ELTA DVD 8882 ( DIVX ) Problems ?

[whazzaa]

I just bought a elta 8882 divx player at MediaMarkt in NordHorn.
At home i downloaded the latest firmware: 8882 MP4_Firmwareupdate 1.0.0.6_3_4_5_7_1172003.zip and flashed the brand new elta 8882.

I played a couple of movies encoded with xvid, divx4, divx5 and Divx 3.11. Before i jump to any conclusions, i would like to ask people who also got this DVD player if they got the same problems with the Divx 3.11 files.

The Divx 3.11 encoded files play but they sometimes Freeze the image, and the sound keeps on running. This doen't happen with other encoded files only with Divx 3.11 files.

I have tested cd's and dvd's containing divx encoded files.
At first a thought that the cd's are burt to fast ( 40x ) but also the dvd's burnt at the allowed media speed 2x or 4x with the same Divx files do also have this problem.

Maybe one of you guy's out there can give me a hint.....

Cheers

Wh@ZzAa

[whazzaa]

Elta is a German brand but the player is manufactured in China.
It is sold in Spain under the Woxter XDIV 500 name.
On this site there are firmware updates for both VBR and DivX 3.11:

http://www.woxter.com/woxter/home_woxter_sp.html

[Actualización de Firmware DivX 3.11 ( Fast _motion + Low motion) para X-DIV 500 Ver 108-1.0.0.15]

With those updates ELTA 8882 is one of the best MPEG-4 players around.

Found this info on: http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=8882&Search=Search

Btw can anyone confirm that the Elta 8882 is simular like the Woxter XDIV 500.

Thanks

Wh@ZzAa

[Doom9]

so far I haven't flashed the 1.0.0.6 firmware yet, but jumpy divx3 playback is something you'll have to live with, on any player currently on the market. Even once players get DivX certified, they're still only required to play a limited amount of divx3 content flawlessly. If flawless divx3 playback is a must, get an xbox, modchip and xbmp or wait for the win ce.net based mecotek mx6000 player.

[whazzaa]

@Doom9

Can you confirm that the Elta 8882 is simular like the Woxter XDIV 500 ?
I've read that there are a couple of different brands are based on the same hardware.
But also the Woxter XDIV 500 looks exact the same.

Cheers

Wh@ZzAa

Take a look at this chart compare with the Kiss 450

http://www.woxter.com/woxter/tabla-comparativa-x-vid500.png

[Doom9]

well.. if the firmware is interchangeable then it should be the same hardware.. there are indeed many players using the exact same boards but I don't know them all by heart. In any case, I was under the impression that KISS was doing more to get DivX3 playback working, but even with KISS players there are more than enough problems. I'll let you know if the latest Elta firmware update improves DivX3 playback.

[whazzaa]

@Doom9

I've just flashed my Elta 8882 with the woxter firmware :
woxter_xdiv_player_upgrade108-1.0.0.20

I work's great, my first impressions are that it works better.
The Video Divx from The Smashing Pumpkins was freezing up just at the beginning, and now it play's much better, almost no freezes anymore.

It's not perfect jet but it is a improvement.

The startup screen is adjusted to woxter but the other menu's are the same.

Cheers

Wh@ZzAa

Ps i'm looking for a way to modify this firmware my self.
Do you maybe have any information about this, i know the bin file can be mounted with linux and also modified but havn't tried it jet.

[Doom9]

well, the main problem about the firmware is that there are no sources, and decompilation is usually rather hard and it takes experienced people, let alone the possible legal reprecussions (though I suppose there's no license in the player documentation saying you may not reverse engineer, and except for the sigma drivers and the player software, the software is most likely all GPL'ed). But so far I'm unaware of any firmware hacking/updating attempts (same goes for my linux based wlan router... many people would like to have the broadcom 802.11g drivers contained in the router's firmware).

[whazzaa]

I tested the firmware with all kind of divx type's but there still is a problem with the divx 3.11 encoded files.
The playback is much better than before but i guess that the processor is not fast enough or this firmware needs to optimised.

when you try to adjust the volume, or if you want file information the Divx3.11 encoded files will freeze for a sec and the reaction speed of the volume settings are also a bit slower.

I tested btw these files on a revoy and there they run flawless.
So that firmware is allready optimised for that proc....

The releases of such firmware's aren't that great they improve a bit but the divx3 encoded files still freeze up during the whole file while the sound keeps on running......

Hopefully there are a few coders on the net that can improve this firmware, or reverse engineer it.
I will contact a few guys that also reverse engineerd firmware's for the sat decoders. For what i know is this firmware much simpeler than the Satelite MHW firmware, just by reading out the binary structure.

Here you can read that the menu's are made by photoshop and you can see what kind of unpacker and packer is used, and also on wich version of linux this firmware is compiled. So there must be hope for those who own this player.

Cheers

Wh@ZzAa

[whazzaa]

http://www.umax.de/support/yamfaqs.php

Part 7 Translated with http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr

Dvx-5500: Why isn't my DivX of films played correctly? The Dvx-5500 is based on the sigma Design EM8500 DVD decoder chip. The same restrictions which sigma Design in its FAQs apply to the EM8500 (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/em8500_faq.htm) indicate for the moment. The Mpeg-4 video must be conformal to ISO Mpeg-4 simple one or Advanced simple profile, without ¼ pixel (QPEL) and without global Motion Compensation (GMC). The Player is compatible to DivX version 3.11 (firmware 1,0,0,5), 4.x and 5.x. Maximum supported dissolution is 720x576 (352x288 for v3.11) without ¼ pixel (QPEL) option. During the rendition of DivX3 films the following is to be considered: Since DivX3 is not fully MPEG4 compatible, some program sections must be converted by complex tasks by means of software. This software with the firmware version 1.0.0.5 brought into the Dvx-5500. The arithmetic performance sigma of the chip set, which for the MPEG1/2/4 decoding is used to decode used around DivX3 on-the-fly/in real time, becomes. Sigma Design specifies the chip thus only for VCD dissolutions during the DivX3 rendition. If now a higher dissolution or bit rate was selected can it to disturbances come. At present it is uncertain whether this chip set DivX3 in all available variants, problem-free will ever play. It is general that the MPEG4 file of the ISO MPEG-4(Simple or Advanced of profiles) standard in such a way to correspond must.

[whazzaa]

Foreign firmware brings DVD Playern DivX 3,11 with [ updates ] already for quite some time announced < http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/vza-13.03.03-000/>, learned for DivX 4.x and 5.0.x certified the DVD Player of KiSS (and the Revoy 3200DX identically constructed with the KiSS DP-450) recently to < http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/vza-23.05.03-000/> the Ur-DivX-format to actually play. However folds this unfortunately more badly than quite: With actionreichen sequences or moderately quick Kameraschwenks comes the video pleasure to the dia.

diaschau, every now and then stops it also completely. The reason for it: MPEG-4-unkonforme of parts of the DivX-3.11-Datenstroms are converted in software on the fly and hunted only then by the decoder chip EM85x0. Nevertheless the owners of other DivX suited DVD Player might to be burned as the Elta 8882 MP4 (1:1 identically constructed with Waitec DVD-X4), Scott 842 < http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/vza-16.03.03-000/>, LiteOn LVD-2001 < http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/vza-14.03.03-002/> and Xoro HSD420 < http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/nij-23.01.03-000/> to likewise teach to their Playern DivX 3,11. Asks oneself only how?

That, which it not to expect can, until manufacturers their equipment suitable version brings out, which the circumstance comes to property that the latter Player with exception of the LiteOn equipment, which uses an extended firmware uses everything in fact the same firmware. As soon as thus one brings the manufacturer a DivX-3.11-taugliche out firmware, one can flashen this also on one the other Player.

The company Mecotek < http://www.mecotek.com > announced Website < http://www.mecotek.com/MCDEU/index2.htm > on their -- obviously by language computers it eingedeutschten -- few days ago that a firmware with DivX-3.11-Support was available < HTTP http://www.mecotek.com/ver1005.zip >.

It carries the revision number 1.0.0.5 just like the current Elta or Scott Firmwares, understands themselves however in contrast to these also on DivX 3.11. When we played for instance the Mecotek firmware testweise by CD-R on the Elta and the Scott Player, it folded also with the Ur-DivX -- unfortunately as had more badly than quite, but it nevertheless functioned. At least Elta likewise made in the meantime an updated firmware to the Download to < http://www.elta.de/downloads/software/8882%20MP4_Firmwareupdate%201.0.0.3_3 available _ 4_5_7_462003.zip >, which re-tools among other things DivX-3.11-Support, repairs problems with VBR-MP3 in advice and also as pure audio format supports Ogg Vorbis.

Updating the firmware happens however on own risk.
Footstep with the Flashen an error up, due to whose the original firmware cannot be brought in again, the warranty claims might be there. However this case is improbable, since the Player bootet with the update the operating system completely from CD. If errors emerge, therefore the original firmware can be brought in again. By the way: On all DivX suited DVD Playern with sigma Design chip set uCLinux, particularly runs a Linux Kernel cut to micro CONTROLLERS without MEMORY management unit (MMU).

With the firmware update the Player of CD bootet and flasht the file IS into the EEPROM of the equipment. Who out of interest once that IS under Linux as loop DEVICE mountet, a complete operating system finds inclusive Busybox http://busybox.net and to various for arm CCU and on the EM85x0-Chip cut Player applications (DVD Player, MPEG Player, file Player).
Presupposed, this almost loads the appropriate development tools for ARM for extending -- and improving -- the firmware in. Who hopes now, one can possibly implement various audio and video formats completely in software, which might are disappointed. The arm core of the Player clocked allegedly with 150 MHz has probably hardly sufficient computing power. URL of this article:
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/vza-24.06.03-000/ left into those

[whazzaa]

http://home.t-online.de/home/Holger.Kleinsorgen/DVD/elta_8882.jpg

http://home.t-online.de/home/Holger.Kleinsorgen/DVD/elta_8882_chipsatz.jpg

http://home.t-online.de/home/Holger.Kleinsorgen/DVD/elta_8882_flash.jpg

Alot of space in this player....

Cheers

Wh@ZzAa