Abnormal DVD player noise? (1 Viewer)

[Adam Colantonio]

I have a Toshiba SD-3107 DVD player that I bought way back in 1998. I believe it has always made the noise I am about to describe and I never really thought anything about it; however, it has only recently occurred to me that it may not be normal. I can describe the noise at best as being a sort of purring noise, sort of like the sound of a film projector, only somewhat quieter and smoother. There is no doubt that the sound originates from the area of the disc drive as a DVD is playing. I wonder if my player may being doing potential damage to the discs? The sound is not consistent, and is sometimes not there at all. It usually cycles as a DVD is playing, meaning that it won't be there at all, will be present for a few minutes, go away again, then come back. At times the noise is louder than at other times. As of yet, I have found no evidence of any damage to my discs, and the DVD player plays them flawlessly. I stil can't help but wonder. Supposing newer models do not make this noise, is it possible that the noise simply results from my player being an older model and is no cause of concern? Or should I worry about it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Adam Barratt]

Many DVD players can be heard humming away when they're playing a disc: it's a combination of the motor spinning the disc and the sound of the disc itself spinning. The disc rotation of a DVD varies depending on what part of a disc is being read, consequently so does the noise of the motor and the noise of the spinning disc.

As the player's optical pickup moves from the centre of the disc toward the outer edge the rotation of the disc slows and the motor becomes quieter. If it's an RSDL (dual-layer) disc the sound may become louder toward the end of a film as the mechanism returns to the centre of the disc and the disc/motor rotation increases. Menus and supplemental materials are usually near the centre of a disc, so the player may be louder while playing these.

This noise isn't something to worry about (unless it is becoming progressively louder over time). Better built players (ie. more expensive players) tend to have quieter drive mechanisms and sturdier chassis, front panels and drawers which are better able to dampen this sound.

Adam