That's a good idea,trying a different media. Sometimes it's a real challenge to find just the right media for both a standalone player and a DVD drive

. Still the added air circulation may extend the life of your standalone player. Another thing that is usually over looked is dust. If you remove the outside case and blow it out with a can of compressed air (carefully), that may solve future problems. I know this doesn't solve the problem of why the original playes and not the backup. Sorry

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Also, avoid cheap standalone players,I hear the are very 'media type' pickey.