DVD Player picky about DVDs

[Richard]

I bought a yum cha DVD player a couple of years ago IIRC. It was quite cheap even though it has a lot of features. In February this year I started noticing something strange. For instance, my Alien Quadrology DVDs would often not start playing right away; I'd need to open and close the tray several times until the video "kicked-in", and the spinning up cycle was accompanied with a louder than usual spinning noise, etc. Not soon after that every DVD I bought would also get this problem. For instance, last month I picked up two DVDs and they just wouldn't play. Last week I went on a Riddick spree and bought Pitch Black and Chronicles and they also don't play.

The symptoms are similar: after the tray closes, the DVD starts spinning with a louder noise then it sounds like it stops for half a sec, then resumes spinning up then gives out again, then I hear what I can only describe as hitching.

Okay, that seems pretty obvious right? The drive is shot. Well, things are a bit more complex because every single DVD I bought that used to work right, continues to work right, the Alien DVDs continue to show some problems but eventually play, and only DVDs I bought since March or whatever refuse to play.

Perhaps it's a problem with the DVDs? Well, my entire DVD collection is Region 2, they have no problems on a friend's DVD player, they also play fine on my DVD-rom. The discs' surface is clean and I used a laser lenses cleaner just in case.

Help?

 

[Ali]

Some new copy protection on the new discs? Try borrowing a friends older DVD movie and see if that plays on you machine.

If not, is there some way to hard-reset your machine? My older DVD player has some sort of memory, so that if I stop watching a movie half way through, next time I put it in I can start watching from the same place.

If the memory that holds this (probably the DVD serial number, and a time stamp) is full or corrupted, then you might not be able to play any more movies.

Ive realy got no idea, just throwing ideas out there.

Ali

 

[Richard]

Some new copy protection on the new discs? Try borrowing a friends older DVD movie and see if that plays on you machine.

I don't think so. For instance, the last two DVDs I bought (Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick) were released in very different time periods, same with the other DVDs that also don't work. I'll ask a friend to lend me a DVD though.

If not, is there some way to hard-reset your machine? My older DVD player has some sort of memory, so that if I stop watching a movie half way through, next time I put it in I can start watching from the same place.

If the memory that holds this (probably the DVD serial number, and a time stamp) is full or corrupted, then you might not be able to play any more movies.

You might be onto something here. My player does indeed have this feature that lets me resume playing where I left off even after powering it down. I checked the built-in menu but I don't see any option to reset the memory and it seems it can only hold down 1 DVD in memory: if I stop playing two different movies in the middle, it only remembers the last one. I'll hunt down the thing's manual.

Ive realy got no idea, just throwing ideas out there.

It's nonetheless appreciated.

 

[see colon]

For instance, the last two DVDs I bought (Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick) were released in very different time periods, same with the other DVDs that also don't work.

i don't know if it hapened in region 2, but in region 1 when chronicles was hitting thearters they re-released pitch black. if you have a newer pitch black it may have been manufactured on the same proccess that causes chronicles to not function. assuming it's a copy protection issue.

something i can say for sure is that cheaper dvd players (and videogame consoles) tend to use pickier drives than the more expensive models. i have a few dvd's that skip and stutter in my ps2 but play fine in my set tops, and the cheaper set top has a few issues with random DVDs as well. it skips more often, and sometimes freezes at chapter breaks.

 

[stevem]

In no specific order:
1. PUH/laser is on its way out. May require re-focus, but unlikely. (A tech friend re-focussed a CD player of mine & now it won't read CDRWs...)
2. Dust on lens. Open case & clean manually.
3. Get newer firmware if available.
4. Set player to region 0.
5. Get a new player.

 

[Richard]

i don't know if it hapened in region 2, but in region 1 when chronicles was hitting thearters they re-released pitch black. if you have a newer pitch black it may have been manufactured on the same proccess that causes chronicles to not function. assuming it's a copy protection issue.

You're most likely right WRT to pitch black considering it's the CE and comes with CoR trailer, etc. But some of my other DVDs that don't play are indeed old (like The Rock and Dune for instance).

In no specific order:
1. PUH/laser is on its way out. May require re-focus, but unlikely. (A tech friend re-focussed a CD player of mine & now it won't read CDRWs...)
2. Dust on lens. Open case & clean manually.
3. Get newer firmware if available.
4. Set player to region 0.

Hmm just to be clear, my problem is with a DVD player (i.e. the living room kind). If that's what you meant I didn't even know I could upgrade firmware/change region for these.

I did use one of those lens cleaning CDs, aren't those enough and if is the problem why do the DVDs that always worked, continue to do so? I hope I don't have to buy a new DVD player.

 

[Tahir2]

You can update the firmware on most DVD players (the living room kind) but I could not find anything on the Yum Cha.

Try entering the serial number or part number into Google, e.g. "Toshiba 350e firmware"

 

[stevem]

You can update the firmware on most DVD players (the living room kind) but I could not find anything on the Yum Cha.

Hmm just to be clear, my problem is with a DVD player (i.e. the living room kind). If that's what you meant I didn't even know I could upgrade firmware/change region for these.
I did use one of those lens cleaning CDs, aren't those enough and if is the problem why do the DVDs that always worked, continue to do so? I hope I don't have to buy a new DVD player.

Yep CE players abide by the same rules as other electronics. Most generic players are E. Asia manufactured & re-branded locally. Many of these use PC components (chipsets/drives) for economies of scale. You'll have to find the manufacturer's web site (or another rebrander with a web support site). As Tahir2 suggested, give Google a bash with the model info from your unit. What brand is it? Also try http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks for region hacks/further model info.

It's peculiar that only your new disks don't work. If they're new releases, your area may have a new manufacturing process or implemented a new copy protection system which updated firmware may help with. Try testing a friend's (or rental) DVDs.

The disk cleaning solutions tend to be mediocre. At a pinch use a brand new cuetip & with a gentle contra-rolling action skim the top of the lens which will move gently in its floating suspension. Make sure no cotton fibres are left behind. Clean the surrounding PUH area & disk clamping mechanism with isopropyl alchohol while you're at it. I've "salvaged" a number of optical drives with this method. Good luck.

 

[Richard]

Yep CE players abide by the same rules as other electronics. Most generic players are E. Asia manufactured & re-branded locally. Many of these use PC components (chipsets/drives) for economies of scale. You'll have to find the manufacturer's web site (or another rebrander with a web support site). As Tahir2 suggested, give Google a bash with the model info from your unit. What brand is it? Also try http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks for region hacks/further model info.

The brand is "Diginium" which is just a local white-label brand (Tahir: that's what I meant by "yum cha" There is no support website.

It's peculiar that only your new disks don't work. If they're new releases, your area may have a new manufacturing process or implemented a new copy protection system which updated firmware may help with. Try testing a friend's (or rental) DVDs.

I did, both old and new DVD releases and neither worked. Funny thing though, he also lent me some DVD Rs which worked perfectly.

The disk cleaning solutions tend to be mediocre. At a pinch use a brand new cuetip & with a gentle contra-rolling action skim the top of the lens which will move gently in its floating suspension. Make sure no cotton fibres are left behind. Clean the surrounding PUH area & disk clamping mechanism with isopropyl alchohol while you're at it. I've "salvaged" a number of optical drives with this method. Good luck.

I'm going to try this before changing region as I really don't want troubles later on. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Tahir2]

And here is me frantically searching for Yum Cha..