all DVDs freeze and skip at the end

i have a just over 2 years Sony DAV S 550 DVD player as part of a home theatre system. recently all DVDs seem to freeze and skip towards the end, around 15 - 20 min from the end. i only playback original DVDs.
could somebody help me with this problem please ?

Lots of possibilities, Andrew:

1. The machine is getting older and breaking down.
2. The laser lens needs cleaning.
3. The error-correction mechanism has gone out of whack.
4. Your discs are getting dusty.
5. You are noticing the laser turnover from one disc layer to another more than you ever used to. Maybe your machine is having a harder time with it now than ever before.
6. You can buy new DVD players for under $50. Maybe if your cleaning it doesn't do the job, it's time to spring for a new player.

John

hi John
thanks for taking the time to reply.
to be honest i have not cleaned the lens yet. i want to try that first before anything else. i wonder if any standard DVD lens cleaner would suffice or would you recommend any particular type?.
would appreciate your advice on that.
cheers

Plain old isopropyl alcohol should do just fine on the end of a cotton swab. If you can't reach the lens from the drawer, you might have to take the cover (top lid or case) off the player. It sounds adventurous, but it's usually pretty easy.

John

Almost any DVD player would be "compatible." Choose the one that you think you can afford.

When you say you paid 300 pounds for a "home theater system," do you mean the speakers, the amplifier, the works, or just for the player? If it's for everything, that may have been inexpensive compared to the tens of thousands of dollars a lot of people pay for their systems.

John

hi
i must admit i am not very keen on embarking upon the adventure of taking the cover of my DVD player to get to the lens.
i think i'll give the lens cleaning kit a try. going by what you gents are saying i guess i got nothing to lose.
my disappointment is compunded by the price i paid for the home theatre system in May 2003 - around £300. i had thought Sony would last for at least 4 to 5 years.

anyway, if i have to buy a new DVD player which one do you think will be compatible with my present Sony home theatre system to which the faulty DVD player belongs?

Yeah, as I said, having to take the player apart yourself can seem adventurous and daunting. I've never tried a DVD disc-cleaning kit. I tried one for CDs many years ago and found it did little good. I know I wouldn't take a machine in to a shop to be cleaned unless it was a very expensive, top-of-the-line model. Buying a new machine would be cheaper than paying to have an old one serviced.

John

You know John, I tried that once on my old Sony and when I took the cover off, there was another horrid metal plate cover that required me to take several other pieces of the machine apart just to get to the lense. It was a terrible nightmare of parts and pieces that was obviously designed so you would have to take it into the shop. Not to mention, I cut my finger, lost a fitting head for my screwdriver and remained depressed most of the day.

Andrew's machine is slowly dying a slow death. The disc cleaner kits they sell at the DVD shops do help solve some problems for a while, but even after that, I give the machine about six-months before it takes the final jump into the trash bin. And besides, it's Sony, which rhymes with phony. ;)

For what a person would spend on getting the lazer replaced, you're better off buying a new player. True that many players are under $50 these days; I purchased mine for $38 and it does far more tricks than my old Sony I paid $500 for six-years ago. Strange though, my new player states in the manual to not use lense cleaners or any kind of cleaning kit. Go figure?

hi John
what about DVD cleaning discs available at the shops ?

hi
£300 got me the DVD player which incorporates the 300W amp + 1 sub woofer + 5 speakers in may 2003. it came as a package deal from Sony.
that reminds me that if i get another DVD player i'll need to connect it to the amplifier existing in my present DVD player to get the 300W. the problem is that i am rather short of connecting inputs at the back. they are taken up by the Playstation, plasma monitor (using AV connectors), 2 satellite receivers.
would you advise me on that problem please.

andrew

A switchbox is in order. Almost any electronics shop should carry one.

John

hi
that makes sense.
i cannot thank you enough for taking the time and interest to help me.
you have actually saved me money now that i don't have to take it to professional to seek help.
i shall certainly recommend this forum to my mates.
thank you again
cheers
andrew

i also had a sony dvd system s888 cost me around £800 it was 600 watts built-in dts decoder amplifier in one with the dvd player. i only had it months before it started jumping and freezing, sent it back for a replacement only for that to do the same thing after not to long, maybe problems with manufacturing or something, i now use a cheap dvd player hooked up to seperate amp using same speakers from sony system works a treat. i still have the old amp/dvd it played my none original dvd's no problem ,very strange.

Hi,

Only one comment. Cotton swabs tend to shred. You could buy swabs that don't shred at any electronics store including Radio Shack. If you are cleaning a DVD player or a VHS tape player, I highly recommend the swabs that don't shred.

John Mario ...

>>I've never tried a DVD disc-cleaning kit. I tried one for CDs many years ago and found it did little good.<<

I tried using one of those lense cleaners years ago on a Laserdisc player and had a bad experience. After inserting the disc, the LDP`s lense started to track the disc. I could hear the disc platter revving up considerably, then I heard a loud "whack!"

Apparently, the lense made contact with the brush on the cleaning disc, and it whacked the whole lense assembly out of alignment. I had to bring the LDP into the shop for repair, but it never performed the way it used to prior to the incident. [:.(]

I`ve used these cleaning discs since then, but only when absolutely necessary. I would suggest using caution when using them.

George