My Player intermittently claims 'No Disk'

[dchawcroft]

My good old DVD player - a strange brand I bought in china some four years ago or maybe more - has started reporting 'no disk' when I put a disk in.

I took the cover off and blew compressed air through it and it worked again for a while.

But now it has done it again.

In the meantime it did it a couple of times only for a few minutes - i.e. we'd change the disk in the drive, thinking maybe the disk was at fault, and it would accept the new disk.

But it seems pretty obvious now that it is the Player itself.

What can I do to solve this or is it just age wearing non-adjustable or uneconomic-to-replace parts?

[BJ_M]

replace dvd player ---

[redwudz]

Probably just wearing out. Not uncommon in our 'Disposable' age. You could try cleaning the laser lens with isopropyl alcohol and a foam 'Q-tip'. You have little to lose at this point.

[dchawcroft]

I took the top off and looked at it. Watched it operate. It seemed to work okay - but I had it in the shed without anything to see the output from. But the dial showed it was processing a dvd.

So I brought it back in and hooked it up and my young child is watching 'the wiggles' on it right now.

There's not much to wear out that I saw. Two rails for the laser lens to slide along. I didn't even notice what the driving mechanism was - it should be a screw, I'd guess.

Next time it happens I'll lubricate those rails and if I can see the drive mechanism and it is a screw I'll lubricate it. If it is a belt I'll look for slack though I imagine there's no chance of fixing belt problems.

I was wondering if there was any possibility of it being a software problem. It seems to happen after a period on pause and something made me suspect the software side though I can't give a reasonable account of why.

[BJ_M]

the laser dies .. you can not see it .....

[classfour]

At least it isn't a Panasonic - then you'd know: H01, H07, H0something errors LOL

[jman98]

Cleaning the laser lens might help. It's NOT a software problem. Lubricating the components won't help either. Most likely your laser is wearing out. You've done well to get 4 years out of it. I've known other people who've had various DVD players start to go bad at that time. DVD players are really cheap these days, so it's not like you're going to miss a house payment if you have to buy a new one.

[dchawcroft]

I can't see how cleaning the lens would help - when it comes back to life after a period of not working it is then working perfectly. A dirty lens wouldn't be intermittently dirty, would it? It'd be either dirty or not.

I've used a lens cleaning disk on it. That merely brushed the lens with a little toothbrush on the disk.

Yes, I know they're cheap. I like to know, if I can find out, that's what's going on.

[jman98]

Yes, I know they're cheap. I like to know, if I can find out, that's what's going on.

I apologize, but to be blunt, what part of this

Most likely your laser is wearing out. You've done well to get 4 years out of it. I've known other people who've had various DVD players start to go bad at that time.

did you not get? It doesn't matter to me. We gave you a reason why your player would go bad (age) and if you don't want to accept that, then good luck finding out the "real" reason it is going bad.

[oldandinthe way]

Dead, defunct, soon to be an ex-DVDplayer.

[dchawcroft]

I've always been amazed by those with that sort of supercilious attitude and have always wondered if they'd have the balls to manifest it face to face.

It's always surprised me that they're always wrong, too, just as you are.

No reason has been given in any sort of technical or useful or analytical sense.

Can't you see that? No. You can't, can you? Then you should keep quiet. You certainly shouldn't resort to that sort of insulting language.

There's millions if not billions being spent in the world to discover the effects of ageing, because 'ageing' in itself is merely a coverall word.

In the mechanical world the same is, of course, true. From mighty bridges, great ships, planes, city infrastructures down to dishwashers and electric planers designers and engineers are assidiously tracking down which parts will wear and which will wear most and which will cause function failure.....

All sensible men, everywhere, doing the same thing, seeking knowledge in order to improve design and understanding.

But not you, bigmouth, not you.

In fact it is a commonplace that heat can impair the functioning of many electronic components. It is also true that my DVD player works by virtue of the marriage between the mechanical and the electronic. The DVD player only knows the location of the laser and the information read by the laser because of the electronics.

It is therefore quite possible that an electronic malfunction could give rise to precisely the same symptoms.

I realise you're very probably a child and therefore could be, perhaps should be, excused some immature behaviour but I urge you to sit down when you know nothing, go home, play with your marbles and, especially, be very careful who you badmouth because some of us are not very patient at all and tend to subscribe to the 'spare the rod, spoil the child' theory.

Do you understand that, I wonder, without really caring.

If there is anyone reading this thread with an interest in discovering new information, learning, understanding, exploring then I apologise for that little bit of nastiness and I welcome any input you may have.

regards,

ab

[oldandinthe way]

Your player has a well known and common electronic failure. Given the cost of DVDplayers, you and everyone who responded to your post have expended time valued at more than the replacement cost of a player.

The laser is electronic. The laser has a finite lifespan. The symptioms of its failure are consistant with those you are experiencing.

Your problem is common with older DVD players.

[dchawcroft]

Oh, yes. Well, okay. If you're wasting your time please don't.


I can see that I'm at fault here. My question was not worded properly.


I didn't specifically ask for details of which part had probably failed. But that's what I want to know.

This laser suggestion sounds good.

I will post a question that is more specific.

regards,

ab

[HE]

Hi there, just found this site when I google for help. I have just experienced the same prob. The DVD is about 3j old and it just said “no disk” after watching a movie. I fist thought it has something to do with the region settings of the DVD but it wont ply any DVD. The thing is it still plays CD’s. Does this mean that it is also a laser prob. ?

[oldandinthe way]

Probably, but have you tried cleaning your player? It might help temporarily if the laser hasn't completely failed.

[HE]

Thanks for the reply, open it, cleaned it, but no luck. CD's play without prob. thaugh.