Technical Issues and Questions

Discuss North American DVDs and Blu-rays or other DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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Ogre Kovacs
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:04 pm

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1926 Post by Ogre Kovacs » Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:49 pm

Jonathan S wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 6:16 am
Thank you again. Although that particular solution still didn't work on either of my set-ups, it did lead me to the correct solution for one of them (Panasonic BR player + LG TV) which is simply:
1) Set the player to 16:9 FULL (not 16:9)
2) Set the TV aspect ratio to 4:3

This works at any resolution, including 1080p or Automatic, on that particular set-up. I thought I'd already tried all aspect ratio combinations but with at least four options on each unit there are so many I must have missed it (and it seems so illogical!) On my other set-up (Sony BR player + Samsung TV) neither the above solution nor yours works. It would be interesting to see what happens if I reverse the two players but I haven't the energy for that just now!
Fantastic. Glad you got a resolution.

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1927 Post by Finch » Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:52 am

I have a question: for our living room, we want an all-in-one solution that allows us to use one piece of hardware for UHDs and watching youtube videos through a 4k TV that we want to purchase at the same time.

So we're looking at using a PC drive for the UHDs instead of a player, and use software like Leavo (and instead of a computer monitor, the new 4k TV; our current set up is a PC unit hooked up to the TV and the unit contains a Blu-Ray drive and I use Leavo for playback). What difference, if any, would a PC drive make to the 4k presentation compared to a UHD player?

Has anyone tried this setup themselves? Is UHD playback through the PC UHD drive/4k TV combo recommended or is the standard combo of UHD (brand name) player and 4k TV better?

(The reason my husband would prefer a PC drive is that he likes mouse and keyboard better for navigating Youtube than the player software and remotes the UHD players offer)

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EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1928 Post by EddieLarkin » Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:39 am

I don't have much experience myself with 4K on PC but as far as I know (I think it was Chris that mentioned it) it's a total non-starter, because no PC software is any good at dealing with HDR and tone mapping.

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1929 Post by Finch » Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:02 pm

I also looked into it more since my post, and found there is only one or two drives (LG & Pioneer) recommended for UHD playback, and Intel removed SGX support beyond a certain generation of processors (ours still falls into the compatible range) but our motherboard is not compatible and would need replacing.

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kuzine
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:37 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1930 Post by kuzine » Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:55 pm

For youtube browsing on another device: use the chrome browser on your laptop/desktop (or the app on your phone), hit the chromecast button after you've selected a clip, and the TV will load it. Both devices just need to be on the same wifi/lan network. Assuming the TV supports chromecast and the youtube app, but most new ones probably do (?).

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1931 Post by Finch » Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:11 pm

Thanks for that! I want to get a Sony player, not decided on the television yet. Neither is due for a while still.

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willoneill
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:10 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1932 Post by willoneill » Fri Apr 01, 2022 1:48 pm

I have a weird situation, so hopefully someone here has an idea: after 12 years, a the pile of discs it wouldn't play growing, I finally replaced by dedicated Region B player (a Seiki) with a modded Sony S3700. My dedicated Region A & 4K player is also a Sony, a 4K X700. The players have the exact same remote, exact same to the point where if I press play on either remote, it activates both players. Anyone know a solution to this?

Q Pete Mitchell
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2022 9:04 pm

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1933 Post by Q Pete Mitchell » Fri Apr 01, 2022 9:26 pm

willoneill wrote:
Fri Apr 01, 2022 1:48 pm
I have a weird situation, so hopefully someone here has an idea: after 12 years, a the pile of discs it wouldn't play growing, I finally replaced by dedicated Region B player (a Seiki) with a modded Sony S3700. My dedicated Region A & 4K player is also a Sony, a 4K X700. The players have the exact same remote, exact same to the point where if I press play on either remote, it activates both players. Anyone know a solution to this?
I have the same situation with a pair of Sony players as well. There are two simple (though not necessarily unproblematic) solutions.

1. Buy a power strip with individual switches. This means standing up, walking to the TV (or behind it) and throwing the relevant switches.

2. The other approach is to never press the "play" or "power" or "eject" buttons on your remote. This means manually turning a particular machine on and manually opening the disc tray... but if you're loading a disc, you're already standing there, no problem. Then, always use the "enter" button (usually the largest, most central button) when the relevant menu item is highlighted. Again, never press "play" - it's instinctive to do so after pausing the film or extras, or after fast-forwarding or reversing, but make a point to always press/unpress "pause".

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Adam X
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:04 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1934 Post by Adam X » Wed Apr 06, 2022 12:44 am

I don’t know what the Sony remotes are like, but some, like Oppo’s, allow you to change their code so the player etc will only respond to that specific remote.

Another option, if the above isn’t possible, is buying a universal remote that’ll allow you to do just that.

Jonathan S
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
Location: Somerset, England

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1935 Post by Jonathan S » Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:47 am

I've have had the same problem with two adjacent Panasonic players. Even though one is an ancient DVD recorder, the other a fairly recent Blu-ray player, and the two remotes are totally different in appearance, either remote operates both players simultaneously. One solution I found was to block the front of the machine I wasn't currently using with thick cloth or a similar barrier to the sensor.

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Paul Moran
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1936 Post by Paul Moran » Wed Apr 06, 2022 8:28 am

My main 4K player is an Oppo 203, but I also have Sony X700 and Sony X800 players, all 3 in the living room. The Sony remote controls do not have a 'change RC code' feature. I have to switch off the Sony player I'm not using. Fortunately, all the mains sockets are easy to access. :)

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bad future
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:16 pm

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1937 Post by bad future » Fri May 06, 2022 4:02 am

I'm not sure if this thread is the best fit for my question or not -- feel free to move if there's a more appropriate one!

I'm wondering generally about the adoption of 5.1 audio mixes, specifically across the cinema landscape of the 2000's. I know Batman Returns and Jurassic Park were among the first films with theatrical 5.1 mixes, and I assume it took some time to become common outside of big event films like those. I usually take it as a safe assumption that any 5.1 track offered on a home release for a film from before a certain point is revisionist to some degree, though in some cases there might be a Dolby Surround or 6-channel 70mm soundtrack to adapt.

But I'm preparing to spend some time delving into the cinema of the 00's (it's my biggest blind spot decade as I actually "had a life" when it was happening -- not a problem anymore! -- and I haven't had a lot of positive associations with the media of that era in general) by which point I've been assuming 5.1 soundtracks were basically standard, at least in American studio stuff. I've begun to question that assumption though, and was wondering if anyone might have some insight into that history. It seems like a lot of films even from the start of the decade had 5.1 mixes on their initial, contemporary DVD releases, so I assumed that was consistent with their theatrical presentation, but I noticed Arrow's Southland Tales BD and Kino's upcoming Eternal Sunshine UHD advertise both 5.1 and 2.0. I have no idea what percentage of theaters had upgraded to 5.1 by then -- was it common to do multiple theatrical mixes to accommodate different theaters? Or keep it to stereo for the theater and immediately turn around a 5.1 mix for home release? I imagine my options will usually be limited, but I do like to go for the more "purist" option when I can -- if I can even pin down what option that would be!

Also wondering how different the timeline might have been outside the US. I'm sure stereo or mono was still predominant in international arthouse stuff, but what about like mainstream Hong Kong stuff for example? I know it seems like every catalog release in HK has a slapdash 7.1 remix these days, but when did surround sound become standard for new films? I've definitely got a lot of Johnny To on my aughts list, among others..

Maybe a weird request, just something I've been curious about and haven't been able to turn anything up on google. Any bit of history would be much appreciated!

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EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1938 Post by EddieLarkin » Fri May 06, 2022 4:42 am

bad future wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 4:02 am
I'm not sure if this thread is the best fit for my question or not -- feel free to move if there's a more appropriate one!

I'm wondering generally about the adoption of 5.1 audio mixes, specifically across the cinema landscape of the 2000's. I know Batman Returns and Jurassic Park were among the first films with theatrical 5.1 mixes, and I assume it took some time to become common outside of big event films like those. I usually take it as a safe assumption that any 5.1 track offered on a home release for a film from before a certain point is revisionist to some degree, though in some cases there might be a Dolby Surround or 6-channel 70mm soundtrack to adapt.

But I'm preparing to spend some time delving into the cinema of the 00's (it's my biggest blind spot decade as I actually "had a life" when it was happening -- not a problem anymore! -- and I haven't had a lot of positive associations with the media of that era in general) by which point I've been assuming 5.1 soundtracks were basically standard, at least in American studio stuff. I've begun to question that assumption though, and was wondering if anyone might have some insight into that history. It seems like a lot of films even from the start of the decade had 5.1 mixes on their initial, contemporary DVD releases, so I assumed that was consistent with their theatrical presentation, but I noticed Arrow's Southland Tales BD and Kino's upcoming Eternal Sunshine UHD advertise both 5.1 and 2.0. I have no idea what percentage of theaters had upgraded to 5.1 by then -- was it common to do multiple theatrical mixes to accommodate different theaters? Or keep it to stereo for the theater and immediately turn around a 5.1 mix for home release? I imagine my options will usually be limited, but I do like to go for the more "purist" option when I can -- if I can even pin down what option that would be!
Simply check the credits, if the film had a 5.1 mix in cinemas it'll have Dolby Digital, DTS and/or Sony SDDS logos at the end of the film. The alternate 2.0 tracks on modern films tend to be mixdowns of the original 5.1 track specifically designed for people only using 2 speakers/headphones.

Also, just because a film originally had a 5.1 track, that doesn't mean it necessarily uses all 6 speakers. There are plenty of 5.1 tracks out there that essentially only use the front speakers, it's just the digital systems became so ubiquitous it was easier for cinemas to only ever have to playback 5.1 tracks, regardless of how many speakers the filmmaker actually wanted to employ.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1939 Post by Michael Kerpan » Fri May 06, 2022 9:32 am

EddieLarkin wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 4:42 am
The alternate 2.0 tracks on modern films tend to be mixdowns of the original 5.1 track specifically designed for people only using 2 speakers/headphones.
If one only has 2 speakers, should one use the 2.0 alternative, or can one just count on one's system handling conversion?

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EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1940 Post by EddieLarkin » Fri May 06, 2022 9:40 am

In theory, the dedicated 2.0 should be preferable, as an actual person has presumably been involved in mixing it down and has taken decisions to ensure best playback. Whereas leaving the downmixing to your components might throw up problems (problems which the existence of the 2.0 track is designed to avoid). One of the more common issues is the centre channel dialog being drowned out by the stereo music and effects.

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fdm
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1941 Post by fdm » Fri May 06, 2022 2:21 pm

2.0 tracks, the max you can get on the Criterion Channel by the way, could also be encoded with dolby surround, which would have been what was originally offered at movie theaters when a film was originally released. Once in a while dolby surround will pop up on of the channel's films, for example, of Blue, White and Red, Red actually has some surround content to decode while Blue and White are just provided in plain stereo.

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RobertB
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Sweden

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1942 Post by RobertB » Sat Jun 04, 2022 2:50 pm

I was going to re-watch my old Korean "Content Zone" disc of Peppermint Candy tonight. But it won't play. I have tried three players. I did see it back when it was new in 2014. But now my Sony UHD player and my old Pioneer BD player both detect it as a data BD, with the individual files being unsupported. My PS3 player doesn't recognise the disc at all. Any way to get this to play? I hope it isn't a problem with many old Korean discs.

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senseabove
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:07 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1943 Post by senseabove » Wed Aug 03, 2022 2:02 pm

So, I apparently left a BD in my old Sony player when I moved, and now the player won't open. It does not appear that the disc is jammed in any way, as it still spins up and I can play the movie, but neither the Eject button nor any of the reset/force open options I've found online work. Anyone got any bright ideas short of disassembling the player?

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Quote Perf Unquote
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2022 2:57 pm

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1944 Post by Quote Perf Unquote » Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:04 pm

Firmware update?

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senseabove
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:07 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1945 Post by senseabove » Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:08 pm

Ended up having to disassemble the player, which was significantly less difficult than I expected. And then ended up having to do it again almost immediately, when my refurb LG UBK90 ate The Godfather last night. So I guess I'm in the market for a new UHD player.

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denti alligator
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
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Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1946 Post by denti alligator » Sun Oct 09, 2022 3:28 pm

My Panasonic UB420 has apparently been outputting 4k at 23.97hz this whole time. I didn’t notice (image looks great). And I can’t figure out how to fix it. Anyone wanna help?

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MichaelB
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Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1947 Post by MichaelB » Sun Oct 09, 2022 6:35 pm

Pretty much every Blu-ray project I’ve ever worked on was encoded at 23.976fps rather than 24 - it makes absolutely no difference to the viewer and it guarantees universal compatibility.

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denti alligator
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Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1948 Post by denti alligator » Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:53 pm

Thanks. I should have been more detailed in identifying what I think is the problem. Which is not that it’s 23.97 as opposed to 24 but that I can’t set it at 50 or 60hz. I was led to believe that 4K @60hz is best, but it seems that my cables are limiting me to 24 or 30hz. Not sure it is a huge difference, in the end. As I said, I hadn’t even noticed.

I can output 60hz from my player, but not with HDR and 4k. So I’ve decided the latter two are more important.

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EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1949 Post by EddieLarkin » Mon Oct 10, 2022 2:31 am

Your discs run at 24fps so why would you want the player to output them at anything else? Everything you're describing is perfectly normal, having 4K60 engaged on the player will not result in your discs being output at 4K60, as that's not what it's for. It just enables you to play discs up to 60fps if they require it, such as Gemini Man, or when using the built in apps.

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Peacock
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Technical Issues and Questions

#1950 Post by Peacock » Mon Oct 10, 2022 4:48 am

Denti you’re mixing up hertz and framerate.

Are you sure your player can output 60hz (which is the refresh rate of monitors in NTSC land and nothing to do with framerate of a film?). I think you’re just seeing that your player can output 60fps for blu-rays and not for 4K HDR releases.

60hz is the maximum refresh rate for a 60hz monitor. It can play any framerate below that at the correct speed while still refreshing at 60hz. You don’t have a 23.97hz monitor. You’re just outputting 23.978 frames per second into your 50 or 60hz monitor.

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