After this length of time its probably no longer relevant but I have one of these which had two dvd drives under warranty and a third at a reduced price as a goodwill measure. This model came with two types of dvd drive. The "metal" type appears to be a standard computer style drive and in my experience seems reliable and the "plastic" type which is not. To determine which type you have open the flap in front of the drive and look in. If you can see under the drive unit it is the plastic type. I believe the problem is caused by dust which is sucked in via the drive flap by the cooling fan gets into the drive and stops the head positioning mechanism moving properly. Regularly hoovering out the dust which collects on the front of the disc tray greatly improved reliability for me. It may be possible to dismantle the drive to clean it out.
Lawrence Harding, March 2011
