Of all the things I've tried, it can ONLY read Ice Age. CDs give "disc read error", and DVDs (other than Ice Age) do like a 90 degree turn and then stop as though there is no disc there at all and giving no indication of an error or anything. I've cleaned the lense with rubbing alcohol and such... I have currently it taken apart but running, so that should make it easier to attempt to fix stuff...
Here is a video of a CD not working...

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jul 19 2008, 8:37 pm by FaRTy1billion.

sounds like either a software failure or chipset failure
couldnt you just buy a new one for a $100 bucks or something?

I wouldn't pay anything for a console. My friend gave this to me.

I just got a huge stack of movies to try.
Ok, of all the movies I've tried (11)...

Work (6):
Ice Age
The Fifth Element
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Underworld: Evolution
X-Men
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Don't Work (5):
The Matrix (epic . I was trying to watch it first which is what set me on this epic journy of what does and doesn't work in some random PS2 my friend handed to me as I was walking out his door.)
The Simpsons Movie
Austin Powers in Goldmember
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

... LotR really loves thier "the"s. Every title has at least three.

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Jul 19 2008, 7:24 am by FaRTy1billion.

Have you tried connecting it to the internet for a software update?
Do you have the online connection (or something like it) installation discs?

Um. I was unaware it could connect to the interblag...
I found a nice tut, I'll try it now.

Update!
Ok, so the tutorial I found showed how to adjust some thing to do with the laser. I found about three ticks that the working pile works on, but none of them work with the non-working pile. I went all the way around clockwise from where I was (there is a little area that has no ticks and I cannot pass it. I'm assuming this means it is the limits of whatever it is I am doing...) I could repeat going counter-clockwise, but this happy little area sounds promising.

I've gone a complete circle... I'm bored of this. I'll try more tomorrow.

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Jul 19 2008, 9:31 am by FaRTy1billion.

I'm not good with ps2's but i do need some ps2 help! But good luck Farty!

The latest software is included with every single game released. So you can go rent or borrow a new game to get the newest patch.

I think.

Ok, I checked Sony's wobsite and apparently the model this is cannot read burned CDs/DVDs at all or ever and is not supposed to. I need at least an SCPH-50001 for that. Perhaps it being limited also limits it on what DVDs it can read... This is an SCPH-39001... I've gone through the laser adjustment several times and it will NOT read those DVDs. I'll get it working how it was before and put it back together. I'll tell my friend to trade it in for at least an SCPH-50001.
Link.

PS2 has BIOS updates?

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jul 19 2008, 10:15 pm by FaRTy1billion.

I've had literally this same exact problem, thank you for informing me on how to fix this.

Here is the resources I used if you are interested...
"PS2 Console Repair - Unit Disassembly" You really don't need power screwdriver... It takes like 10 turns. Also I did NOT disassemble it all the way (until I accidentally popped a piece off another part that I had to open to put back in. )
"Dealing with PlayStation 2 disc read errors", for laser adjustment. The console in this is a "ten-screw" (as they are called in the yootoob video), the one I had was an "eight-screw". Mine had a huge black plastic cover over the gear, I just used a tiny flathead and turned the gear, and when that got difficult (the area was raised up), I turned it above the black part.
When it says to put the whole cover back on and all that, all I did was CAREFULLY pop out the little plastic disc with the magnet in it from the DVD drive cover. The piece in the cover is held in by three clips. All I did was make sure it was all the way down and then pushed up under one clip. It is pretty flimsy plastic, so it just snapped out. As you can see in my video, just set it on the disc and electromagnetism does the rest.
You really only need to unplog everything to take the top cover off (mainly so it isn't all in the way.) The rest of the time I had the whole system running as I was meddling inside.

... I was also using latex gloves and stuff like that, so there is no fingerprints at all inside my console. Other than adding a piece of tape, nothing is changed.

Mine had tape all over inside, so I was careful not to tear it or even let it come undone. (I contributed one piece to hold the ribbon to the laser assembly in... The clip was broke so I taped it. )

lol, how did you like my CD I was testing with? When I took apart a broken CD player I used a sharpie to draw on it while it was spinning.

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Jul 19 2008, 11:11 pm by FaRTy1billion.

Well, I assumed they do because Corbo insinuated they do. But that's how it works for 360.