Recently bought a Philips CDV185 (the CD-Video 'single' player) from ebay.

Sometimes it works, but a lot of the time, when a disc is inserted (CDV or CD), it doesn't read the TOC and thus doesn't play anything.

Pressing play causes the motor that pulls in the drawer to whirr briefly, the laser carriage to move a little and emit a couple of clicks - but the disc doesn't spin at all.

I've tried cleaning the lens and greasing the 'slides' but to no effect.

Any ideas? If it's a failing laser then I guess there's nothing to be done (other than maybe increasing the power for a 'last hurrah' before failure!), but if there's anything else I can check...

Very cool piece of hardware.

I would check for a belt and replace it.

Hi, no belts sadly - well the only one in it drives the drawer, and that's fine!

Just going back to this, I'm trying to identify the laser assembly within this player.

The service manual (not on this site, but easily Googled) doesn't seem to identify it, other than as 'CDM Unit' (CDM being the standard prefix for Philips lasers, I understand).

Another site says it's a "Pioneer VWY" - but without the number...

A peek inside shows it to be a fairly compact unit - I dug out a broken KHS-130A and compared the two, and the 185's is smaller, and doesn't have the shiny domed tilt sensor that most players have. I could post a picture if that would be of any help.

Anyone know? Thanks...

Just going back to this, I've been doing a bit of research to-night. Online someone has opined that the Pioneer PD-707V may have the same laser as the CDV-185.

Certainly the two images appended - the first of the CDV-185, the second of the Pioneer - seem to point to this being likely.

So does anyone know the type of laser used in the Pioneer? There is no service manual on this site, nor one online anywhere...

CDV-185


PD-707V

Unfortunately, since those are both super-rare CD-Video/VSD players, neither is likely to lead to a good source of pickup assemblies. I do with you success, though.

Hi, you're right of course, but I was thinking that if the same pickup design were also used in 'full size' players, spares might be more readily available - but until I find out the magic "VWY-xxx" type number I'll never know.

Although, if the CD-V player doesn't have a tilt-sensor, unlike a 'full size' player, then probably this pickup was unique to this type of player - although I think on some full size players the tilt sensor is a separate piece, so maybe there is hope...!