The end of one recorder era

My Panasonic DMR EX75 HDD/DVD recorder has given up on the Freeview signal again. Checking the usual overheating 680 microfarad capacitor, I didn't find obvious signs of failure. It wasn't blowing it's top as the previous failures had done, for example -

But given the inexpert deposit of excess solder I left the last time it's possible the failure was internal or further under the board. I decided to attempt to replace the capacitor again anyway. Unfortunately two attempts to replace it failed, largely due to my incompetent soldering skills, I suspect.

Tinning the soldering iron tip proved unusually problematic this time. So I cleaned it with wire wool before the second attempt (and after it had cooled completely to room temperature). Note that you need to be really careful with this not to strip the iron surface bare or you'll find yourself in need of a new soldering iron.

As I said before, though, if you're thinking of tackling something like this, especially if you are an infrequent actor in such an arena, be sure to snip the legs of the failed capacitor quite high up on the first pass, so that you have a solid base to crimp the legs of the new capacitor to before soldering. My original failure to do this meant successive replacements over the years have been increasingly difficult to crimp/graft and solder.

I seem now to have reached the point of no return, at least as far as my rusty engineering repair skills are concerned.

I blame middle aged eye-sight and the need for reading glasses for close up work too. It's probably just as well I don't have to build flight simulation rigs any more, though I'm pretty sure I could still do the mathematics, the modelling, the design and the testing the parts of aircraft to destruction bit - operating the rigs and running the tests was never as tricky as constructing them.

Well the saga of the Panasonic DMR EX75 HDD/DVD recorder draws to a close. In any case, the machine won't now pick up the Freeview signal and though I can play what was recorded up to losing the signal, I can't record anything else. The old box of electronics is going to have to be retired. It's taken in

• the perils of online purchasing
• the monumental irritating stupidity of DRM
• the dealings with an approved Panasonic repair shop, J.F. Associates
• the stamina required to deal with zombie rule bound "customer service" centres of large companies
• Panasonic's centre will, once the requisite quantities of precisely the correct type of metaphorical bureaucratic blood are donated, and are pushed in the right direction by an independent Panasonic repair centre, replace faulty parts on their machines
• the freedom to tinker (or not) with electronic boxes of tricks like HDD/DVD recorders
• did I mention the monumentally irritating stupidity of DRM
• the power and the economy of the freedom to tinker
• the value of the internet and all those helpful people connected to it, willing to help out those in need of tinkering tips and tricks
• the easy access to cheap electronic components the replacement of which can negate the need to replace an expensive box of electronic tricks unnecessarily
• and not to forget the incredibly monumentally irritating stupidity of DRM

I hope the next recorder finding it's way into the B2fxxx household has a long but less eventful existence.

Panasonic HDD goes again

Well my Panasonic DMR EX75 DVD recorder failed again on Sunday - same old capacitor problem. First replacement lasted 12 months. Last one lasted 8.

I was out of capacitors, so it was back to Charles Hyde & Son and for £1.31 each I ordered three which arrived within a couple of days. They came with a small pack of sweets which was a nice touch my kids appreciated!

Replacing the capacitor as previously solved the problem. I'm not sure how long the latest one is going to last. The unit was running quite hot and successive solderings are getting more difficult to do and taking their toll on the capacitor base legs. I also initially thought I might have left a dry joint on one of the legs then over-compensated with too much solder leaving a blob but it seems to be working ok, at least for the moment. Maybe the blob will act as a buffer against the overheating caused by the design flaw?  We'll have to wait and see. 

More Panasonic DMR EX75 DVD tinkering

My Panasonic DMR EX75 DVD recorder with the dodgy DVD drive was back on the blink this week. It started refusing to pick up the Freeview signal again.  It's been a year since I replaced the capacitor that's prone to overheating on these machines and, sure enough, on lifting the lid and inspecting the over-stressed replacement capactor, that's the problem again.

You need to remember if you're going to tackle this problem that when you take the metal cover off there is still some dismantling to do. This is the picture under the metal cover:

At this point you need to unplug the connector strips from both sides of the green PCB and remove the screws from the corners of that PCB and carefully unplug it.  There's a smaller green pcb towwards the front of the machine above the one you're removing and you'll need to loosen the two retaining screws on this as well before lifting out the bigger board.  You can then get at the dodgy capacitor.

Clip the old capacitor legs off as high as you can in order to leave plenty of purchase to crimp your new capacitor legs on.  This makes the subsequent soldering much easier.  If you cut the legs too close to the surface of the board soldering is extremely fiddly and it's very difficult to get a clean connection.

Now carefully replace the pcb.  I wasn't careful enough and snapped the newly replaced capacitor off the bottom board.  Back to square one.  Pcb off, re-solder the capacitor and carefully replace the pcb. Plug the connector strips back in.  Put the metal cover back on and you're done!

Except that in my case I wasn't.

On connecting the machine back to the TV and switching on, the DVD drawer comes out, the display starts flashing and eventually tells me I've got a U61 error.

This is the same DVD drive that the machine's DRM is preventing me from using. After a lot of communications with them last year, Panasonic eventually agreed to replace the faulty DVD drive free of charge via J.F. Associates.  Shortly thereafter the stressed capacitor failed and I replaced it.  At this point the Pansonic's DRM decided it didn't approve of my DVDs and wouldn't play any of them!

Ok I haven't been able to use the DVD drive anyway so I'll live with the U61 DVD drive error.  No can do says the machine.  Because as long as there is a U61 error it is going to keep whirring and flashing, sticking the DVD drawer in and out, switching the stations on the TV, sticking messages on the TV screen and generally making it impossible to watch the TV or use the hard drive on the Panasonic. Honestly it's like a scene out of a Morecombe and Wise sketch.

It's resort to the manual and online forums time.  On consulting the troubleshooting section in the manual it tells me this is not a fault (the forums beg to differ) and that I should just let the machine go through the motions of resetting itself; and then turn it on when it powers down.  I let the machine whirr and flash and guess what - the manual is wrong and the forums are right.  The problem persists and no amount of automated resetting is getting rid of the fault.

I tried a variety of fixes none of which worked.  Then I decided to try unplugging the connector strips connecting the DVD drive to the circuit board and connecting the machine to mains electricity with the DVD drive disconnected. The theory was that whatever software loop was causing the automatic reset to fail might be bypassed if I disconnected the drive, thus enabling a fix. There are four of these connectors:

It's probably best isolate them with insulating tape to avoid shorting, before replacing the machine cover and plugging into the mains. I gave it about 15 to 20 minutes to reset (I hoped though not with a great deal of optimism) before disconnecting it from the mains again. 

The final stage was to plug the four DVD drive connector strips back into the green pcb, put the lid back on and try connecting it up to the TV and mains again.  This time it worked. The Panasonic can pick up the Freeview signal and record to and playback from the hard drive again.

Now dare I believe that, as a side effect of this tinkering, some sense might have been knocked into the machine's DRM, to the extent it might play my DVDs again? I know if I try it the system will have a heart attack and just give up but I can't help myself.

Open the DVD drawer.

Put in a DVD (Red fwiw).


Close the DVD drawer.

Hold my breath.

Whatdaya know...

It plays!

Why didn't I think of doing a disconnect reset this time last year! [Probably because at that point in the saga I had given up (unfairly as it turned out) on Panasonic ever helping and bought a cheap DVD player to play my discs.]

In any case the DMR EX75 is back in operation until the next time... I'm hoping at the very least that it survives the stress of the holiday season.

Note: pictures, as before, are from the AVForums thread that pointed me at the suspect capacitor this time last year.

Ofcom response on BBC HD DRM freedom of information request

Ofcom have responded to my latest freedom of information request relating to HD DRM.

Dear Mr Corrigan

Freedom of Information: Right to know request

Thank you for your request for information requesting copies of documents relating to
Ofcom’s decision regarding Content Management on the HD Freeview platform which
Ofcom received on 6 June 2011 and is considering under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (‘the Act’).

I am writing to confirm that Ofcom has now completed its search.

You asked:

I would like to make a freedom of information request for full and
complete copies of the documents:

(a) recording and explaining the reasons behind Ofcom's decision in
2009 to abandon its long standing opposition to the idea of the BBC
adding digital rights management technology to its high-definition
broadcasts and

(b) outlining the decision making process leading to the Ofcom
public consultation 'Content management on the HD Freeview
platform' (Start date: 22 January 2010, End
date: 02 April 2010).

In respect of your request we are able to provide the following information:

(a) recording and explaining the reasons behind Ofcom's decision in
2009 to abandon its long standing opposition to the idea of the BBC
adding digital rights management technology to its high-definition
broadcasts and

Please refer to the Statement on Content Management on the HD Freeview platform
published on Ofcom’s website via link:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/content_mngt/statement/

(b) outlining the decision making process leading to the Ofcom

public consultation 'Content management on the HD Freeview
platform' (Start date: 22 January 2010, End
date: 02 April 2010).

I would refer you to the Minutes of three Policy Executive Meetings as detailed below and
to the associated Papers. The Papers are attached to the covering email to this letter.

PE255 (09) Digital Rights management on DTT

24th September 2009:
• The team tabled PE 255(09). PE explored with GB and the team the background to the
current issues and the team’s initial assessment of the options for proceeding;
• PE noted that the team would return to a future meeting with a recommendation for how
Ofcom should proceed. PE agreed that, to progress the issue most effectively, the team
should, as a priority, arrange a series of face to face meetings with the key stakeholders,
including rights holders, to better understand their respective positions.

PE 275(09) Digital Rights Management on HD Freeview

22nd October 2009
DH introduced PE 275(09), reiterated the background to Ofcom’s recent consultation
with industry on the BBC’s request to amend a multiplex licence to encrypt HD Freeview
Electronic Programme Guide data, and summarised the responses to that consultation.
During the ensuing discussion, PE:
• agreed that the team should prepare a further consultation (for publication in November
or December 2009, to conclude in February or March 2010) which:
• reiterated Ofcom’s view that providing services in HD on DTT would be in the interest of
consumers, and explained the steps that Ofcom had taken so far, and would continue to
take, to facilitate this;
• emphasised that the BBC’s request had raised a number of broader issues that were not
within Ofcom’s remit to answer, and explained the issues on which Ofcom was consulting;
• expressed concern about competition issues arising from the BBC’s approach and
sought evidence of its impact on the competitive landscape;
• agreed the team should encourage the BBC to resubmit its request with a more thorough
assessment and analysis of the broader range of issues it raised;
• agreed that the team should send a copy of the second consultation document to PE for
information.

PE 370(09) Digital Rights Management on the HD Freeview platform:

17th December 2009
Following a short discussion of the issues raised in PE 370(09), PE:
• agreed that Ofcom should issue a second consultation in early January 2010 on the
BBC’s request for a Multiplex B licence amendment to support their plans to apply Digital
Rights Management to HD content on the DTT platform;
• agreed that approval of the final version of the consultation document should be
delegated to the project sponsors, HN and PP.

Some information within Papers PE255 (09) and PE 275 (09) is exempt from disclosure
under Section 41of the Act. This part of the Act deals with information provided in
confidence and the disclosure of information to the public (otherwise than under the Act)
by Ofcom would constitute a breach of confidence actionable by the person providing the

information. Section 41 is an absolute exemption under the Act and does not require a
public interest test.

It is likely that other exemptions will apply.

Please ensure that when using the provided information in any way, you comply with all
relevant legislation. For example, the information provided may be protected by copyright
under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended). If in doubt, please
seek independent legal advice. For Ofcom’s policy on copyright and related issues, please
refer to http://www.ofcom.org.uk/disclaimer.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the
reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely

Julia Snape

Some of the information in papers PE255(09) and PE275(09) has been withheld under section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act. The information withheld appears to be related to manufacturers of broadcast receiving equipment and the Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator (DTLA). Ofcom, in PE275(09) refers to this group as the 'Digital Television Licensing Authority'. The DTLA is an organistion set up by Hitachi, Intel, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba which, according to Ofcom "own the IPR for the DRM technology included in the minimum HD Freeview receiver specifications.

Paper PE255(09)  is a set of slides for a Policy Excutive meeting on 24 September 2009. They refer to the BBC, C4 and ITV being under pressure from rights holders leading to the BBC proposing the HD DRM scheme ("very late in the process") which in turn led Ofcom to write to "key stakeholders" (not including civil society or open source advocates/businesses) and launch a short consultation on the issue, (Enquiry to Ofcom from BBC Free to View Ltd. concerning its DTT High Definition License) on 3 September 2009.  Despite the short 2 week time window for the consultation they got over 200 individual responses "universally against" the BBC scheme.

From PE275(09):

[...]

[...]

 [...] Is Ofcom a reluctant participant in the HD DRM issue...

The paper then goes on to consider the 4 options facing Ofcom in more detail ie

1. Allow drm
2. Refuse to allow drm
3. Consult again
4. Consult again but allow drm in the interim

It states that there are risks to Ofcom in all of these but also implicitly accepts, without any evidence, the notion that without DRM the availability of content for HD broadcasts will be restricted. They discuss in relation to option 3 the fact that the BBC proposal "removes the ability of consumers to purchase receivers without DRM" and hence "Ofcom's decision on the BBC's proposal is likely to be dependent on advice form the IPO on whether broadcaster planned use of DRM would be consistent with consumer "fair use" and "format shifting" of the content."

Maybe we should ask for evidence of that advice being sought and what specific advice was received in that regard.

On the risks: "Ofcom could face a potentially significant reputational risk if it were to adopt option 1."  It might be said that Ofcom:

 They were also concerned at the risk of a legal challenge due firstly to Ofcom not following due process and secondly because the BBC might be accused of rigging the market to favour certain manufacturers of receiving equipment.

Paper PE370(09), dated 11 December 2009, recommended option 2 - a second consultation to be initiated in January 2010. The BBC had at this stage submitted a more detailed report, on 9 November 2009, on why they wanted the HD DRM. It's included as an annex to paper PE370(09) but this we've seen before (see p47-86 at http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/content_mngt/summary/condoc.pdf).
The interesting thing is that despite this paper containing no evidence for the claim that HD content will be restricted unless the BBC DRM proposal is approved, the recommendation of this paper to Ofcom's Policy Executive at this point is that

"In the second consultation, we propose to express support for the adoption of the BBC‟s
proposal subject to  subject to consultation responses, on the basis that DRM is a
justified objective which ensures the broadest range of content for consumers and the
means of implementation appears to us to be proportionate to that aim.

3. Stakeholders:
Ofcom received nearly  consumer  200 responses to its first consultation opposing the
BBC‟s proposed multiplex licence amendment.  The new consumer commitments set out
in the additional information provided by the BBC address many of these concerns, but
the use of DRM is likely to remain contentious and will continue to need careful handling
with consumer groups, MPs and the press. We intend to meet with relevant consumer
groups during the consultation period and highlight that if Ofcom does not approve the
proposed licence amendment there will a reduced incentive for the BBC and other
broadcasters on the DTT platform to introduce a self regulatory code of practice for how
they implement DRM on the DTT platform.
4. Risk and Impact (including Equality Impact):
There is a potential risk to the long term viability of the DTT platform if the BBC‟s
proposed licence amendment is not accepted which must be balanced against the risk of
undue  restrictions  being  placed  by DRM  on consumer  use  of HD content, and the
removal of the ability to purchase receivers without DRM. The  recently  proposed
commitments made by the BBC relating to safeguarding consumer interests against the
inappropriate use of DRM, significantly reduce the potential consumer downsides of their
proposal.
From a  competition perspective there is a risk associated with the BBC leveraging its
control  of EPG data (using its position as a multiplex licence holder)  to secure an
outcome in the receiver market. The BBCs fuller submission provides a useful basis for
evaluating the significance of the consumer benefits and the impact on the competition
from the proposed licence variation."

Taking all of this at face value it would seem that it was the BBC paper of 9 November 2009 that convinced the project group advising the Ofcom Policy Executive that HD DRM was such a good idea that the consultation should not just ask for opinions but support the proposal.

I'll have to ponder this but in the meantime I've sent a follow up request on the IPO advice regarding evidence that it was sought and what specific advice was received.