MAjor issues

[scarfa21]

Hello, I have a issue here and was wondering what you guys think.

My standalone player is a JVC-sa75gd.

The problem im having is that it wont play any DVD+Rs anymore, it worked fine up untill about 2 weeks ago, and now it just refuses to play them. I was using memorex dvd's, they worked super, I have tried TDK;s and some other brands to no avail. Im using dvdshrink and copy2dvd both latest ver.

Also, these all play on my pc without any problems.

So can my dvd player be breaking?

Im out of ideas here, please help

Thanks

[macleod]

Its implied, but want to make sure. Does that dvd player play commercial dvd's still? If so, soundes like it may be a lens cleaning issue or a laser alignment issue.

When you say doesnt play. what does your player do. Does it say, "no disc", does it freeze at a certain point, is it choppy????

If it doesnt play anything anymore, there is a post I made this morning that talks about the spinner not spinning.

here is the post https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=183136

[scarfa21]

Oops, sorry for the lack of info.

Yes it plays commercial dvds fine.

As far as not playing, it just says no disk. It looks for it for a bit then says no disk.


Thanks

[macleod]

I posted on the other post also. From this post, it does sound like a lens or alignment problem. If its alignment, depending on the age of the player, you can attempt to manually adjust the gears to align the laser. Without equipment, it is completely guesswork. You move it a notch this way, try different media types and see if they work and then keep doing that until they all work.

I'm on the fence, but I hope its just a lens issue. Be very gentle while you are in the player, the lens will bob up and down and you can break things in there.

Hope it works out for you.

[scarfa21]

yeah ill take it apart later, if not time to buy a new player

Its wierd that it still plays store bought dvds tho.

[videobruce]

Could it be such a thing that the laser weakens with age and it is at that point where it is still working, but only marginally?

[macleod]

I have read about laser failure and I am sure there is a case or two out there on laser's "weakening", but with digital stuff it is usually an all or nothing thing (at least in my mindanyway).

The only three things that I can see a "normal" guy fixing on a dvd player is cleaning the lens, half assing an alignment for the laser and spinning up the dvd. With weakening lasers, laser failure, and stuff like that, I think it is out of the realm of a number of people who visit this forum. It'd be great if someone could come up with the "tech geek's" guide to fixing broken dvd players. I haven't found a whole lot on this though.

Actually, the story that the blaupunkt folks gave me was the technicians do diagnostics on the player to realign the beam. When I tried to peel the first layer off the comment I realized the tech guy that I was talking to was reading from a script or something .

Any readers have knowledge of what it takes to do the alignment and/or knows of the equipment used????

[scarfa21]

Well I just went home to do a little testing, I tried my Same problem dvd in my Xbox and it works fine, so its definatly something to do with my JVC. I might not even fool with it, since my Xbox plays them fine. But then again, I might just take it apart to see if i can screw it up even more

[videobruce]

You can buy replacement laser assemblies, but alignment is another thing.
I don't know about getting hi-end replacement parts as they would have to come from the manufacture and you would probably have to be a authozized service center.

MCM Electronics sells low end replacement assemblies for example.

[videobruce]

Well I just went home to do a little testing, I tried my Same problem dvd in my Xbox and it works fine, so its definatly something to do with my JVC. I might not even fool with it, since my Xbox plays them fine. But then again, I might just take it apart to see if i can screw it up even more :)

Hello neighbor!

[scarfa21]

haha i just noticed that!!!!!


I figure if my lazer is shot, ill just go buy another dvd player, they are cheap enough, and my main Home theater DVD player still works good.

[Gazorgan]

There is a distinct difference in the reflctivity coefficant of a commercial DVD and a DVDR. Think of it as your player changing gears. It's not supposed to matter but it does. I matters a LOT if the things out of alignment.

2 cent science lesson. You can make a very good mirror out of film. That is plastic with a coating on it will reflect some frequency of light and pass others. This is based on a variety of factors, but the important one is the layer thickness.

Now, if you head is out of alignment, it may be 'crooked', so that it is looking at the DVDR layer a little sideways, so the reflectivity is changed enough that it doesn't read. Commercial DVD's are pressed, with a different agen, the the angled reflectivity is different than for an organic dye.

Blah, I'm long winded today. It's a 98% chance that it's an alignment problem. If you mess with it you will a) fix it for the DVDR b) break it so it plays nothing or c) no change. Your call (but you can get an Apex for $40 so it's not like your out a lot of $$$ for some replacement).

[scarfa21]

lol with the way my luck usually goes id be in the 'broken and wont play anything catagory'

Which apex is that cheap?

I might have to pick one of those up.

[Gazorgan]

1201 plays everything...DVD/DVDR+-/DVDRW+-/SVCD/CVD/VCD/xVCD/xSVCD/KVCD/mpg files/mp3. It's $44.95 list price at circuit city. Drawbacks are it's downmixed Stereo or DTS out only (besides composite and S-video). I don't have a 5.1 stereo system, jsut Dolby Surround so it doesn't really matter to me at the moment.

[scarfa21]

I wonder if the higherend apexs have 5.1 in them, im sure i can look a t CC, thanks for the info.

Hmm scratch that, my onkyo has a decoder built in, so it shouldent matter if the apex uses downsampling i think. Of course i could be wrong