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Is a Cleaning Disc safe for cleaning the DVD player's lens? (1 Viewer)

Arnel Enero

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May 2, 2002
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I guess my DVD player's lens is getting dirty, so I would like to know:

1. Is a cleaning disc (with brush and fluid) recommended/safe?

2. Are there any other safe way to clean without opening the transport assembly?

3. For a DVD/SACD player, do I need a DVD cleaning disc, or a cleaning CD is also ok?

If it matters at all, the model I have is the Sony DVP 9000ES.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 

Geoff S

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Jun 1, 2002
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I have used a brush only DVD lens cleaner on my DVD-ROM when no disc would play in it and my entire system would crash (Windows 2000 OS) whenever I tried to read a disc. I just put in the cleaning disc, ran it and 30 seconds later my DVD-ROM was like new again. I used it on my Pioneer DV-525 as preventative maintainence and haven't had any problems before or after.

I used a Scotch 10 brush system DVD suitable for DVD, DVD-R/RW and DVD-ROM. Supposed to go for 100 uses. Seemed to work good.
 

Greg Haynes

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Oct 22, 1998
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I have always felt that DVD cleaners do more harm then good for some reason. But if your having problems with your Sony then I would recommend a cleaner as a quick fix. So far my Toshiba 5109 is 2.5 years old and is still playing perfect. Can't find a reason to replace it yet :D
 

StephenMSmith

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Apr 29, 1999
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The danger is that the brush scratches the lens. Try blowing some compressed air in there first. The ReadRite all purpose duster is the best compress air I've found by far. It is significantly more powerful than everything else I tried and has the added bonus of being safe for optics and mirrors.

Steve
 

Gordon Moore

Second Unit
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Nov 1, 2000
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You can do a search on this as the question comes up every now and then but the concensus is that they can do more harm then good. Precleaning your dvd's before they go into the drive is the best preventative measure. Use a microfibre cloth (most eyewear places carry them). They will not scratch DVD's. You can rub them any which way and you won't leave a mark.

Try compressed air. From experience, I tried a brush cleaning disc and scratched the lens on the first go (most lenses are plastic and not glass so they scratch easily...didn't know that originally). Fortunately it was under warranty and the repair depot fixed it no questions asked. If you are past the warranty period on your player, I say stay away or pay the $30 to have it cleaned professionally. Still cheaper than replacing your unit, especially if it is higher-end (which yours is).
 

Michael Reuben

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I once destroyed a good LD player using a cleaning disc. I wouldn't use one again on anything.

What makes you think your lens needs cleaning? Unless you're actually experiencing problems, I'd leave it alone.

M.
 

Arnel Enero

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May 2, 2002
Messages
106
What makes you think your lens needs cleaning?
1. Some badly scratched DVDs that used to play with no problem now can't be read. I don't think I caused more scratches to them so I expect they should still play fine.

2. Most of my SACDs won't play the hi-res layer, only the CD layer. In fact, some of you might remember me posting this issue here some couple of months ago.

My guess is that the lens is dirty, so it's now getting more and more sensitive to scratched discs, and for some reason to SACD layer (maybe this is relatively tougher to read by the laser?)
 

Jesse Skeen

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The laser could also be out of alignment- there are controls inside to adjust this, though I've heard DVD players are quite sensitive so don't play with them unless you know what you're doing. I have a CD player that started skipping on a lot of discs and adjusting the controls inside fixed it.
 

Michael Reuben

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As Jesse suggests, there are other potential causes for such problems than a pickup that needs cleaning. But if you think cleaning will make a difference, try the compressed air approach described earlier in the thread.

M.
 

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