I keep one operational as my 'production' Playstation 2 and the other is a 'hot-backup' Playstation 2 for when I've got to send my Playstation 2in for service because of the dreaded "Disc Read Error." The product fails often enough that I have to keep a hot backup. I feel like some sort of perverse N+1 consumer. Good for Sony, bad for consumer.

If you haven't heard of this "Disc Read Error" before, it's probably because:

• You work in the Sony support department
• You work in the Sony PR department

Despite a plethora of complaints and customers searching for a solution (the PS2 has only a 90-day warranty) and fix-it resources available on the web, Sony denies (or at least ignore the fact) that they have a product-wide problem with their Playstation 2. Mine consistently start failing to read CD media and eventually fails to read all media after approximately 18-24 months of use.

Several sites around the Internet indicate that the problem has to do with the voltage going to the two lasers (CD and DVD.) I've tried this repair and I've paid a game shop to try this repair. My attempt was temporarily successful, but the problem reoccured a couple months later. The game shop couldn't make my PS2 work last time. Others have suggested a litany of unlikely causes, including: playing rental titles (supposedly they are "off-balance" because of the stickers the rental stores apply to the discs), viruses, martians peeing on your laser (you get the idea.)

Internet Fix-It Tutorials will walk you through cleaning your PS2 (compressed air), cleaning the laser, adjusting the "level of the laser lens", adjusting the trim potentiometers that control the voltage going to the lasers. Some of these may work for you permanently, some will work temporarily, some will not work at all. My mileage has varied, yours will to most likely.

Sony, for their part, dutifully repairs the machine. Sometimes this is after I pay the $120 service fee (though they have always refunded it), sometimes they waive the fee (though they won't admit any guilt or problem.)

My 'production' Playstation 2 went out again recently. It played all my DVD games fine until I brought home my brand new copy of Grand Turismo 4 (GT4) and powered on the Playstation. Nothing... then "Disc Read Error." That Playstation 2 plays some of the DVD games, but not GT4.

I swapped the units out and it looks like my Playstation 2 is headed for a trip to the Sony repair place in San Diego. For the third time. Hey, look, Sony only charges $75 to repair Playstation 2s now! I'm beside myself. I'll call them directly and see if I can get them to waive the fee again...

If you need to send in your PS2 for repairs, you can start here. For now, the Playstation Support line is: 1-800-345-7669.