OT-DVD set-top problem

[Brian Ellis]

I have a Grundig set-top DVD player. If I play a commercial DVD, it may give one or two minor glitches in a 2 hr film.

If I play a DVD-R, VCD-R or SVCD-R, it will work OK to start with but, after a time (varying from 5 to 50 minutes), it will start to glitch in the same way (slight hesitations), then the glitches will become progressively more frequent and longer, until the whole caboodle jams solid. If I try to replay, the glitches are often but not always at the same places.

The same DVDs play faultlessly on the computer, so it is not the burning. DVD-Rs that used to play faultlessly on the same set, also show the problem, now. It seems to be getting progressively worse.

The Grundig machine has a Korean drive in it, I believe.

Does anyone else have or have had a similar problem and has anyone a suggestion to improve it?

Ta much in advance!

[smitty]

Brian is the unit in free air? Could it be a heat problem that the dvd-r is showing problems more than a dvd?
smitty

[Brian Ellis]

It is on an open shelf with about 30 cm free above and to three sides. The fourth side is about 5 cm from a vertical, but there are no ventilation slots in it. It was in this position when it did work. It is true that DVDs (commercial and home-brewed) do seem to be hot to the touch immediately on withdrawal (guestimate 45 - 50 C), but taking one out, letting it cool and starting again at a chapter which gave problems reproduced the same problems.

My feeling is that the problem may be mechanical.

[gt40]

I had a prob with a Yamaha CD player somewhat the same.
it would skip for no apperant reason. when I took it apart I found
that the top location mechanism 'floated' to find center of the CD.
the mechanism consisted of a floating center locator with a small
ball bearing on top that would find center of the cd and then contact a plastic cap above that.
this plastic cap allowed the ball to wander or skate to find it's center.
unfotunetly t had worn a small dimple in the hat, and would cause the cd to spin off-center.
I glued a small metal disc to the plastic top portion (thereby fixing the dimple), and VOILA, everything was OK!

not saying this is your problem, but might justify having a look see.