power surges or static discharge into the input and output connectors. Reports on places like the British AVSForum report the video going out one at a time for one port or all at once on all ports, and then have sound but no video output.. or video with no sound output. This single chip does double duty as the central a/v crossbar for the entire recorder. The chip is no longer made, but is a 100 pin smd package glued to the mainboard and practically impossible to replace.. although there is one place in Britain which says they will replace it for you for a price.
I would say the UK model is more vulnerable to damage to the input/output ports due to their SCART connector ports.. they carry a high voltage charge and generally its recommended to (not) connect or disconnect them while power is applied to either the recorder or the device being connected. But not everyone follows that rule.. and trouble occurs. Also for some reason lightning and static discharge seems to be more common there, than in many places in the US where its much more humid year round. The US model has RCA cinch connectors (phono connectors) which are less likely to cause the same problems.. they are also lower voltage.. but for sure be careful of static discharge in all situations!
I have heard through owners of the US model that even the US/North American versions develop input problems over time. The descriptions "sound to me like" the recorders received static damage to the port. But to others they said they thought it was slowly dying inputs capacitors. Sometimes you can switch to using alternative ports to get around the problem. But once the internals of the switch chip is damaged its not going to "heal". Other than switching out the mainboard there really isn't much that can be done.
The other component that can die is the digitizing board. But that does not happen often, its well protected by the sacrificial a/v crossbar chip. And its easy to see if the power supply is good and the recorder doesn't run through its startup routines or respond to the faceplate switches or remote.. then its probably the digitizing board.
If you do buy through Digi-Key, during checkout manually "choose" the First Class mail option if your not in a hurry, it costs less and usually gets there just as fast.. but its not the default shipping option. Most small count orders fit in a small envelope so First Class shipping is more than adequate. Just the same however, Digit-Key often ships even small quantities in a sturdy rigid box.
Code:
B-7 C1143 ECEC2GG680FZ 400V 68U 1189-3149-ND
D-6 C1150 EEUFM1V680B 35V 68U 1189-1303-ND
C-5 C1270 F2A1C152A626 16V 1500U 1189-1152-ND
C-4 C1271 F2A1C152A626 16V 1500U 1189-1152-ND
C-3 C1272 F2A1C102A625 16V 1000U 1189-1147-ND
D-2 C1273 EEUFM1C121B 16V 120U 1189-2201-ND
B-3 C1400 EEUFM1E221B 25V 220U P19705CT-ND
B-2 C1406 F2A0J681A550 6.3V 680U 1189-3597-ND
D-3 C1407 F2A1A2210063 10V 220U 1189-3611-ND
B-5 C1601 EEUFM1E221B 25V 220U P19705CT-ND
B-4 C1607 F2A1A681A539 10V 680U 1189-1718-ND
C-3 C1701 EEUFM1E221B 25V 220U P19705CT-ND
C-2 C1707 F2A0J681A550 6.3V 680U 1189-3597-ND
B-5 C1800 F2A1E4700048 25V 47U 1189-4172-ND
These are only the electrolytic radial and one electrolytic snap-on capacitors. They have tinned leads so aren't that hard to remove and replace. There are disc, tantalum and film capacitors.. but by their very nature are less likely to go bad.
You can't really use an ESR meter (in-circuit) to test whether they are bad or not.. unless they have totally shorted.. but then they probably look like an alien "chest burster" got it if they shorted completely and the meter would be a bit like asking Bones to say "Its Dead Jim" after the fact.
You can use an ESR meter "postmortem" to check the cap after its removed and replaced.. but I don't think thats very predictive of what will happen next.. all of these caps are old and could go at any time.
I don't have an ESR meter and find its cheaper and faster to just replace them all.
Digi-Key ships the caps in nice blue plastic baggies which I generally take inventory and attach a panasonic assigned CXXXX label with a slip of masking tape and a marker before starting. That way when I remove one and replace it the old one goes into the bag the new one came out of.. and when I'm done I know it.
The phenolic circuit board has labels for the + and - sides of the caps which helps when inserting the new ones so you don't get the + or - side mixed up. You can't see the board markings until you've removed the old cap, but they are there on top underneath the cap so when you insert the leads you can see the correct polarity.
Lastily.. its very sad to think these may end up in landfills since their digitizer boards could still be viable and its only the mainboard switch chip that makes them unusable. Consider selling them for parts if you can't get them working again. Their case, face plates, power supplies.. could still be used to repair other similar recorders with no hope of repair without a donor for parts.