Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - Toshiba SD-V291 DVD/VCR combination player

Hello All,
I happen to be the not too proud owner of a Toshiba SD-V291 DVD/VCR combination player. The VCR works fine but the DVD drawer will not open. Since the unit is barely out of warranty, I decided to have a peak inside the box to see if something was obvious that I might repair or to replace a part. I am not an electronics wizard, but know enough not to get electrocuted. I don't find anything that jumps out at me. Does anyone have any experience diagnosing or fixing this trouble? I understand that there are quite a few of these units on the market with the same problem and surely someone has attempted what I am trying to do. I suspect the same problem exist with all of this unit. I have been unsucessful in locating any info on the net at all. Any ideas or a possible discussion site would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much. chodog

a quick google on the problem found a number of reports of toshiba replacing these units due to this problem. that sounds like it's not an easy fix. i bet if you called toshiba and raised enough hell they would replace yours.

Thanks for the idea but apparently I didn't raise enough hell because I had already called them and got no where, even after telling the person that obviously they have a design problem with this particular model.
After that conversation is when I decided to try my hand of opening the box as I had nothing to lose. Simply not feasable to take to a repair person.
I did managed to get my hands on a Service Manual, but the Japanese don't give you many details in their broken English. As an example, in the Troubleshooting Guide, they ask "is the voltage at pin 3 and 14 of IC2301 about DC9V?" I managed to find IC2301 (a chip about 1/2x3/4, with 28 leads on it) and it has only about 1/2 the called for voltage. Now, the next step is to find the "Power Block". The steps they show is "Check P. Con 9V line of POWER BLOCK. My question is after I find it, what then, hit it with a hammer, yank it out and replace it or what?
I'll stay after it and maybe find something.
Thankfully, the VCR has a separate board from the DVD, so if I do take the crow bar to it, i'll still be able to watch VHS tapes. Maybe someone else has some ideas. Thanks for yours. chodog

if all else fails, take a dremel and cut a hole in the top so you can drop your discs right onto the tray :D