A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...

Question:

I have a Viewmage AT-2003 All regions DVD player and haven't had a problem with it yet, but as of recently it refuses to load a DVD...including a cleaning DVD. It'll act like it wants to load the DVD, but it pretty much ejects it just as quick as I insert it. Is there anything I can do to get it to play?

-submitted by Alexander C. Destin

Answer:

Normally when a DVD player spits out a disc immediately after you insert it, there might be a mechanical error that forces the tray to eject it. The first thing I'd try is to remove the lid and watch what happens when you load the disc. See if there is something that is physically obstructing a gear, or if another disc has fallen out of the tray and is stuck inside the machine. If it does try to load the disc, make sure that the disc spins when inserted. If not, make sure the cap above the disc isn't jammed.

Obvious physical things are pretty easy to fix yourself, but not-so-obvious ones, like electronic problems, can be extremely difficult to diagnose.

If the player is out of warranty, there's probably no reason to have it repaired. Replacing it would probably not cost much more than the repair.

Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com