My Apex AD-1100W does not want to play DVD's anymore :( help

[prophet1185]

Hi i have the Apex DVD/CD/MP3 Player AD-1100W it worked for a long time, but some reason, it does not want to play DVD"s anymore i put in the DVD and it just sits here saying DISC LOADING....................... but if i put a VCD is loads it right up i have tryed many combos open close on/off on/off etc etc nothing. Can anyone help me ?

[lordsmurf]

Open it up.
Get Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) from drugstore - often called rubbing alcohol.
Get Q-TIPS.
Swab lens twice wet with alcohol.
Swab once to dry.

Try again.
May be dirty.
Mine gets dirty after a year of use.

[logannsan]

What lordsmurf said may work, but from my experience what fixes this is to take cover off and move the whole laser assembly away from you.(Front of the player facing you, as you do this). There is a good Apex site for alot of the models that explains this in more detail..cant remember it at this time..But I always have that same problem when I use that older model..

[logannsan]

Found the site...http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/

[Dennis1968]

First CD/DVD players have 2 laser heads, one for CDs the other for DVDs. IF the player will only play CD and "Disc Loading"on DVD material. the obvious reason is the laser head is not changing to the DVD head.

When you play a DVD, the DVD laser head is there until you stick in a CD. In otherwords what ever you play last, it will look for another DVD. when laser beam bounces back, it reports that no DVD media present and automatically switches to the CD laser head. It will then try to locate a boot sector for CD media.

2 things could be causing this, the dual head pickup is mechanically stuck or there is a logic problem. Can you update the firmware? like the Apex AD1500 via CD? Strange a friend that i purchased a Apex AD1500 for, called me to ask the same problem. I advised the same to him. Compress AIr the pickup area, clean any particulates from inside the unit. then reload the firmware. If that does not help, then the problem with Apex is coming true .

The drive is failing. Lucky he has a backup unit. One that is not Region Free upgradable. and the Region Free upgradable Apex. Use the Region 1 drive as your primary and the Apex as the auxillary for non compliant discs. PAL, Region Free, SVCD, etc.

I have noticed on the Apex AD1500. when a disc (CD or DVD) is left in the tray and turn the power off via the remote, a strange emits from the unit. That noise is the motor rotating the disc in very slow rotation. Example but not actual figures, a DVD and CD plays at 7200 RPM but the unit is turning at 45 RPM.

Hopes this post was not terrible news.

[Dennis1968]

I presumed the obvious of pickup head cleaning first. my mistake.