DVD PLAYER NOT READING DVDS

(This assumes the discs aren't just dirty or damaged)

Sure. Replace the laser pickups. The parts may well cost more than the whole players. Some require fairly extensive adjustments be done after replacement. This requires a service manual and a decent oscilloscope, and appropriate training to use them.

The blessing and the curse is that the price of new (el cheapo) players has dropped so far that replacement is often FAR cheaper than repair. Unfortunately the quality of the new units being sold are often sub-par. Pioneer still seems to make a decent player.

Mark Z.

P.S.

I just realized that your next question was likely going to be along the lines of, "How come it plays CD's but not DVD's if it's the laser?"

Not only possible, but quite common. DVD players made the past several years have dual-element laser diodes; one side emits a laser frequency more compatible for CD, CD-R, etc while the other side is more compatible with DVD's. The DVD section of your 2 players' pickups have deteriorated or otherwise failed. This is an extremely common problem on DVD players.

Mark Z.