Help! I'm killing DVD players

[EricB]

My first player was the highly rated Pioneer 343. After about 6 months, this unit stopped playing DVDs. It will play everything else, VCD, SVCD, CD, etc. Pioneer extended the warranty and I had it repaired, it still has trouble with DVDs.

In the meantime, I bought a GE 5803P. Great player, played everything, and yesterday stopped playing DVDs!. It is 8 months old. Same thing, will play all other formats except DVD. Tried several commercial disks but it just sits in the "LOAD" mode and never sees the DVD.

Both these players have fairly light usage only by adults (no abuse!). Is my luck poor, or does playing home made VCDs and SVCD somehow damage a unit? I can't keep buying new players every few months.

[Hardcoreruss]

I have had my sony player for three years and I use it a lot !!! for dvd's and vcd's. I think that you have just been unlucky. It is strange how it's only dvd's though.

Do the players use some different type of process for reading dvd's

[doom969]

I've had a inteq dvd player for 3.5 years, and i use it a lot....
Still works well.
My guess is u're unlucky, sorry!
___________
d0oM969

[HAGGARD]

Strange question : Do you smoke alot in the room where the DVD player is???

Most DVD players do have a double laserpickup mechanism... One for normal CD's and one for DVD's (because of light wavelength).
The laser for DVD's is more sensitive for dust particals then CD laser...
Smoke from sigarettes leave traces on the laserlens so beam is not focussed properly

I've had several customers with same problems as you described....
Open the DVD-player and cleaned the lens with cleaning tip with a little isopropyl alcohol. After that all players worked properly again!!!

Maybe you should let your DVD lens cleaned bij a service technician...

'HAG

[EricB]

Thanks for the replies.

Haggard: We are definitely non-smokers. We do have a reasonable (unreasonable?) amount of dust. If I look at the pickup, will I see two distinct LED lasers?

When Pioneer service fixed the first unit, they indicated that parts had to be replaced and some cold solder joints were touched up. Course, the repair also didn't last as the unit still has problems.

[ZippyP.]

...and some cold solder joints were touched up.

That's the typical BS that they use when they don't really know what the problem is!

[Heavensent]

buy a mico, works grate for me (about 2 years)

but you better let your sister get it for you....
it sounds like you have an "evil eye" for dvd players