Dvds ........again ! Sorry Guys.

[Evans Electric]

Wondering if anyone can help .......again. 

Couple of  DVDs I bought recently wouldn't play on our Samsung player ( Which we also use for  audio from the TV as it sounds awful on it's own)  

        But they WILL play on the small flatscreen with built-in player. 

Thought I'd watch an episode of Morse last night ...no chance ..just pixalates...cleaned it ..no good.  

Tried another ...same !!

Selected another three and they all played great .

I thought at first ..perhaps dust ( theres some collecting on the drawer)   inside the laser but when others play normally , I don't get it TBH . 

Anyone got any ideas on this before I get the local repair guy in. ?

And ..........do DVDs deteriate ?

 

[Technician]

I wonder if this is connected with the software/hardware generation

that was used on your discs, and the later/earlier generation of S/H

that you were using to play them.  I am still learning from my CD &

DVD burning activities.

HOWEVER;  Do they deteriorate?  Acrylic plastics, like most other

plastics, will age harden with time and this leads to increasing opacity.

This may lead to a situation in which the laser beam cannot track the

digital information and can render them unplayable.

 

[m4tty]

It's got nothing to do with what region the DVD will play on? Maybe compatability issues ?

Where did you get the DVDs from Sandra ? Been pirating again lol :slap

 

[sprocketflup]

I lived in a small flat that had been converted from the back of a house years back, the living room was a conservatory basically and used to get very hot n the summer.

After a couple of years I realised all my CDs were knackered, I assume coz of the heat, not out of shape but just wouldn't play anymore. I assume DVDs would be the same? has it been too near a heat source?

 

[Technician]

Heat has a lot to do with it Sprocket.

Light also has a cumulative effect.

I have some camera lenses that were

my Dad's which had acrylic covers over

them screwed into a base.  They are

now over 55 years old and they are so

brittle I have to be very careful handling

them.

 

[Evans Electric]

Thanks Techy .

M4tty   no not pirates ...genuine items ...Morse I've had for a few years , never a problem.   Missus sent for  " The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"  Brand new ...won't play on Samsung  along with some others ...but they all play on new Sharp 12"  .

Sprocket    no heat damage .  So Samsung seems to choose what it wants to play ....I did clean one disc ( New Tricks)  and it played ....CDs play OK .

Never buy pirate copies TBH  .    Son in law has to have the latest film before its even made ....gave us a pirate of the latest Harry Potter once .... total pants , crap sound , crap picture  so why bother  !!! :C     

 

[Marvo]

This is one of the problems with DRM protection, you never know if it's a hardware or software problem. Certain playback devices are susceptible to certain types of DRM and not others. Best thing to do is to pop the disk in a PC that's running AnyDVD and see if a program such as Imgburn can dump an image. If it can then you can write/burn a new disk or make an encode using Handbrake or AutoGK for playback from a flashdrive if your TV supports it. Keep the original damaged disk as proof of ownership.  

 

[Bruspark]

Assuming the actual disks look ok compared to others (not scratched, discoloured etc) and as you say play fine on another player I think the evidence points at the Samsung Player.

In a dusty environment dust eventually builds up on the Laser lens (which is in the player not the drawer but if the drawers got dust there's dust in the player too) but the mechanism and laser etc. do all degrade generally over time.

More frequently capacitors in the power supply degrade and cause all sorts of random problems before finally the unit stops working.  Again with patience and excellent soldering skills this can be repaired.

As DIY It is possible to quickly have the top off and blow the lens clean with a can of PC cleaner compressed gas but to be honest if it is a few years old and 'only' a DVD player vs BluRay etc. you might well find that a brand new one from

Tesco costs less than any professional repair would and comes with a longer guarantee

HTH

 

[Evans Electric]

Thanks Marvo  and Bruspark  ..some interesting advice there .

 

[Evans Electric]

Forgot to give update on this thread .        Bought yet another that wouldn't play so asked local TV repair guy ,  Yep bring it in along with DVDs that won't play . Laser reset    £40 ..........works a treat . 

 

[batty]

Glad its sorted Declan.