I've just bought a 360 (falcon mobo) for little money (Wanted to get back onto xbox live), and was told the laser needed replacing?

I never considered that the drive might not be the original, and didn't realise that you couldn't currently glitch the latest dashboard, and before I had a chance to read up, I stupidly connected to live and updated the dash, which went through without any problems.

When I opened the console, I found an ms28 (The case has a service tag, so I guess it has been to ms). When I read the ms28 fw, the fw reported as stock.

What I want to know is, would the console have updated to the latest dash with an incorrect, mis-matching drive?

I didn't check the dash version prior to updating, but from the layout, it hadn't been updated to metrodash.

Another thing of note, is that with a retail copy of mw3, the console states "play dvd", however with a burned image of that same disc, it loads in the dash (With no game details/title etc), and states play game, howvere, when I press A to play the title, it seems to boot, but then kicks me back to the dash.

Anyone have any educated ideas?

Well, since you got it on the cheap I would say don't worry to much about it. Just flash it and have fun.

But it doesn't play games?...

:/

pretty sure a falcon isn't supposed to have a sammy in it. you either need to get some info from the seller or get ready to do some serious hard modding.

I had thought that, but the case does have a service tag (and I have seen newer mobos returned with hitachis/sammies/benqs).

I guess I will have to wait for rgh 2.0.

Its a shame as I had a CR sat here, I just stupidly updated the dash not realising it couldn't be glitched (at present).

Did you try a older game (xgd2)? Flash with samsung lt 2.01 and see if game plays. If i'm not mistaken back in 2009 i opened a falcon with a samsung drive from stock (i might be wrong).
Samsung with bad laser sometimes behave like this. Try a burned xgd2 game (after modding drive), if it takes too much to get play on screen (and drive sounds like it's dificult to speed disc up, then it might be a bad laser, if u get play dvd straight away then its messed up key, and if game plays you will need a benq or lite-on drive.