20 Most Recent Pioneer DVR-520H DVD Recorder Questions & Answers

your lens needs to be replaced.

at this point you cant harm it sooo may I sujest take the cover of and fill a spray bottle with DISTILLED water and moisten the circut board that has been effected repeat a few times and then using the stream option aggressively spray again,, use a hair dryer on low to dry BUT you must wait a few days before trying it !!! for faster way use tuner cleaner w hair dryer takes about an hour. tuner cleaner in the can freezes parts and attracts condensation so the board will need a few HD heating to be successful let me know how this works? also the spray bottle can be used on the dog as a training tool see him watering or doing something wrong, a few squirts is all it take to modify bad behavior . tuner cleaner Google Search and for fun All the Different Uses of Distilled Water COMPLETE LIST

It could be the IC101 (MR2920) and the zener D104 both failed, or IC1 (MD5001T) failed as well, here is the link where I've descrived how I fix the issue on my DVR-520H, it is in italian but you can translate it with Google: http://www.plcforum.it/f/topic/181344-riparazione-guasto-alimentatore-pioneer-dvr-520h-dvr-520h-failure/

If I need a Pioneer remote for a hard Disc Video Recorder I look at ebay first then the on line major remote suppliers. You can often get a good remote for $20-$35 at eBay the replacement places want $150 for not to mention many of the replacement remotes for older offered units are some sort of replacement unit which does not work as well as the real thing. I'm in the process of repairing a Pioneer DVD Recorder remote it is done by removing five screws (including three hidden under the battery compartment cover) gentily separating the unit and taking out the soft pad. The contacts on the bottom of the pad were coated with conductive material so when you push the button the circuit is completed. Over time this material wears off so you have to push harder and harder and finally it does not work. You can buy conductive paint on eBay and clean and repaint the bottom of the contacts which fixes this most of the time. Your fault may be a bad board in the remote but more often it is just the lack of a conductive coating on the bottom contact area of the button. If you can't find the remote you need try to fix yours as I have noted it is worth the hassle. I recently found a remote for an arcane Sony MD Recorder for $2 at esale I balked at paying $65 for on ebay so if you are patient an live in a metro area with a lot of people donating to resale this might be another possiblity. I hope this helps you...

I have been told LSI NG on my Pioneer 510 HDD Recorder refers to failure of the large Scale Intigraton Chip (LSI for short) so it is saying the L.S.I. Chip is No Good. Some have commented elsewhere this might be a failure of a hard disk leading to this and to try and change the HDD out and see if the failure continues as this may cause the LSI statement... My service tech just told me this is plausible but unlikely and the Pioneer 310/510 DVD Recorders are getting old and the LSI chips are starting to fail on them. I regret to say the recorder is probably failing on you due to it's age. My tech commented to me these are supposedly good for five years and their current age is almost 11 years. Remainig use life depends on the unit and how much it has been used. We got into this with a failed DVD burner on our unit which you use to burn from the HDD Hard Disk in the 510 (the 310 is a DVD Recorder only). Just a note on servicing these units. If you remove the DVDR or HDD you then need a service remote and service DVD on these units to reset the code in the units or they will not work. If you open them up and start disconnecting the drives and don't have these tools you will not be able to reset them and the units will not work even if there is no problem (so you have been forewarned about this). I'd check on line for a refub unit as there are very few qualified techs to deal with these and many lack the tools for these old units. People like them because they have many great features but are no longer made. I was told all of the 510's were made within six months in I believe 2003 or 2004...

Hello
Get into this site where you can get its user manual for free download. If you fail to do it, either send your email address by fixya of send a mail to me at [email protected]. I've the manual in pdf format, and will send it to you by return mail. OK.
www.pioneerelectronics.com/.../Manuals/ci.OPERATING+INSTRUCTIONS+ DVR-520H.Protected - United States
Ok.

This is a error indication as the main processor does not get the feedback from the circuit and so shuts off. the fault can be from a number of reasons;
please check on the following tips.
1. Possible block or mechanical jamming of the drive-both loading/eject- as the half position of the mode is trying to get the motor to reset to parking condition and having failed is cutting off.
2. Please check for foreign odjects that can block the drive.

3. Possible failure of the optical unit, try to attempt a cleaning of the lens drive.
4. possible fault in the drivers or the processor.

Check the voltages and confirm.

Those circles are there as a sign that the unit has not finished loading the indicator - it's a wait signal. This happens because the processor no longer recognizes the indicator for the shows you recorded so yes, this is a big defect.
The unit is repairable - you will have to replace the hard drive and reprogram the unit - but this is a long and costly procedure. It will be cheaper just to buy a new one.

No power, display or functions at all? It is likely that one or more components in the power supply are short-circuit, leaky and/or open-circuit. The trouble with switchmode power supplies is usually caused by (but not limited to) electrolytic capacitors - these fail in all sorts of ways including leaking or drying out due to their proximity to parts with heatsinks, such as IC regulators. The cost of repair depends on which service centre you take the recorder to, who you deal with, and the combined replacement parts/labour involved.

If you are prepared to spend a small fortune in getting this unit fixed, go ahead, get a quote for the likely repair cost FIRST; then you can make a decision afterwards based on the information from the repair shop as to whether this is economical to repair or not. You may or may not be charged a fee for the quote on repairs.

It is up to you. If you feel it might not be economical or cost-effective to fix this one, get the second opinion from the service centre first, then maybe later on consider a new machine if nothing else.

These days, products become cheaper to buy, but more expensive to repair.

well, you have not given us a lot of info to go by. First thing is to replace the batteries with fresh ones. make sure the DVD recorder is in full view by the remote control, nothing in the way, not in a cabinet, etc.

Hi.

I quote from this VideoHelp forum:

1.Change HD
2. Power ON
3.Confirmation of the CPRM ID No. as follows: press ESC then STEREO, take a note of the 9 digit number, you will need it later( same No. is on the back of recorder), Exit this mode by pressing CLEAR.
4.Deletion of the CPRM ID No.: press ESC + STEREO, input the same number as the ID number and press STOP.
5. Input of the CPRM ID No. and ID data: press ESC+STEREO, input 9-digit ID number then press SEARCH to register ID, after this recorder's display indicates "INSERT ID", open drawer with recorder's OPEN/CLOSE button and insert ID disc, close. After recorder's display indicates "ID DATA OK" press CLEAR button.
Do it at your own risk!

I am not sure about maximum hard drive size allowed. The original one was 80GB 3.5'', I think IDE (PATA). In that case better trying with an hard drive that is smaller than 160GB.

Have you tried reprograming your dvd, you must also save the changes that you made during reprograming.

Hi there,

Well you can please use the below link to order power unit for your pioneer DVD Recorder -

http://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/customerservice.asp

Good Luck!!

Thanks

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/index.php?what=search2&searchstring=dvr-520h
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/196949-Hard-Drive-upgrade-for-Pioneer-DVR-520H
You van change HDD but you need a service remote, that you have to buy, this post above goes through it all. The basic procedure, below, taken from that site...
1.Change HD
2. Power ON
3.Confirmation of the CPRM ID No. as follows: press ESC then STEREO, take a note of the 9 digit number, you will need it later( same No. is on the back of recorder), Exit this mode by pressing CLEAR.
4.Deletion of the CPRM ID No.: press ESC + STEREO, input the same number as the ID number and press STOP.
5. Input of the CPRM ID No. and ID data: press ESC+STEREO, input 9-digit ID number then press SEARCH to register ID, after this recorder's display indicates "INSERT ID", open drawer with recorder's OPEN/CLOSE button and insert ID disc, close. After recorder’s display indicates "ID DATA OK" press CLEAR button.