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[vgjunkie]

Taking the PS3 apart is easy enough. You can get down to the BD drive and there will be a model number on which drive you have. My PS3 just took a dump as well, barely a year old (but enough to be out of warranty). I'm in the process of getting a new laser and installing it myself. It doesn't seem to be too hard. Same symptoms as yours, was watching a movie and it froze up. Had access to all other functions but it would not read any discs I threw at it.

You can get the part for about ~$50USD , which beats paying Sony $150 to take a look at it.

Most likely you have a KEM-400AAA laser (single lens), the other one which started showing up in 2008 models I think is the KEM-410ACA (dual lens). Here is a site that has some parts you would need:

http://www.psxboy.com/catalog_68.html

[Jsmith]

Just a warning.  Mine had the same symptoms.  Bought a new laser.  Powered it up.  Worked for 20 minutes.  Froze in a movie.  Never worked again.

At this point I'd send it to Sony if I were you.

[Skeeterbite]

QUOTE(Jsmith @ Dec 28 2009, 12:12 PM)

Just a warning.  Mine had the same symptoms.  Bought a new laser.  Powered it up.  Worked for 20 minutes.  Froze in a movie.  Never worked again.

At this point I'd send it to Sony if I were you.

I have found out that a lot of the replacement lenses mostly the ones from EBay, are just fixed, not new or original.  So make sure when you are looking to find a seller that has new or origial.

The Diode on the lens is the main cause of the lasers going bad, the Diode comes unsoldered or shifts position, and people are buying them, resoldering the Diode and selling it as a working replacement.