How do you adjust the Potentiometer on DVD player ?

[norky1]

I have a Toshiba SD3109 DVD player which at the present time does not read burnt media at all. I have read that by adjusting the Potentiometer it can be made to do so. Does anyone have directions as to exactly how to do this? I would appreciate any help. Thanks.

[bugster]

Not really a programming question. Moved to DVD players forum

/moderator bugster

[housepig]

well, potentiometer is a fancy name for "knob" - it's a resistor that increases or decreases resistance, depending on which way you turn it.

if it's internal on the dvd player, it will probably look like the head of a slotted screw, except encased in plastic. you would use a screwdriver to turn it one way or the other.

[Roundabout]

First, you'd have to know which pot to turn - although many DVD players have no internal adjustments that can be made. If you know specifically what to turn and how much, fine. However, if they are talking about adjusting the pot on the laser pickup assembly, you could just as easily destroy the laser diode by increasing the current beyond its rated amount.

You could wind up with a dead player that won't play anything.

I suggest before you mess around inside the player, you find out what exactly you will be doing. Or, take it to a qualified technician that can adjust it according to specifications.

On many Sony CD players, there are pots that can be adjusted, but they have locking compound on them to suggest that you should not be turning them (among other reasons, such as keeping the pot from moving and changing the settings). Just for kicks, sometimes I'd turn it up all the way (on a player that wasn't reading discs well anyway, and since I was going to replace the pickup, it didn't matter) and usually it would croak.

The diodes in these solid-state lasers are preset at the factory for optimum performance, and if yours isn't reading, it could be something else causing the problem, such as dust on the objective lens of the laser itself. Try cleaning the lens with a q-tip gently.

Beyond that, unless you know what you're doing, I'd suggest not messing with it (unless you don't care if it dies, in which case, go for it). :P