Page 1 of E55 working for a few minutes then powering off

My Panasonic E55 DVD-Recorder has developed a problem in the last few days. After 6 months of reliable service, it now works for only 5 minutes after having the mains lead inserted. During these 5 minutes I can view existing disks, look at the contents of a disk, program and start a recording, but then the machine just stops. The front panel goes blank as it it has been un-plugged. The only way to get a response is to remove the cable and re-insert, but this only lasts another 5 minutes. I have tried the cable in a hi-fi unit, and it lasted for the hour that I left it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I bought it boxed and new from eBay last year, but without any guarrantee, and I was hoping for some inspired advice to get me back on the road without an expensive and unjustifiable trip to the repairers.

Thanks.

I have got a E55 not had a problem yet.
This is what I would do, I would take a close look at the display and see if there is anything being displayed when it is working,pheraps you pressed a key on the remote and put it in some setting ,the display might indicate it, I would then check to make sure it`s not over heating , I would then look through the manual for any clues to a setting it might be in, then I would hit the 30 min segment record button on the front of the machine(the 30 min feature does not work from the remote) and see if the 30 min record overides the 5 min cut off time,if so then some setting is wrong.
Not saying any of that will work but that is what I would do, not stuck in pause is it? :)

This item was edited on Thursday, 31st March 2005, 23:42