"Stephen McLuckie" wrote in message
...
A friend has asked my opinion on this, and I have no idea. Is there a
general reliability problem with DVD transports?


Yes. They all have performance limitations, some are worse than others......


Her Philips machine can play a (rented movie) DVD for between 15 and 45
minutes, after which time a NO DISC or DISC ERROR is displayed.
Reinserting
the DVD doesn't help, although it will sometimes play for 1 - 2 minutes.
Playing a different DVD makes no difference.


Worth checking the website http://www.philips.co.uk/ to see if there's a
firmware upgrade available. Chase down the 'Customer Care' link and hassle
them for a solution.


The machine is about 18 months old; so she's not very happy. She is also
wondering how reliable these players are, as a lot of her friends are
having
reliability problems with their DVD players.

Any ideas what the problem might be?


Ultimately, 'consumerism' - the general expectation of too much for too
little money by too many and the ensuant compulsion forcing manufacturers,
seeking to increase or maintain market share, to try and provide a solution
that works satisfactorily for as least as long as it takes your cheque to
clear....

;-)