Would a Blue-ray DVD player new in c. 2008 suddenly die? Do they have finite life spans?

They are built to fail after a certain time, to force you to buy a new one.

How do I t get the disc stuck in the slot out? With an ax?

@gailcalled Try a little bit less barbaric, a screwdriver and take it apart, it should be pretty easy to get the dvd out with the top cover off.

Does it still turn on or anything?

Anyways they usually aren’t worth repairing unless you have someone like me who fiddles with stuff and fixes things that aren’t usually make to be repaired I don’t think you will find anyone.

I would not use needle nose pliers, that is very risky and most pairs won’t fit in.

DVD players vary a fair bit if you take the cover off and upload a picture I can advice you how to get it out.

An ax would work. Or you could try needle nose pliers with rubber bands around the area that will touch the disc.
XOIIO. Done it. It works.

Look for a small hole near the face of the player, where you can slide in a straightened paper clip. It may be at a corner of the tray / door, and it may even be on the back or bottom of the player. What you’ve got right now, aside from any electrical issues the player may have, is a mechanical failure of the door / tray to open to release the disc. Most players that I’ve ever seen have some means to enable a mechanical release of the lock that keeps the tray closed.

Definitely have the thing unplugged while you’re poking with a metal instrument!

@CWOTUS That’s usually only of dvd drives, I have not seen that on many dvd players, but it there is that would work.

You don’t need to have it unplugged though it’s just a plastic mechanism that turns the gears instead of the motor.

If you’re poking around inside a DVD player (aside from a computer’s, anyway) without any certainty that you’re poking the right hole, it’s a good idea to disconnect the power in case you poke the wrong place.

@CWOTUS Same goes for intimate relations.

lol

I bought a top of the line RCA DVD player about 8 years ago ( around $200 ) and it crapped out within a year or so. I then bought the cheapest little $35 dollar Magnavox player and it still runs like a charm 7 years later. Go figure. lol

@gailcalled I found a youtube where a young girl gives a how to on this matter and to me it looks like it could work! I have a CD stuck in my truck CD deck I will be testing this out on.

Problem solved, more simple than one would think.

I found the manual and followed the instructions, helped by the telephone repair man who was here fixing a short on the phone line. It was a two-man job. The door opened to eject the disc and the whole machine is now magically working like new. It was hard seeing the various buttons on the player. They are really tiny. The repair guy had better eyes than I do and could also bend down to get really close.

Manual says; Turn the player off and disconnect the AC power cord. Reconnect the AC power cord while pressing down the open/close button on the player. Keep pressing down the open/close button on the player until the tray opens. Remove the disc. When “OPEN” appears on the front panel display, hold down the “on” button on the player for ten seconds until the player turns on again.

Thanks, everyone for the tip.

Blu-ray was purchased in May, 2011 rather than 2008. I found the receipt with the manual.