Console Stuck In Dvd Video Mode?, Need a nudge in the right direction... Options

[tankertux]

My console has been getting worse about reading games recently. It started with the "Insert the disc into an Xbox 360 error" occassionally, followed by unreadable disc errors once in a while. I took the drive out and blew it out with electronics duster which helped briefly. Its at the point now where it thinks every disc (originals and backups) is a DVD video. The console will play DVD videos just fine however.

Could the issue be a loose DVD sata/power cable or is it more likely that my laser is dying? I also messed with the little "volume" knob on the Samsung drive (you know, the one that is on the front of every CD and DVD drive that really doesn't do anything). Could that have messed something up? (Sounds stupid and I feel like a tool for asking that, but its been bugging me). Thanks for any replies!

[Anony-X]

It seems to me that your going to need a new laser. The fact that its actually recognising that a disc has been inserted would suggest that it is not a loose sata or power cable.

I am relatively new to the whole 360 scene but this seems like a generic dvd player problem. I may be wrong though.

[MarutiDriver]

Try in this order:

Clean the lens.
Pot Tweak.
Replace laser.
Replace drive.

[RDC]

You can skip right to Replace the Laser, since you messed with the POTs on there already. Without taking readings while doing that and setting it to a specific point, you can burn the thing out and ruin it.

[tankertux]

I haven't messed with the dvd pot yet, just that manual "volume" looking knob that is visible when you have the drive out of the case. I'll try the pot tweak before I buy a new laser.

Thanks for the comments!

[RDC]

If you're talking about the Spindle motor (where the disc sits) then yes you're still fine to try the POT tweak. Whatever the case, in the future get your vernacular straight or show a pic of it if ya have no idea what to call it.

[tankertux]

Sorry, but my vocabulary is only strong enough to call this a "Little-volume-knob-next-to-an-audio-jack".

Here is a picture (on a regular DVD drive. I didn't want to bother taking my 360 apart again.)



Its the little knob next to the audio jack on the DVD drives. The 360 has one too (no audio jack though) that is visible when it is out of the console. Just check it out next time you open your case.

[RDC]

Well, on a PC drive it really is a volume knob. However on a 360 drive, and only the Samsung, it's the gear that opens/closes the tray, so if you were to keep moving it in the 'volume up' direction the tray would eject before long.

[tankertux]

Ah, gotcha! Thanks!