Over the last day or two my DVD player has been showing signs of going out the window. With me being the one throwing it out. I've had it for a little over two years (like two years and a week), and this is the first time I've had any problems with it. But I inserted a brand new DVD and it started "skipping," and actually scratched the blasted thing. So I tried a different DVD and it did the same damned thing.
I don't really want to buy a new one because the DVD player also acts as the base for my surround sound system, which I actually quite enjoy. However, I don't know what it will cost to get it cleaned, which is sure is all that I need to have done—and the yellow pages didn't provide me with any leads on where to take it.
Damnit.
Tags: electronics
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Cheap DVD players cost $40 at Walmart, so it's hard to argue for repair work unless you can do it yourself. Scratching discs sounds like really bad news, I'd have no idea if a "cleaning" would cut it.
This model of DVD player doesn't use a tray, it acts more like a car CD player. The setup was nearly $500 slightly over two years ago, so I don't really want to just chuck it out the window. Not only is it a DVD player, but if I have to go get a "cheap" one from Wal-Mart, then I've got five useless speakers and a useless subwoofer.
Is it quite expensive to have repair work done?
So it is a DVD/Receiver combo then. What brand is it? does it have any audio or video line in? You might be able to find another DVD/Receiver combo for sale without the speakers but I don't think they sell them like that.
I bought my Kenwood Receiver the same time I got my Panasonic DVD player (about 5 years ago...maybe) and my DVD player crapped out on me about 2 or 3 years ago so I just ended up replacing the DVD player with a 5 disc one since I use it to play music CD's as well.
If you can't find someone to clean it. Buy a can of compressed air. Take the lid off of the DVD player and use the canned air to clean out the inside yourself. It only costs you a can of air and if it doesn't work you have to buy a new unit to play DVD's on which you might have to do anyway
Don't listen to Saskboy, I bought one of those $40 dvd players at Walmart after a break-in at my home and the thing lasted a month. It sounded horrible too. I traded it in for an 80 dollar brand name model at Walmart. The picture quality and sound are better (the digital to analogue conversion.)
Jaybird, I think I'll try the canned air thing. I also thought about the replacing the player/receiver but came to the same conclusion - I doubt they'll sell just the head unit.
James, my sister has gone through three or four of the cheapo models in the past year so I finally bought her a good one for Christmas. No way I could go from this player to one of those.
If you want you can also buy a lens cleaning CD that has little brushes on the bottom of the disk and put it in and run it through. That will clean any dust etc. off of the lens and you can use it on any CD player you own.
If you do need to replace it, get a separate receiver and DVD player. It costs more than buying the combined unit but if one of them goes you only replace the one. Or get an Xbox 360 or PS3 and hook that up to a receiver.... then you can play kick ass video games too. I think both systems have an optical audio output so they will be able to play DVD's with 5.1 surround sound.
OK.... maybe just try the canned air thing first :) I figure if you did find a place to clean it for you they would use the canned air and maybe some rubbing alcohol and charge you $50 to do so. (just a note: if you do use alcohol to clean components in the DVD player buy it with the highest percentage 95% is the highest I have found.... and it works good for cleaning clogged up print heads on your printer too.)
I agree with Jaybird's techniques, but don't use the whole can of air :-)