talkietime

Scsu1975, While I have several Panasonic DVD recorders and combo recorders none of my remotes have a VCR/TV button, nor have I encountered the problem you describe. The best place to ask such an operational question and find a prompt response is the DVD Recorder area at the AVS Forum. I suggest that you visit AVS and use the search function to find if the problem and the solution has been addressed. If the problem has not been addressed submit a post. Be sure to identify your model number and include a detailed description of the problem. The AVS DVD Recorder Forum is found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=106

I just auditioned A Woman of Paris (1923). The final scenes have a large social gathering with gunplay. Shortly afterward there are folks crowded into the back of a wagon to depart on a country road. The End. MrsBreedlove described the exact sets and action at the end of the 1921 version of Camille. Message was edited by: talkietime

This is Camille (1921) with (Alla) Nazimova, Rudolph Valentino, Rex Cherryman, Arthur Hoyt, Zeffie Tilbury, Patsy Ruth Miller, Elinor Oliver, William Orlamond and Consuelo Flowerton. It was shown on May 6, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. I just auditioned this film. Your description of the closing scenes is spot-on.

Over in the Gremlin thread (under Information, Please!) MissGoddess responded to a post that mentioned "The Midnight Bug" that affects some Panasonic recorders: "WOW! That sounds, not like a Monty Python, but an Ed Wood sci-fi horror movie! The Midnight Bug terrorizes young dvd recorder-er and seizes control of her machine...."

MissGoddess, You've never "pestered" me. With other matters occupying my attention I don't visit TCM or SSO as often as I should so I'm the one slow to respond. I've been pleased to help where I may or even just offer reassurance. I'm reminded of the scene in (Monty Python's) The Meaning of Life where one of the soldier's legs had been bit off by a wild animal during the night. The doctor is summoned. His observation, "that is a nasty bite, isn't it?" The soldier asks "what should I do?" The doctor responds "Favor the other leg." The solder says "that's reassuring." The doctor counsels "That's what I'm here for--to offer reassurance." Among the bugs found in some EZ series Panasonics are these: 1-The Midnight Bug, first variation. Be sure that a recordable disc is in place before midnight if there are any recordings scheduled--even if the recordings are days away. If no recordable disc is in place the machine it may lock-up. With a combo recorder the remedy is inserting a VHS tape to bring the machine back to life. Other possible remedies, press the disc tray open/close button, press the reset button or disconnect the power cord for a minute or so. Don't leave a VHS tape in the machine overnight, you may not be able to easily regain control of the machine. 2-The Midnight Bug, second variation. Some early a.m. scheduled recordings may be skipped. The remedy, schedule a brief recording from 11:59 p.m. to 12:01 a.m. ahead of the scheduled early morning recording in order to break The Midnight Bug. 3-Recurring Program Bug. Avoid scheduling recurring programs, e.g. every Tuesday or Monday-Friday. Scheduling in this manner may be unreliable. Use only actual dates when scheduling recordings. There are other workarounds but they escape me right now as I'm having a senior moment. TalkieTime

Cpc91156, All my home recording in recent years has had as its signal source a Comcast supplied Motorola digital cable box, a direct Comcast coaxial cable feed, or over the air (OTA) reception of digital or analog broadcast stations. Due to Digital Rights Management (DRM) one may run into restrictions or prohibitions now or in the future when attempting to copy to DVD material recorded on DVRs provided by cable or satellite services. I mentioned these matters, without going into real detail, in two 3/18/08 posts in this thread. I have no personal experience with DVRs. Comprehensive and informed discussion of this topic may be found in the AVS Forum, most likely in these or related HDTV threads: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=7&f=42 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=25 Revised to add a second link

Fred, Your observation describes the learning experience that we and others have been through: "The average consumer has a lot of trouble trying to hook up this stuff, and it?s turning out that 'the average consumer' is EVERYONE on the face of the earth." The first post in this linked thread is a "rah! rah!" for Panasonic owners to keep their great old machines maintained and functional: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1059522 Posts three and four in the linked thread have a "simplified description" of my home recording set-up. (In post three see the last attached photo for a view of pktrekgirl's Errol and Olivia wallpaper in use on my main computer.) All too often I have "senior moments" where my own home office set-up confuses me with the complex interconnections and switching devices between three Panasonics, one Toshiba, one Philips and two TVs. In post five in the linked thread the photo shows connections for the recorders in my home office. (In my bedroom the set-up is simpler, see photo two in post three, but that photo does not show two antennas, one TV and a Zenith CECB.) For infrequently used procedures I have a hand mirror to view the complex interconnections at the rear of the several machines in my home office. Now, where did I put that hand mirror? I know, I know, don't PANIC!

TrissyCat, Your description indicates that your VHS/DVD Recorder does not have a tuner and so it has no threaded connections (termed "RF" inputs and outputs). These are the missing connections you mentioned in your post. The only recording your Recorder may manage is through "line in" connections. There will be "composite video," yellow RCA jacks for input and output; white and red audio RCA jacks for input and output; S-Video four pin circular jacks for input and output; "component video" red, green and blue RCA jacks for output only, and perhaps a HDMI flat plug for output only. Your TV may or may not have inputs corresponding to those. Your TV will certainly have a threaded RF input connection. Your cable box has outputs corresponding to those already described. You did not say if you have High Definition service through your cable box. In any event you will want to use the highest quality connection between your cable box and the TV. The HDMI connection (the flat cable) is the highest quality followed by component video (Red, Green and Blue) followed by S-Video (the round four pin cable). These two last named connections also require the audio white and red connections. Somewhat lesser quality will be the composite video yellow, again that connection requires the white and red audio; and below that in quality comes the threaded (RF) coax cable. Any of those connections may be used between the cable box and the TV. Be sure to note what cable box output directly feeds the TV input, say TV Input 1, 2, 3, Y/Pb/Pr, Composite, A/V1, AV2 , AV3 , HDMI, etc. You must realize that your VHS/DVD Recorder is unable to record in High Definition no matter what hype is given in the literature or by a salesperson. All recorders must, by law, reduce the recording quality below that of High Definition. Without a tuner, the Recorder will need to be enslaved to an output from the cable box. This will depend upon what cable box outputs are not being used to connect the cable box to your TV. I will guess that the cable box is connected to your TV with the "component" Red, Green and Blue plugs plus a pair of audio white and red plugs. That leaves other cable box output jacks open for use. If you have a S-Video cable you may connect the cable box S-Video output to a S-Video input on the Recorder. If that is the case you will also need to connect an audio set of white and red cable box outputs to the corresponding and adjacent white and red inputs on the Recorder. If you do not have a S-Video cable you may use the "composite" yellow cable box output to the yellow video input on your Recorder. Again, connect the white and red audio outputs from the cable box to the corresponding and adjacent white and red inputs on the Recorder. Be sure to note which Recorder input you use for this connection, say Recorder Input 1, 2, 3, etc. The Recorder has various outputs. One of those outputs will be connected to a corresponding input on your TV. Your Recorder output choices are largely the same as the Recorder inputs, plus a set of "component video" red, green and blue outputs. Your choice will depend upon what unused cables you have and what unused inputs are found on your TV. Let's say that you have a "composite" cable set, yellow, white and red. Connect that yellow, white and red set of Recorder outputs to a corresponding and adjacent yellow, white and red inputs on your TV. Be sure to note which TV input you use for this connection, say TV Input 1, 2, 3, Y/Pb/Pr, AV1, AV2, AV3, HDMI, etc. These are the primary operational connections. In order to view cable box output on your TV (without recording the program) you will select on your TV remote the input connection that is fed directly to the TV by the cable box as noted before. In order to record from the cable box you will select on your Recorder remote the input connection that is fed directly to the Recorder by the cable box as noted before. On the TV remote you will select the input connection that is fed directly from the Recorder to the TV as noted before. For audio feed to your stereo system you will need to connect white and red audio connections to an input on your stereo receiver. Your cable box may not have an open set of audio white and red output jacks. If not, use an open audio set of white and red jacks on the Recorder. If not, use an open set of audio white and red outputs on your TV. If none of these white and red audio connections are open you may need to purchase two RCA "Y" cable adapters, found at Radio Shack, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc. These inexpensive "Y" cables turn any single RCA jack into two jacks. The Radio Shack item number is PH62103, catalog #55020958 priced at $3.95 each. Wherever you insert these "Y" cable adapters that device will have to be powered on and it must be set to receive the signal from its input source in order to provide an active output to the stereo system. Since your Recorder does not have a tuner you will not be able to record one channel while watching another unless you have a second tuning device connected to your Recorder. That might be a second cable box or a coupon eligible converter box for antenna reception of digital broadcast stations ($10 to $30 with coupon) or another tuner such as the Samsung H260F (around $180).

Miss Goddess, I responded on the CDFreaks Forum to your post concerning problems with your DMR-EZ47 model. On that Forum, as well as the AVS Forum, I am known as DigaDo (after the "Diga" found on Panasonic DVD Recorders and combo recorders; adding that "Diga" machines "Do" work well for me, hence my screen name "DigaDo"). The problem with disc failures on a Panasonic seldom has anything to do with the lens. The problem is with dust, smoke, or oily residue (due to handling the disc through the center hole) that collects on the rubber hub/spindle in the DVD drive. This causes the DVD to slip during read, write and finalizing operations. On both the AVS Forum and CD Freaks I have posted detailed advice for opening the Panasonic case, removing the DVD drive lid, a link to the Saint Baz Hub/Spindle Cleaning Procedure (originally found on CD Freaks), advice and cautions concerning DVD drive reassembly, and closing the Panasonic. The AVS Forum is the more active of these fora. I gleaned from your CD Freaks post that you opened your DMR-EZ47, removed the disc, replaced the DVD drive lid and closed your Panasonic. Following that you experienced additional complications. I responded with my opinion as to what the problem might be. (I didn't make a copy of the text. It seems that the CD Freaks Forum is down as I compose this post.) I recall, from your description, that I suspected that the roller/slider at the rear of the disc tray may not have been positioned to the far left where it must align with the guide rail on the underside of the DVD drive lid. If the drive lid is reinstalled without the correct positioning of the roller/slider, or the drive lid has not been properly anchored at the front and secured properly by the small phillips screws toward the corners of the DVD drive lid, there are sure to be complications. A sure indication of DVD drive problems are unusual sounds, especially loud clunks. In my CD Freaks response I posted a photo showing the roller/slider in the correct left-most position. The photo also showed the lens and hub/spindle areas. I believe my CD Freaks response included an AVS Forum link to a thread that included the cleaning and reassembly information and remedies for various reassembly complications. There are photographs attached to some of those AVS Forum posts. That thread is found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1055071 While I do not own a DMR-EZ47 (so I may not address problems specific to that model) there is an AVS Forum thread (currently with 525 posts) dedicated to your model, found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=856924&highlight=dmr+ez47 General and model-specific advice may be found there. That thread has seen little activity since July. There are other threads discussing various 2007 or 2008 Panasonic models. The 2008 model most like your DMR-EZ47 is the DMR-EZ48. The thread for that model remains active. Those threads also provide general advice for problems common among these models. The general AVS Forum DVD Recorder Forum is found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=106 Unfortunately the 2007 and newer Panasonics are bug-laden and have various design flaws that make for a variety of operational and performance problems. Many posters have described, in detail, problems with these recent Panasonic models. I own two 2007 model year Panasonics, both entry-level DMR-EZ17 models. In the AVS Forum I have described several problems, including design flaws, with these bug-laden products. These machines occaionally lock-up and require resetting (through the recessed button behind the fold-down door). Due to their reliability issues my 2007 model Panasonics are used very little. With little use they do not present many problems for me. I own twelve functional Panasonics. Most are 2005 and 2006 models, only one of which, the DMR-ES40V (from 2005) are problematic by design. The (2) DMR-ES30V combo recorders (from 2005), the (3) DMR-ES15 DVD recorders and (4) DMR-ES35V combo recorders (from 2006) are the outstanding old reliable workhorses. Five of these models have more than 3,000 recording hours per machine. My original DMR-ES30V now has more than 4,300 recording hours and remains in daily service, today recording nine hours from TCM. I also own a 2007 model year Philips DVDR3575H/37B DVD/Hard Drive recorder that offers reliable functionality and great flexibility. I hope that you may resolve the difficulties with your Panasonic before the Kay Francis movies begin showing on Thursday. I, too, am looking forward to the Kay Francis movies, a number of which I have not seen or recorded in earlier showings. Best Wishes, TalkieTime (DigaDo)

Some Like It Hot was shown in January, February and March (twice). It's a movie that I don't tire of watching again. It's great fun! Another that's worth seeing again is Paper Moon, showing tonight.

AMC ran Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952) on 11/29/96.

TZ has been showing in the wee hours and here and there in recent months on SciFi. I've sampled the remainder of SciFi's July and August schedules without finding future showings of TZ episodes following the marathon's conclusion on Saturday morning.

MissGoddess, My earlier response to your question went through several revisions in an effort to make the information less complicated. In one version I mentioned modulated and unmodulated RF outputs (the threaded fittings) but later I removed that information. After pondering my earlier response I must add this explanation as further clarification: Most, if not all DVD combo recorders have a modulated RF output. This means that whatever signal is fed to the combo recorder's RF input is passed through to the RF output unless the machine is playing a DVD or copying a videotaped recording to DVD, in which case that signal overrides the RF input signal from your cable box. In this case you will not be able to watch cable while copying a videotaped recording to DVD. The program being played or recorded will be the one present on the combo recorder outputs. The workaround is to insert a RF A/B switch (around $6) between the cable box and DVD combo recorder. One feed should go to the DVD combo recorder and the other feed should go to your TV's RF input. The A/B switch selects between these feeds and will allow the cable signal to be passed through to the TV. The TV remote will select between the input signal sources allowing you to watch cable while the machine is recording a DVD. Most recent model DVD recorders (without VHS sections) have unmodulated RF outputs. This means that whatever signal is fed to the DVD recorder's RF input is passed through to its RF output. If the machine is playing or recording a DVD that signal is output only through the composite jacks (yellow, red and white), the component jacks (red, green and blue), S-Video jack, or HDMI jack (if present). Those outputs carry only the playing/recording output and the RF output continues to pass through whatever signal is fed to the DVD recorder's RF input, thus allowing the TV remote to select between the signal sources allowing you to watch cable while the machine is recording from another input fed from an external VCR. I regret that my earlier post was incomplete and somewhat misleading. As with my earlier post this message was revised for clarity by TalkieTime

The answer depends on a number of factors. The main considerations are the model of DVD Recorder or combo recorder you use and the way you have it interconnected with other equipment and your TV. The answer hinges on whether your DVD recorder is providing your TV with its cable signal through the cable coax or is providing a signal through another input on your TV. If your DVD recorder receives its TCM signal from the cable box (or, say a satellite reciever) through inputs with yellow, white and red cables (termed "composite" cables) and/or through a S-Video cable, and outputs its signal to your TV with those same type of "output" cables, or red, green and blue cables (termed "component" cables) and/or a HDMI cable, the answer is that you may be able watch other programming while you are copying videotaped recordings to DVD. In this instance it is a matter of switching inputs on your TV remote control. If your DVD recorder receives its TCM signal from the cable box (or, again, a satellite receiver) through the threaded RF coax "in" connector and outputs its signal to your TV through the threaded RF coax "out" connector you may not be able to watch other programming while you are copying videotaped recordings to DVD. In this instance your DVD recorder is directly in the tuning path and might not be switched out of that path for independent operation such as copying videotaped recordings to DVD and watching cable at the same time. If you have your DVD recorder connected to your TV through the RF coax you may wish to add a second output to your TV, either composite for video and audio or component for video and white/red for audio, (or some other connection) if your TV has such inputs, and then use your TV remote to switch between the inputs for setting up your videotape copying and then switch back to the RF input to watch cable. This message was revised for clarity by TalkieTime

DVD Recorders start out below $100 but for that price they usually do not have tuners. You may not need a tuner if you use a satellite receiver or a cable converter box. A VCR may be attached to the composite inputs (yellow for video, red and white for audio) from the VCR to the DVD recorder. DVD recorders usually come with one set of the correct yellow, white and red RCA cables. Your TV will need to have the same inputs, yellow, red and white to work with a DVD without a tuner. If your TV uses only the threaded coaxial RF connector you may need to purchase an RF modulator (about $25) in order to view the DVD recorder output. Recording at the faster speeds provides better picture quality. If you wish to record from a satellite receiver or cable box their outputs may also be connected to a DVD recorder with those same composite connections (or S-Video cables that are not included with DVD recorders). Recording video with a computer requires the right hardware and software combination. It requires a format conversion process in order to play the DVDs on DVD players. The use of a VCR connected to a DVD recorder is a much simpler process. Message was edited by: talkietime--adding clarifications in second paragraph

If the VHS recordings you wish to copy to DVD are commercially produced they may have copyright protection features. I have read reports on the AVS Forum from users of video stabilizers. These products may defeat copyright protection. I have no personal experience with such products. If the VHS recordings you wish to copy to DVD are home-recorded, see my posting below for general advice, and the link in that posting to the "Gremlin" thread for detailed discussions. I own thirteen functional Panasonic DVD recorders or combo recorders from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 model years. My favorites are the 2005 and 2006 models. 2007 models are plagued with bugs and design flaws. 2007 and 2008 Panasonic combo recorders have been stripped of important features essential for dubbing/copying videotaped recordings to DVD. The better arrangement is to use your VCR connected to a DVD recorder. On the AVS Forum I have read somewhat more positive user reviews of Panasonic's 2008 DVD recorders than those for the 2007 models. All 2007 and half the 2008 model Panasonics have analog and digital tuners. My most recent purchase of a DVD recorder is the Philips DVDR3575H/37B, a 2007 model. This model records to hard drive or DVD discs. The 2008 version of this model is the Philips DVDR3576H priced at $248.28 in Sam's Club stores. These models have analog and digital tuners. If you require a satellite receiver or digital cable box to receive TCM you will still need that device to "unscramble" TCM for watching or recording. A general market consumer DVD recorder with a digital tuner can not "unscramble" encoded signals. Here is the link to the AVS Forum DVD recorder threads: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=106 Message was edited by: talkietime

I receive an e-mail notification whenever there is a new post in a thread I am watching. The e-mail shows the text of the post and has links to "respond to this post." In recent days when clicking this link I am taken to a Message Board page that reports that the thread was not found. The "Forum Home" heading is present and, when clicked, will give the main Forum headings for further navigation.

A brief interview with Barbara Billingsley appeared yesterday on the O'Reilly Factor. This was an archival interview of unstated vintage. What about her perfomance as the "jive lady" in Airplane!

Sometimes scheduling is too tight. Careful scrutiny of movie lengths and programming blocks (as found in Now Playing) will reveal when it is necessary to add some buffer time when setting up your time-shifting device. A movie of 66 minutes duration will not fit into a 60 minute time slot. And a movie of 74 minutes duration may not fit into a 75 minute time slot. If you are programmming your time-shifting device for successive tightly-scheduled movies you may want to "bulk" two or more movies as a single recording. Look at the timing of the movie showing before the one you wish to record. If it's too tightly scheduled in its time slot it may run over into the time slot alloted to the movie you wish to record. There may be promos and intro material. Take all of this into account when scheduling your time-shifting device. The online schedule posted on this website should also be reviewed for last minute changes and timings. Keep in mind that Now Playing information is finalized months earlier so it does not take into account last minute changes.

Unfortunately I threw out my 1990s AMC magazines several years ago. Those magazines were much like the TCM Now Playing guide. Here is a recollection I posted in an earlier thread in January: Our cable provider transitioned from the Nostalgia Channel to AMC around 1990. Bob Dorian was the original AMC host. Later Nick Clooney alternated as host. For a time Gene Klaven was another host. For several years AMC programmed a great mix of classic movies from Fox, Paramount, Universal, and Columbia. There were also occasional movies from other studios, including the smaller studios. AMC had annual Film Preservation Festivals and raised money for that purpose. Beginning around 1992 AMC began showing a few widescreen movies (sometimes shown after the pan and scan version of the same movie to give viewers a choice). The widescreen version of The Big Trail (1930) was hosted by Alec Baldwin on 27 April 2001, at the end of the AMC "classic" era. From 1996-1998 AMC produced Remember Wenn, a drama series set in a Pittsburgh radio station circa 1939-41. The Lot, a drama series set in a movie studio, replaced Remember Wenn in 1999. On Saturday mornings Bob Dorian hosted Movie Palace Memories from a variety of restored movie palaces, including Radio City Music Hall (owned by AMC's corporate entity). There were Betty Boop cartoons and Screen Songs (often mixing animation with a bouncing ball sing along led by popular performers of the day); Popular Science and Unusual Occupations shorts, all originally from Paramount; Fox Movietone or Paramount Eyes and Ears newsreels; Laurel & Hardy and a few other Hal Roach shorts; the next chapter from a cliff-hanger serial; followed by a featured film. Occasionally there were Laurel & Hardy shorts marathons (that included some Spanish language versions); and a number of serials where all the chapters were run in a single four hour programming block. AMC co-produced or showed a number of film documentaries and biographies. Beginning around 1997 AMC began programming more 1960's and 1970's movies into the mix. AMC hosts Bob Dorian and Nick Clooney departed in the summer of 1999. Commercials began airing between movies in late 1999/early 2000. There were attempts to attract younger viewers with the much younger John Burke as the main host. There were many more 1970's and 1980's movies added to the mix. There was frequent cross-promotion and programming blocks borrowed from AMC's second network "Romance Classics" (later WE--Women's Entertainment). Leslie Nielsen hosted a series of Three Stooges shorts. The American Pop series was aimed at "babyboomers." While I am a babyboomer I always prefered early talkies through the film noir era so my AMC viewing dropped way off. Toward the end of this period about the only classic movies AMC programmed were those of Shirley Temple; and classic Universal horror films shown in the Monsterfest series, sometimes with such guest hosts as Linda Blair, Carmen Electra and Whoopi Goldberg to appeal to younger viewers. In 2001 commercials interrupted movies and there were very few "classics" in the programming mix. My AMC viewing had ended. John Burke departed sometime in 2001. In 2002, as I surfed channels, I saw that American Movie Classics had become "amc" and completed their youth transition where a bunch of twenty-somethings sat around spewing mindless chatter about 1980's and 1990's movies. ADDENDUM: From a discussion of the TCM business model (soon after the above posting) I made these and related observations: Since TCM and AMC did not receive advertising revenue or a premium level of subscription revenue, both networks actually competed for the most viable business arrangements with the various cable providers. Since TCM and AMC shared a specific and limited "niche" viewership that would likely support but one such network per cable provider, one or the other network seemed doomed to fail. AMC blinked first by adding commercials to increase revenue. Soon after that followed drastic format changes designed to draw in more and younger viewers. Advertising revenue increased with the increase in viewership ratings. Instead of programming classic movies uncut and without commercials, the "bottom line" became AMC's cause. Message was edited by: talkietime

Of the nearly 300 Pete Smith shorts listed by Leonard Maltin in Selected Short Subjects, more than fifty feature Dave O'Brien in the 1942-1955 period. Check the online schedules for listings of shorts.

Here is advice concerning Panasonic DVD drives that seem to be failing but just need a spindle/hub cleaning: http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=210507 Following these detailed instructions clean the lens, rubber and plastic spindle parts and hub area, and the circular guide in the DVD drive lid. Panasonic 2006 and newer DVD drives are easy to service. Remove the case top cover to get access to the DVD drive. Remove the four small Phillips screws and lift the DVD drive top lid. When viewing the DVD drive from the front (where the tray rolls out) notice the roller assembly at the rear of the DVD tray. This mechanism must be positioned to the left corner before reassembly so these parts will be correctly aligned to the guide rail on the underside of the drive lid. With the Panasonic 2006 and newer models opening of the case, removing the DVD drive lid, cleaning the drive, closing the drive lid, and closing the case takes around fifteen minutes. With Panasonic 2005 or older models the case top cover and the front panel assembly may need to be removed in order to give clearance for the DVD drive lid to be lifted somewhat at the front, slid forward, allowing the rear to disengage, following which the lid may be lifted off. When viewing the DVD drive from the front (where the tray rolls out) notice the roller assembly at the rear of the DVD tray. This mechanism must be positioned to the left corner before reassembly so these parts will be correctly aligned to the guide rail on the underside of the drive lid. Allow around 35 minutes for opening the case, removal of the front panel after removing the top center anchor screw (if present), loosening the snap clips at the top, sides and press to release tabs along the bottom; removing the DVD drive lid, cleaning and reassembly. Note: On a combo recorder take care to hold the VHS door open as the front panel is fitted back to the case. This will assure the correct alignment of the VHS door lifting mechanism. These proceedures may be somewhat different with older Panasonics and other brands of DVD recorders and combo recorders. I have a 2003 Panasonic DVD-S35 DVD player. To clean the hub/spindle area on that product's DVD drive one needs to use a long stemmed cotton swab to reach the hub/spindle from the opening at the front of the drive as the drive's top cover may not be removed.

Fred, I inserted the word "may" as in ". . . internal hard drive but 'may' prevent copying . . ." in two paragraphs of my first 3/18/08 post on the next page.

I transferred around 5,200 home-recorded titles from VHS to DVD, selected portions of my twenty years of time-shifting (mostly early talkies through the film noir era originally shown on The Nostalgia Channel in the 1980s and AMC and TCM in the 1990s). My ten month dubbing project concluded in September 2007. During the the final months of the project I had from four to seven Panasonic DVD combo recorders or DVD recorders and two Toshiba VCRs each running up to eighteen hours per day. In the "Gremlin" thread (started around thirteen months ago) there was discussion of recording from TCM, transferring videotape recordings to DVD and related topics. Since that time current hardware has changed. Many DVD recorders no longer come with tuners. Some DVD recorders come with digital/analog tuners. Some methods of setting up newer equipment has changed. Most current combo recorders have little advantage over a DVD recorder connected to an external VCR for copying VHS recordings to DVD. Much of the discussion in the "Gremlin" thread is still relevant today. The "Gremlin" thread was very active (9,000 views) for around eleven months; find it here: http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?threadID=101421&start=225&tstart=105 Message was edited by: talkietime

I was pleased to find this performance was not spoiled by overdoing the artificial echo added to many commercial recordings of the period.