Troubleshooting Your Mini DVD Player

Generally, a mini DVD player will perform well. However, at times it will have problems and rather than spending money, you should be able to troubleshoot some of these. Inevitably, with some problems you will need to consult a professional, but several are easy enough to fix yourself and save plenty of money.

No Disc

If your mini DVD player reads “No Disc” after you’ve loaded the disc, it means the machine isn’t reading the DVD. Take the DVD out again and clean it. It’s quite possible that the disc is simply dirty and cleaning it will solve the problem immediately.

If you try several different discs and clean them and you still receive a reading saying “No Disc,” then the problem is in the laser and this will need to be fixed by a professional.

Picture Settings

At times the picture on the screen can seem squashed or just wrong. The usual culprit here is the picture settings in the mini DVD player. The settings might have been set up to play a wide screen film and not return to normal settings. Similarly, the DVD might be wide screen and the settings just for a normal picture, leaving the picture very stretched. Altering the picture settings on the mini DVD player will solve the problem.

Jammed DVD

A jammed DVD is probably the most common problem that will need trouble shooting. Below the drawer you should see a small eject hole. Push a pin or the end of a paper clip in here. Generally this will force the drawer open so you can take out the DVD.

Where this doesn’t work, turn the mini DVD player off and then back on again. This might allow you to open the drawer and remove the disc. Where this doesn’t work you’ll have to remove the cover and access the tray cover. Remove that, move the reader and you’ll be able to take the disc out. It takes time, but it’s relatively simple as long as it’s done carefully. When bending the tabs that hold the tray cover in place go gently as these can break easily.

Picture Freezes

If the picture freezes when you’re playing a disc in your mini DVD player, try using a cleaning disc. This will often be effective. If it’s not, you’ll need to take the machine to a professional for a thorough cleaning.

Power

If your mini DVD player won’t switch on, check the battery. Remove and replace with fresh batteries (use new batteries not old batteries taken from another appliance). In many instances this will take care of the problem,

You should also check and clean the contacts. If these are dirty it will prevent the battery from giving power and your mini DVD player won’t work. If there is still a problem, try different batteries, just in case one of your new ones is faulty. If this still doesn’t take care of the problem take the mini DVD player to a service center.