DVD player does not read DVDs anymore, CDs - OK?

[unixoidal]

Hi,

I have XORO 415 DVD player for several years now. So far I was satisfied until it suddenly stopped reading DVDs. It simply says "NO DISC". The strange thing is that it plays VCDs and data CDs with DivX movies and MP3s as usual with no problems.

My warranty is gone now. I opened my player with a hope to find a piece of dust on the laser lens, but no luck, cleaning did not help. I asked manufacturer's support guys, but they suggested that "defect might be in the loader or laser head"...

In the laser head there are at least two photo diodes, I wonder if one is assigned to read a reflected laser beam from the CD and another one from the DVD disc. Maybe the latter is broken, how to test it?

Does any body experienced the same problem with other DVD player and found any successful solution? Any ideas?

regards,

/Al

[freebird73717]

laser is dying. Unfortunatly time to buy a new one.

[redwudz]

Just to add, the CD and DVD lasers are separate devices under a common lens. It's not unusual for the DVD laser to die first. The photo diodes read the reflected laser beam and also aid in focusing the laser beam and keeping the laser assembly aligned with the 'tracks'. You could replace the laser assembly, but realigning it needs professional tools and equipment. Not really worth it.

And welcome to our forums.

[Bjs]

Where do people get these strange ideas ?

A dvd player decides what media is inserted by the use of 2 diodes, which control the frequency of the laser

This is how it determines the difference between cd and dvd media

There is only 1 lense

It is most likely the lense is a cheap version and is discolored with age which interferes with the particular frequency used to determine dvd media has been inserted. Yet this has little effect on its ability to determin cd media is inserted, or secondly, the diode which controls the frequency to determine dvd media has been inserted has failed or failing.

Playstation 2 units include frequency adjustments for such problems
Some portable dvd players I have come across also include this ability

Home dvd players may not have any adjustment abilities, but you would find such things not too far away from the lense, if they don't exist, get a new unit.

[unixoidal]

sad to hear that DVD lasers are used to die after a while, I did not know it. Well, I could really change laser or whole assembly, being working with HF electronics I have all tools and equipment at work, but probably it will be difficult to find a new laser.

The good thing about this player is (was) that it has DD 5.1 analog output on the back and I would not need digital->analog decoder. I bought this player together with XORO HXS-231 surround which has no digital inputs. It worked fine, but now I need to buy not only the player but whole system again because not all players have analog 5.1 outputs nowadays

Where do people get these strange ideas ?

A dvd player decides what media is inserted by the use of 2 diodes, which control the frequency of the laser

This is how it determines the difference between cd and dvd media

There is only 1 lense

OK, I will open the box again and look how many lasers there are!

[unixoidal]

Where do people get these strange ideas ?

A dvd player decides what media is inserted by the use of 2 diodes, which control the frequency of the laser

This is how it determines the difference between cd and dvd media

There is only 1 lense

I checked my box, and it looks like one laser. Also there are at least two photo diodes...

It is most likely the lense is a cheap version and is discolored with age which interferes with the particular frequency used to determine dvd media has been inserted. Yet this has little effect on its ability to determin cd media is inserted, or secondly, the diode which controls the frequency to determine dvd media has been inserted has failed or failing.

Playstation 2 units include frequency adjustments for such problems
Some portable dvd players I have come across also include this ability

Home dvd players may not have any adjustment abilities, but you would find such things not too far away from the lense, if they don't exist, get a new unit.

I think I found these adjustments! There are two tiny surface-mount potentiometers (could be capacitors also) sitting in the small circuit on laser assembly. I do not know which one I should touch, but since I have nothing to loose with this player I can try to tune both.

[unixoidal]

IT WORKS NOW! No special tools or equipment required to make DVD player read DVDs again!

Where do people get these strange ideas ?

A dvd player decides what media is inserted by the use of 2 diodes, which control the frequency of the laser

This is how it determines the difference between cd and dvd media

There is only 1 lense

It is most likely the lense is a cheap version and is discolored with age which interferes with the particular frequency used to determine dvd media has been inserted. Yet this has little effect on its ability to determin cd media is inserted, or secondly, the diode which controls the frequency to determine dvd media has been inserted has failed or failing.

Playstation 2 units include frequency adjustments for such problems
Some portable dvd players I have come across also include this ability

Home dvd players may not have any adjustment abilities, but you would find such things not too far away from the lense, if they don't exist, get a new unit.

- this is exactly response I would like to hear - an expert opinion!

What I did with help of 1mm-wide screwdriver:

1) There were two surface-mount potentiometers marked with C1 and D. I tried first D. Turned it clock- and counterclockwise by about 45 degrees.
2) After each turn I opened and closed tray to force the player read DVD disc.
3) It did not help, "NO DISC", then I tried the same with C1, and again, no luck.
4) Finally, I came back to D and turned it by about 180 degrees in one direction. IT WORKED!!!

Moreover, seem that now player reads content of the DVD discs faster then before. Probably manufacturer did not really adjust it properly and upon the time something has degraded, so it failed eventually.

Thank all guys! freebird73717 and redwudz for triggering this discussion and especially Bjs!

I hope this topic will help somebody to solve similar problems.

[Britters]

Guys,

I have a similar problem with my JVC system in that it won't play normal shop bought DVD's but for some reason plays 'burnt' DVDs and music discs. I have cleaned both the lense and the disc I put in but it still won't work. Would the procedures work in this instance?

[sjn01]

Hi, this is my first post to this forum

I have the same problem with my LG micro home cinema, about 6 months ago it became very tempremental and only plays random certain DVDs; like it wont play some DVDs even though they were brand new and standard but plays others for no forseeable reason at all.

So far it has no problem playing music CD's at all. I would really like to get this machine working properly again as it is a great system that i managed to make multi-region, and would be a bit of a waste if i couldnt get it working properly, So can someone give some kind of final word or open up this thread again please?

I havent yet thought about oening up the machine or giving it a clean, checking the laser or anything like that, If it is simply a matter of opening up the box with no chance of damaging the system then i guess i wouldnt have a problem

I guess the problem sounds as though theres a problem with the laser. Can someone explain to me what uniziodal meant by 'potentoimeters' in his last post, and how this fixed his DVD play and got it reading disks again properly?

Any comments will be greatly appriciated, thanks

[jimdagys]

Those adjustments will give the laser more juice, usually more than is good for the laser. I expect you have at most another year before you have the same problem (can't read DVD) again. Your laser is dying.

[lordsmurf]

Time to get new players.

[Binu Chackappan]

Time to get new players.

Dear All,

My Sony DVD player does not play the burnt DVDs. It reads the disc, but then just stops n goes to the end. The same discs play in my Philips DVD player n in my PC.
I bought a HAMA DVD lens cleaner n cleaned the lens twice, still the problem exists. I can play the Stamped (Original) DVDs. But mostly we get burnt DVds in rental shops here.

Pls help

Regards

Binu

[asdd]

IT WORKS NOW! No special tools or equipment required to make DVD player read DVDs again!

Where do people get these strange ideas ?

A dvd player decides what media is inserted by the use of 2 diodes, which control the frequency of the laser

This is how it determines the difference between cd and dvd media

There is only 1 lense

It is most likely the lense is a cheap version and is discolored with age which interferes with the particular frequency used to determine dvd media has been inserted. Yet this has little effect on its ability to determin cd media is inserted, or secondly, the diode which controls the frequency to determine dvd media has been inserted has failed or failing.

Playstation 2 units include frequency adjustments for such problems
Some portable dvd players I have come across also include this ability

Home dvd players may not have any adjustment abilities, but you would find such things not too far away from the lense, if they don't exist, get a new unit.

- this is exactly response I would like to hear - an expert opinion!

What I did with help of 1mm-wide screwdriver:

1) There were two surface-mount potentiometers marked with C1 and D. I tried first D. Turned it clock- and counterclockwise by about 45 degrees.
2) After each turn I opened and closed tray to force the player read DVD disc.
3) It did not help, "NO DISC", then I tried the same with C1, and again, no luck.
4) Finally, I came back to D and turned it by about 180 degrees in one direction. IT WORKED!!!

Moreover, seem that now player reads content of the DVD discs faster then before. Probably manufacturer did not really adjust it properly and upon the time something has degraded, so it failed eventually.

Thank all guys! freebird73717 and redwudz for triggering this discussion and especially Bjs!

I hope this topic will help somebody to solve similar problems.

I specially made an account to make a post that this solution worked absolutly fine for me too. Thank you Bis!
My DVD player is a DVD 1740 from Denon. Didn't play DVD's, did play CD's though.
Open the casing, behind the lens (one not two indeed) there is a small printplate with a.o. two little screws and if you look carefully, one says C for CD and the other one D. I turned the D screw half a turn; first shot right. The player immediately played dvd's again. Thanks again.

[omar_beyaty]

Where do people get these strange ideas ?

A dvd player decides what media is inserted by the use of 2 diodes, which control the frequency of the laser

This is how it determines the difference between cd and dvd media

There is only 1 lense

It is most likely the lense is a cheap version and is discolored with age which interferes with the particular frequency used to determine dvd media has been inserted. Yet this has little effect on its ability to determin cd media is inserted, or secondly, the diode which controls the frequency to determine dvd media has been inserted has failed or failing.

Playstation 2 units include frequency adjustments for such problems
Some portable dvd players I have come across also include this ability

Home dvd players may not have any adjustment abilities, but you would find such things not too far away from the lense, if they don't exist, get a new unit.

Thnks BJS u shot it in forehead exactly....I found two pots below the lens I tried to adjust the one of them for different rotation angels with 90 deg steps...not worked....then I get itback to its original location and jumped to the second pot , I turned it counterclock wise a bit (about 30 deg) and played the DVD....and ,surprisssssssse------worked>>>>wonder how long it will last?

[Noahtuck]

Well, seeing as you already dug up kind of an old thread.....

If the laser is going bad and you have to turn up the power to it, which is what you did, it will hasten it's death.
How long will it last, who knows except you when it dies.

The more you turn up the power to it, the faster it will burn out.

And I am not sure what Bjs was going on about,

Where do people get these strange ideas ?
There is only 1 lense

I don't see where any one said otherwise before he said argued the "fact".

Although that is true the majority of the time, and might be always true now, I have in fact seen an old dvd player that DID have TWO lenses.
I may still have it around in a junk pile, I will have to check.

I will not have time to dig through my electronics junk pile until tomorrow, but here is a photo I found online showing TWO laser lenses on one drive mechanism.



The one I saw was actually the only one I have ever seen, and I think it was an old goldstar dvd player, it has been a few years and it was pretty old then.