![\"wpid-20141208_101046.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.coffeechick.com\/words\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/wpid-20141208_101046-e1424816099757.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf you’ve ever wondered what these look like on the inside, you’re in luck. Especially if you’ve ever wondered what these things look like on the inside in a slightly murky room with weird lighting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Step One: Remove visible screws.
\nStep Two: Start pulling to reveal hidden screws.<\/p>\n
There were no hidden screws, which meant diverting to ‘pry on anything that looks like a clip’. I removed the faceplate\/bezel thing, accidentally taking the tray along for the ride.<\/p>\n Yup. That’s the tray. I don’t think it’ll come out at this stage. In one piece, anyway.<\/p>\n Off comes the metal shell. The bottom, that is. Hey, look, insides. Nifty. There’s a green thing and a wheel-looking thing, and another, smaller green thing. <\/p>\n But things are getting too interesting. I’d better flip it over and, hey, more case. Which actually came right off. Because, obviously, nothing was holding it on.<\/p>\n This is what it looks like without the metal case, but from the top this time. <\/p>\n Let’s get that tray out of the way, because everyone’s seen that tray.<\/p>\n What you might not have seen [and what you won’t see here, because I was taking pictures with a potato I stored next to an onion] is how the tray works. When you push that eject button, the tray comes out, right? It comes out because of these little gears, and a belt-driven wheel. Seriously, there’s a tiny little belt in there. <\/p>\n That’s the laser. That’s what burns the DVDs and reads them. <\/p>\n This board, as far as I can tell, is what controls everything. It’s where the power goes in, and where the data transfer between computer and drive happens. <\/p>\n The other side of the board. It’s connected to the laser with that flat white cable. <\/p>\n Once I’ve got that board detached, everything’s pretty much over. <\/p>\n So let’s look at this thing again. <\/p>\n See that ridged, screw-looking thing on the right? That’s how the laser moves. It really is a screw. It turns [the big thing at the top is probably a small electric motor], and, depending on the direction it turns, the laser [more visible in the picture just above this one] moves toward the front or the rear of the device. <\/p>\n And that’s what a DVD-RW looks like on the inside. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Loyal Reader, I would like to present a new somewhat regular thing: Teardown Tuesday, where I indulge in a rather weird personal pleasure–taking things apart–and torment you with bad pictures of the process. I hope that, eventually, my pictures will … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n