Philips DVD712: Everything is working !

[Netbee]

Hi Folks !

Got a new Philips DVD-712 and was concerned about it´s capabilities,
reading all those postings in the past.

In the firmware field it reads: 4.15.C-0 011024 P28 5.1.14

I disabled PBC in setup.

Results:

- FF/FRW is working with SVCD´s > 40 min

- Chapters work, with skip or via inserting chapter# on remote-cont.

- Subtitles work

- Multilanguage works

- Resuming works

- Even length of movie is displayed onscreen / player itself....

- No freezes at all


I´m totally amazed ! Where are the problems you are all talking of ?
For me it works perfectly.


Greetings,

Netbee !

[duronator]

Originally posted by Netbee
Got a new Philips DVD-712 and was concerned about it´s capabilities,
reading all those postings in the past.
In the firmware field it reads: 4.15.C-0 011024 P28 5.1.14
That's interesting. Appearantly Philips has indeed created a firmware update. The firmware on my DVD712 (which I returned to the store) was 2.9.6.

If the problems have really been solved I might even be tempted to get a new 712 with the right firmware.

By the way: check out this very interesting page on Philips firmwares:
http://www.euroservice.pfr.philips.com/assistance/dvd/sommaire.htm
It also mentions the new 712-firmware and it seems that the new models use a flashable chip.

(you have to understand some French ;))

[dZeus]

I don't think that firmware has that much to do with this issue.

I own a DVD711 player with old firmware (can't update it, because it's non-flashable :( ).

I can't use subs, nor fast-forward or resume with SVCDs that use PBC, but as soon as I disable PBC while mastering a SVCD, those features work just fine.

[Netbee]

What is PBC good for, by the way ?

Maybe a stupid question, but as I mentioned, I bought the
player a few days ago and have to learn some things....

Greets

[dZeus]

afaik, it's used for all navigation that goes beyond the lineair playback (thus menus, and/or non-linear playback on a svcd).

[duronator]

Originally posted by dZeus
I don't think that firmware has that much to do with this issue.
I own a DVD711 player with old firmware (can't update it, because it's non-flashable :( ).
I can't use subs, nor fast-forward or resume with SVCDs that use PBC, but as soon as I disable PBC while mastering a SVCD, those features work just fine.
I does seem to have to do with firmware. On the DVD712 and many (if not all) other Philips players, FF/RW on SVCD does not work on SVCD's over 40 minutes. Regardless of enabling/disabling PBC (I always disable PBC because I don't like it).

I'd like to hear from more people who have the 712/722/612/622 with the updated firmware.

[borndevil]

Hi!

That's incredible.
I posted for months, I tried everything in encoding, I called Philips for info, I thought there were no more hopes, to sell my player.
I was very furious, with no escape way!
Hours and hours waiting a mpg file that was right from the begin!

I looked at the page you posted, Duronator.
Well, why is only on French site?
I live in Italy, on Philips.it I can't see anything like that.
In Philips.com the same.
It seems like a service page.

But who care?
I downloaded the firmware 4.5-0
Wow! A new firmware for 7xx, 6xx series, a dream.

After I called Philips Italy Customer Service.
No-one knows it.
"A new firmware? Where? When? What's a firmware?" Bah!

I called Philips service center.
"They don't know, they will see..., don't do it for yourself you're still in guarentee ecc."

I was not sure if my player have or not flashable rom.

I thought about 2 hours about trying or not.
If it fail I can risk my garantee.

Life is risk!
I tried.

Disc inserted....
(fear)
Something appen... It's reading...display pull out strange chars...
(fear)
It seems too long....
DONE.

Uh... so it was flashable.
I turn ON. Menu is exactly the same, same option, nothing seems to be changed. I checked firmware: 4.5O-0!!!!!!
1st I tried MP3s.
They still work.
Then DVDs.
Perfect.
Then VCD.
Ok, just like before.

SVCDs.... WOW!!!
That's my report:

SVCDs:
FFW - RW Work for >40min.
SUBS Work for >40min, all subs are displayed with no skips, player doesn't freeze!
CHAPTERS Work even with number button!
2AUDIO TRACKS Work!
RESUMING Work!

MENU:
When select MAIN MENU player don't stop movie!
It continues, if you don't do nothing disappear after some second.
Even with PBC On, all functions are selectable!
AND...INCREDIBLE!! ZOOM NOW IS IN REAL-TIME!!

Hey... thanx Netbee, thanx Duronator, you saved my sleeps.
All bugs fixed!

Some info:
I used Adaptec CD Creator 4.
Use Mode 2 XA at 1x speed, DAO, close disk, ISO 9660, no joliet.
Use the Philips Syndicate metod for upgrade (see the site).

...and everything will go well!!

Thanx again!!!!!!!!!!!

[Netbee]

@ borndevil

Fine !

2 questions:

-You are talking about DVD-712, just to confirm ?

-What exactly is displayed in the Firmware Window?
Here it says 4.15.C-0 011024 P28 5.1.14
You have 4.50-0 only ?

On the above mentioned link I find an update to Version 4.15O-0

Greets,

Netbee !

[borndevil]

I'm talking about DVD 722, that's the silver choice of 712.

My firmware is 4.5O-0 but I don't remember date, I thing it's lately than 01-10-24, and I remember something like P39.

5.1.14 It's the same, it's the engine firmware.

[Netbee]

@ borndevil

Strange....I downloaded new firmware under http://www.euroservice.pfr.philips.com/assistance/dvd/DVDSD3_0_soft4_15C.html, you had the same source ?

I burned it to CD and started the update. During this process, I
watched the numbers increase in the DVD-display until #6, when
suddenly the update was aborted with an "Error"-message.

Fortunately the disk was thrown out and the player is still
working....:p

Repeated twice, same result. :confused:

Cannot believe my player is not "updateable", as it should be the
same than yours.

Any hints.... ?

Netbee !

[dZeus]

you probably have the firmware stored in ROM and not in FLASH, which makes the firmware not upgradable, unless you bring it to a Philips service centre where they (hopefully) will upgrade the firmware.

[Netbee]

Update: Indeed, I have a ROM-firmware...:(

Called the service-center in Germany and they will replace
the firmware at no cost (under warranty).

Shipping is also included. Not too bad. :)

Two weeks later I will have it back...hopefully..... ;)

Greets,
Netbee !

[duronator]

Hey Borndevil,

That's great news. Glad to be of service. By the way, the v4.15O-0 seems to be newer than the v4.15c. I have downloaded them both (the 4.15c a few weeks ago, it seems to be removed from the site now). The file date on 4.15O-0 is definately newer.

So all your DVD's play perfect on your 722 now? With FF/RW, subs, time display and menu's all working correctly?

If that's true then I might very well buy a new 712/722 but before I do that I'll make sure that it either has the new firmware installed or that the player is actually flash-upgradable.

Please let me know if you're still satisfied in a few days. It sucks not having a DVD-player right now ;)

One more (important) thing: is/was your player region-free and is this still possible now with the RC6-hack?

[borndevil]

yes, it seems to be a new version.
I'm very happy!

Yes, you must sure that will be flashable, we've seen that's so important!

I confirm that all is fixed, I've not tested watchin a whole movie, I just left player in playing... no freezes.

Ah..
Still doesn't play well XVCDs.
Still time display in VBR wrong.
Still chapter repeating (loop) if PBC is on sometime, like before.

The other things seems to be fixed.
I'll report you more info in few days, I promise.

By the way, how did you get that address??

see you!

[duronator]

Originally posted by borndevil
Still time display in VBR wrong.
Still chapter repeating (loop) if PBC is on sometime, like before.
Well, the time display error is not really that bad. I can live with that. The chapter repeating problem I have not heard about before, but I don't use PBC so that wouldn't be a real problem I think.

I'll report you more info in few days, I promise.
By the way, how did you get that address??
Thanks, please tell me if the region-free is still possible (if you use it).

I got the address of this forum:
http://66.197.63.122/forum/index.php
There's not much posting going on but 1 user posted this firmware link. Thanks dude :cool:

[borndevil]

I can't help you 'cause I don't use the region-free trick.

Sorry! ;-)

[borndevil]

Update:
I've seen a SVCD 2 audio tracks, 2 subs.
I used DVD2SVCD 1.0.6 b1.

Was ok, but I had some problem with subs.
It worked perfect for about 10-15mins, after subs disappear, or a blinkin white box in place of them.
Some other time I've seen bad graphics.

If I toggle off and on again, it starts to work well again.

All these things in random, if I play again the same piece everything goin' well.

I don't know if it's a buggy version of submux:

see http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18986&highlight=subtitle+AND+bug

Doronator, did you know something about that?
And Netbee, never had this problem with subs?

Thanks!

[screaminghell]

I have the Philips DVD 722 - bought it in January. How do you find out which Firmware version it has? Can the firmware in this model be flashed?

Thanks!:)

[borndevil]

In menu configuration, select last command list (where U select PBC on/off), and go with down arrow until firmware is displayed.

You can know if it's flashable only opening the player (don't do it) or trying upgrade.

Mine was.

bye

[duronator]

Originally posted by borndevil
I don't know if it's a buggy version of submux:
...
Doronator, did you know something about that?
No, don't know about this. I once tried playing a SVCD with submux subs (I think I made this with DVD2SVCD) and my 712 froze completely (had to unplug the power to solve this). This was with firmware 2.9.6.

[borndevil]

I confirm:

Also with new version of DVD2SVCD after 10-15 mins subtitles show a white box and don't appear anymore.
Switching subs off-on they start to work again, but after 10-15 mins again.

It's not clear 'cause subs work perfect until it happen.

And I noticed that if I rewind a little bit it work well, but if I see the movie from the start, the problem happen in the same point.

I will post in subtitle section or dvd2svcd forum to the author.