So my PS2 is rather finicky about playing some games (I've seen the problem occur with just about every disc in my library, but some have the problem more than others). It's like this: when I put a disc in the tray, it generally loads up to the main title for just about any/every game. Depending on which game, I can play through some or even most of the game before... it starts. The PS2 starts whining and grinding and clicking and generally making this unearthly sound that I'm not sure how to describe.
Now, I had been having this problem a while ago, and took it to get fixed. They said the laser reader was out of alignment. They realigned it or whatever, charged me about $50, and I took it home. All was well.
...or at least, so it seemed. But then, a few months later, I tried playing a game (Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi, if it's relevant), and when I got to a certain point in the game the PS2 started glitching up and making the dreaded aforementioned indescribable noises. Since then, the system has been somewhat unreliable as to what games it will play. Some, such as Kingdom Hearts 2 or Sly 2, may or may not glitch out, but I can usually play them through from start to finish if I so desire. Others, such as Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, will almost never play without problems.
I've tried the games out on the PS2 at my grandma's. All with the exception of Budokai Tenkaichi work perfectly well there, so I know the problem is with the system, not the discs. So, is this the laser reader again? If so, that electronics place owes me about $50 for a shoddy job. If not, does anyone here have any other ideas?
One more thing: my PS2 is the big, fat, original design, not the slim model.