I just bought a new PS3 (320 GB Drake bundle). I thought it seemed a little loud reading discs, especially during certain games (like LA Noire) but assured myself it was normal. Tonight I put in a DVD and the system froze on a black screen before ever reading the disc. I couldn't eject the disc, it was making a loud noise, and I couldn't turn off the system (at least not by the normal tap of the button-I didn't try holding it down). I hadn't read online about the force eject or yellow lights or anything so I just unplugged it. When I turned it back on the disc ejected no problem and the system read Kingdoms of Amalur on the first try. I've since tried the DVD again and it also worked without issue.
Does this sound like a standard hiccup or is there something seriously wrong with my system?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
A lot of people don't realize this for some reason but NEVER play DVD/CD ROMs on the PS3!! EVER! Only play Blu ray discs in it. The PS3 was DESIGNED to play blu ray discs (hence the built in blu ray player. ALL PS3 games are on blu ray as well in case you didn't realize), not DVD/CD ROMs. Those disc types make the system work a lot harder than it has to. It forces the system to spin the disc faster and make the laser move faster in order to read it. For blu ray it goes much slower. Playing anything but blu ray can make the system overheat, or overtime damage it. That noise you heard probably sounded REALLY LOUD and geary/whirry right? That noise means the system wants to overheat (mine has done that to me before as well so I know. And it was because I also played a DVD on it. It's not designed for those disc types even though it can play them. Just avoid them altogether. Get a DVD player for those discs.) Just never play DVD/CD ROMs on the system. It'll make the system last longer too. I actually got the stand for my PS3 after it almost overheated on me and I have never played DVD/CD ROMs on it again and it still runs like brand new (which it was 3 years ago.) The stand is only $19.99 + tax. It's really worth it. It looks good, it's durable, it keeps the PS3 nice and steady (it shouldn't be put on it's side without the stand, your just asking for it to get knocked over and broken then) and it also provides better airflow. Any PS3 model (even the Fats) should never have anything but blu ray played on them. You already know what will happen now and now you know to never play those other discs on your PS3, so don't do it.
As for freezing, ALL PS3's freeze regardless of model and there's nothing you can do to stop or prevent it from happening. It's the system itself that freezes (and no that doesn't mean it's faulty. Remember, ALL PS3's WILL freeze.) It's actually completely normal for them to freeze. Just make sure you turn the system off properly. You have to use the power button. Clicking it usually works. It will usually delay for about 10 seconds, beep at you then shut down. Sometimes the clicking won't shut down the system. If the clicking happens to not work you MUST HOLD the power button instead. That will force shut down. It might take a while (between 30 seconds to 5 minutes sometimes) but it WILL force shut down. The completely WRONG way to turn the system off is to unplug it. NEVER EVER EVER unplug it while it's on (or when it freezes, because it's still on.) That can corrupt data on the HDD, corrupt the entire HDD itself, or just simply outright kill your PS3 making it nothing more than a giant paperweight. NEVER unplug it. This is actually the main reason people break their systems. It's because of ignorance on how to shut it down properly. And then they complain about it. It's honestly common sense to not unplug any system. Doing that is fatal for most electronics.
Don't worry, it's not a standard hiccup or anything bad either. Normal noises include the reading/loading (of the blu ray discs), clicking, gentle constant whirring from the fan, etc. That stuff's normal. That really loud geary/whirry sound is the worst sound your PS3 can make. It's the overheating sound and will happen from the DVD/CD ROMs as you now know as well as a couple other reasons. Also vacuum the system out once in a while. Dust can get built up inside and that can make the system a bit louder as well, but if it isn't removed then it can damage the internal components of the system over time. If you have any other questions feel free to email me and ask. Just click on my avatar.
Hope that helps.
Hmm can't realy say for certain.
I had.my bad days were games froze on me or I got stuck on the home screen.
I never had a problem with the dvd freezing.
Since you say everything works now, I wouldn't worry.
I've had that happen to me a couple times as well. My PS3 is older tho so I can't do anything about it now. If it keeps happening definately take it back.
that can happen with any video game system today
they are made to cheap not like sega or nes