replacement DVD-ROM drive for XBOX

[elitewp]

The DVD-ROM drive is broken on my XBOX. Where can I get a replacement drive? I cracked open the box and it has a standard DVD-ROM drive w/ IDE cable, but a customized power cable. I've had the thing since Dec. 2001 and I didn't purchase the extended warranty...stoopid me. I really don't want to send it off to be fixed and have it take 8 weeks when I could do it myself.

Any help would be appreciated.

-EW

[hook-worm J]

I hope you know opening your Xbox voids your warranty anyway...

[sinizuh]

well, if the power cables are broken... you're screwed... if not, get a standard DVD-ROM and just use the custom cables...

btw, how the hell do you break the DVD-rom?

"oh... this gum tastes nasty"
*puts it in cd tray*
"time to play Halo!"
*puts it in cd try*
"oops"

:rolleyes:

[UnitedKingdom]

Send it off or perform the operation yourself, I'd send it off. They screw up, they fix it. You screw up, you have to buy a new one.
Its 8 weeks versus $200, have a think.

[MOrgE]

i would think that for the XboX to function properly, it would need the exact type of DVD-ROM that it came with... and i think the chances of you being able to buy those in a store are kinda slim...

take it back... have them do it...

[wweomaniac]

I donn't think the ones in the store are gonna work. I heard that the XBOX dvd rom reads from the outside in whereas the ones in the store read from the inside to the outside.

Beware.

[Highlite23]

As stated by others, i think there are too many variables involved in order to get the right "Fit" as it were. Not to mention the xbox may have to have the hardware manually installed (the drivers) not like a windows program.
It's hard to say, send it in , or maybe contact MS for a replacement part, your warrenties shot anyway.

Best possible sollution, do the old Target, or Walmart exchange..."I got it as a gift............and it's not working"

Good Luck.

[OppiumNitrates]

Originally posted by this website (http://www.pcvsconsole.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=448&page=2)
Also a DVD player
The Xbox marks Microsoft's entry into the living room; a place normally reserved
for TVs, VCRs and not computers. With the NV2A able to handle DVD output and
the 733MHz processor more than fast enough to perform the majority of the MPEG-2
decoding, it's no wonder that the Xbox ships with DVD playback support. The
Xbox games themselves are stored on DVD-9 (9GB single sided, double layer)
formatted discs and are actually written in a very interesting fashion. The
games are written from the outside of the DVD-9 discs to the inside, meaning
that most discs will actually have the majority of their data stored around the
outer perimeter of the disc. Since the DVD drive in the Xbox is a Constant
Angular Velocity (CAV) drive, it can read more data per second off of the
outermost tracks making this a highly optimized way of storing data on the DVDs
to reduce load times. Obviously the drive can also read regular CDs and DVDs as
well.

Aside from the faceplate, this is a regular PC DVD-ROM drive.
The DVD drive itself is no more than a PC DVD drive capable of reading at 2X off
the innermost tracks and 5X off the outermost tracks. Remember that when
dealing with DVD drives, 1X = 1250KBps of data which is a little more than what
an 8X CD-ROM drive can deliver. With the majority of information stored on the
outer portion of the Xbox game DVDs that means that most of the time the drive
will be reading at 4 – 5X. Only when dealing with movie DVDs and audio CDs as
well as game discs that use the entire 9GB (no game currently meets this
requirement) will the drive receive data at the lower speeds. Obviously for
movie/audio discs it doesn't matter and it will be a while before games hit 9GB
in size (hopefully a very long while). For comparison, the PS2 DVD player is a
4X CAV unit with an inner track speed of around 1 - 2X.

DVD-ROM: Power is supplied by the custom connector to the left and you'll
recognize the IDE cable to the right.
The drive is manufactured by Thomson Multimedia and only deviates from a
standard PC DVD-ROM drive in its back panel connectors. Of course there is the
standard 40-pin IDE connector which accepts the slave position on the IDE cable
going from the motherboard to the hard drive. Instead of a conventional power
connector however there is a proprietary 12-pin cable that powers the drive
directly from the motherboard. This is the only barrier that stands between you
and upgrading the DVD drive in the Xbox to a faster 10X unit. Of course if you
want to keep the sleek front look of the Xbox you'll want to open up the
replacement DVD drive and swap trays with the Xbox DVD drive. In order to power
the drive you could always attach a y-splitter to the power cable going to the
hard drive and use that to power the new DVD drive which is adjacent to the hard
drive; just some food for thought.
-EW

hope this helps

[elitewp]

Thanks for the info Oppium...

I didn't break the dvd-rom...it broke on it's own. I don't think the disc is spinning properly and it makes weird noises. I was addicted to Halo for months and I probably played too much and wore out the drive. :)

And as far as the warranty...It only comes with a 3 month manufacturer's warranty. I didn't get the extended warranty. So...cracking it open really doesn't matter.

If it wasn't for the custom power cable, it would be easy to replace with a standard pc dvd-rom.

I have a feeling having it fixed will cost as much as buying a new one. So I might as well mess around with spare parts around the house...

-EW

[elitewp]

An update on my DVD-ROM issue...

I swapped DVD-ROM drives with a Toshiba 8x DVD-ROM drive. It didn't work. I should have listened to you all, but I'm hard headed.

I gave up and bought a new XBOX today (extended warranty this time).

Thanks for everyone's input.

-EW

[FpS_PhReeK]

Originally posted by elitewp
An update on my DVD-ROM issue...

I swapped DVD-ROM drives with a Toshiba 8x DVD-ROM drive. It didn't work. I should have listened to you all, but I'm hard headed.

I gave up and bought a new XBOX today (extended warranty this time).

Thanks for everyone's input.

-EW

Hey thanks for the update, I have been following along with your problems... I am sorry to hear that you had to drop the cash, but I am glad that you are gaming again... best wishes.

PhReeK out!

[(¯`·._)]

that really sucks dude, jope u have better luck this time

[elitewp]

Thanks for the input and concern everyone. No worries here. I bought Morrowind and Test Drive today. They both rock! I can't stop playing Morrowind. I've never seen a rpg game so complex on a console. I'm still convinced the XBOX rulez...

-EW

[Lazarus]

props to fps for putting down another $200 for the Xbox- you have more willpower than i do...