«

>Good evening Colin.
>Automatic output adjustment. No difference in the picture output from
>Region 1 or Region 2 DVD's

Which means that the player can handle PAL-to-NTSC conversion during the MPEG
decoding.

Some players have chipsets that don't, which means that playing a PAL disc on
the players that can't or aren't set to handle PAL-to-NTSC will give you a B&W
picture.

As for Zenith, they are owned by LG Electronics, which is based in South Korea
and was formerly GoldStar. - Reinhart

Easy to run from the harddrive (with firmware), you must fdisk format with
no extended dos partitions, just put the files vob, mpeg,etc.... on the
harddrive from the computer, hookup the drive to the dvd player Via AT
attachment cable, power it up and all the files will be on the screen. and
on the remote hit play.
<> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:12:43 -0400, "awknod" <> wrote:
>
> >Not the Rom memory, but the DVD rom itself, the laser and other things
can
> >break easily in some players.
> >A harddrive hookup works just like the DVD rom, except holds many more
> >movies or files,without having to remove discs all the time, Can be used
> >with or without the DVD rom attached.Any size drive should work. check
out
> >Nerd-out.com
>
> Okay, thanks I will. I'm curious about how you would access the files on
the hard disk
> with a unit like this. Where do the files come from? Does it rip the DVD's
for you? That
> would be cool.
>

With AT attachment or not, the picture won`t change, the norcent will play
every file except Divx or Xvid (and the harddrive will only work with OFFA
1.5 firmware.)
<> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:01:36 -0500, "awknod" <> wrote:
>
> >The ROMs in my computers have never failed. Why would they fail in a DVD
> >player?
> >Because most DVD players don`t use AT Attachment DVD roms that computers
> >use.
> >(Most Sony, Panasonic etc.... don`t use AT attachment roms, likely
because
> >when their DVD players break they want people to go buy another $100
player,
> >instead of a $25 AT atachmentt DVD rom.
> >
> >And at these prices, who cares? You don't fix 'em. You replace them
> >I bought a $150 Sony, (no AT attachment rom) rom failed, would have to
pay
> >about a $100 for replacement, threw it in the garbage.
> >Bought $40 Norcent with AT attachment, still working great after 2 years
> >(even works with a 200 GB harddrive )Check out Nerdout.com., how many
sony,
> >panasonics can do that? if rom fails, I`ll just replace it, with a $25
DVD
> >rom.
>
> Very interesting. Sounds like a good strategy. Will you get as good a
picture with the AT
> or IDE attachment drives as with a decent Japanese DVD player like the
JVC, Sony, etc?
> Does the Norcent have the kinds of features that the other players have
like ability to
> play MP3, Divx, Jpeg, Xvid, VDC and SVCD files? How about other features
that I don't
> know about since I'm a newbie?
>

"Lester Horwinkle" <> wrote in message
news:3%3hd.8224$...
>
> "LASERandDVDfan" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > >There's not much room for product differentiation
> >
> > Except in build quality and A/V performance.
>
> The only valid measuring tools are the eyes and ears. If you like what you
> see and hear, it's good. For now, I'm sticking with cheap. After all,
> today's cheap units are the same ones that were the high-priced gear 6
> months ago.
>
>

If you cant see it or hear the difference, good for you, but you might want
to have your vision and hearing checked.

Yes
"Joe Gondola" <> wrote in message
news:Xns95957326283E8joenomailedu@130.133.1.4...
> "awknod" <> wrote in
> news::
>
> > Easy to run from the harddrive (with firmware), you must fdisk format
> > with no extended dos partitions, just put the files vob, mpeg,etc....
> > on the harddrive from the computer, hookup the drive to the dvd player
> > Via AT attachment cable, power it up and all the files will be on the
> > screen. and on the remote hit play.
>
> I guess you mean the firmware of the DVD player has to be updated?
>
>
> > <> wrote in message
> > news:...
> >> On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:12:43 -0400, "awknod" <>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Not the Rom memory, but the DVD rom itself, the laser and other
> >> >things
> > can
> >> >break easily in some players.
> >> >A harddrive hookup works just like the DVD rom, except holds many
> >> >more movies or files,without having to remove discs all the time,
> >> >Can be used with or without the DVD rom attached.Any size drive
> >> >should work. check
> > out
> >> >Nerd-out.com
> >>
> >> Okay, thanks I will. I'm curious about how you would access the files
> >> on
> > the hard disk
> >> with a unit like this. Where do the files come from? Does it rip the
> >> DVD's
> > for you? That
> >> would be cool.
> >>
> >
> >
>

"awknod" <> wrote in
news::

> Easy to run from the harddrive (with firmware), you must fdisk format
> with no extended dos partitions, just put the files vob, mpeg,etc....
> on the harddrive from the computer, hookup the drive to the dvd player
> Via AT attachment cable, power it up and all the files will be on the
> screen. and on the remote hit play.

I guess you mean the firmware of the DVD player has to be updated?


> <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:12:43 -0400, "awknod" <>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Not the Rom memory, but the DVD rom itself, the laser and other
>> >things
> can
>> >break easily in some players.
>> >A harddrive hookup works just like the DVD rom, except holds many
>> >more movies or files,without having to remove discs all the time,
>> >Can be used with or without the DVD rom attached.Any size drive
>> >should work. check
> out
>> >Nerd-out.com
>>
>> Okay, thanks I will. I'm curious about how you would access the files
>> on
> the hard disk
>> with a unit like this. Where do the files come from? Does it rip the
>> DVD's
> for you? That
>> would be cool.
>>
>
>

Sony, not sure of model.
quite a bit of use
could not read discs anymore.

Norcent, never had to replace the drive, use it all the time.

As far as a harddrive in a set top DVD player, I`m sure most people never
heard of that, or even care about it, but to be able to hook one up with a
$40 or $50 player is pretty good.and if the DVD rom ever fails you can still
play DVD`s, mpegs, etc.. from the harddrive without the DVD rom.
"LASERandDVDfan" <> wrote in message
news:...
> >I bought a $150 Sony, (no AT attachment rom) rom failed, would have to
pay
> >about a $100 for replacement, threw it in the garbage.
>
> Model?
>
> Frequency of use?
>
> What kind of failure?
>
> >Bought $40 Norcent with AT attachment, still working great after 2 years
>
> Did you ever have to replace the drive?
>
> Frequency of use?
>
> >(even works with a 200 GB harddrive )Check out Nerdout.com., how many
sony,
> >panasonics can do that?
>
> And how would that fit the bill for everybody?
>
> There are people here that need just a straight DVD player that can
perform
> like it should with perfect IRE, good color timing, flat video response,
> accurate colors, fast navigation and layer change, ease of use, no CUE,
minimal
> to no pixel cropping, no ringing (visual artifact, not audible), and a
decent
> deinterlacer.
>
> Most of the time, cheap players never get those performance aspects right.
>
> There are some name brands that don't, either, but they aren't nearly as
bad
> about it as no-name crap.
>
> If you have a DVD player that can't even make an attempt to perform up to
a
> reference standard, then what's the point of replacing VHS?
>
> >if rom fails, I`ll just replace it, with a $25 DVD
> >rom.
>
> From what source?
>
> Most retail outlets sell DVD-ROM drives for almost twice that price. -
> Reinhart

On 01 Nov 2004 01:39:01 GMT, (LASERandDVDfan) wrote:

>>Who's going to spend $230 for a system knowing it
>>will be junk in 21 months?
>
>The only problem with this argument is that $230 hardly buys anything that's
>decent in terms of minisystems.
>
>It can be enough to buy a decent standalone component. But, that's just a part
>of a system.
>
>A minisystem tries to be everything at once, which is a bad way to go to begin
>with (which is why I'd tend to avoid them unless absolutely necessary).

I agree, cash flow problem. Next time I'll do better.

>
>> I bought a medium priced stereo system 30 years ago
>>and it still works though the casette player quit after about 10 years.
>
>10 years for a tape deck is about average.
>That's about how much time it takes for rubber parts, such as belts, to
>deteriorate to the point where they would require replacement.

It was first the mechinism that moves the tape into position when you play or record that
when bad, then the motor went bad.

Prices have sure changed since then. I paid a little over $400 for a receiver back then
with a little over 60 Watts per channel. That's about $200,000 in today's money.

>
>>I went with the JVC.
>>
>
>Not a bad choice, either. - Reinhart

In article <>,
(LASERandDVDfan) wrote:

> And how would that fit the bill for everybody?
>
> There are people here that need just a straight DVD player that can perform
> like it should with perfect IRE, good color timing, flat video response,
> accurate colors, fast navigation and layer change, ease of use, no CUE,
> minimal
> to no pixel cropping, no ringing (visual artifact, not audible), and a decent
> deinterlacer.
>
> Most of the time, cheap players never get those performance aspects right.

Reinhart, you do realize that roughly 3 out of 10 people have their DVD
players hooked up to 13-15 year old tv sets with RF Modulators, right?
Do you honestly think they even know what color timing or flat video
responce is? As sad it is, a lot of people just buy any random DVD
player that's cheap and if it works after they take it out of the box,
they're happy.

> There are some name brands that don't, either, but they aren't nearly as bad
> about it as no-name crap.

Your recommendations list has now fallen to 3 manufactures. Is anyone
going to be making good DVD players in a couple years? This 'decline in
quality' trend is starting to scare me a bit.

> If you have a DVD player that can't even make an attempt to perform up to a
> reference standard, then what's the point of replacing VHS?

For many people, it's not so much a "what's the point" but more so a "no
choice" issue. Pre-recorded VHS is becoming increasingly difficult to
find, seemingly by the week. Even VHS stalwarts like Blockbuster and
Hollywood Video have all but completely abdoned the old format in favor
of DVD. I think I even remember reading somewhere that Fox and Warner
Brothers are going to cease VHS production completely in 2005. For these
people, it's not about trying to take DVD to it's technical limits. They
just want to be able to continue renting and buying new release movies.
That's all there is to it.
--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people,
and neither do we." - George Dumbya Bush

On 01 Nov 2004 01:39:01 GMT, (LASERandDVDfan) wrote:


>>I went with the JVC.
>>
>
>Not a bad choice, either. - Reinhart

I think so too. The box won't be opened until next week so I can't say how well it works
yet.