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Apex, Digitrex, Cyberhome, Raite and LiteOn

 Repair & Upgrades

Units With Problems, Don't Buy This!

Ethics Policy: DRX9000 Repair maintains a strict ethics policy for all its staff and contributors that is intended to separate the editorial function of the website from any inappropriate influences. We cannot accept any gifts, bribes, prizes or monetary compensation from any companies and do not go on trips or press junkets sponsored by companies whose products are covered by our website.  Of course nobody has ever offered anything, if they did we may have to change the policy.

Apex DRX-9000 DVD Power Supply Repair

 

Model DVDR-MKD1030511

Apex DRX-9000 power supply for North America

(The Digitrex GKX-9000 220 volt Power Supply is essentially similar)

 

 

 

Typical Regulator Failure

 

Even if your Recorder presently works it may eventually burn out so you need this upgrade to prevent problems.

 

 

 

Board damaged by amateur repair attempt!

 

 

 

Don't do this!

 

The copper traces are easily damaged and will lift from the pc board if too much heat is applied.  Don't try to replace the regulator IC yourself unless you have good soldering skills and access to a professional rework station or your board may be damaged like this and become unrepairable!  (We were able to repair this board but it was close!)

 

 

Available Repair Service

 

The power supply can cause intermittent operation, freezing, noise in the audio and video or die altogether when the regulator fails.

If you have any of those problems send in your dead power supply for repair and it will be fixed, upgraded so it doesn't burn out again and tested. The unit should be removed from the recorder and shipped via UPS (slow) or USPS 2nd day (if you are in a hurry) wrapped in foam in a small 7x7x6 or similar size box, insured.  We cannot be responsible for items sent to us that are damaged or lost in the mail.  Payment can be included in the form of a check or money order or sent via paypal in the amount of $35.00 plus $8.00 for return postage and insurance for a total of $43.00. Turn around time is about a week and a half on average. Shipping by the US Post Office takes about twice as long these days as it used to take, 2nd day Priority takes about 4 days.  We ship world-wide but international shipping charges tend to be higher (except to Canada) and shipping time takes longer.  Since the Post Office cannot track shipments overseas and does not insure parcel post or airmail shipments, unless they are sent by registered mail at considerable extra cost, we cannot be responsible for foreign shipments lost in the mail.

 

Note: I am not presently offering a kit of do-it-yourself parts because these supplies are too dangerous to work on at home due to the high voltages involved and direct connection to the AC line. If you just got a recorder do not plug it in or turn it on until the power supply is upgraded. It will only work until C8 goes bad then IC-2 will short and blow the fuse.  If it is already in use leave it running and do not switch it to Standby. Unplug the power cord to turn it off instead.  If the fuse has blown that is because the regulator, IC-2 is shorted.

 

Please do not try to replace the fuse with a larger fuse, that will just cause more damage and possibly start a fire because the short that blew the fuse must be repaired before it will work.

If your recorder is unable to sync on the input from a VCR or off-the-air signal from the tuner it needs the BIOS upgraded. If it's freezing or stops playing after a few minutes it needs a second fan installed internally to stop it from overheating. See instructions for that below.

 

The Following Steps Are Performed during the upgrade:

1.   Replace bad voltage regulator IC-2 with a new part.

2.   Replace bad capacitor C8.

3.   Replace fuse if blown and other parts as necessary.

4.   Install missing current limiting resistor in place of jumper at CN2.

5.   Replace one or both of IC-4 & IC-5.

6.   Install surge suppressor across IC-2.

7.   Install variable resistor for voltage adjustment.

8.   Install connector pins at CN8 for second fan.

9. Jumper protective grounds together for added surge protection.

10. Adjust 3.3 and 5 volts DC and test in recorder for proper operation.

 

After repair the units are installed in my DRX-9000 Recorders and run to verify proper operation, turned on and off a number of times and also used to play or burn DVD+R's. They are tested in two different recorders to verify compatibility.  The output voltages were originally non-adjustable but the output tends to be slightly low so I install the missing voltage adjustment and use it to set the output correctly. 

 

Units that have had the fuse replaced or those with serious physical damage due to attempted IC-2 replacement or burns may not be accepted for repair, they can only be repaired if there is no excessive damage and the copper traces are still good and nothing else burned out due to trying a larger fuse.  There is no charge except return postage if the unit cannot be repaired but they have all been repairable so far. Repairs carry a 90 day warranty for parts and work performed and will be repaired free (except shipping) if there is a failure during that period up to a limit of $35.00.

*Warranty is void if a second fan is not installed to cool the power supply and does not cover additional failures of Chinese capacitors which are unpredictable, damage due to lightning, power surges and other natural disasters.

Information about Chinese capacitor problems can be found at http://www.badcaps.net/

Please email DRX9000Repair for shipping address to send the unit to or any questions and provide a valid return address for a reply.

It doesn't work if your inbox is full!

 

*  Include ID with your board! *

It can be hard to find who the boards come from if there is no identification with them! Provide your email and return address with the board and your paypal ID also if you pay with paypal so I can tell who it came from and if they have paid or not.

 

Failure to identify who your board came from will result in a delay in repairs!

 

Note: Just because the front panel power switch won't turn the unit on doesn't mean the front panel is bad and no matter what you do to the front panel it can't be made to turn on a dead power supply!  Also, we can't tell you how to fix your power supply yourself and we don't have any other parts for the recorders except those to repair the power supply.

 

Lastly, I want to make this perfectly clear: I can't fix the board if someone takes some of the parts off and they get lost! I need all the parts to put it back together so please send everything that has been removed along with it!  Better yet, don't even try to remove anything or you may damage the PC board beyond repair!
 

 

 

Low +12 volt output

 

Some units have a +12 volt output that is too low and will make the unit freeze.  The +12 volt output has always been around 11-11.3 volts but in some units it drops below 10.8 volts!  They seem to have not chosen the best parts for the 12 volt circuit, the rectifier diode, D12, is a low cost HER303 from Zowie Corp costing $0.19 each that has 1.3 volts forward drop and filter capacitors C25 and C26 are puny 470 MFD units!    To remedy this during the upgrade the 12 volt rectifier diode was replaced with an upgraded Shottky high performance unit with a low forward voltage drop of just 0.6 volts costing a dollar each and the filter capacitors C25 and C26 were replaced with 1000 MFD units. This improvement costs a couple of dollars more but raises the output almost a volt and makes it more stable with better regulation.

 

 

Power board before with original HER303 diode and puny 470 MFD capacitors.

 

 

 

Power board after upgrade with High Performance Diode D12 and 1000 MFD capacitors C25 and C26.  D12 is now being mounted horizontally with the metal tab facing the heat sink.

 

 

Testing

 

If you suspect the power supply is bad it's easy to check the voltages,  just measure them at the connectors with a digital meter. They are marked on the pc board next to the connectors. If you heard a pop and it no longer turns on there's no point in measuring but if you look you will see one or more burst or leaking capacitors.  C8, near the ac power cord connector usually blows out around the bottom and leaks on the board. The filter capacitors near the white cable connectors may bulge on top and sometimes blow out underneath. The regulator, IC2 blows out along the bottom as shown in the photo above and may leave a black spot on the board underneath it and the fuse usually blows when IC2 shorts, but not always. Other associated parts also burn out but leave no visible indications.
 

Removal

 

To remove the power board to send in for repair first unplug the power cord. Remove the cover by taking out 2 silver screws on each side and 3 across the back and lifting off. The power supply is the light colored board in the center of the cabinet with black heat sinks that the AC cord goes to at the back corner. You need to squeeze the tab on the side of  the AC power connector to unlatch it.  Unplug the other cables by tightly gripping the wires near the plug and gently rocking back and forth while pulling straight up. Then carefully remove the 6 black screws and you're done.  Mark the two larger white cables going to the front of the board so they don't get mixed up and put the screws back in their holes and the insulating sheet in a safe place for storage. Try not to touch the bottom of the board since it might still have high voltage present.
 

Installation

When reinstalling the power board you want all the mounting posts on the chassis to make a good ground connection with the pads on the bottom of the PC board.  Cut out the small holes in the fiber insulation sheet if necessary so it will fit down over the posts and not get between the posts and the bottom of the board.  There is supposed to be a clear plastic insulating washer under the screw hole on the left front underneath the 3 resistors at R19. It may be on the wrong side under J16, missing or stuck to the sheet of insulation. You can install the board without it but move it as far to the right as possible to avoid having the mounting post short against the solder joint for the resistors under the board without letting J16 touch the screw on the other side.  If you short the resistors to ground with the mounting post it will damage your unit by blowing out IC8. Throw away the metal cable ties and do not install them or put any washers under the screws since they will cause a short!

Be careful not to short R19 or J16 with mounting screws!

 Use caution when installing the screws, don’t use any metal washers or cable ties near R19 or J16. Be careful not to break the wire at J16 on the front corner or let a screw touch it or your power board will not work!  Be sure the plastic insulating washer is underneath the hole near R19 before installing the board.  Don’t tighten down the screws too tight since the board can crack easily.

 When installing the power board be sure all the connectors go on with the correct orientation, so the small ridges on the sides fit into the slots properly and don’t mix up the two large white connectors that go on the front of the board.  Be sure to get the cable from the logic board with the head sinks on CN5 and the one from the tuner board on CN3, near the front right corner.

 It’s best to leave the DVD burner power lead CN4 disconnected the first time you try it to make sure it comes on OK. Then turn it off and connect the DVD burner power connector last to prevent damage to the burner in case there is a problem.

Second Cooling Fan

Second Fan installed behind front panel for cooling is required for warranty to be valid!

 I recommend installing a second fan in the recorder to prevent overheating of the P/S and video decoder board. If your unit tends to freeze or stop playing after a few minutes you need the fan.  Updating the BIOS sometimes cures freezing also.  If you don’t think it gets hot remove the cover after it’s been running for a while and try to touch the black heat sinks near the front!  There is room for a fan in the empty space behind the front panel on the right, behind the Open/Close button in the empty space on the chassis in front of the pc boards.

Use a small 50mm or 60mm, 12 volt fan like the one on the rear of the cabinet or a computer heat sink fan from a PC or buy a new one at any computer or electronics store. They should cost from $10.00-$19.95.  PC heat sink fans tend to be really loud so buy the one with the lowest current rating and it will usually make the least noise.  It can be installed using double stick tape underneath it on the chassis or some RTV silicon rubber to glue it in place with the label facing towards the rear so it blows air back over the PC boards.

Plug the fan power lead into the connection at CN8. Most fan connectors should fit. Be sure and get the black and red wires to match the pins labeled - and +.  If it's a PC fan with 3 connections ignore the 3rd wire for the tach output and just match up the other two, red to + and black to -. Don’t push down too hard. If you get a fan with bare wires you can splice on a connector like the one used inside the PC for connecting the switches and lights to the motherboard.

I can supply a new high quality 60mm fan with connector, like the one in the photo, that is not too noisy for $10.00, including shipping. Ninety day warranty on power supply repairs is void if a fan is not installed for cooling.  (Note: Fan supplied may look different than the photo.)

A word about blank media:  All the different kinds of DVD+R media that I have tried worked ok except the cheap house brand that was on sale in one electronics store. Some kinds work better than others as far as being able to finalize or play in certain players however and it's hard to determine which is the best since the companies selling it usually do not make it themselves.  Most brands like Sony, Memorex and Verbatim are actually made by several other companies and some work better than others in different machines. It's difficult to determine who actually made it since it's never marked on the package or the discs. You have to use a utility like DVDInfoPro to determine the brand and version. A good website to go for information is videohelp.com, they provide reviews of different models of players and recorders as well as listings of which brands and versions of blank media worked best in each player, information on video conversion and links to help and utilities. Look up the burner itself, NEC ND-1100A, to find which blank media works best.

Other Problems

The model 9000 recorders are quite reliable after being updated but I've also noticed a couple of other potential problems with the units.

1. It has no protective ground due to having just a 2 wire power cord!    The ground is supplied by the antenna cable connected to the tuner input!   If cable or an outside antenna is connected to the tuner's coax input the cable MUST be grounded outside where it comes into the building with a ground block connected to a good ground for safety.  Do not use the unit or leave the cable connected to the antenna input if the cable isn't properly grounded!

2. The 40 pin IDE ribbon cable connected to the DVD drive sometimes tends to be flakey.  If you are experiencing intermittent operation, sometimes get an ERROR message on the display, it gets stuck at LOADING or you hear the drive winding up to high speeds, the cable should be reseated or possibly replaced. Since the connector pins on the boards are tin plated instead of gold it sometimes helps to remove the cables and reseat them in order to get a good connection.  Pull each cable off carefully one at a time and replace it by pushing it down on firmly. Be careful not to get the bigger connectors crooked and bend the pins. Pull up evenly on each side until it comes loose.  If you need to replace the cable don't use an old PC cable, buy a new one like they supply with DVD drives that has just two connectors with one on each end but none in the center. A new cable won't have the cutouts allowing it to be routed underneath the power supply but it can be placed over the top of the drive and P/S instead.

3. The small white 4 wire cable with a Molex connector providing power to the DVD drive can be intermittent. That will also cause an ERROR message and may cause the unit to freeze while playing.  The pins in the Molex connector going to the drive are tin plated instead of gold and can corrode if you are in a humid area. They can also open up and cause intermittent connections from lots of heating/cooling cycles.  If this is the case carefully remove the two outer pins from the plastic housing and squeeze them together a little with pliers then insert them back into the housing being careful of the small tabs that hold them in place or push a sharp probe in along side the pin to bend it to fit tighter on the pin..

4. The DVD burners can wear out and fail just like any other part. NEC drives generally have a long trouble-free life but they don't last forever. If you suspect the drive is bad it can be removed and tested in a PC with Nero 6 since it's a normal internal IDE drive. The DRX-9000 comes stock with an ND-1100A but I think a newer ND-1300A will also work since it's the same unit with updated firmware. The ND-2510A will definitely work because I tried one with Mad Dog firmware with excellent results. A Cyberhome DX042D DVD writer from a CH-DVR 1500 will not work and couldn't even play a DVD in the DRX-9000.

Since the DVD recorder changes the book type to DVD-Rom when the disc is finalized only models that can do bit setting will work. That means you cannot use an ND-2500A unless it is updated by flashing the firmware to make it a 2510.  While the newer models may be easier to find they won't give you extra features like faster speeds or the option of using DVD-R blank media since the recorder will not be able to recognize those features. If your recorder has some other brand of drive and you are experiencing problems you should replace it with a genuine NEC model.

To remove the drive from the cabinet for replacement you have to get the tray to open similar to removing a stuck disk and snap off the trim piece on the front of the tray.  Then unplug the cables, remove the 4 screws holding the tray with the drive and lift it out.

5. The DRX-9000 does not do PAL, it is configured for NTSC video only, Region 1.

6. If your unit still has problems you may need to update the BIOS.   Some problems fixed by the BIOS update are freezing while playing, recording or finalizing a disc, an inability to sync on the video input from a VCR and from some TV stations received on the tuner and the clock not keeping accurate time when used for timed recordings. All you have to do is download the update file from the website, burn it on a CD-R then put the CD-R in the recorder's drive and it reads it and does the update. It's really simple! Don't try to use BLACK CD-R's, they won't work.
Bios versions 4004A and 4004D are available to download but I haven't been able to find ver. B or C.  4004D is the latest but does not work in every machine. If that is installed and it won't play a DVD then install 4004A instead.

The location of the 4004A BIOS update and directions are here: http://www.dvdplusrw.org/Article.asp?mid=8&sid=10&aid=53
Version 4004D is available from the Apex website: http://www.apexdigitalinc.com/downloaddetail.asp?linenumber=3 

*Note, the Apex ftp site that has the update is often down, contact me if you need it.

These BIOS versions are for the North American market using NTSC.  If you have a Digitrex GKX-9000 with PAL video format you don't want this update.

I have updated my NEC DVD burner from it's original version to ver. 1.AY but there really is no need to do that since it worked just fine before the update. As far as I can tell all that does is add support for more kinds of blank media.  There is no reason to update for faster speeds since it always runs at the actual speed of 1X anyway and you might lose bit setting ability or kill the drive altogether by using the wrong firmware. 

*Note! If you try to update the drive to add useless features it may change the region and no longer be able to play your DVD's!

Download the DRX-9000 User Manual.

Here's where you can get firmware updates for the NEC DVD burner:
http://etna.rpc1.org/nec/index.html


Here's a firmware forum if you have questions about firmware updates:
 http://forum.rpc1.org/index.php
 

Digitrex GKX-9000 with 240 volt Power Supply

The Digitrex GKX-9000 is a model sold in Australia similar to the DRX-9000 but configured to run on 240 volts and use PAL video as the default.  From what I have seen of the unit in pictures the power supply is similar to the DRX-9000 but modified for 240 volt operation. Don't ask me to send a list of parts because I don't have that kind of information.  We can repair the power supply, however, since we have 240 volts available here. If your unit is burned out just box it up and ship it off to us, we get the DRX-9000 model from overseas all the time.

There used to be bios updates on an Aussie forum that has since disappeared and I don't know of any source for updates. You would need to contact Digitrex to see if anything is available.

Circuit Board with Four Bad Capacitors

I'm often asked what bad capacitors look like, so here is a photo of four of them together.  Note the rounded tops that sometimes leak or have a hole in the center like the one at the upper left with liquid oozing out.  They should be flat on top or slightly concave but not swollen or bulging out.  Sometimes the rubber seal blows out the bottom and they may be leaking goop out onto the circuit board.  More photos of bad caps can be found at badcaps.net.

How to recover programs from an Un-Finalized DVD disc

If your recorder has broken and you have some unfinalized discs you're screwed!  It's not possible to finalized an unfinalized disc on any other kind of recorder to make it playable as far as I know.  There is no standard for finalizing a disc so each recorder company and each model does it a little bit differently.  As long as the finished disc meets the proper standards it doesn't matter how they did it.  All hope is not lost however, there is a workaround that involves reading off the tracks from the unfinalized disc with a PC then playing them on the PC or burning a new DVD.  There is thread about finalizing a DVD on videohelp.com but it's hard to understand and not definitive.  http://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/t227604.html

However, there is pretty good tutorial at IsoBuster.com.  http://www.isobuster.com/tips.php?tips_page=1

I started with that but with the help of Peter from IsoBuster I found an easier way to do it. 

If you use IsoBuster to save the tracks off the unfinalized disc, then rename them with an MPG extension you can play them with the VLC Media player or Elecard MPEG2 Player since the file is an MPEG2 video file with AC3 audio at that point..  If you have Nero Burning Rom you can also use the Save Tracks feature (under Features in Ver.6 but Nero-Recode in Ver. 7 might also work) instead.  Select the largest track from the disc if there was only one program recorded or several smaller ones if you had a series of 1/2 hour programs and save in a folder on the hard drive.  Select the .iso image file as the output type in Nero. I got an error message in Nero but clicked OK and it went on to output and create the file.  IsoBuster was able to save the tracks without any errors.

In order to burn a new DVD you will have to run the file through the filter in VideoReDo to clean it up or it will make your DVD authoring program crash.  Peter has help with that here: http://www.isobuster.com/tips.php?tips_page=8  VideoReDo is not free, it costs $50 but they have a free trial.  Besides filtering, it also has editing and a feature to remove commercials from TV shows but when I tried that it didn't remove all the commercials and the resultant file wouldn't play properly when burned on a DVD so stick with just the filtering.  After running it through the filter you will need to import it into your DVD authoring program.  I imported my filtered file into Cyberlink Power Director and used Power Producer to burn a new DVD.  One problem is while the DVD recorder records by time such as 1, 2, or 3 hours the PC burner records in terms of file size.  I had recorded a 2 hour movie off TV but when I extracted the file from the track I ended up with an 8.4Gb file, too large to fit back onto just one DVD.  To burn a new DVD with Power Producer it would have taken 2 discs at full resolution so I chose the medium resolution option so it would fit on one disc instead.  To do that it had to recode the file information on the fly and takes almost 4 hrs to burn a DVD but the picture quality is still pretty good.

For more help with recording HD files or converting PAL to NTSC or vice versa check out Jake Ludington's MediaBlab, www.jakeluddington.com/

To recover a Damaged DVD you should try CD Recovery Toolbox.  It's free from Top Drawer Software and may ever recover an un-finalized disc.  They say it can fix damage of the disk that is a result of incorrect recording but I haven't tried it.  www.topdrawerdownloads.com/download/104971

Cyberhome CH-DVR 1500, 1500C, 2500 DVD Recorders

 

Sirtec Power Supply Model HPO-045-103 A1 / 104

Used in CH-DVR 1500 Series DVD Recorders

Outputs are +5 volts 3 amps, +3.3 volts 2.6 amps, +12 volts 3 amps.  If the recorder stops playing discs, won't turn on or acts erratically with noisy sound, the power supply may be bad.  If you see burned areas on the board or capacitors (the round shiny metal cans) that have tops that are swollen or have burst that's a sure sign of failure!  Check the +5 and +12 volt outputs on CN2 and CN3 for the DVD burner and the 3.3 volt output on pins 1 and 2 of CN4 for the proper voltages +/-0.1 volt for 5 and 3.3 volt outputs and +/-0.5 volt for the 12 volt output with a DVM. The negative lead can be connected anywhere on the chassis.  Output voltages on all the pins are:

CN1 voltages:

  1. -12

  2. 0

  3. 0

  4. +12

  5. 0

  6. +5

  7. +3.3

CN2, CN3 voltages:

  1. +12

  2. 0

  3. 0

  4. +5

CN4 voltages:

  1. +3.3

  2. +3.3

  3. n/c

  4. n/c

  5. n/c

  6. n/c

  7. +5

  8. +5

  9. 0

  10. +4.75

CN5 voltages:

  1. -19

  2. -19

  3. 0

  4. -24

CN6 voltages:

  1. +4.75

  2. +5

 

Removing the Power Supply for Repair

If the power supply voltages are not correct the board should be removed and sent in for repair.  First, turn off the rear power switch and unplug the AC power cord.  Then disconnect the cables by gripping the wires firmly and pulling up. You may have to rock back and forth slightly to get the connector to come free.  To remove the connector for AC power at the front be sure and squeeze the plastic tab to unlatch the housing before pulling up.  Then take out the 2 screws and squeeze the 2 plastic tabs one at a time with needle nose pliers while gently lifting up to dislodge the board. 

Note: Do not try to update the FIRMWARE for any reason until the power supply is repaired or it will fail and leave you with a dead recorder!

To replace the board lower it down onto the two plastic spacers until they click in place then install the 2 screws.  Push on the power connectors until they click in place but do not press too hard on the ones along the rear without supporting the board with one hand since there is nothing underneath to prevent breaking it if you press too hard.

Repairs carry a 90 day warranty. Warranty is void if a fan is not installed to cool the power supply and does not cover additional failures of Chinese capacitors which are unpredictable, damage due to lightning, power surges and other natural disasters.

 

50mm Cooling Fan installed in CH-1500

A small 12 volt cooling fan should be installed to keep the power supply from overheating. The fan does not have to be mounted in a hole cut in the case since there is a lot of air inside the unit for cooling but can be positioned anywhere that it can blow air over the heat sinks on the PCB.  A 50mm fan can be mounted on the chassis or a 60mm fan in the recessed area with double sided tape or a dab of RTV silicon rubber. The larger 60mm fan is quieter and that is what we recommend. 

Choose the one with lower wattage, slower speed and lower CFM rating to keep it quiet.   For power it can be plugged into CN2 using a small plug like PC cabinets use for connecting the lights and switches to the motherboard as shown in the photo.  Pin #1 of CN2 is +12 and #2 is ground. Although a switching function was built into the power supply it was not implemented on the main board so the power stays on and the fan continues to run all the time the rear power switch is on.  It is recommended that the rear power switch be turned off when the unit is not in use.  We have 60mm fans available for $10.00 that are similar to models found at most electronics and computer stores for $19.95.  The ninety day warranty on board repair is void if a fan is not installed to cool the power supply.

60mm Cooling Fan installed in CH-1500

A 60mm fan may be installed in the CH-1500 in the recessed area as shown in order to clear the cover.  It blows more cooling air and is quieter than a 50mm model.  We have fans available for $10.00 that are similar to models found at most electronics and computer stores for $19.95  Remove the power supply wires from the plastic clip in the sunken area behind the DVD burner and pry it up with a screwdriver.  Then peel off any remaining adhesive residue.  The wires can be pulled forward to make room for the fan and secured with the plastic clip or a cable tie and metric screw in a spare hole in the chassis between the power supply and DVD burner as shown in the center of the photo. (The DVD burner was removed for clarity.)  Stick the fan down in the sunken area where the wire clip was located behind the DVD burner with double sided tape.  Orient the fan so the label is towards the front and turn it slightly clock-wise before sticking it down so air will blow in the proper direction towards the power supply.  Plug the power connector for the fan into CN2 with the red 12 volt wire on Pin 1 (the one towards the left side) and black or blue ground wire on Pin 2 as shown. Be sure the fan is secured before applying power and don't stick your fingers in it because the sharp blades can cut you.  Although a switching function was built into the power supply it was not implemented on the main board so the power stays on and the fan continues to run all the time the rear power switch is on.  It is recommended that the rear power switch be turned off when the unit is not in use. The ninety day warranty on power supply repairs is void if a fan is not installed for cooling.  (Note: Fan supplied may look different than the photo.)

CH-1500C with factory power supply mod.

An owner sent me this photo of his CH 1500C with a factory power supply mod that takes the head sink off the PC board and moves it to the rear panel.  Now the heat is away from the components on the PC board.  I don't recommend trying to do anything like that yourself since it's dangerous and you can ruin the board, just installing the small fan like this owner did should be sufficient.  We don't recommend using such a small fan since they tend to run very fast and are noisy.  Our standard 60mm fan would be a better choice and can be mounted in the sunken area of the chassis behind the DVD burner as described above.  The fan doesn't have to blow directly on the power supply board or the off board head sink, just circulating the air inside the cabinet should be sufficient.  (photo courtesy of G. D. Kramer)

Other CH-1500 Problems

I

Vertical Battery Mount on PC Board.

Resistors Added to Increase Volume Level in Center Above

Google

Cyberhome CH-DVR 1530 DVD Recorder

 

Pangu Limited Power Supply Model DVR-1530,  # 16-538-409001

Used in CH-DVR 1530 DVD Recorder

Outputs are +3.3, +5, +/-12 and +32 volts.  If the recorder stops playing discs, won't turn on or acts erratically with noisy sound, the power supply may be bad.  If you see capacitors (the round shiny metal cans) that have tops that are swollen or have burst, like the two in the upper right, that's a sure sign of failure!  Check the +5 and +12 volt outputs on CN5 for the DVD burner and the pins of CN2 for the proper voltages +/- 0.1 volt for the 5 and 3.3 volt outputs and +/- 0.5 volt for 12 volt output with a DVM. The negative meter lead can be connected anywhere on the chassis.

CN2 voltages:

  1. -12

  2. 0

  3. +12

  4. +32

  5. +5

  6. 0

  7. +3.3

  8. +3.3

  9. +3.3

  10. 0

  11. 0

  12. +5

  13. ~4.4

Removing the Power Supply for Repair

If the power supply voltages are not correct the board should be removed and sent in for repair.  First, turn off the rear power switch and unplug the AC power cord.  Then disconnect the cables by gripping the wires firmly and pulling up. You may have to rock back and forth slightly to get the connector to come free.  To remove the connector for AC power at the front and the one connecting the DVD burner on the right be sure and squeeze the plastic tab to unlatch the housing before pulling up.  Then take out the 3 screws and squeeze the 3 plastic tabs one at a time with needle nose pliers while gently lifting up to dislodge the board.

CH-1530 Cooling

 

50mm Cooling Fan installed in CH-1530

 

60mm Cooling Fan installed in CH-1530

A small 12 volt cooling fan should be installed to keep the power supply from overheating. The fan does not have to be mounted in a hole cut in the case since there is a lot of air inside the unit for cooling but can be positioned anywhere that it can blow air over the PC board heat sinks.  A 50mm fan can be mounted on the chassis with double sided tape or a dab of RTV silicon rubber or a 60mm fan can be installed in the sunken area as shown above.

When shopping for a fan choose the one with lower wattage, slower speed and lower CFM to keep it quiet.  Thicker ones tend to be quieter than thinner ones.   A larger 60mm fan is usually quieter than a smaller 50mm one.   Similar models can be found at most electronics and computer stores.  It can be plugged into CN4 using a small plug like PC cabinets use for connecting the lights and switches to the motherboard as shown in the photo.  The +12 and ground pins are marked on the PCB with +12 towards the rear.  The fan is switched on and off along with the other power by the front panel switch.

We can supply a new high quality 60mm fan with connector, like the one in the photo that is not too noisy for $10.00, including shipping. Ninety day warranty on power supply repairs is void if a fan is not installed for cooling.  (Note: Fan supplied may look different than the photo.)

Other CH-1530 Problems

The 1530 exhibits a strange message when you put in a blank DVD+R or DVD+RW to record that says Disc is Unformatted and asks if you want to Format it.  This message is always displayed even for DVD+R discs that don't normally require formatting so select Yes and press Enter.  It only takes about 10 seconds and when finished you can go ahead and Record normally.  If formatting is not successful you may be using the wrong type of disc, the burner may be bad or the power supply need repair.

Don't forget to Finalize the disc after recording or you won't be able to play it in a DVD player.

If the DVD burner is suspect it can be tested in a PC to play DVD's and record them with Nero 6 since it's a standard internal IDE drive.  The CH-1530 comes stock with a Cyberhome DX042D DVD writer but an NEC ND-1100A will work as a replacement and I think a newer ND-1300A will also work since it's the same unit with updated firmware. The ND-2510A will definitely also work because I tried one with Mad Dog firmware with excellent results using a DVD+R.  It was not able to format a DVD-R and froze at 32%.   An ND-2500A will not work because it can't do bit setting to finalize the disc and change the book type to DVD-Rom.  I tried a Pioneer DVR-106D with ver. 1.08 firmware and it will work to burn both DVD+R and DVD-R discs!  They both finalized OK and the DVD-R plays normally but the Pioneer was not able to change the book type of the DVD+R disc to DVD-Rom so it will play in most DVD players.  It will only play in the ones that can handle raw DVD+R's.  A newer model drive may be easier to find but will not give you any additional features such as faster speeds.  To remove the drive from the cabinet for replacement you have to get the tray to open similar to removing a stuck disk and snap off the trim piece on the front of the tray.  Then unplug the cables, remove the one screw at the back of the tray holding the drive and slide it back and lift out.

Removing a stuck disc. If you have a disc stuck in the drive you can remove it (if the power supply is good) by taking off the top cover and unplugging the ribbon cable. Then, with power switched on, reach inside behind the front cover and press the Eject button on the right front of the drive. If the power supply has failed you can unplug the 4 wire power connector and plug in a drive power connector from your PC for power, then press the Eject button to remove the disc.

If you are having trouble making good recordings on Cyberhome machines make sure you use Recommended brands, not Nonrecommended brands of media.  In most cases the company brand on the box is not who really made the discs since most buy them from someone else.  You may need to use a utility program like DVDInfoPro to find the actual disc maker.

RECOMMENDED DISCS: Fuji Film, Verbatim, Sony, Great Quality, Ricoh, Ritek, RiData, Daxon, Info Disc, Intenso, MBI, MCC, and Medianca.

Not RECOMMENDED DISCS:  Maxell, Memorex, Imation, ILO, TDK, HP, Philips.

Cyberhome & Digitrex Remotes & Manuals

*Note, Cyberhome remotes and manuals may no longer be available since their website is down and they have gone out of business.

Replacement remote controls can be ordered directly from the Cyberhome on-line store. Store is presently closed, try ebay.

Bios updates for the CH-DVR 1500 recorder and DX042D servo (DVD burner) are available from Cyberhome. Be sure and get the correct version for your recorder, either X or P.  No downloads are available.

Since Cyberhome went out of business and their website is off-line, try http://www.dv-rec.de/download/firmware/ch/index.shtml for European models. They have German PAL firmware for the DVR750, 1600E and 1600ME. That will not work in North American models.

Digitrex FAQ and Region Hack: http://www.digitrex.net/FAQs.asp  Presently off line.

Download GKX-9000 Manual from Digitrex:   http://www.digitrex.net/documents/GKx-9000manual%20dec03.pdf  Presently off line.

Download CH-DVR 1500 Manual and Updates from Cyberhome:   http://www.cyberhome.com/downloads.asp?Product=1500 No downloads are available.

Download CH-DVR 1530 Manual from Cyberhome:   User Manual for CH-DVR 1530 - PDF File  Manual no longer available.

Cyberhome DVD 655

This model doesn't seem to have any master Reset to set it back to NTSC.  If you accidentally set it to PAL and want to set it back but can't see the screen to use the menu press the following keys:

 

Cyberhome DVD CH-300, 320, 400 Repair

These are not bad units, although the power supply has been a weak spot they are about on par with other inexpensive imported players.  However, before purchasing one you should take into consideration that Cyberhome is now out of business!

These units should always be unplugged when not in use to conserve the power supply because some owners report having a life as short as 3 months.

Cyberhome CH-300 & 400 DVD players have 2 types of power supply boards commonly in use, one made by Pangu Ltd. and one by ACHME.  The Pangu model seems to be the most common in the USA but they both put out +5 volts at 2.5A and +12 volts at 0.1A and are interchangeable.  It is common for the Pangu model to fail within a year because of bad capacitors and the ACHME to go Fizz-Bang! when several parts burn up.  I am currently repairing the Pangu for $15.00 plus $6.00 for Priority mail return shipping.  Just because the power supply is repaired is no guarantee the player will work without problems though. It can have other problems as shown below.

Pangu Power Supply Board

Replacing C10 & C11

The Jenpo brand 5 volt filter capacitors at C10 and C11 on the Pangu board tend to go bad after about 8 months and need to be replaced after they blow up or leak (or better yet even before they go bad and ruin the loader).  If your unit stops working,  works intermittently,  won't open the tray or has other strange problems and output voltages measure too low, replace C10 and C11.  The capacitors are rated at 2200MFD and 1000MFD, 16 volts but I doubt the 16 volt rating marked on them is correct.  You can use larger values and higher voltages but it's hard to find any small enough to fit unless you lay then on their side with the leads bent at an angle. Alternately L4 can be removed and mounted on the bottom of the board to make room for larger capacitors.  There is room underneath for L4 since the board is mounted on spacers if the leads are bent about 45 degrees which also make soldering underneath it easier.

Replacement capacitors better than the originals are available, 1000 MFD, 16V, 105C and  2200MFD, 16V, 105C. If units with 105C rating are not available a lower temperature may be used. 

The output voltages can be measured by attaching the negative lead of a DVM anywhere to the chassis and sticking the positive probe into the top of the connector at CN2 so the probe touches the pin inside the connector. Do not disconnect the power cable, the voltage must be measured while the load is connected to the power supply and the unit turned on.  If voltage regulation is unusually bad and the 5 volts is low and goes up and down when you operate the player, open and close the drawer etc. you will need to fix a design error on the pc board, see below.

By the way, the loader or player mechanism used in the 300S, 300Z and 300ZS seems unable to survive a power supply failure.  Several that I've had for repair still won't work after the P/S is repaired so if you have that kind of loader it may be a good idea to replace the capacitors before they fail, even if your unit is still working.

Removing the Power Supply for Repair

If the power supply voltages are not correct the board should be removed and sent in for repair.  First, unplug the AC power cord.  Then disconnect the front cable by gripping the wires firmly and pulling up. You may have to rock back and forth slightly to get the connector to come free.  To remove the connector for AC power at the rear be sure and squeeze the plastic tab to unlatch the housing before pulling up.  Then take out the 2 screws and squeeze the 2 plastic tabs one at a time with needle nose pliers while gently lifting up to dislodge the board.

 PC Board Repair & Voltage Adjustment

The 5 volt output of the CH-300 Pangu board should be in the range of 5.00-5.10 volts and the 12 volt output between 12-13 volts. If your unit has a 5 volt output that measures less than 5 volts (such as 4.92)  after replacing the capacitors and won't open the tray or has other strange problems like the spindle motor not running properly you need to fix the pc board error and adjust the output voltage.  There is a layout error on the pc board that had the sensor for the regulator connected to the rectifier diode D8 before the voltage is filtered, causing bad regulation. The sensor should be connected to the output where the load is attached after the voltage is filtered and smoothed by C11 and L4 for the regulator to work properly . 

On the bottom of the board cut the trace at the narrow point between R7 and the right pin of L4 that goes to D8 with an X-Acto knife or Dremel tool as shown in the photo. Then scrape off an area of the green coating about 2-3 mm square right above R7 and tin it with solder for a connection. Solder a piece of wire from the 5 volt output pin of CN2 to the new connection point you just made. A piece of the lead from one of the new capacitors installed at C10 or C11 will work for that. 

It's probably not necessary but if the voltage is still less than 5.0 volts after fixing the pc board, install a 100K-150K resistor at R8.  If R8 makes the 5 volt output too high, use a resistor value higher than 100K to get less voltage and a lower value like 82K to make the voltage go higher but don't go higher than 5.10 volts in any case.  They used miniature surface mount resistors but a common 1/8 watt or 1/4 watt unit will work if you bend the leads sharply so it will fit on the board and connect one end to the lower end of ZD2 instead of the surface mount pad on the right, as shown in the photo. If the voltage is still too low check the voltage on pin 1 of U3 (where the right end of the 100K resistor is connected in the photo) which should be 2.50 volts and if less that about 2.47 volts replace U3 to bring the output back up to 5.00 volts.

Mini DVD Player Power Supply Board

This rare kind of board is from a CH-300 dated April 2003 with a power switch on the rear that I would call a 300B. These cannot be repaired at this time because IC1, the L6565 regulator IC is not available in small quantities.

ACHME Power Supply Board

At the present time I am not repairing this kind of board but it can be replaced with a Pangu board.  For repair information see Bullfrog's website in the U.K.

Cyberhome CH-300, CH-400 Repair, U.K.

Other Problems with CH-300

The CH-300 is sold in several different models that look similar but have different internal parts.  For ones using the ACHME or Mini DVD Player brand power supplies I can supply a replacement Pangu unit that has been repaired and tested for $15.00 plus postage to use if the rest of the unit is still in good condition.

The CH-300 using the Ali M3351 chip with the solid black plastic loader mechanism and Pangu power supply tends to have capacitor failures within 3-8 months. Also the ribbon cable connecting the laser carriage will break at the ends with heavy usage. The loader will usually survive a power supply failure and continue to work until something else goes wrong. If the tray won't open or the spindle motor won't run the voltage from the power supply may be too low or the driver IC in the upper right corner of the pc board under the loader (right above the hole) may be burned out.

The CH-300S & CH-320 using the Ali M3351 chip with the Pangu power supply tends to have capacitor failures within 3-8 months. When that happens they are not worth the trouble of repairing since the loader mechanism usually doesn't survive the power supply failure. All the models from CH-300S on have a loader with metal access cover and a longer more flexible ribbon cable that does not break as easily as the one in the CH-300.

The CH-300Z model using the Zoran chip that I have is still in good condition and has not presented any problems.

The CH-300ZS & CH-300ZS1 using the Zoran chip has the same problems as the CH-300S and may not survive a power supply failure.

Replacement remote controls can be ordered directly from the Cyberhome on-line store. No longer available since Cyberhome went out of business. Try ebay.

DVD Audio Won't Play

If you have a DVD that used to play just fine before but now has no audio try removing it and placing an audio CD in the player. If that plays properly put the DVD back in and it should play audio now.  If there is no audio CD handy then unplugging the power for a minute to reset it will probably accomplish the same thing.

Recovering from a condition with no TV picture

Accidentally switching to PAL and getting a rolling black & white picture happens all the time to baffle users, especially on models with a System or P/N key on the remote. To get back your color and sound just switch to the proper system in the menu or put in a movie of the correct type and it can switch automatically or try the procedure below for resetting to the defaults.

Sometimes owners will accidentally switch to Progressive Scan in the menu then get no picture at all. You can fix the no picture condition on the CH-300 by resetting the defaults to interlaced as mentioned in the users manual:

"To reset the VIDEO OUTPUT, turn Off the player, turn back On,  open the disc tray and press and hold the Stop button on the player for 10 seconds to reset the scan mode."

 The Reset procedure doesn't seem to work on all versions but you can sometimes get a usable B&W picture allowing you to get to the menu and change the settings by connecting the composite video input of your display to the Red Pr/Cr or Green Y component output jacks on the rear of the cabinet.

You can also go into the Menu and set it blind with the following key presses on the Remote:

1. With the unit Stopped, press Setup.

2. Press Enter.

3. Press the Down Arrow 3 times.

4. Press the Right Arrow Once.

5. Press Enter.

On 300Z & 300ZS models if the video is set to Progressive Scan and you can't get a viewable picture on the Red or Green jacks try going into the Menu blind and changing it back with the following key presses on the Remote:

1. With the unit stopped, press Setup on the remote.

2. Press the Right Arrow Once.

3. Press Enter.

4. Press the Down Arrow 2 times.

5. Press Enter.

6. Press the Up Arrow 2 Times.

7. Press Enter. This should switch it back to Interlaced scan with S-Video and Composite output.

To change the Parental Control setting on the CH-300 use the factory password of 3351.  For the CH-400 use 1379.

 

CH-300, CH-300S and CH-300ZS Loader Mechanisms

Tray Won't Open

If the unit plays properly but the tray won't open unless you use the slot in the bottom to eject it the rubber drive belt is probably broken.  It's easy to replace by removing the cover then ejecting the tray until the belt is exposed through the hole in the tray.  Action Electronics seems to have one that would fit, model SCY3.2 for $2.99. The old belt measured 3.25" in circumference by .04" thick. The one they have that would seem to be a good replacement is 3.2" by .039".  The shipping costs a lot more than the belt though.
 

Broken Ribbon Cable

The CH-300 in the photo on the left has a solid black loader mechanism while the CH-300ZS on the right has a metal cover on top of the loader that allows access to the laser mechanism.  The plain CH-300 version has a very short and stiff ribbon cable connecting the pc board with the moving laser carriage that can weaken from constant flexing and break next to the connector on the carriage. The CH-300ZS with a longer, thinner cable does not seem to have that problem.  If the plastic cable in the CH-300 has a sharp bend and is starting to delaminate it should be replaced. Symptoms of this problem are being able to play only CD's but not DVD's or having movies not play all the way through to the end. To get to the ribbon cable the loader mechanism must be removed  from the case and the pc board underneath that is held on by 4 screws unfastened from the bottom. 

CH-300 on the left, CH-300S and CH-300ZS, right

The ribbon cable can be accessed by removing the 4 screws from the pc board on the bottom of the black plastic loader mechanism and lifting it up a little after removing the entire loader from the case. 

Bottom of Loader with PC Board removed to show Ribbon Cable

Note: If the tray won't open or the spindle motor won't run the voltage from the power supply may be too low, motor may be bad or the driver IC in the upper right corner of the pc board (right above the hole) may be burned out.

 

Ribbon Cable showing broken end that connects to Laser Carriage

The 30 conductor ribbon cable used in the CH-300 tends to break at the end because it's only 2" long and rather stiff.  A replacement one 3" long can be obtained from Mouser Electronics, Part. No. 538-21020-0319. Be sure you have the 30 conductor cable before ordering.  You shouldn't try to replace it unless you are good at brain surgery or building model ships inside bottles!

Apex AD-500, 500W, AD-600A, AD-800, AD-1100W, AD-1200 and Other Models also Repaired

for $15.00 plus $3.85 for 2nd day Priority or $2.00 for Parcel Post return shipping in the USA. Add $2.65 for insurance.

Ejecting a stuck disc from a 300

Sometimes you have a disc stuck in the drive that won't come out. Here are some tips on removing a stuck disc.

It may be possible to get it to open by turning off the power for a minute, then turning it back on and quickly pressing Open before it has a chance to try and read the disc again. Some models that don't have power switches like the CH-300 and Apex DRX-9000 need to have the power cord unplugged for a minute. The CH-300 has a slot underneath to allow opening however. 

If it's got an IDE interface you can connect a ribbon cable from your PC, then right click on it's drive letter in My Computer and select Eject. If you can get to the button on the front just disconnect the ribbon cable and press the eject button or simply insert a paper clip in the hole in the front to eject it if the front panel can be removed. Usually there is a trim piece on the front of the tray that closes the hole in the front panel and doesn't allow it to be removed unless the tray is opened first however.
If you have a newer, cheaper loader that's not IDE but has 2 or 3 smaller cables and no computer interface you will have to remove the drive from the cabinet and turn the gears under the front manually to eject the tray unless it has a cover on top you can remove to get to the disc.

LiteOn LVW-5005, LVW-5007, iLo DVDR04 Recorders

 

Zapped by a Power Surge:

Unfortunately, these units have a power supply design that makes them especially susceptible to damage by power surges. They should always be plugged into a good surge protector that is grounded, such as one from APC. If you have frequent power surges you may need a UPS that runs the unit on power that is isolated from the mains, such as a Unison MPS1200 or a Sola power conditioning constant voltage transformer such as a Model CVS like they use with point of sale terminals in stores.  Also, unplug the unit or turn off the surge protector when not in use and during thunder storms.  Also, since the cable or TV antenna coax input is the only ground you should make sure your coax cable is connected to a ground block that has a good earth ground outside where it comes into the building.

Video is Pale With Weak Colors Using the TV Tuner:

These units don't have the best quality TV tuner so colors tend to look like pastels, pale and washed out and without a lot of contrast.  If you have an HDTV tuner, satellite receiver or cable box, use the composite or S-Video output from that and feed it into the back of the LVW-5007 to use as the source instead of the built-in tuner.

Fan Runs All the Time:

It doesn't really run all the time but might seem like it. There is no main power switch so the power supply is always on and supplies +5 and +12 volts to the DVD burner and the decoder board.  On the decoder board there are 3 small regulators and several power MOSFET transistors that are controlled by the on-board microprocessor to switch +12 volts on and off for the fan and +5 and +3.3 volts to different areas of the decoder board. When the unit is busy doing something like downloading the TV Guide the front panel will be blanked except for the time display but power will be on to the fan and the decoder board.  You may even hear the DVD burner making noises sometimes and you can actually eject the tray with the front panel button (if the drive is out where the button can be reached) while the unit is supposed to be turned off.  If this bothers you then unplug the power cord when it's not in use.  This will not only save power but will also protect the unit from power surges.

When a New Blank Disc is Put in the Drive to Record it Says "Reading" For a Long Time and Never Does Anything:

If a new disc is inserted in the drive to record and it just says "Reading" then hangs and you can't record or get the disc out it's because the drive isn't able to recognize the kind of disc or it's format. It's either an unknown brand of disc or it might already be formatted in some unknown format from a PC or some other burner. To get the disc out unplug the unit for a minute, then plug it back in and watch the front panel.  After saying "Hello" is may say "Reading" or "In" or display the time, at that time you should press the Eject button to get the disc out.

When I tried the sale brand of disc from Office Max, called K-Hypermedia DVD+R in the 5007 it just froze.  If I use Memorex 4X DVD+R discs it works fine.  None of the companies that sell DVD's actually make them so analyzing the K-Hypermedia DVD+R discs with DVDInfoPro found them to be made by CMC Magnetics, Ver. R01, 2.4X. The Memorex 4X DVD+R discs turned out to be CMC Magnetics, Ver. F01, 4.0X.

Tray Won't Stay Closed or Won't Open To Remove the Disc Using Eject:

If the tray in the DDW-451S drive just makes a clicking noise and refuses to open or won't stay closed and opens again by itself there are several things that may cause that:

Don't try to pry the front open, it won't work and all you will do is break the plastic bezel!  To get it open remove the top cover from the cabinet and take the top off the drive by removing the 4 small screws at the corners of the drive and lifting off the black plastic cover.  Then pull out on the tray gently while you are pressing Eject.  When the tray is open you will be able to see the small belt that needs to be replaced.

Don't touch the laser carriage or look into the laser with power on!

If the belt has broken or stretched out too much to drive the mechanism it won't be possible to open the tray using Eject.  There is a mechanical eject on the front of the drive to open the tray using a paper clip the same as on most other drives but no way to access it through the front panel.  A small hole could be drilled in the plastic panel that would allow using a paper clip to open the tray without doing damage to the front panel if you are careful.  Measure over one inch from the left edge of the tray and down 1/8" to mark the location then carefully drill a 1/16" hole through the front panel where the blue X is in the photo. Don't let the drill go in too far and hit the drive.  Place a paper sticker or piece of masking tape on the front to use for marking so as not to leave permanent marks on the panel and remove it after drilling the hole. After the hole is drilled in the front you will be able to straighten out a paper clip and push it in the hole to open the tray by pushing in the release.  The tray should pop out far enough to allow you to grab the front and pull it out. Once the tray is open you will be able to see the small rubber belt on the drive motor that needs to be replaced.  At that point you can remove the plastic cover from the drive and replace the rubber belt as described above.

The old belt measured approximately 0.7" diameter, 2.2" inside circumference by .045" thick (18.5mm X 58mm X 1.16mm).  Action Electronics has a couple that might fit, model SCY2.2 for $2.99 or SCQ2.2 for $3.71.  They aren't the exact same thickness though, the SCY2.2 is slightly thinner at .032" while the SCQ2.2 is .055" for $3.71.  The thinner model SCY2.2 should be an acceptable fit.  The shipping costs a lot more than the belt though.  A 5/8" rubber O-ring 1/16" thick from the hardware store can be used in a pinch.

If the belt is not cracked or broken, just stretched slightly and slips it may be possible to recondition it so that it works by cleaning it with a rubber conditioner such as Cooper's HL Platen Cleaner that is sold for typewriter platens and feed rollers. Remove the belt and rub the inside of it all the way round with a Q-tip dipped in the cleaner then replace it and see if it works.

After the belt is replaced or if it looks good and isn't stretched the tray should open right away and close with a positive sounding "Clunk" as the center hub snaps up into place. If the tray still won't open repeatedly or doesn't close with enough force to move the center hub into position and stay closed you will need to lube the tray and upgrade the power supply.

If the display dims when the tray tries to open you may need to upgrade the power supply.  On the PC board capacitors C120 and C121 which are 1000 MFD and 470 MFD caps need to be replaced with 2200 MFD, 16 volt caps. Also check for other caps that are leaking or swollen and need to be replaced on the P/S while you are at it. To get the P/S board out you have to remove the DVD drive. Be sure and unplug the AC power cord at this time.  First get the tray open and then snap the trim piece off the front end, close the tray, then take out the 4 screws holding it down and lift it up then slide it back and out.  Unplug the 4 pin power cable from the drive and the 40 pin ribbon cable from the control board. The P/S can then be removed by taking out 2 screws from the front right and left rear corners and sliding it out.  After replacing C 120 and C121 reverse the procedure to put it back in.  Be careful not to touch the area underneath the back of the board that has high voltage on it.

While you have the drive out you can lube the tray.  With the top cover off open the tray all the way by pushing in on the cup shaped release mechanism at the front to release it and then slide it out. Look underneath the tray and you will see some grooves along the sides that it slides on. The groove under the left side is visible in the photo above.  Use a small amount of Vaseline or light grease on a Q-tip and lube those areas and also the L shaped groove underneath the center at the front. With the tray all the way open you will be able to see a plastic piece near the front of the drive but at the back of and below the tray that slides left and right with 2 round tabs on top of it and 2 groves down the side where the center hub moves up and down as it goes left and right.  Be sure all those areas are lightly lubed as well.  Don't use too much or get any on top of the tray and never touch the laser mechanism or the lens. Try sliding the tray in and out a few times by hand to make sure it moves easily without binding.  With the tray open you can also put a drop of light oil on the motor shaft below the small pulley. Be careful not to get any oil on the pulley or the belt.

If you have done all this and it still won't open and close it's possible the motor is worn out or the motor driver IC is burned out. In that case you have to replace the drive, see Bad DVD Drive- below.

Unit Comes On For a Few Seconds Then Switches Off For About a Minute Then Comes On Again, Over and Over:

This is usually the result of someone trying to do a firmware "update" that didn't work or possibly a power surge. It might even seem like a bad power supply but is the result of the microprocessor on the decoder board not being able to cycle the power on and off correctly. The front panel may be blanked and the buttons may or may not work and the tray might not open.  This can only be fixed by doing a good firmware update to restore it to proper operation. A combined system and drive update that fails can also kill the DVD drive.  See how to recover from a bad update, below.

BTW, firmware updates come in 3 different forms with 3 different file extensions or suffixes to identify them. For instance,  LNKA1039.ES1 from LiteOn would be system only.

The latest firmware version was LNKA1040.EA0 but that doesn't work, so stick with 1039.  After installing 1040 the remote wouldn't work, it couldn't change channels and had all sorts of problems and had to be set back to the previous version.  Fortunately you can go back without a problem.  The DVD drive must be updated first and already working perfectly for the system update to work, however.

The firmware is no longer available from LiteOn but a link to download it can be found here:

DVDR04/HD04 Firmware Download Page

Can't Play Recordings On a DVD Player:

The DDW-451S drive with firmware version G2B9 in the 5007 may not allow bit setting so the unit will not set the Book Type to DVD-Rom when DVD+R discs are Finalized so they won't be playable in DVD players that cannot handle raw DVD+R discs. In order to get it to work properly you have to read out the drive's firmware with the Firmware Flashing Tool and patch it with OmniPatcher by setting the option to Enable Auto-Bitsetting, then write it back to the drive. This can be done for you if you send it to us for repair.

Bad DVD Drive- Can't Find The Disc, Will Play CD's but not DVD's or Vice-Versa:

If the DVD drive makes clicking and clanking noises and will not play DVD's but plays CD's or will not play CD's but plays DVD's the drive is probably bad. It could be the result of a bad firmware update, a mechanical failure or just worn out.  The drive can be taken out and tested in a PC. It should be able to play DVDs and record them using Nero.   We do not repair these since parts are not available and new drives are not available at a reasonable price. A bad firmware update can be repaired though.  Replacement drives are not available off the shelf since they are an OEM version made for the recorders by LiteOn but I have been told the PC version made by LiteOn, the model 160 and 165 will work but I haven't verified that myself. They are quite inexpensive and are available from Newegg for around $30.00  They may not fit into the case properly though. It's possible that newer models of Sony drives could be made to work by replacing the firmware since they are built in China by LiteOn but it's hard to say for sure.  To get the drive out you have to first remove the trim piece from the front of the tray.  If the tray won't open see; Tray won't open, can't remove the disc using Eject, above.

It's been reported in TechoLiO.com that Soho 1613s normal and cross flashed to 1633s works in the iLo DVDHD04 like a charm so they should work in the LiteOn also but the front panel has to be cut out to accept the larger size drive. http://www.techolio.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1322&highlight=

One problem with using a PC type LiteOn drive such as the model 160 or 165 is they may not be able to erase DVD-R/W discs so they can be used again. A work around was found to do it by first erasing the disc on a PC with Nero then erasing it in the recorder.

Another problem with using a PC drive is the loud noise due to the high speed.  In the recorder the burner only needs to run at 1X and if you use a 16X model there is no way to slow it down.

No matter what you might have heard, a LiteOn DVD-Rom drive, like the model HD166 on ebay for $10.00, which is just a player, cannot be made to record by updating the firmware or anything else you might try doing to it because it's a lot different mechanically.

At first glance the burner and player look similar, they use the same frame, same small board at the front and same disc drive motor, however........

Inside, the units are quite different.  They have different PC boards and the burner, left, has a much bigger optical assembly on the carriage that holds the more powerful laser to burn discs that is connected with a 50 pin ribbon cable.  The player, right, has a smaller playback only laser mechanism that connects with just a 26 pin ribbon cable.

 

Recovering From a Bad Firmware Update:

I've seen several of these attempts fail.  If someone has tried to do a firmware update that failed there may be one of 4 outcomes:

  1. It will be OK.

  2. It will play some but tend to freeze and generally act strange and the TV Guide display will be distorted.

  3. It will come on for a few seconds then go off for about a minute and then come on again, over and over.

  4. It will come on with Hello stuck on the display and the tray won't open, there's no video output and none of the buttons work.

Numbers 2 and 3 can be repaired by sending the unit to us for repair.

If you get the results in #4 you're out of luck and have a brick or door stop!

A bad update to the DVD burner can be repaired by updating it on a PC, separately from the rest of the unit.

The LVW-5005 does not fail in mode 4 as often as the 5007, however it can happen. I've heard reports from owners who said the unit was working fine one night and when they turned it on the next day it was stuck at "hello" so I think power surges will damage the unit. They should be put on a good surge protector or UPS such as an APC for protection. My power goes out a lot so I have everything in my house on surge protectors and my computer equipment on a UPS and I've never had any problems.
 

Removing a stuck disc from the drive:

If someone has tried to do a firmware update that failed, power supply died or for whatever reason you end up with a disc stuck in the drive and it won't open don't try to pry it open by force, all you will do is damage the bezel. You can't remove the drive from the cabinet either until it's tray is opened because of the trim piece on the front of the tray. The only way to open it is to disconnect the power and IDE ribbon cables, set the cabinet on end next to your PC and with the PC power off, connect the computer's IDE cable and power cable to the LiteOn drive. Then start up the PC and in My Computer right click on the letter of the new drive and click Eject.  If you intend to remove the drive from the cabinet remove the trim by snapping it up and off while the tray is open.

The LiteOn drive actually has an eject button on the front and a hole to insert a wire or paper clip to open the tray but they are behind the front panel and there is no access hole to reach them so they can't be used until the drive is removed from the cabinet or you can drill a hole in the front, see Tray won't open, can't remove the disc using Eject, above.

Raite  715 (Jaton) DVD Player Repair

Model No. DVD Player Rev. 3 Billion power supply used in Raite 715.

Raite 715 Power supply showing burned area under diode ZD3 and Q5 & Q6.

This Raite 715 power supply was assembled incorrectly at the factory when a solid bare wire was installed next to ZD3 instead of a resistor, causing the diode and transistors Q5 & Q6 to overheat and burnout!  The purpose of the diode and (missing) resistor was to provide a regulated 5 volts to the two transistors that drive the front panel display through transformer T2.   When the diode and transistors burn out the display goes out too.  The diode ZD3 tends to short out from overheating and drag down the +12 volts that supplies it and the player quits working at that point.

This board can be repaired by replacing the bad transistors Q5 & Q6 with new transistors such as 2SC1213A or NTE289A and installing a 7805, 5 volt regulator in the area where the burned diode ZD3 and the bare wire were located.  Also C18 & C19 should be upgraded to 1000 MFD units and any other leaking or swollen capacitors with rounded tops replaced.

Go Video DVD Recorder R6640

The Go Video DVD Recorder is made in China by TCL and seems to have good quality of construction for an inexpensive unit and even has a firewire input on the front panel for a camcorder.  It doesn't overheat as badly as most Chinese made recorders but does tend to get quite hot in the center where the MPEG-2 decoder is located.  It has a small fan on the rear to exhaust hot air but there is really no place for fresh cool air to come in.  I punched a series of holes on the right side of the cover to let in cool air which can then flow over the power supply and MPEG-2 decoder heat sink to cool them before it is blown out the back.

 

The DVD burner or loader used in the R6640 in an inexpensive model DRL-100 from DVS that only burns DVD+R and +RW discs in this machine.  DVS claims it will do DVD-R and DVD-RW discs but that is not supported in the R6640. 

Problems

 

 

The power supply 12 volt output is rather low, running about 11.2 volts.  I found this to be due to insufficient filtering by the capacitors and having the wrong type of 12 volt regulator installed.  The two capacitors circled should be replaced with 2200 MFD units and the one on the right of the regulator heat sink with 1000 MFD.  This will get the unregulated voltage up to about 13.5 volts but since the LM7812 regulator has approximately a 2 volt drop the output can be no higher than 11.5 volts.  The regulator should be replaced by a low dropout model that has only 0.5 voltage drop like the L4940V12 from ST.

Samsung SFT-702M Plus FTA MPEG-2 Receiver

When I originally got it the reception was poor and the thing would only work for a while and freeze so I put it away but got it out again later and had another look at it. I measured the P/S voltages, looked at signals with a scope, checked temperatures and took the PC boards out and looked them over.


The first thing I found was that it overheats. The processor chip got quite hot so I glued an aluminum heat sink on it with epoxy. Everything else got pretty hot too so I cut a hole in the middle of the top cover and installed a fan. There is room for up to a 60mm fan to fit inside if it doesn't have the PC card slots inside and there is a handy 12 volt DC jack on the rear for power. You just have to remember to turn on the 12 volts for each satellite though.
There was noise on some of the voltage buses so I installed a missing 220 MFD filter capacitor at CF113. There are several caps missing but it only needed CF113.
One of the biggest problems besides overheating is lack of a chassis ground. I think that anything with a database in volatile memory should have a good ground to provide protection against static discharges so I cut off the 2 wire power cord and spliced on a 3 wire grounding cord and connected the green wire to the chassis.
I also installed a toggle switch on the back under the hole where the cord comes in that is in series with one of the leads to make it possible to turn off the power. That's also handy to reset it when it freezes but that hasn't happened since putting in the fan and the 3 wire power cord.
The RF modulator had never worked and while I had the boards out I noticed that it had some broken connections. It is only held on by some solder bridges between the small board on the end of the modulator and pads on the main board that break easily. I just removed the modulator since I don't use it and it's absence will provide more room for cooling air to flow.
Since I did all that the unit has been working fine and I haven't had any trouble with it except for the satellite database being out of date.  Samsung used to offer a program that allowed downloading the database, editing the satellite data, then uploading it back over the serial port. However Samsung has a bad habit of removing everything from their websites that doesn't apply to models no longer being sold so I don't think that is available anymore. There is a third party program called SetEditS7 that will work on this model but it costs 25 Euros.  www.setedit.de/SetEditS7_en.html