Drive not recognizing blu ray discs

[ed1980]

Hi I have a Sony Vaio E-Series VPCEC1S1E with a Combi drive optiarc bc-5500-h it will play CD/DVD's but I put in a Blu Ray and it's say "Please insert disc into drive"

the driver is up to date and I have played Blu Rays for the last year but doesn't even recognize there is a disc in the drive now the computer was preinstalled with Windows 7

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

I am having trouble finding your model. Is that the number on the bottom of the notebook or on the top (typically on the LCD bezel)?

You say Windows 7 was pre-installed but you were able to play them for a year until it was pre-installed?

 

[ed1980]

yes that is the model on the bottom right hand side of the screen. is a E-series 17.3inch i5

sorry worded a little wrong. Windows 7 was pre-installed when I bought the laptop and Blu ray has worked for around a year until recently. I mentioned about it being pre-installed as have read a lot of people having problems like mine after they have update vista to 7

 

[neo101]

Windows 7 does not natively run Blu-ray

You need a separate software program like "PowerDVD" which contains the stuff you need to run the blu-ray discs.

Were you supplied with the blu-ray software for vista?? - you just have to find out if the company supplies an updated Win 7 version if you bought an upgrade off them.

Otherwise the software costs $100 upwards

Have you checked in 'computer management' for any yellow triangles against the hardware?

 

[ed1980]

I have Corel WinDVD BD which I use to play Blu Rays that's not the problem. Now when I put a Blu Ray in the drive and go to My Computer the BD drive doesn't show a disc in there if I double click on the drive it ejects and asked to put a disc in the drive

 

[neo101]

have you tried different discs/films?

Sometimes with brand new movies you have to let Corel(etc) download the latest blu-ray authentication (drm ballsup) files so it can recognise/play the latest blu-ray disks

 

[ed1980]

I've tried around 20 films old and new. it's not Corel as the computer isn't even recognizing a disc in the drive in "My Computer"

 

[neo101]

I've tried around 20 films old and new. it's not Corel as the computer isn't even recognizing a disc in the drive in "My Computer"

Do you know how to open puta to check wires are on tight - both ends of the player lead?

 

[ed1980]

I don't really want to be opening my laptop, and it reads CD/DVD's fine so doubt it's the leads

 

[neo101]

I don't really want to be opening my laptop, and it reads CD/DVD's fine so doubt it's the leads

Great needed the xtra info

Have you checked your player is on the right region?
eg UK/Europe=region 2 B

Have you checked Corel for update? Otherwise unload-reinstall Corel

Download this and see what comes up in results
http://www.cyberlink.com/stat/bd-support/enu/index.jsp

 

[ed1980]

blu ray uk region is region B as Blu Ray is A,B and C not 2 this is DVD region and DVD is playing fine

 

[neo101]

blu ray uk region is region B as Blu Ray is A,B and C not 2 this is DVD region and DVD is playing fine

Yeh that's wot I meant.

Imagine having to decipher what this meant >>>

I've tried around 20 films old and new.
it's not Corel as the computer isn't even recognizing a disc in the drive in "My Computer"

On further questioning "it reads CD/DVD's fine"


Could be
HDCP files revoked
Need player 'firmware' update
Blue wavelength - Laser failure?

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

Windows 7 does not natively run Blu-ray

You need a separate software program like "PowerDVD" which contains the stuff you need to run the blu-ray discs.

Were you supplied with the blu-ray software for vista?? - you just have to find out if the company supplies an updated Win 7 version if you bought an upgrade off them.

Otherwise the software costs $100 upwards

Have you checked in 'computer management' for any yellow triangles against the hardware?

If it was the software, they should still be able to browse the contents of the disc.

I vote that the laser is not able to tilt to the angle required for BDs. it may be dying.

 

[ed1980]

Computer Blu ray drive don't have regions so can't be the issue. I have downloaded that cyberlink advisor and says I haven't a software player and to download their player (probably to get a sale) I downloaded the the free trail and the same "no disc" like I've said a few times before "My Computer" folder isn't recognizing a Blu Ray disc in the drive. So it's not the software player, if my computer doesn't know there is a disc in the drive how can programs can play it? I can't even browse the disc as it doesn't recognise there is a disc in the drive. If the programs needed updating or the region was wrong the computer would still register a disc in the drive on "my computer" window and i'd be able to browse the disc just not play it

 

[ed1980]

That's what I think Johnathon but browsing on Google there seems to be a lot of people with the same problem. Didn't want to shelling out for a new drive if it doesn't solve the issure

cheers

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

That's what I think Johnathon but browsing on Google there seems to be a lot of people with the same problem. Didn't want to shelling out for a new drive if it doesn't solve the issure

cheers

When a multi-function drive encounters one of its compatible disc types, the laser does two things:

1. It uses an appropriate wavelength for the disc type (CD, DVD: RED; BD: VIOLET)
2. it must tilt to a very slight angle per each disc type in order to see through the layers. Otherwise, it would it the first layer and bounce back, thus eliminating the concept of dual layer DVDs and BDs.

Like I said in an earlier post, even if you do not have BD player software installed, Windows can still browse the contents of the disc. Since you cannot even do that, I am betting the drive is failing.

It can't be a firmware update if ALL of the films they used to watch are no longer working.

It ALSO can't be HDCP because that only deals with playing the disc as a movie and the video files on said disc. If he/she was browsing the contents of the disc, HDCP would not come into play.

Region would not come into play for BD drives in PCs. Regions are only important on standalone players. If he was having issues VIEWING DVDs, however, I would definitely check the region.

 

[neo101]

I never looked into this before but a kwiksearch

"A blue laser is a laser that emits electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of between 360 and 480 nanometres, i.e. it emits "blue" light or light at the blue end of the spectrum. The light from blue lasers of wavelengths below 445nm or shorter wavelengths is appears violet to the human eye, a distinctly different color"

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

I never looked into this before but a kwiksearch

"A blue laser is a laser that emits electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of between 360 and 480 nanometres, i.e. it emits "blue" light or light at the blue end of the spectrum. The light from blue lasers of wavelengths below 445nm or shorter wavelengths is appears violet to the human eye, a distinctly different color"

The blu-ray laser wavelength is 405nm, to be specific. 405nm as light is 100% violet. I'm not sure where you got that but blue is not at the end of the spectrum >.>

 

[neo101]

I never looked into this before but a kwiksearch

"A blue laser is a laser that emits electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of between 360 and 480 nanometres, i.e. it emits "blue" light or light at the blue end of the spectrum. The light from blue lasers of wavelengths below 445nm or shorter wavelengths is appears violet to the human eye, a distinctly different color"

The blu-ray laser wavelength is 405nm, to be specific. 405nm as light is 100% violet. I'm not sure where you got that but blue is not at the end of the spectrum >.>

Awesome Troll you are

I could have you up for another of your 'factoid' answers but you ain't worth it

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

Since we're successfully off topic, let's try to return.

Given the nature in which the OP's drive is performing, If a firmware update to the drive does not solve the problem, I recommend having it replaced. While Windows does not have a way to natively play a blu ray movie (because of the encoding format--typically VC-1 or AVCHD inside an BDAV MPEG2 Transport Stream (M2TS) and the audio track/s (DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD/MA)), it can still browse the contents of a blu-ray disc as it would any other type of optical medium the drive supports.

I hope that we have helped you OP. Please do not hesitate to come back and pick our brains.