Estimated lifespan of a DC system

I've been playing my DC (original 9/9/99 US launch unit) and I keep hearing/reading stories of people claiming that these are not very durable systems.

Two common problems I seem to hear of often are:
*Laser assembly burning out (or needing some manual adjustment)
*Controller port/logic board failing

So far, my DC is working fine. But, given how hard the drive motor seems to work (it's quite a noisy motor), it's not hard to see that these systems are not going to last long.

Aside from taking care of the system (as I normally do) and regular cleaning, what else can one do to increase the life of their DC and it's internal parts? I'm also getting myself an inexpensive backup system just in case.

 

The lifespan of a laser is about 30 years. Don't worry about it. Take care of it, keep it clean and it'll work.

 

Pfew... that just got rid of one of the major cares in my life :smt023

 

When I was working for a large dept store, a Sony rep told me that audio CD lasers are only designed to last about 2 - 5 years. Why? So Sony can keep the £$££$£$£ rolling in..... But as we know some will give up within a yr, others will last (nearly) forever.

Not too sure about the data lasers in games consoles. They might have been designed with a slightly longer life expectancy (exept PS2, maybe).

 

Data laser, audio laser. Laser = laser. If you do things right, things can last indefinately.

 

I have a Magnavox stereo system that i have had for years, and it still works great.

 

Aside from the laser, what is this thing about the controller port IC board "dying" that I hear about? Is it a random occurence or is there some way to prevent it?

 

sony lasers suck

 

If its the same issue I had...then its a resistor on teh controller interface board that blows. I just soldered on a new one and my board began working again

 

I see. Doesn't sound like a terribly difficult fix then! :smt023

 

If I can handle doing it then Everyone else on here sure as hell can ^_^

 

Life of a Dreamcast

I had the same problems with my DC...One of them had it's controller port zapped, so i bought 4 DC for backups, good thing cause it's getting hard to find. Oh and Sony sucks...it pisses me off when manufacture like sony purposely make their product to last only a couple of years so they can cash in.....I like PS2 but, it still pisses me off when i think of it.

 

the only problem ive encountered was the switch that indicates the position of the lid was off, it always thought it was open. for know i simply taped it down. but i would like to know a more perminant fix.

 

Re: Life of a Dreamcast

Just about every manufacturer of every product does this. So don't go blaming Sony. This is a company responsible for vastly pushing technology forward - without them I don't know where we'd be.

 

Re: Life of a Dreamcast

Don't believe everything you read in Sony press. Sony are in fact one of the worst "1st rate" companies for producing lasers. Ever wondered why AIWA stereos were crap when the compnay was new ? (not too sure about these days) It's because AIWA are Sony. Just the cheap end of Sony. They are all owned by the same board of directors. Also, their new chip that they want to implant in to everything they make so that everything will be able to communicate with the PS3 making you have to have everything in your house electronic a Sony branded item (F@cking stupid idea) was made by Toshiba, not Sony. They just bought it.

Yakumo

 

Obscure question from someone that doesn't crack open his hardware:

What if you don't use the DC? I know you'd never have anyway of testing, but assuming you have a really expensive model that you keep boxed up, does it's lifespan start before it's open?

 

I don't see why it should unless there is some sort of chemical reaction within the laser.

Yakumo

 

I've had my dc since the september launch as well. Thats one of the best models to have, i've only once had the reset problem, but just cleaned the prongs for the power board and its worked fine since. I wouldn't worry about it, my saturn two model 2 saturns work fine and ones tooken quite a beating with swap but it works. I have a sega cd that i had to get from canada that works great still. Yakumo is right about sony lasers, me mum has a old early 90's sony stereo that stoped reading most cds about 6 or 5 years ago. They got good quality tvs though. Nothing but sony tvs in my house. Anyway I wouldn't worry about your dc, as long as you take good care of it don't worry about fixing it, hell the saturn and sega cd were made out of cheaper cd drives that were made alot less sturdy.

 

Well, my Saturn is 8 years old now and is still alive and kicking. I just laugh when I hear someone saying his Playstation died after 3 or 4 years of use