Problems with the Player for Specific Discs???? (1 Viewer)

[mikey ra]

Hello Gang!

I made the leap about 2 weeks ago and purchased the A-1. It was primarily due to the reviews here that got me itching to have one. My player has the version 1 firmware, so I called to get the update disc. Told it would be appoximately 10 days before the disc would arrive at Tosiba, then 5-10 days before they would be shipped out to consumers. Still waiting patiently.

I have experienced the skipping and audio dropouts described in other posts on here for two of the discs I purchased. The two problem discs are both Univeral (U-571 and Van Helsing). 2 other Uni discs played fine (Rundown and Serenity) and 2 of my WB's played perfect (Constantine & GoodFellas).

Is Universal the discs that most people have had the skipping/audio dropouts problems on and did the firmware update solve those problems for those who have recieved them?

Thanks

 

[Mark Zimmer]

People at AVS have reported Van Helsing being a problem disc that played fine after the firmware update; I haven't watched it myself.

 

[mikey ra]

Thanks Mark - at least I know that the problem will probably get resolved once the firmware arrives.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I had a great deal of difficulty with Van Helsing and Jarhead with the orginal software on my early production player. After doing the 1.2 upgrade both play flawlessly. Toshiba's really going above and beyond to support this player.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Actually, it was the combination of Jarhead and Munich (DVD, not HD) locking up on me that prompted the exchange of my first HD-A1. Had I called Toshiba, or waited as it turns out for another week for the firmware upgrade, the exchange would have been unnecessary.

Interestingly enough, HD-A1 Mach II, with a later manufacture date but the same 1.0 firmware, played Jarhead and Munich flawlessly. So whatever Toshiba corrected in the 1.2 firmware must have been to accommodate different manufacturing quirks.

Go figure... since then, I've had one glitch on an HD DVD, and I could not repeat it. Must have been some dust, or a cat hair, or something like that.

- Steve

 

[CaptDS9E]

Mikey dont panic. A bunch of Universal discs had those same sorts of problems when the player came out. Happened to me on Cinderella Man, Assault on Precinct 13, etc.. The 1.2 firmware fixed that problem. Smooth sailing ever since

 

[Paul Anthony]

Funny, "Jarhead" played flawlessly on my Toshiba HD-DVD player (and I played it 3 times with no problem) before the update, the only problem discs were "Phantom of the Opera", "The Rundown", and especially "Van Helsing" which really pissed me off, because the PQ was such a sight to behold, but the player would sputter and pixelate to no end.

 

[AaronSCH]

I feel left out: I have had no such problems with my HD-A1 yet. I guess it was all about the firmware (Mine shipped with 1.4). That is very good news indeed.

 

[Harminder]

I haven't had a single problem with my HD-A1. It shipped with v1.2 firmware (haven't upgraded to v1.4) and I've played Chronicles of Riddick, Serenity, Syriana and Swordfish with no flaws.

 

[Brad HP]

For the folks having skipping or audio issues, how are your players connected (HDMI or Component)? I have mine hooked up via component and using the original firmware and I have not had a single issue to date. I've watched 16 movies in their entirety. I'm just wondering if issues are hardware related and possibly HDMI specific. To diagnose a possible issue it would probably be helpful to include connection and firmware details in posts.

 

[Paul Arnette]

My player is running firmware version 1.3, and I am going over component. The first HD DVD I watched was last night and the title was Serenity. I had one stutter and one audio dropout. Both the stutter and the dropout were at the exact same place. I could reproduce the stutter two out of three times, the dropout, I can't remember, but it happened at least twice, both in the same place.

Given the firmware level, I'm suspecting a bad disc, actually, I'm hoping it is, but has anyone encountered an issue they could clearly attribute to the disc not the player.

Also, the disc was pretty immaculate, not a rental, a purchase. I noticed an itty, bitty sliver of a fingerprint on the edge, which I will clean tonight and try again.

 

[Ralph Jenkins]

I encountered some video stuttering/audio dropouts for the first time with Sleepy Hollow. I currently have version 1.3 of the firmware, and I'm hoping 1.4 will rectify this. I had no problems with Serenity, Constantine, or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

 

[Harminder]

I had my first audio dropout and a picture freeze 2 nights ago with The Last Samurai, however when I rewinded the movie and tried to reproduce the errors they didn't happen again. I'm thinking it's because my firmware is v1.2.

I played Kiss Kiss Bang Bang last night and it played flawlessly. Strange, but it's no biggie.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

My problems concerned the player drawer not opening with
a disc inside or, opening and closing real quick before I could
get my finger in there to remove the DVD.

I just upgraded the firmware last night via a disc from Toshiba
so I am hoping that clears up the problem.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Ron,

Which firmware version were you using previously, I assume from your statement you are using 1.4 now? I had a weird issue with my Toshiba HD-A1 last night that involved the player drawer. I had put the HD DVD in and closed the drawer, but my player kept saying OPENING. Pressing open again wouldn't open it. Finally, after much dliberation on its part, it did let me power it down.

Once I restarted it, everything went smoothly after that. Including no playback issues with my second HD DVD experience, Enter the Dragon.

Isn't early adopting the bomb?

 

[Mark Zimmer]

When I tried to play the trailer on WE WERE SOLDIERS, it totally locked up and I had to unplug the player. Using 1.4.

FOLLOWUP: Others have indicated they have no problem playing the trailer, so I must just have a bad disc.

 

[Paul Anthony]

I have 1.4 with the HDMI connection, random problems with HD-DVD discs. :frowning:

 

[TedD]

Try disabling the internet connection and unplgging the ethernet, if you have the player connected to the internet.

Ted