Looking for a Toshiba SD-E802A HDDVD drive

[admin]

Mine is probably dead.

Stopped playing HDDVD... then DVD... then recently CD.

Found in:

• Toshiba HD-A2
• Toshiba HD-A20
• Toshiba HD-XA2
• Toshiba HD-XF2
• Toshiba HD-XE1
• Onkyo DV-HD805
• Integra DHS-8.8

If you have a sleeping unit that could be recycled!

Julien

[admin]

Since I was doing to research on drive vs. model, here are more data points:

The Microsoft XBox 360 Add-Onis using a different connectivity for the drive ref. SD-S802A.

3rd generation players are using a different drive ref. DAV-RB722:

• Toshiba HD-A3
• Toshiba HD-A30
• Toshiba HD-A35
• Toshiba HD-D3
• Toshiba HD-EP30
• Toshiba HD-EP35

Julien

[jd213]

Looks like there might be some potentiometers near the laser, have you tried adjusting them or anything?

[admin]

Looks like there might be some potentiometers near the laser, have you tried adjusting them or anything?

I couldn't see anything looking obviously like a potentiometer but I'll give it another look, thanks!

Maybe here (taken from https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Toshiba+HD-A2+Optical+Lens+Replacement/116887)

block.jpg (24.42 KiB) Viewed 3484 times

Julien

[jd213]

Right, the ones marked VR1 and VR2. Not sure if there's detailed guides out there for adjusting HD DVD lasers, but they shouldn't be too different from DVD lasers.

[admin]

So...

The belt is fine.

This is the exact optical bloc from https://www.repairfaq.org/sam/cdfaq.htm:

I have the readings as follows:

• VR1 = 25.57 kΩ
• VR2 = 28.24 kΩ

Should I increase (less current) or decrease (more current) these values?

Julien

[jd213]

Lowering the resistance generally increases the laser power, so I'd make a small adjustment, measure the resistance, see if a disc will read, and repeat.

[admin]

Lowering the resistance generally increases the laser power, so I'd make a small adjustment, measure the resistance, see if a disc will read, and repeat.

Finally found a screwdriver tiny enough to turn these resistors!

Adjusted a tiny down:

25.57 => 21.65
28.24 => 21.74

Sadly no difference "Disc is not in DVD format" regardless of CDDA, DVD, HDDVD...

Should I keep trying all kinds of values?

Julien

[jd213]

It might require a certain range, but hard to say without a service manual that details the drive itself (the service manual for the HD-A2 doesn't) or someone with experience repairing these.

Might also be a good idea to check the voltages with a multimeter, maybe a bad component (capacitor or something) on the player is preventing the drive from getting enough power.

[avphile]

Following...

I have a bad loading mechanism. The laser works, if I "help" the loader by hand, but then it jams shut and I have to force it open.

Stefan

[admin]

Found in:

• Toshiba HD-XF2

Found a check HD-XF2 that seems in working order.
Will try to transfer the disc drive to my player and, hopefully, get it to play again!

Maybe the DVD will be hard-coded for R2 (Japan) instead of R1 (USA), but that's not really an issue.

Julien

[admin]

Sadly... the HD-XF2 has its drive failing exactly like mine.

No CD/DVD/HDDVD disc detection without an error message, even after swapping the drives.

Which ends my HDDVD journey (nearly 20 years) in a total junk status.

Everything HDDVD-related is going to trash this weekend, discs and players.

RIP (Rather Impossible to Play) HDDVD.

Julien

PS: and my 30+ years old LD players are still playing 40+ years old LaserDisc! (Pioneer 1 - Toshiba 0)

[jd213]

Ah, too bad. You could try calling Hard Off, I think they'll come and pick up certain things for free, they even gave me a bit of money for my A3 model, and one of the guys who came to pick it up even remarked that it was pretty rare (don't think that one came out in Japan), but I said "yeah, but not many people want them."