Desktop DVD-RW player stopped working?

[GoodEnough]

I watch DVD movies on the desktop.
Normally, I press the tray closed, and the VLC player just auto-boots the DVD.

It no longer does that.
When I started the media player app manually, it did not detect the DVD movie in the drive.

I rebooted, but got the same problem.

Is the DVD-R toast?
Or is it something else?

Got a link to a budget replacement?

 

[denis280]

Uninstall from device manager and reboot.

 

[Steltek]

Uninstall from device manager and reboot.

Another thing you can try is plugging the SATA cable for the drive in to another port. In either event, if the drive isn't detected again, you can be pretty sure it is kaput. You can also check to see if it is detected in the system BIOS as well.

DVD burners are pretty cheap now, less than $20 shipped at Newegg for many models. If you find one on sale and decide to go Bluray, keep in mind that OEM Bluray drives usually don't include player software and there isn't any reliable free software to play Blurays.

 

[GoodEnough]

What's weird is that its detected just fine, it just doesn't seem to play the DVD.

Can you suggest a cheap one from here?
http://www.newegg.com/CD-DVD-Burners/SubCategory/ID-5

 

[GoodEnough]

This for $18 ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

When I last checked on the best one(s), many months ago, the Asus DVD/RW seemed to be recommended.
They may all be fine choices, anyway.

 

[Steltek]

This for $18 ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo

Before I went to Bluray, I had both that one and also the ASUS DRW-24B1ST. If I had to pick between the two, I'd probably go with the ASUS drive simply due to the fact that it has a (somewhat) bigger cache buffer (1.5MB vs 1MB).

They are both good drives, though, so you probably won't have a problem either way you go. There hasn't been much if any innovation in the area of DVDs for a few years now as it is considered a pretty much fully mature technology.

 

[GoodEnough]

$25 vs $17 for something basically the same, and I will go with $17
Thanks!

 

[GoodEnough]

I ordered the LG for $15
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136259

All the cheap DVD-RW's had the same ratings with a large enough sample size.
It had the same rating as the others, basically.
70% with 5 stars.

 

[denis280]

That's what i have.good enough

 

[sm625]

 

[GoodEnough]

I just installed the $15 LG DVD player.
It technically works, but seems to be a pig.

It takes like a full minute to go to the boot/root DVD menu after I click "Play" in VLC
It also seems to hang when I press "Play Movie" from the DVD root menu.
Takes way longer than normal, to the point where it feels like it's hung, and I start re-clicking "Play"

Also, it keeps going back to the DVD root menu, instead of starting the movie.
I can only start the movie by picking "Scene 1"

What a POS.
Is that typical?

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

I just installed the $15 LG DVD player.
It technically works, but seems to be a pig.

It takes like a full minute to go to the boot/root DVD menu after I click "Play" in VLC
It also seems to hang when I press "Play Movie" from the DVD root menu.
Takes way longer than normal, to the point where it feels like it's hung, and I start re-clicking "Play"

Also, it keeps going back to the DVD root menu, instead of starting the movie.
I can only start the movie by picking "Scene 1"

What a POS.
Is that typical?

I've had a quick look on your behalf, and it would appear that it is normal. Since the site you linked to, has reviews, and at least one reviewer has the same issue.

 

[GoodEnough]

Thank you, SOFTengCOMPelec

Actually, I think it was the DVD itself.
The player is much more normal when I used another random DVD.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Thank you, SOFTengCOMPelec

Actually, I think it was the DVD itself.
The player is much more normal when I used another random DVD.

That's good.

I really hate it when DVD players (not in computers), sit around reading movie DVDs, and take (say) a minute before they even start playing it.

Presumably it is because of the DVD rights protection or something.

 

[GoodEnough]

Yea, I don't recall how fast my old one was now.... But, it's the DVD itself. A few others had perfectly acceptable delays to start up the DVD root menu. As long as it works reliably, I can deal with a delay. After all, I am about to piss 1.5 hours on a movie.

But, I don't want to dick around with having to short-cut the menu, or trying it 5 times before it works, or constantly clicking "Start movie" and it not recognizing the click (and instead just minimizes the VLC screen, etc.