Well, after several failed attempts with disc based lens cleaners, stripping the unit apart and cleaning my lens, tweaking the potentiometer on the DVD drive...
 
I've given up the ghost.  I think doing this stuff has bought me a few months, it's been actng up for nearly 6 months now - but last time I tried to boot it, it was totally foo-bar, wouldn't even read a CD... Given that apparently Microsoft is quoting a 3 month lead time for repairs at the moment, and I'd like to actually be able to play my Christmas presents... That isn't an option.
 
I could have bought a drive myself and replaced it - but in reality, my wife is getting fed up of me spending time on it.  Plus I have the BenQ drive, which requires soldering to swap the circuit board out... And I don't feel like fitting them in my PC and flashing them - I've decided to cough up and get it fixed.
 
I found a local boy called www.whitedog.co.uk I think, White Dog Games, specialists in modding and repairing consoles of every brand. The charge? £60 inc VAT for parts and labour.  A lot cheaper than the £145 new price for an XBOX 360 and I should have it back at the end of the week.  The drive would cost me £25 to buy anyway, and stripping the XBOX, de-soldering and re-soldering the chips and putting it all back together would probably take me 3 hours at least, plus be a bit risky - I'm not exactly a legend with a soldering iron - most of my soldering has been on big industrial stuff, when I have wrecked circuit boards with soldering irons it hasn't exactly been my 'finest hour' so I think the charge is fair.
 
The frustrating thing is that Microsoft seems so unapologetic about flogging something with such cheap, nasty flawed components that break so commonly.  I have PC DVD Drives that are 5 or six years old - fine.  My PS2 DVD Drive - fine, despite hours of use and being modded slightly so I could create custom Guitar Hero songs... What is it with Microsoft?  Is it the promise of out of warranty repairs at £80 a time, which they take as long as they like over because they charge extra for 'opened' XBOX's?
 
I Find it really annoying, and I mustn't be the only one.  The guy at White Dog says he gets more 360's in than any other console.  I asked him if the new slim model was any better - his response, "I don't think so... I've had a few in already." So I say, "Already? But they are only just out?  They should all still be in warranty?!" He shrugs, "Well, people are saying they've rang in to get them fixed on warranty and are being quoted 3 months repair time and they don't want to wait..."
 
Basically, Microsoft have buit a great console - the 360, in so many ways sooooo good.  It's great, it's a pity it's built by Sum Yun Gai out of the cheapest flimsiest components available and is therefore in some respects - a piece of cack.
 
Grrrrrrrrrrr!