My DVD player will not read a DVD

[Pokeygranny]

I rented a dvd from red box. It played for a short time and then the screen went blank. Now nothing will play in the dvd player. I tried it in my portable player and the same thing happened. Am I losing my mind or could there be something on a dvd that would cause a player to no longer be able to read a dvd? I have tried cleaning the machines and nothing works.

[Krispy Kritter]

Try removing power from the player for awhile and then testing a known good disc. There shouldn't be any reason for a disc to cause a player to stop working...at least none that I've heard about.

[Pokeygranny]

Thanks for the help. I tried unplugging for 30 minutes and still no luck. They still will not read.

[Ai Haibara]

Will it read an audio CD?

If you still have the 'red box' DVD, does it look dirty/smudged to you in any way?

[Pokeygranny]

No it will not read an audio cd either. I do not still have the DVD but it did not have any smudges, goudges or anything. I was the first person to rent this dvd.

[edDV]

It appears to be broken. Try powering off for a day to reset all memory and force a reboot. Laser sensor cleaning may help.

[lordsmurf]

Coincidence.

[johns0]

Try cleaning the lense,might have got dirty.Use isopropyl and q-tip.

[Pokeygranny]

Yes it indeed does appear to be broken...... Coincidence....NO!!!! I will try the alcohol and q-tip tho.

[satviewer2000]

Many DVD players will adjust their laser strength/power depending on whether it is having trouble reading certain DVDs. For example, if you play a lot of home-made DVD's, you'll wear out your DVD laser faster than if you only played original DVD's, as burned DVDs require a higher laser power setting to read them. I would think that a dirty or scratched original DVD would also cause the laser to set itself to a higher level to try to read the disk. This could explain why your DVD players died, although it was likely that the lasers on the players were probably near the end of their life already, and this was the "straw that broke the camel's back".

I suppose you could take the DVD and try it on a demo player, say at an electronics store, and see what happens.

[lordsmurf]

Don't use a cotton swab (Q-Tip), you'll screw it up. Use a non-cotton swab.

[johns0]

If you are careful with a q-tip you wont screw up,i been using them for years and never have a problem.

[Pokeygranny]

I've tried the unplugging and also the qtip with isopropyl but nothing has worked.

[guns1inger]

Yes it indeed does appear to be broken...... Coincidence....NO!!!! I will try the alcohol and q-tip tho.

Is it a coincidence that the player died while playing a disc ? No. Is it the fault of the disc in question ? Of course not. DVD players are commodity items. They are built down to a price, and are essentially throw away purchases. Some will last years, some will not last the warranty period. Get over it and get a new one.

[Pokeygranny]

There is three players involved, 2 yes, cheap dvd players, and one portable not so cheap. Same issue. Thanks for your help. Bye Bye

[lordsmurf]

If you are careful with a q-tip you wont screw up,i been using them for years and never have a problem.

Using a cotton swab, a coarse fiber-based tool, is damaging. You might as well just use sandpaper.