It never rains...... DVD problem

[gyzmo]

My DVD Player seems to have taken a dislike to certain DVDs (namely Warner, Paramount and Fox). It simply won't play them (or at best it takes a number of goes before it will play). The DVDs work fine on any other player, and other DVDs work fine on the Panasonic.

I have used a lens cleaner (on advice from Panasonic) but no difference. All they suggest is that I get it taken to one of their repairers (for a rather heft price).

It's a Panasonic SCHT520, pucrhased in January 2005 from Dixons

Two questions (as I am not a teccy person)

1. Does anyone know of what may be causing this?
2. Is it unreasonable to expect that this will not happen 28 months after purchase (no extended warranty, am relying on legislation depending on how this player should perform). As I am sure you are aware, I need no help with the legislation, just whether something like this should happen or not after the time since purchase.

Thanks all! Oh, and RPOV.... just don't.

[Rich44]

Did you pay the £250 for it?
28 months for a DVD player for £250, dunno could go either way I guess.

Are the discs that are failing to play dual layer ones and the ones that are playing single layer. Easy way to tell single layer are pure silver like CDs and dual layer are golder in colour.

It could be as simple as tweaking a variable resistor in the laser assembly like the dreaded dirty disc error in early PS2's.

Basically you tweak the resister slightly then play a disc see if its better if not tweak some more and try again and keep going till your discs play properly. If you attempt this be cafeful there wont be lethal voltages around the laser assembly area BUT there you could damage your sight if you looke at the laser whilst powered and of course to get to it you would expose the PSU which does have lethal voltage in it.

Its reasonably safe to do, unplug take the cover off, locate the laser assembly and resistor(s) tweak, put back together, plug in and test and repeat.

A decent local repairer should do this for you for not very much TBH try a TV repair shop there are plenty around I had a whole new tube fitted in a Sony 32" CRT for £100 recently so shop around

Good luck

[gyzmo]

Thanks Rich44.

About the dual / single layer thing, The DVD plays both of them fine (except the ones by the companies mentioned).

I've contacted Richer Sounds who said that they would look at it for £30. Does that sound reasonable? I don't want to do it myself (couldn't tell a fuse from a my elbow to be honest) and don't want to take it to some cowboy.

[ForestChav]

yes, I had to pay £30 at the start of the week to get my 15 month old CD player looked at - which, coincidentally, doesn't read discs either - and needs a new laser... Whole thing's gonna be about £90.

After all, you are paying for a skilled engineer's time and expertise to look at it.

but I don't mind, because i would rather have it working, than having to use it to hold the door open. As for whether a £170 CD player should last longer than 15 months without the laser dying, then... personally I believe it should, but i'm not in the mood to slog it out with the retailer (five letters, beginning with C)...

[Bookworm]

Originally Posted by gyzmo

2. Is it unreasonable to expect that this will not happen 28 months after purchase (no extended warranty, am relying on legislation depending on how this player should perform). As I am sure you are aware, I need no help with the legislation, just whether something like this should happen or not after the time since purchase.

Thanks all! Oh, and RPOV.... just don't.

Depends on how much you paid for it, as I think you know. If it was a £20 jobbie, then no chance... If it was a £250 player, then different expectations... It's all down to the test of reasonableness, at the end of it. A more expensive player will be expected to last longer than a cheap one.

[gyzmo]

Yeah - it's just a case of whether I should expect the DVD to still work without fault after this length of time.

[Bookworm]

That's not contract law, that's SOD's law!

[gyzmo]

Lol! Or I would if it weren't gonna cost me money to fix!