We need a tech/hardware forum.. DVD PLAYER QUESTION...

[stypee]

I just bought this... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZVEYMA

I've been getting allot of my stuff shipped from my dad's house back in New York, I had forgotten how many PAL discs I had. My really cool Toshiba, that cost me quite a few bucks got all screwed up because I hit the wrong selection on the set-up menu and was never able to get it back (when it's turned on you get audio but nothing but a black screen, as black as both sides of the cover of Spinal Tap's brilliant Smell the Glove record) I spent months trying to figure out how to fix it, even posted here on the forum, someone was nice enough to actually find some info. on it but the fix never worked.

That was such a long and silly explanation that really isn't related to this post but I felt it was important to share it with all of you, my friend of friends..

Any who -

I didn't realize it was WORLDWIDE VOLTAGE and honestly never used something like that before. Does this mean I'm going to have a different type of plug and will I have to get something to stick it into the outlet? Can I just plug it in and that's it?

Please help, stypee confused..

[Jim_Thomas]

More than likely, you will have two different power cords, one for each voltage option, along with a voltage selector on the back.

In any event, be sure to read the manual before plugging the thing in.

[stypee]

I'm such an uber-ass..

I can't believe I couldn't figure out what that meant, it wasn't until I went to bed that night where I went "hey, genius... " and I kindly explained it to myself.

Any who,

I got the player, I hooked it up, watched THEY LIVE on PAL REGION 2 and now the player is going back, it don't work very well.

I just ordered a TOSHIBA again, I didn't realize it didn't have HDMI and so I tried to cancel the order but it was sadly to late so I cried a little. Than I realized it's really not a big deal and I got through it, it was a really hard time for me but I got through it. You see my set is only 32' and the player as Y C R whatever and because I am anal about that sort of thing, I can work past it and move on with my life, maybe I will start fishing or something, I don't know. The player was at a delcious price, to good to pass up, 9 bucks more than the crappy unknown brand that is sitting in the box again.

I have to go now, I say to much..

[J.M. Vargas]

There's a Pioneer region-free player with my name on it at a nearby electronics store... for $79 plus tax. I've never dabbled in region-free player land, so I think I'd rather go with a brand name like Pioneer than risk it with the cheaper no-name brands like the one's that screwed stypee over. Shame being a region-free Blu-ray owner still costs an obscene amount of bucks, especially when a beauty like THIS comes out across the pond.

[stypee]

There's a Pioneer region-free player with my name on it at a nearby electronics store... for $79 plus tax. I've never dabbled in region-free player land, so I think I'd rather go with a brand name like Pioneer than risk it with the cheaper no-name brands like the one's that screwed stypee over. Shame being a region-free Blu-ray owner still costs an obscene amount of bucks, especially when a beauty like THIS comes out across the pond.

Actually J.M. I think the player I bought in exchange was a Pioneer, I'm drawing a blank.. I had an amazing Pioneer Region Free, PAL - NTSC player when I lived in NY, I think i bought quite a few years back it was even "alegedly" hacked to bypass macrovision using a DVD recorder but it worked with VHS, go figure, anyway..I had bought it from I think worldimports or something, Harold actually suggested it if I recall, it cost a few bucks but it was one of the best players I ever owned, as a matter of fact, being that you are getting a region/pal/ntsc Pioneer, let me give you a word of warning:

The only reason why I don't have the Pioneer anymore was because of a very stupid feature. When I got my HD set I was all excited and decided to set the player up for some kind of progressive scan mode or something in relation to that, I even had the right cables and was ready to go.

I hit the stupid option and the screen went completely black but I had audio,... I spent WEEKS trying to figure out how to fix the thing, I was all over the internet, I'm pretty sure I called Pioneer as well and even posted the question here.. I eventually discovered that many other people had the same issue with the player and had the same questions on other message boards, they just could not resolve the issue at all. So if you come across some kind of feature like that (I frankly now am not exactly certain if it was the progressive scan mode or not, you will know when you see it) DO NOT TOUCH IT!

[J.M. Vargas]

It wouldn't be THIS PIO MODEL by any chance? I just bought it.

[HGervais]

I swear by this JVC player.. I own two of them and have given two of them as gifts. They are beasts. They have played everything I have stuck in them and the picture & sound quality is really top notch. It may be 30 bucks more expensive than your average baseline region free player but it is money well spent.

[mkiker2089]

A lot of DVD players had progressive mode on a physical switch because as Stypee found out, when the video is messed up you can't fix it.

It seems like there would a be a factory reset option though that would reset it to default settings. Holding down the power button or something.

[stypee]

It wouldn't be THIS PIO MODEL by any chance? I just bought it.

J.M. - They all have it, it's the progressive scan feature that does it, you could have the greatest HD set that ever walked the face of the earth... avoid that feature like the plague!

That model is a step above the one I bought in place of the crappy one, it's really bothering me that the one I have doesn't have HDMI. They've also got a player that plays at 24fps for 69.99 at amazon, region free/pal ntsc as well. I just wish I wasn't so dam anal, I'm debating switching players again but frankly it'd be off my budget radar

Incidently, while I'm on the subject, what in the hell exactly is "progressive scan" anyway? It almost seems as if it's a thing of the past and yet I have little understanding of it, I think a had an old CRT that was capable of it but I still haven't a clue what it is I just know it's a better picture....?

I know your the guy to ask this question J.M.

[stypee]

A lot of DVD players had progressive mode on a physical switch because as Stypee found out, when the video is messed up you can't fix it.

It seems like there would a be a factory reset option though that would reset it to default settings. Holding down the power button or something.

The Pioneer has a very silly way that's supposed to reset the whole player to get out of the issue but it doesn't work.. I think it consists of holding the open/close button and power button at the same time.. something weird like that, something I again spent days doing and nothing fixed it. It really bugged me, I had to eventually just dump the player out, t cost me something b/w 249.95 - 279.95.. Thing was a work horse!

[stypee]

I swear by this JVC player.. I own two of them and have given two of them as gifts. They are beasts. They have played everything I have stuck in them and the picture & sound quality is really top notch. It may be 30 bucks more expensive than your average baseline region free player but it is money well spent.

Yes! You were the guy that introduced me to World Import.. I love that place I wish they still sold the modified players that eliminated the macrovison. Those guys rule! You can now get most of what they sell on amazon now and a few dollars cheap, depends on what it is of course but they usually have the same features...

[Steve T Power]

I don't understand how progressive scan could be giving you trouble on a HD display... unless you're hooking the thing up through composite cables, but even then...

[stypee]

I don't understand how progressive scan could be giving you trouble on a HD display... unless you're hooking the thing up through composite cables, but even then...

That's what I can't figure out at all, it makes no sense.

[mkiker2089]

Are you sure it's progressive scan? You didn't swith it to PAL did you?

Then again people have said PAL works on HD TVs as well.

[stypee]

Are you sure it's progressive scan? You didn't swith it to PAL did you?

Then again people have said PAL works on HD TVs as well.

It's literally been near a year since this thread's been used but I felt compelled to answer this question.

The player would set from PAL - NTSC/NTSC - PAL automatically. You didn't have to change any settings, it did it all on its own.

[molly1216]

my last dvd player died. i did a necropsy - it was the motor.
I am utterly broke...homemade mac and cheese broke

How can i connect my laptop to my tv?
right now i have a rca switcher box with the roku box and until today the dvd player connected via RCA Cables
(remember i have an OLD style 27" tv without fancy connectors in the back)

the laptop has an VGA connector but all the reviews for the VGA / RCA connectors are negative.
any thoughts?

[J.M. Vargas]

VGA only carries video signal, so you'd need a separate connction for the audio from the headphone jack. Any S-video outputs from the laptop? The TV is analog and VGA is a higher-resolution form of analog, so you'd need a box to covert the VGA signal into a TV rez signal. Can you give me the model of your computer? I'll see what I can find out. And welcome to being broke (I'm on the same boat). Sucks, don't it?

[molly1216]

thanks
gateway mx6025

[molly1216]

it gets worse..somehow when this machine was reinstalled a dvd decoder wasn't loaded
any recommendations?

[mkiker2089]

it gets worse..somehow when this machine was reinstalled a dvd decoder wasn't loaded
any recommendations?

VLC. it's free and does a great job with DVDs and all media. Also called VideoLan but a google search for VLC media player should get you going.

[molly1216]

it gets worse..somehow when this machine was reinstalled a dvd decoder wasn't loaded
any recommendations?

VLC. it's free and does a great job with DVDs and all media. Also called VideoLan but a google search for VLC media player should get you going.

i don't think i need another player. i have a couple.
it's asking for a decoder

[mkiker2089]

VLC should be a decoder as well. What it boils down to as far as I know is being able to play mpeg2 codecs and being able to read the menus. The codec is easy enough to get, reading the menu is where VLC comes in.

[molly1216]

the universe has a thing against me watching my dvds

someone gave me a toshiba player and i can't get it to play any of my dvds

i am looking at buying the cheapest but acceptable dvd player from walmart or target
but i can't find one where i can also find an unlock code online.
i have dozens of Region 2 discs!

i am really miserable about this.

[molly1216]

i got another DVD PLAYER! yay...
and a rather nice one.
now i just have to look for the unlock code.

Can't have Halloween without my R2 DOG SOLDIERS