"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
I have been asked to try to repair this 7" screen player. The fault
is that discs are not read. The screen displays and menus are OK. I
have no remote or service info but disassembled the unit and used a
genuine correct region 2 DVD (it's a region 2 unit) to find that the
disc runs up, the speed hunts up and down whilst the laser initially
goes to the outer edge of the disc, then to a position about 30% out
from the centre and the laser lights. It then hunts +/- 3 mm from
this position, occasionally hitting the inner mechanical stop with a
clunking noise. There are no loose screws or obstructions or broken
sled bits, the 'runners' are smooth and lubricated although I do not
wish to disassemble the optical unit in case I affect alignment. The
lens is clean. After 90 secs the screen reads 'wrong disc'.
I am a general purpose, not AV, technician and posses general test
equipment. I understand laser safety and only look at an angle at the
laser spot hitting the underside of the disc.
Given I live in Saudi Arabia and sending the unit for repair is
uneconomic, can anyone advise of any further simple procedures I could
try? I realise the procedure 'find a dustbin' is probably logical,
but I'd like to try and fix it.


First test. Does it read CDs ? If yes, then the most likely problem is the
optical block itself. The next most likely suspect is the spindle motor not
reaching the higher speed needed to read a DVD, or not spinning at a stable
enough speed. After that, it's a data stream decoding / processing fault,
and finally, it could be a software problem. The message " wrong disc " is
usually generic with most of these players, and should not be taken as
literal. All it actually means is " I can't read this disc " (for whatever
reason). If you can lay hands on a genuine pressed region 0 disc - that's a
test disc or a promotional demo disc - that will normally tell you if the
unit has a 'genuine' soft issue with disc types / regions, or whether it is
a hardware fault.

If you know the name "Goodmans" from years ago, as a manufacturer of
quality loudspeakers, don't make the mistake of thinking that this comes
from the same stable, and is worth doing. I see a great deal of Goodmans
gear in my day to day repair life, and almost without exception, it is very
cheap Chinese or Korean stuff, badged with that name. For the most part,
spares or service info and assistance for these items, is at best very hard
to come by, and at worst, non-existent.

Arfa