Should I take the back off, nothing to loose, then most likely throw it away?
First, clean the lens and check the mechanics, and the AC adapter. Next, see the chapter: “Startup Problems”. Then try to identify how far it is getting. This can probably be done without taking the back off. You can pretty much forget attempting to repair the circuitry – most components are surface mount – both very tiny discrete parts and large multilegged ICs. It is difficult to obtain data sheets for many of these. The service manual is not always complete enough to be much help. Even probing test points without shorting anything out or having the whole mess fall on the floor while balancing the guts of the player and pushing buttons typically requires a minimum of 4 hands. “7. Do I stand a chance to find someone who will give me a better likelihood of success at a reasonable price than the local sony man (who to be honest looks like his idea of repair is to replace it in any case, certainly on a module level)?” IMO, unlikely. It takes more time to get into one of those than a full
