SONY BDP-CX960 - is it all over??? (1 Viewer)

[mikeabt]

ALL:

I own a Sony BDP-CX960 400 Disc Blu-Ray Player. It has been a great player since about 2010 for me and my family. Over the past year a few discs have become "un-readable" by the player. Meaning that I would have to remove them and re-install them and they would magically become readable and play normally. This occurred about 8 times over the life of the device.

Last week I turned the player back on after a month or so shutdown and it began acting strangely. It did come on via the remote but would not go to the menu (in fact it would not do anything based on the remote command or by touching buttons on the face of the unit). It tried to play the disc that it last played, but eventually called it "un-readable" (or words to that affect). I couldn't get it to do anything and finally thought I should un-plug / re-plug after 30 seconds. After I re-plugged nothing happened no power-up, NOTHING!.

I took off the cover, isolated the power-in circuit board and checked the fuse - no problem. Then I checked the buttons on the front face - no issues there. Put it back together and found the service data sheet on-line which said to push [STOP], [DISC EJECT] & [OPEN/CLOSE] while unplugged, then plug in with the expectation of seeing the device switch to SERVICE MODE. however, NOTHING AGAIN.

The player is discontinued in manufacturing and Sony has ceased to support it. I have found that there are few parts out there on-line and I am not really an electronic wizard (as I am sure several of you have already determined). My question is this? Is there anyone out there that has experience with this player and is the problem that I related terminal?

 

[Tino]

Since this forum is for Blu ray and UHD software, perhaps you should move this thread here

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/forums/playback-devices.58/

You’ll probably get more responses.

 

[YANG]

It's time to upgrade dude... With newer features, with newer firmware, with new playing cpabilities.
SONY new players still supports SACD playback if this is your major concern...

 

[David Norman]

It's time to upgrade dude... With newer features, with newer firmware, with new playing cpabilities.
SONY new players still supports SACD playback if this is your major concern...

I think the 400 Disc capacity might be the big issue with a new player
It is odd to see 2 separate threads by different posters (I'm assuming) for this player in the space of 24 hrs

The player is discontinued in manufacturing and Sony has ceased to support it. I have found that there are few parts out there on-line and I am not really an electronic wizard (as I am sure several of you have already determined). My question is this? Is there anyone out there that has experience with this player and is the problem that I related terminal?

Even though Sony doesn't support the player directly, surely there is a Kurtis Bahr type out there somewhere that understand this unique machine. I guess a lot depends on where you live whether there is some skilled Electronics person close enough to make it worth finding. It might be worth contacting a Sony Repair center and see if they have a name in-house or out.

 

[mikeabt]

Thank you. I just recently found a Sony repair center locally that will look at the device. I intend to take it to him this coming week.

When I placed each disk in the player it would go to GraceNote via the web to download all disc information and jacket art. Now that Sony and GraceNote are no longer together I will lose all of this information if I remove the discs prior to taking the player to the repair center. The technician at the repair center told me to bring all discs in the player and he will work with them in the player.

 

[Wayne_tr3a]

ALL:

I own a Sony BDP-CX960 400 Disc Blu-Ray Player. It has been a great player since about 2010 for me and my family. Over the past year a few discs have become "un-readable" by the player. Meaning that I would have to remove them and re-install them and they would magically become readable and play normally. This occurred about 8 times over the life of the device.

Last week I turned the player back on after a month or so shutdown and it began acting strangely. It did come on via the remote but would not go to the menu (in fact it would not do anything based on the remote command or by touching buttons on the face of the unit). It tried to play the disc that it last played, but eventually called it "un-readable" (or words to that affect). I couldn't get it to do anything and finally thought I should un-plug / re-plug after 30 seconds. After I re-plugged nothing happened no power-up, NOTHING!.

I took off the cover, isolated the power-in circuit board and checked the fuse - no problem. Then I checked the buttons on the front face - no issues there. Put it back together and found the service data sheet on-line which said to push [STOP], [DISC EJECT] & [OPEN/CLOSE] while unplugged, then plug in with the expectation of seeing the device switch to SERVICE MODE. however, NOTHING AGAIN.

The player is discontinued in manufacturing and Sony has ceased to support it. I have found that there are few parts out there on-line and I am not really an electronic wizard (as I am sure several of you have already determined). My question is this? Is there anyone out there that has experience with this player and is the problem that I related terminal?

Hope this post is done correctly: first time user on this forum:

I just finished a chat session with SONY on this same device. The problem I am experiencing is similar, in that DVDs that used to play correctly are now returning an "invalid disc" error message. This occurs even after downloading the latest firmware version, checking each DVD to ensure it is not damaged, scratched, etc, as well as individually reloading each disc. The support desk was not familiar with this product and could provide no significant assistance. All they could suggest was a master reset, which I doubt will cure the issue. I am sure it will be important to record all the previous settings for Audio / Video / Phot / BD / System / Network settings before doing this, in order to restore any necessary settings.

This unit performed with no issues until a few years ago. I can only guess updates to new blu-ray discs may in some manner no longer be compatible with this specific SONY player.

 

[mikeabt]

Hope this post is done correctly: first time user on this forum:

I just finished a chat session with SONY on this same device. The problem I am experiencing is similar, in that DVDs that used to play correctly are now returning an "invalid disc" error message. This occurs even after downloading the latest firmware version, checking each DVD to ensure it is not damaged, scratched, etc, as well as individually reloading each disc. The support desk was not familiar with this product and could provide no significant assistance. All they could suggest was a master reset, which I doubt will cure the issue. I am sure it will be important to record all the previous settings for Audio / Video / Phot / BD / System / Network settings before doing this, in order to restore any necessary settings.

This unit performed with no issues until a few years ago. I can only guess updates to new blu-ray discs may in some manner no longer be compatible with this specific SONY player.

 

[mikeabt]

Wayne, thank you. What you are explaining is exactly the way it started with me. I would simply call up a disk to play and would receive the invalid disk warning (or words to that affect).

This happened more often until one day when going to a disk the player seemed as though it was slowing down and would not react to remote commands or commands from the front face buttons. I turned it off in an effort to reboot by unplugging and replugging 15 seconds later. When I replugged- Nothing! It hasn't done a thing since.

I plan to get it to a repair facility soon but have held off due to the current situation.

Hope you have better luck with yours and that perhaps you can avoid similar issues.

Thanks again,

Mike

 

[Wayne_tr3a]

Wayne, thank you. What you are explaining is exactly the way it started with me. I would simply call up a disk to play and would receive the invalid disk warning (or words to that affect).

This happened more often until one day when going to a disk the player seemed as though it was slowing down and would not react to remote commands or commands from the front face buttons. I turned it off in an effort to reboot by unplugging and replugging 15 seconds later. When I replugged- Nothing! It hasn't done a thing since.

I plan to get it to a repair facility soon but have held off due to the current situation.

Hope you have better luck with yours and that perhaps you can avoid similar issues.

Thanks again,

Mike

Good luck with the repair when you have the time. One other question you may wish to ask is whether the fact that since SONY and Gracenotes no longer have a business relationship, what year did they stop providing DVD information to this specific SONY unit. I think it was around 2015, and blue-ray discs shortly after this are no longer supported with Gracenotes data. I am not 100% sure about this, but believe I am correct. Best of success.

 

[the_inspector_069]

Wayne, thank you. What you are explaining is exactly the way it started with me. I would simply call up a disk to play and would receive the invalid disk warning (or words to that affect).

This happened more often until one day when going to a disk the player seemed as though it was slowing down and would not react to remote commands or commands from the front face buttons. I turned it off in an effort to reboot by unplugging and replugging 15 seconds later. When I replugged- Nothing! It hasn't done a thing since.

I plan to get it to a repair facility soon but have held off due to the current situation.

Hope you have better luck with yours and that perhaps you can avoid similar issues.

Thanks again,

Mike

Mike,

I would suggest you attempt to take a disc out and place it back in. Let the machine load. Make sure you are connected to you network which should be connected to the internet. Disable looking for updates, but enable Gracenotes. You may be surprised what you make discover. Gracenotes supplies their services to many manufacturers. They just happened to change the way that they deliver information to devices.

The drawn out issue began in 2017, in May to be exact. Sony did post this fact on their website. Movie Jackets would no longer downloaded. Then, in September, 2019, it was documented that movie information would not download. If you visit Sony's website, I've vented quite a bit about this unit, and their lack of support. I have an older single tray Sony Blu ray player. Never had one issue. And they supplied more firmware updates to that unit.

I have the same player since July, 2010. Very odd device. Just the other day, it indicated that slot 27 was "invalid disc" (Like the blue screen of death in Windows). As I was looking for that slot, I accidentally pulled the disc in slot 30. Shut the door, and as the machine read that invalid disc, it became available again. So I just placed the disc pulled, back into slot 30. Other times, I would just wash the disc, and that would solve the problem. Encased or not, a film does build up on those disc.

FYI: I would never cart my player around with discs intact. You may wind up with more problems than you anticipated.

 

[mikeabt]

Thank you very much. I am looking forward to trying that disc remove/replace tactic. Also, I do agree, up until now I have dreaded taking the full device for repair for fear of taking a hard turn in the vehicle and letting the inertia of the turn table strip the drives in the player. Your input is most appreciated. Regards.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I agree it is time for an upgrade.

 

[Bytewench]

I agree it is time for an upgrade.

unfortunately there is no upgrade available for this type of unit (a blu ray megachanger).