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My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

post #1 of 14
Thread Starter 
This is a recent problem, and comes after only 8 months of use. It began with some Blu-ray discs freezing, unfreezing, freezing, etc. This led into freezing and locking, so I had to re-boot the player. Now, Blu-rays won't even load. Standard DVD's work fine. I tried using compressed air to blow dirt out, and used a new Philips laser lens cleaner, but to no avail. Using a cotton swab with alcohol might help, but after removing the outer case, it doesn't seem like getting into the actual player box and to the lens will be an easy task. Has anyone else encountered this sort of problem?
post #2 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

Sounds like a lens alignment issue. It might be time to get a repair estimate or a new BD player.
post #3 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

8 months...........isn't it still under warranty?
post #4 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

You're right Ed. I missed that. Sony warranties for at least 1 year parts and labor.
post #5 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

I would also suggest a firmware update.
post #6 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

It may be a firmwar issue. If you go to Blu-ray.com - Blu-ray Firmware and Downloads you can find your players firmware. You could even call Sony and ask them for the firmware CD.
BTW, how do you run your audio setup for Dolby TruHD? I don't have HDMI and I just set Dts and Dolby to downmix PMC, using the analog cables. Just curious.
post #7 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

I'm having a very similar problem, although I've had my 300 for about a year and a half now. I had updated firmware a few months ago, and I don't think that's the problem anyway.

It started recently, and now about half of the BD's I get won't even load, and the message reads "cannot play this disc". It happens with some of the earliest bd releases, too, not just new ones.

Standard dvd's play just fine. I was wondering if this model has had problems like this, or if it's just time to upgrade to a new player (ridiculous after only a year and a half if you ask me)...or if anyone had any suggestions as to how to fix this.
post #8 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

My S300 still works fine. Again, this sounds like a lens alignment issue since the players use different lenses for BD and DVD, if I'm not mistaken.
post #9 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

is this a problem worth repairing, do you think, or should i just get a new player?
post #10 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Truan
is this a problem worth repairing, do you think, or should i just get a new player?

If the repair is more than $100, then a new player would be my choice. There are some name-brand profile 2.0 players that can be found for under $200.
post #11 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

I feel your pain.

I got this player last June and within a couple of months I started getting freeze-ups and finally a total crash where it wouldn't play anything, including DVD's and CD's.

I sent it in and got it fixed, they replaced the laser pick-up assembly and it crashed again, once again I sent it in and they replaced the mother board and that seems to have done the trick even though I still get the occasional quirk from it.

IMO these S300's are lemons, brought back bad memories of the dreaded Panasonic A110. I swear that damn thing was possessed, I should have brought in a priest to fix it. I hit it once out of frustration and it made a noise that sounded a lot like it told me to go F myself lol.
post #12 of 14
Thread Starter 

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

Well, my S300 finally stopped playing even SD's, and the (very reliable) place I brought it to for repair told me it needed a new drive. Wasn't worth fixing. I bought an S350, and so far no problems. Who knows....
post #13 of 14

Re: My Sony S300 has stopped playing Blu-rays...

Don't you love new technology?
post #14 of 14
I'm having a very similar problem as the OP, only on my BDP-BX1 (basically a S350 in disguise). BD discs freeze up after an indeterminate period of time (anywhere from 20-60 minutes), and the problem can sometimes be instigated if I skip around chapters while playing, or rewind/fast forward for a while, or pause the disc for a time.

The biggest problem is that DVD's don't seem to be affected at all, which means the Sony support staff thinks this isn't an issue with the lens. (They said as much to me over the phone this afternoon). The firmware is completely up to date, and this was confirmed with the tech support operator. So what then is the problem and more importantly, what is the solution??

Do I need to bully Sony's staff to give me a repair/cleaning? Is this a bad firmware update issue or something? I can't figure out how to fix this when even the tech support people think I'm crazy. Anyone have any advice?
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