"Dave" wrote in message
ica...

wrote in message
news:21921252.464.1337100612581.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@ynbp1...
On Tuesday, May 15, 2012 12:46:11 PM UTC-4, Dave wrote:
Can anyone tell me how most DVD players detect the disc? I have a JVC
XV-N40 Super VCD/DVD/CD player on the fritz. It was providing only a
trashy
picture until I blew canned air into the port where the disc caddy goes
in
and out. That gave me an even trashier picture, so I took the cover off
and
sprayed some CRC QD contact cleaner over the laser/read head (thinking it
was already broken, so...) Now it comes up and reports the absence of a
disc, even when it has a disc. Have I totally trashed my device, or is
there still hope? I did run a Q-Tip in and around the area, but to no
avail. I am guessing that the laser is seen to reflect off the disc, and
the disc is then spun up to speed for reading. How far wrong am I here?
Any help is appreciated. Wondering if I just have ot trash this one...

Thanks,

Dave

There is a good chance that you now have an relatively opaque film over
the optics. This will prevent the laser light from passing through and
thus not be able to detect a disk. Nothing should ever be sprayed onto or
near the optics. At this point, try cleaming the surface of the lens using
a cotton swab and alcohol. You have nothing to lose.

Dan

Thank you, Dan. That was basically what I suspected I had done, just
didn't think of the alcohol. One question: Radio Shack had a head cleaner
which is basically a disk with a line of brush fibers across it. Could
this be of any help, do you think? Just wondeirng...

Thanks again,

Dave


Tried the Q-Tip, both wet and dry, but the laser appeared to be recessed in
a small well, which captured anything drifting by and held it in place on
top of the laser. Soooo (you are NOT going to believe this) I used my Dremel
rotory tool to cut a 1/2" hole in the plastic top of the carriage (with the
disc caddy in the OUT position) to reveal the laser sitting precisely
underneath where I had cut the hole. Spun a dry Q-tip in the well, and
pulled out some debri. Put a data CD in the caddy and pressed IN/OUT. I
could actually see the laser running back and forth across the surface of
the disc (from the top), as the machine spun the disc up to speed (telling
me that it had indeed detected the disc.) Put it all back together and
reloaded it underneath the screen in the bedroom, inserted a DVD and watched
as the episode selection screen came up. Told it to play all, and it is
WORKING. I knew that dremel rotory tool would come in handy, but...
shaking head

So anyway, you were correct about the semi-opaque film on top of the laser,
and I modified the carriage of the DVD reader to allow cleaning of same, so
it is now working.

Thanks for your response. If I hadn't gotten your response, I might never
have tried what I did. Too bat-**** crazy to have a chance of working. Only
it did. I just figured it was trash already, so what did I have to lose?

Take it easy...

Dave