Toshiba SD-V394 MPEG-4 Playback Issues

[DivX_Luver]

I have had this player for about 1 month now, and ever since I have had the player it has skipped on file playback! It plays all of my over 150 MPEG-4 files, but almost all of them skip!!! The picture quality is amazing, and so is the sound quality ( If anyone is interested in purchasing it ). It plays DVDs, SVCDs, VCDs, VHS, SVHS, Picture CDs, and standard audio CDs but not SACDs.
Anyway back to my problem. The files alwayse skip in the same places and some times they lose A/V sync. The Discs are not dirty, and I have included readouts of several files from Gspot in this post. If you look them over there is no reason for these files to skip on playback but they do! I have tried to include a variety of files with different codecs and settings so that you can see the variety of files that cause the problem. I contacted Toshiba about the problem and the tech support guy gave me this BS response "Well sir it appears that other customers have reported this problem in the past, however there is no solution to this problem. There are different levels of support for different versions of DivX"
Then without even letting me get a word in to rebut his completely illogical BS response he said "Thank you for calling Toshiba Technical support and have a good day" Then abruptly hung up!!!
I realize that no player can play all MPEG-4 files, because there are so many different codecs available, but this unit says that it can play Xvid, DivX versions 3.11, 4, 5, and even Divx 6 media format which was just released!!! The unit does play all of these files including files with the new .divx file extension ( container ) even files with GMC, and Qpel which is the main reason that I purchased it (I wanted maximum compatibility with files from the web)!!!
I even went so far as to call DivX inc. to complain about a DivX Home theatre certified product that could not play DivX files without skipping even though they met the criteria laid out by the Home Theatre Profile, but I have not recieved a response yet. ( I Called four days ago, and spoke in a calm manner, I was not mad at DivX inc. I simply wanted to let them Know that such a unit existed, and that Toshiba was not doing anything about the defect they were just letting the product be sold with the DivX logo, and no Firmware update to be found on their web site to fix the problem.

If anyone can figure out what is causing this problem I would Greatly appreciate it, or if anyone knows where I can get a firmware update for this player that would be great too!!!:thanks: ;) 5678

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[setarip_old]

Hi!

Is there a reason you haven't simply returned this recent purchase in exchange for a replacement?

[DivX_Luver]

The reasons are as follows

1. this does not happen on every file, and I mainly got it for my college dorm.
2. It is a relatively inexpensive player, and it has a VHS player built in.
3. It takes up less room, and in a college dorm the less room a device takes up the better.
4. I know that it is not simply defective because my father has one as well and it does the same thing to him.
5. At the time of purchase this was one of the only DVD/VCR/DivX Combo players that you could buy in the U.S. and as far as I know there are not many others to choose from today especially not ones that support GMC, and Qpel.

6. Most importantly it has the DivX Certified logo on it and I think that when a company advertises that a device can do something it should be able to do it!!! Toshiba and DivX inc. should stand behind their products and aid the consumer in clearing up any faults in its devices and if no solution can be found then a workaround/replacement/or a public recall of the product should occur. These are good business practices and are employed by every company arround the world.
7. IT SAYS THAT IT CAN PLAY DivX VERSIONS 3.11,4,5,6 AND THE NEW MEDIA FORMAT ON THE FREKIN BOX IN BOLD LETTERS, BUT IT CAN'T ACTUALY DO IT!!! WHERE I AM FROM THAT IS CALLED FALSE ADVERTISING AND IS ACTUALY GROUNDS FOR A LAW SUIT!!!

In short the box says that it can do something and I want Toshiba to actually fix the problem!I haven't returned it because it is not Defective, ALL of these units have this problem, but they play all other media properly ex. Audio CDs/DVDs etc...
I could just return it and buy another unit after shopping for another MONTH to find one that has the features that I want and is actually available in the U.S. and not only in Europe or Japan, but I figured that it was easier to see if anyone in this forum had a quick fix! I wish that Toshiba would have given me a better answer than "there is no solution" but untill they actually fix the problem the people in this forum are probably the only people that have the knowledge to give me a partial solution to this annoying problem.


P.S. Its VERY hard to find a player that plays DVDs/Tapes/and DivX files with GMC and Qpel in the U.S. at this time

[setarip_old]

Negative pointIt plays all of my over 150 MPEG-4 files, but almost all of them skip!!!Positive pointthis does not happen on every file??

1) How well does it play other formats, such as commercial DVDs and/or burned backups of commercial DVDs?

2) Have you considered the possibility that the quality of your media and/or the speed at which you burned them might be at the root of your problem?

3) Have you played any of these burned .AVIs on any other brand of DivX-compatible standalone player - to see if they exhibit the same behavior?

4) Have you played any of these burned .AVIs on your PC and/or other PCs - to see if they exhibit the same behavior?

5) If you can be a little bit flexible regarding your space concern, you can find some very small footprint separate VCRs and separate DivX-compatible DVD players. Taking this approach would allow you to avail yourself to ALL of the DivX-compatible DVD players, rather than being severely constrained by the need for only a "combo" unit.

BTW, were the two units (yours and your father's) purchased at the same time?

[bond]

are you talking about .avi or .mp4 files?

[SeeMoreDigital]

As long as you are DivX encodes conform 100% to their certification you should have some re-course with DivX (DXN). Because it is DXN's resonsibility to ensure manufacturers who use their logo meet or exceed their certification!

That said, DivX could raise a point regarding the type of blank media you are using and argue that it's "not upto scratch" (if you pardon the pun).... So I suggest you try burning the same movie to different types of "branded" blank media before you complain ;)


Cheers

[DivX_Luver]

1) It plays all other formats in fantastic quality!

2) Yes I have tested the same files burned onto different brands and types of discs, and they still skip in the same places!

3) I can not test the files on another stand-alone DivX player since I only own the Toshiba, and my father has the same model.

4) Yes I have done extensive tests on my PC to see if these files are corrupted, have packed bitstreams, Qpel, and or GMC but they don't. The files also playback skip free on my PC!

5) True I could be a little bit flexible, and I am willing to re-encode files to solve the problem, but I am not sure that it will.

Yes we purchased the two units together from Best Buy.
update:
I have noticed that this error occurs mostly on XviD files and version 3 of DivX, do you know of something that they have in common? My player does happen to support Packed Bitstreams so that is not the problem.


>bond ( I am talking about .avi files although the player does support the .mp4 file extension as well)

[SeeMoreDigital]

4) Yes I have done extensive tests on my PC to see if these files are corrupted, have packed bitstreams, Qpel, and or GMC but they don't. The files also playback skip free on my PC!You've got to be very exact here!

If you have generated DivX encodes with B-VOP's, they will contain packed bit-stream by default. If such encodes "skip" DivX should be informed and should express an interest in your problem. If however, you've removed the packed bit-stream DivX won't be interested because such streams no-longer conform to their certification.

EDIT: Needless to say, DivX will not be interested in your XviD file playback issues. I don't think they will be interested in your DivX3 playback issues either, as I don't think DivX3 is covered within their certification!



>bond ( I am talking about .avi files although the player does support the .mp4 file extension as well)Can you confirm the tools you used to mux your MPEG-4 video streams into the MP4 container?


Cheers

[DivX_Luver]

Yes you are correct about newer versions of DivX being Packed Bitstream, but versions 3.11 and 4 are not alwayse packed bitstream, and XviD can go either way.

DivX Version 3 is actually covered within their certification but the file must be version 3.11 alpha or newer otherwise they can not guarantee proper playback.

I have traced the problem to something similar in DivX 3.11/4, and XviD. All of my DivX files newer than version 4 alwayse play, however XviD is on and off and so are DivX files Encoded with version 3.11 and 4.XX.

To Clarify I am ONLY using the .AVI file container not the .mp4 file container I simply stated that this player does support the .mp4 file container!

What I Know:
My player can play DivX versions 5/6 with QPEL, GMC and Packed Bitstream (B-Vop's, N-Vop's), It can also play XviD files with or without Packed Bitstream.

What I need to know to solve the problem:
What is similar between XviD and DivX 3.11/4?
(and is not QPEL, GMC, or packed bitstream)

[setarip_old]

I can not test the files on another stand-alone DivX player since I only own the Toshiba, and my father has the same model.Sure you can. Take one with you to an electronics store...True I could be a little bit flexible, and I am willing to re-encode files to solve the problem, but I am not sure that it will.? My suggested flexibility was regarding swapping your present combo player for two separate small footprint units, so that you could then choose from the myriad DivX-compatible players available