Panasonic DVD A120U pixelating - need service menu instructions

I have a Panasonic DVD A120U that used to work fine but now skips,
freezes, and pixelates the DVD movies I play. This problem is
happening with all my DVDs. I suspect the laser needs to be reset or
aligned or something.

I read a post from 1999 (copied further down) where someone had the
same problem with pixelating. It was suggested that they go into the
service menu and get their DVD heads to auto readjust themselves.
"You'll have to have one of the Panasonic owners here give you the key
combo to access the service menu."

I did not see a response with the key combo to access the service menu,
nor how to set the DVD player to calibrate itself. I've Googled this
and can find no answers. I would very much appreciate someone telling
me how to fix this problem using the service menu. Feel free to e-mail
me or post in the newsgroup. Thanks!


-------------------------------------------------
snipped and pasted from old topic:

4. Pete Briggs
Oct 22 1999, 1:00 am show options

Newsgroups: alt.video.dvd
From: p...@camshaft.demon.co.uk (Pete Briggs) - Find messages by this
author
Date: 1999/10/22
Subject: Re: Nightmare Before Christmas question??
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| Report Abuse



<kreyn...@ticnet.com> wrote:
> I'm kinda new to the DVD thing, but I have over 50 DVD's and all
> worked fine. I have a Panasonic A120U. (By the way, the Matrix works
> fine...) I just got a copy of the Nightmare Before Christmas and it
> keeps skipping at the same point. Prior to skipping, it pixilizes and
> then pauses a bit. Anyone had any problems with this particular movie
> before? Is it most likely the DVD or something else? I didn't expect
> to have problems so quickly... Any advice would be appreciated.


This sounds like a problem I had with "Tron" on my Sony 7700 a while
back.

I haven't experienced any problem with "Nightmare", so I imagine what
you have to do is go into the service menu on your particular machine,
and using "Nightmare" as the calibration disc, get your DVD heads to
auto readjust themselves. (You'll have to have one of the Panasonic
owners here give you the key combo to access the service menu, I'm
afraid.)


This worked on "Tron" for me. (It was during the Solar Sailer scene.
The disc stuttered, broke up into huge blocky pixels, and then froze.)
The scene played completely smoothly afterwards.


Another Disney disc, like yours! Curious, that! <g!>


Best


Pete

miller

IIRC that is typically for Sony players, Panasoncis have no laser
calibration routine that I have ever heard mentioned anywhere...

Thats quite and old player and its had a good run, it probably time to
replace it with a newer unit. A new good player can be had for $100 these
days, quite a bargain considering what they used to cost...
"miller" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> I have a Panasonic DVD A120U that used to work fine but now skips,
> freezes, and pixelates the DVD movies I play. This problem is
> happening with all my DVDs. I suspect the laser needs to be reset or
> aligned or something.
>
> I read a post from 1999 (copied further down) where someone had the
> same problem with pixelating. It was suggested that they go into the
> service menu and get their DVD heads to auto readjust themselves.
> "You'll have to have one of the Panasonic owners here give you the key
> combo to access the service menu."
>
> I did not see a response with the key combo to access the service menu,
> nor how to set the DVD player to calibrate itself. I've Googled this
> and can find no answers. I would very much appreciate someone telling
> me how to fix this problem using the service menu. Feel free to e-mail
> me or post in the newsgroup. Thanks!
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> snipped and pasted from old topic:
>
> 4. Pete Briggs
> Oct 22 1999, 1:00 am show options
>
> Newsgroups: alt.video.dvd
> From: p...@camshaft.demon.co.uk (Pete Briggs) - Find messages by this
> author
> Date: 1999/10/22
> Subject: Re: Nightmare Before Christmas question??
> Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original
> | Report Abuse
>
>
>
> <kreyn...@ticnet.com> wrote:
> > I'm kinda new to the DVD thing, but I have over 50 DVD's and all
> > worked fine. I have a Panasonic A120U. (By the way, the Matrix works
> > fine...) I just got a copy of the Nightmare Before Christmas and it
> > keeps skipping at the same point. Prior to skipping, it pixilizes and
> > then pauses a bit. Anyone had any problems with this particular movie
> > before? Is it most likely the DVD or something else? I didn't expect
> > to have problems so quickly... Any advice would be appreciated.
>
>
> This sounds like a problem I had with "Tron" on my Sony 7700 a while
> back.
>
> I haven't experienced any problem with "Nightmare", so I imagine what
> you have to do is go into the service menu on your particular machine,
> and using "Nightmare" as the calibration disc, get your DVD heads to
> auto readjust themselves. (You'll have to have one of the Panasonic
> owners here give you the key combo to access the service menu, I'm
> afraid.)
>
>
> This worked on "Tron" for me. (It was during the Solar Sailer scene.
> The disc stuttered, broke up into huge blocky pixels, and then froze.)
> The scene played completely smoothly afterwards.
>
>
> Another Disney disc, like yours! Curious, that! <g!>
>
>
> Best
>
>
> Pete
>

Biz