A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...

Question:

My DVD player goes off and on during the movie. What could cause this? The DVD player is a Cyberhome CH-DVD300.

-submitted by t.g.

Answer:

Belive it or not, you're not the only one that has been having problems like this with the CyberHome CH-DVD 300. The exact same problem occured with a unit that my parents bought for their RV, and they ended up throwing it away and buying something better.

Though the CH-DVD 300 has been a wildly successful product at discount stores like Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, the unit itself seems to be plagued with issues. Most reports indicate that the unit has a faulty power supply, and that a ribbon cable connected to the laser is prone to failure. It is believed that this particular model has a life span of 8 to 10 months of use under normal conditions.

I can't vouch that these reports are true or not, but the fact that I've had a family member burned by this model causes me to recommend to everyone that this model should be avoided - at least until CyberHome can prove it's putting more effort into quality control.

Since this model is normally sold for 30 to 40 dollars, I'd recommend cutting your loss and moving on to a better player.

Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com