Pioneer DV-563a (1 Viewer)

[Boaty McBoatface]

I have one of these players and for the most part I've pretty happy with it. There is, however, one problem. I when I play my seal iv dvd-audio, i do not get any hi rez sound from the analog multichannel outputs. It shows that it's playing, but the only way I get to listend to it is to listening Dolby Digital or Dts track. All my other dvd-audio discs and Sacd discs play fine. It's just this one. The only thing that I can discern is that it's sampled at 88.8 khz. Anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?

 

[Justin_P]

Several people have had similar problems with the 563a (myself included). Trust me, when I first ran into it I was as bewildered as you. I actually thought I had a deffective disc.

This is a firmware issue on the DVD player. The copy protection firmware Pioneer used when they made the 563a is older that the copy protection software that the record companies are using on their newer discs. There is a firmware upgrade available that fixes the problem (which I actually have not done yet), but it has to be performed by authorized repair shops. There are other threads on this forum where people have discussed their experiences with getting the repair done where you should be able to easily glean the info you need.

 

[Boaty McBoatface]

Thank you for the infor. It's seems that it would be easier just to buy a new player.

 

[Nathan Stohler]

It depends how close you are to a service center. I live in the Chicago suburbs, and the closest service center was downtown Chicago, which isn't exactly convenient, but it was certainly worth not buying a new player. The upgrade is free (I only had to show my sales receipt).

I believe you can also mail it if it's not close -- just call Pioneer.

 

[Will_B]

Ah, I just had what Pioneer must have considered to be an amusing interaction with Pioneer, trying to get the firmware update.

> Inquiry:My Pioneer DV-563A needs the firmware
> upgrade (upgrade from my current 1.306 to the new
> 1.906) in order to play the latest DVD-A audio
> releases. Can you send me the firmware upgrade on a
> CDrom please?
> There are no service centers near me (the one you
> list as existing in Arlington MA went out of
> business a couple years ago, fyi). Alternately,
> where could I mail my player in for the upgrade?
> Thank you.

To which Pioneer replied:

> Sorry the upgrade can only be done by an authorized
> service center.
> Thanks
> PIONEER

To which I replied:

>Understood. So what is the answer to my second
>question?

To which the smart-arse replied:

>T/H ELECTRONICS
>466 MASSACHUSETTS AVE
>ARLINGTON , MA 02174

The humor being, that is the very store which I told them went out of business in my first message to them.

 

[Michael Preyer]

Sheesh! Good help is so hard to find.

 

[Michael Osadciw]

Will, that is hilarious. I needed that laugh.

Mike

 

[Paul.S]

Bill, here is the firmware upgrade thread (which is I think the longest thread about the 563A on the Forum) containing all sorts of info on the issue you have including the names of titles affected.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=195422

 

[Tim Hoover]

As stated above, the upgrade is absolutely free of charge - Pioneer will even pay return shipping if you have to send the unit off. The only caveat is that you have to pay shipping to the service center, but in my case of shipping it to the nearest service center 70 miles away, it ran me a measly ten bucks insured...