DAMN SONY!!!!
TO HELL!!!
They promised us DVD capability, but I since learned that watching DVD's on the PS2 damages to laser to some extent, and I've watched enough so that I can't ever play my favourite games ever again... Vice City, Smackdown, Metal Gear sons of liberty.... it takes hours to get NEW games to work.
Sony owe me.

I've had similar problems with my PS2, however it's CDs that it struggles to read. Which isn't much of a problem since most games are DVD format anyway. But when I want to pull out an old game it can be annoying to have to load the disc a few times before it'll actually run.

Natrak, I have to do it over and over, it doesn't take a few times, not even shaking it violently works anymore, I don't have to reset over and over, I have to reset and shake over and over and over and over and over, and it doesn't work. So by now it's not really similar problems...... and it is really irritating....I CAN'T EVEN PLAY HCTP ANYMORE!!!!!!!! :(

Well, often when the problem gets that bad I use a lens cleaner (one of those disks with the brushes on one side), chances are the PS2 won't be able to play it, but just the attempt to load the disk should be enough to clean the lens. Sometimes it does the trick, sometimes it doesn't.

Your only other option is probably contacting Sony about it or going to a repair guy.

:ph43r:

This is a problem we've all encountered before, and a very annoying one at that. There used to be an old trick that I did with my PSX when it got shitty about playing games. I'd get a 2nd game disc and put it upside down (readable side up) on top of the game disc you were playing. The spindle is just high enough to hold them both in place. Having double the weight slows down the spin-up and spin-down times, therefore giving the laser more time to read the disc, which usually results in the game working. Of course it probably kills the motor twice as fast, but those are easily replaced. :P Pity you can't do the same with a PS2. Damn disc tray! :angry:

i've had a similar problem with my purchase of Midway Arcade Treasures. half the games don't work for some reason - it pauses - sits there for a while and then makes a loud humming noise (as if it was about to explode), but when tested on another PS2, it works fine. perhaps it's because my ps2 is modded? i'm not sure, but i've never had an incident that did something like this

anyway, i'm taking it back to EB and swapping it for Beyond Good and Evil next week

Sounds like NES days..Blowing into the cartridges, hitting them about. Good times.

I've had too many of these kinds of problems to mention here... it's what ended our relationship, the PS2 and I. I am now in love with the voluptuous X-Box, though if DMC3 turns out as good as the first, I might have an affair with my old flame while keeping the 'Box in the dark about it.

Before you say it, yes, I know I need a girlfriend. :P

Hehe, we used to throw a friend's copy of Super Mario Land 3: Warioland against a nearby wall when it didn't want to work. Never failed. :lol:

My major issue with my PS2 is also to do with the playing of DVDs. Besides one or two of my most favoured not working in some sectors (usually the best ones on each disk), I always have to turn the damn thing onto the horizontal to get the laser to trigger the reading of the DVD. Once the reading starts, it works dandy at any angle, but having to get up and forcefully hold my PS2 horizontally for ten seconds only to change it back later becomes a tad annoying.

I prefer to keep it on the vertical for extra space, not that I bother anymore. :(

I've never had a problem with mine but someone once said that having it vertically wears it out quicker and increses the chanses of scratched disks. Not sure if it's correct or not.

Can someone explain why the laser dies quicker when used as a dvd player? Whats the technical reason for this?

Apparently it's because the motor that moves the laser across the disc surface horizontally is designed to move it quickly, as to read the different sectors of the disc as fast as possible when they're needed while playing a game. When playing a DVD, the laser is moving vvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy sssssllllllooooooooowwwwwwwwllllyyyyy across the surface because it's just one long disc read, and the PS2 laser doesn't like doing this. At least that's what I've heard, could be bullshit.

Well, I've had no problems with either DVDs or games, I probably don't use it as much as the rest of you, but ir doesn't seem to be as common a problem as people seem to think on this board :)

I've never had any problems with my PS2 either. And now I mostly use my new silver PS2. :D And now I usually watch dvds with xbox or my dvd player.

I heard that one too, which is why I dislike playing DVDs in my PS2 so much. I also refuse to stand my PS2 on its side as well, not because of what Serpentine said, but merely because Sony expect you to shell out another $30 for the stand. Yes I'm petty like that! :P

BTW, does anyone know if stacking consoles and other audio-visual equiptment on top of each other (as in my PS2 sitting directly on top of my DVD player) harms them?

You can get third party vertical stands at The Warehouse for about $5.00.

No, stacking equipment should not hurt as long as you ensure that the air vents are not obstructed and that everything is stable and doesn't vibrate too much.

For example, you wouldn't want to stand your PS2 vertically on a powerful sub woofer. :P