Sony DVP-CX995V owner's thread [Text View] - Page 3

BruceOrlando

12-19-05, 12:38 PM

I haven't tried this yet (actually just thought of it) but I think you could put a blank DVD in the "loaner" slots so that the Sony will ignore it and not clear the data. I would think that unless the Sony sees an empty slot that it won't do anything w/that DVD's data.

Definitely worth a try...pull the disc, put another "holder" in it's place (a blank DVD-R, or actually, any other DVD or CD disc would likely work) and see if the data is lost. If you don't try to play or load that specific disc, the Sony won't see any change and nothing will go away.

Bet 'cha a nickel it works! :)

I owe 'ya a nickel... :)

Bought the CX995V yesterday and only have two discs in it now:
60. The Polar Express
61. The Polar "Extras' CD

I popped out the "extras" disc (#61) and replaced it with a blank Sony DVD-R disc. Before I closed the door, I manually turned the changer back to position #60.

After #60 had auto-started (I just luv this "feature") I stopped it and popped up the Disc Explorer. It still showed the Polar Express Disc at #61!

When I took the blank media disk out, and started the one remaining DVD, #61 then showed as a blank (?).

I tested again by placing the Polar Extras disc back in position #61 and letting it load the title. I stopped the disc and checked that the title was listed correctly.

I then removed it, and again substituted the blank disc, once again advancing the changer to another position beore closing the door.

The title still showed the Extras disc I had removed -- even after I added a new third disc and it had loaded the new disc's title into Explorer.

Not a bad work around -- if I got that this is what you were meaning?

-bruce

Danabw

12-19-05, 01:11 PM

JayMan007

12-19-05, 04:30 PM

Yup...that's what I thought would work.

Thanks for checking...now my kids can take a DVD to the other room to play it if they want to...w/out losing the title info. I'll have to keep a couple spare DVD blanks around for placeholders, and remind them to remember the slot number... :)

I wonder if it would work with a CD in the slot.... would make for a good use of all those AOL CD's that come in the mail... maybe with a little orange paint too.

-JayMan

quickfire

12-19-05, 05:41 PM

Danabw....you are the man......

prestonmax

12-19-05, 09:44 PM

Darn, I tried that last week and it didnt work for me.....BUT, I did not move the carosel to a different slot before I closed the door!
Gonna try it again with this methodology
Thanks

prestonmax

12-19-05, 10:01 PM

I read all 400 some odd pages of this forum and then decided to get one of these beasts.
I like the idea of having a forum of users to fall back on.
It's been a great read.....keep up the good work
Each night for the last week I have tried something new as far as finding out what it can and can't do.
I'm hoping those of you that have used the machine for a while can save me some frustration.
I'm interested to find out what options work when playing data cd discs that contain mp3's
Of particular interest is the random play (Shuffle) mode
I have been able shuffle a disc that contains 120 song files on a disc that has no folders.
I have also been able to shuffle a disc that contains seven albums(in seven folders)

Does anyone know how to shuffle several mp3 discs?
I tried moving the discs to the custom folder area "A", then trying to random play.
For experimenting, I used slots 399,400
That didnt seem to work.
Anyone know if this is possible and how to do it.
Or even a work around will do.

I havent even gotten to the video portions yet, other than playing some dvds with it.
Guess that will have to wait for another week...LOL

Thanks in advance,
Pmax

quickfire

12-19-05, 10:39 PM

prestonmax

12-19-05, 10:54 PM

I have not seen a problem with the first slot issue myself. But then again, I have only had my beast about a week.
I did put a disc in the slot and labeled it just to keep an eye on it.
Bummer about the other half not letting you have an early Xmas!! lol
Do yourself a favor and download a manual and start reading it in the mean time

Johnla

12-20-05, 12:47 AM

....but I was able to look at this thing .....man ....its HUGE:D.....

I told ya....;) Just looking at the dimension specs on paper is deceiving, cuz they sure don't look that big on paper.....

johnbe

12-20-05, 01:01 AM

would it be best to leave open the 1st slot for movie rentals....?The reason I ask is there was a guy in this same thread that said he couldn't get the first slot to keep information.......maybe Sony intended for the 1st slot to be open for the above mentioned!Just my opinion.

I have had no problems with the first slot. Seems they would have said something about it if it was a feature. :D I just stick my rentals in the next available slots. I use blockbuster and load all 3 I have at a time. Sure makes it easy. Except for the one time I lost one of the envelopes. :o

Danabw

12-20-05, 03:12 AM

Well my wife received the 995 via UPS today...she want let me have it till Christmas :( ....but I was able to look at this thing .....man ....its HUGE:D......another question I have with this DVD Player.....would it be best to leave open the 1st slot for movie rentals....?The reason I ask is there was a guy in this same thread that said he couldn't get the first slot to keep information.......maybe Sony intended for the 1st slot to be open for the above mentioned!Just my opinion.

Your wife sounds like mine, cruel, but fair. :)

That's exactly how I use slots 1-3...for Netflix rentals. I actually keep 1-5 clear of any "permanent" discs so that I can cover my three netflix discs and any ad-hoc playing/swapping of discs that I want to do...for instance, my dad sent me a CD for xmas (told me I could open it early), and I put it in slot 4 to give it a quick listen before I ripped it.

I've never lost any data from a disc in slot one...I usually enter a brief title for the rentals if the info isn't picked up automatically so the wife and kids know which is which. With the first three slots dedicated to rentals they know where to look even if I haven't gotten around to putting in a title yet.

Danabw

12-20-05, 03:13 AM

Danabw....you are the man......

Thanks....it just jumped into my head while I was reading his question.

Sort of like when Newton discovered gravity....yeah, a lot like that. :)

stumacdo

12-20-05, 03:43 PM

Just like one of the recent posters, I'm also getting this as an Xmas gift from my wife and will be playing around with it in a couple days. Next to the whole idea of being able to store a ton of DVD's and CD's, one of the things I'm excited about is the use of SACD as it's my first CD player with that functionality. For those who are using SACD for audio, a couple quick questions :

(1) Obviously the SACD will transfer sound for SACD disks, but will this also suffice for regular CD's ? Or, do I also need to run optional out to my AV Receiver.
(2) Any recommendations on SACD cables ? I hate the idea of Monster cable (overpriced junk). Wonder if anyone's had luck with maybe one of the site sponsors ?
(3) One of my favorite bands has released several disks that are DVD-A. I'm assuming that this unit will not play these disks, but before I bought any, I wanted to check.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

xberto

12-21-05, 01:23 AM

(2) Any recommendations on SACD cables ? I hate the idea of Monster cable (overpriced junk). Wonder if anyone's had luck with maybe one of the site sponsors ?
(3) One of my favorite bands has released several disks that are DVD-A. I'm assuming that this unit will not play these disks, but before I bought any, I wanted to check.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

I used cheap cables and I'm happy with sound quality although I was really disappointed with my first SACD selection. I bought the Aerosmith Ooh Ya, i think its called. The dang thing is only 2-channel!
It does play DVD-A, I borrowed a "The Corrs" DVD-A from a friend and it sounded sweet! It had a real good mix and itilized all the channels.

BTW, my wife bought me this machine for Cristmas and gave it to me early because she got a display model for $289 that only had a 24 hour return. It came complete and in perfect condition.

Danabw

12-21-05, 01:49 AM

Huh...this player doesn't support DVD-Audio...I assume it will play back DVD audio two-channel, but not "real" DVD-audio.

Wow...amazon appears to have this player for $299! Better deal than I got a month or so ago by about $30.

xberto

12-21-05, 07:45 AM

Huh...this player doesn't support DVD-Audio...I assume it will play back DVD audio two-channel, but not "real" DVD-audio.

The dvd I played, The Corrs - In Blue (DVD Audio) [ENHANCED], as described on Amazon, Did play on my Sony DVP-CX995V in 5.1. Check it out. It was NOT two channel. I think DVD-A will play on most new DVDs anyway. I wished I had not returned it to my friend because now you got me wondering

I know Sony doesn't specify DVD-A in their spec but maybe its because they want you to buy SACD.

Doug Schiller

12-21-05, 08:42 AM

The dvd I played, The Corrs - In Blue (DVD Audio) [ENHANCED], as described on Amazon, Did play on my Sony DVP-CX995V in 5.1. Check it out. It was NOT two channel. I think DVD-A will play on most new DVDs anyway. I wished I had not returned it to my friend because now you got me wondering

I know Sony doesn't specify DVD-A in their spec but maybe its because they want you to buy SACD.

Your player is just playing the DVD-Video portion of the disc, which includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track.

stumacdo

12-21-05, 09:19 AM

Danabw

12-21-05, 11:19 AM

From a write-up on the eCoustics web site...emphasis added:

<DVD-A>...will only play on a new DVD player that has a DVD-Audio decoder...However, the good news is that virtually all DVD-Audio discs carry a duplicate Dolby Digital 5.1-channel mix, which means that DVD-A's will play on any DVD player. This will let you sample multichannel music through your existing DVD player and Dolby Digital/DTS A/V receiver, albeit without the 96-kHz sampling rates and 24-bit word lengths that DVD-Audio delivers.

Johnla

12-21-05, 12:58 PM

I'm a little puzzled now by what sorts of discs (other than regular DVD's, CD's and SACDs) this unit can play. The CD I was thinking about purchasing is described as below

"The 5.1 surround sound mix of the new album considered by SW to be the definitive way to experience the album. The DVDA contains a high resolution audio surround version for playing on dedicated DVD-A players, a standard resolution surround version which can be played on any DVD player equipped with surround speakers, and the original stereo mix.

The DVD-A cannot be played on normal stereo CD players - it is designed to be played on DVD players and contains the 5.1 surround sound mix as well as a stereo mix. There are three extra tracks, a short film, lyrics, an album trailer and a photo gallery. It comes in a jewel case case with an outer slipcase "

Now I may be wrong, but does this indicate that DVD-A should be able to be played on any DVD player, including the 995V ? Please help clarify.

Yeah but the 995 can not play back a DVD-Audio disk with true DVD-Audio sound, it will only just play them like a "normal" DVD. About all that info that you just mentioned on the above mentioned disk was really telling you. Is that, the disk in question can also be played on just a normal DVD player and you will get normal DVD sound. But also, that it can not be played back in any way with just a normal CD player. Which is true, because it is a DVD and not a CD. You are mistakenly calling it a CD when you first mention it, but then as you go along it also tells you that it is NOT a CD.

tuna.man

12-22-05, 07:58 PM

Hi all, love this forum by the way!

I bought a DVP-CX995V last week and am very disappointed in it so far. I just posted the following review on Amazon, which documents my experiences to this point:

"I sold my Pioneer DV-F727 so that I could replace it with the Sony CX995, as we had recently bought a 50" plasma display and I wanted to be able to upconvert, which the Pioneer couldn't do. Also, the additional 100 (99 actually) disc capability would accommodate my ever-expanding library of DVDs and CDs.

Similar to the other reviews, I can't stand the kludgy interface. It is SLOW and cumbersome, especially when entering text for your discs. And speaking of which, it is VERY POOR at reading the text information from the discs. I know they state that it is dependant upon the information on the discs, but I know better... my Pioneer read at least the title information on MOST of my DVDs and CDs, while the Sony read FEW of the DVDs and NONE of the CDs (out of nearly 100 production DVDs and 200 production audio CDs)!!! This is PATHETIC!

So I hook up my keyboard, as I did with the Pioneer (ONCE) long ago, and started typing in the disc information - what a pain! As I stated previously, the interface is very slow and kludgy to navigate, as I can easily outpace its ability to keep up with my typing entry, and it takes 2 enters, text input, escape and enter just to enter the first information (title of DVD or CD). Instead of automatically moving down to the next field, you have to arrow down and then repeat the sequence for the actors/artist. Again, once you have entered that information and escape out of the entry field it returns you to the first field so you can arrow down twice to get to the genre field. This is a selection area with fixed categories to select from and requires you to navigate using the arrow keys (or the remote control) to select one of the fixed categories. The DVD categories are on top (even when entering data for audio CDs), and they didn't allow the interface to accept the first letter as a jump key - selecting "Rock", for instance (as I have done nearly 200 times now!) requires you to press the right arrow key twice, the down arrow key 4 times, then enter to select and set the category. As far as the categories go, there are the major genres listed, along with a catch-all "Other". There is no provision to enter your own custom categories, which is a major shortcoming for me as I had been able to do so on the Pioneer and then play random mixes based on the categories (i.e. 70's rock, hard rock, soft rock, Christmas, easy listening, etc.).

Now, a word about the stated response regarding autoplay... baloney! The Pioneer never did that, and neither should the Sony!!! For some reason the player automatically loads the disc in the selected slot whenever you power on, close the cover, etc., and this causes it to begin playing. There is NO REASON for it to do so and this is just plain bad design. When I first turn it on, the last thing I am usually going to want to do is watch or listen to the last disc I had loaded. If I did, I could just push play and (presuming that I had not finished it) the nice resume feature would begin where I left off. However, we usually finish movies and I would be much more inclined to move to a different slot for watching or listening, and I'd much prefer to make the selection myself without having to wait to stop it (even with the tip of pushing the Folder button).

Moving through the discs is cumbersome, as stated, especially with the remote, and even with the jump feature it is still a poor design. It does not allow for entering the disc number(s) on the numeric keypad to jump directly to a specific disc, and when paging through discs you can't pause too long because it will then try to load the disc and get into the autoplay loop. One of the best features of the Pioneer that is missing with the So(ny) was the 'x01' slot... the first slot was dedicated to one-time watching/listening (perhaps a rental DVD or borrowed CD) - there were separate access and play keys for the slot which would move the carousel to the first slot's load position, allow you to insert the disc, then play the disc from that slot. This would not disrupt your indexing/titling and was VERY convenient. The lack of this ability and the cumbersome manner in which the same scenario works on the Sony are huge shortcomings.

All in all, I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED in this and can hardly believe it is really a Sony product... I've had Sony gear in the past and have found their products to be very well designed. I've only had the unit a week and already I regret making the purchase... heck, I haven't even had a chance to really put it through its paces yet. I'm being generous giving it 2 stars, as my inclination is to rate it 1 star. I'll give it some time, but I'll also be looking to Pioneer to update their design and produce a progressive player with upconvert capabilities, then I believe I'll be selling the Sony and getting the Pioneer."

Thanks to all who have provided replies to this thread - many are very helpful and informative. I'm glad to see that many of you are happy with your players, and perhaps I've been spoiled by the Pioneer that I've had all these years, but I'd certainly expect a Sony product to be equally well-designed and, given the negatives that I've read for the former product lines I expected more from the 995.

Regards, and Happy Holidays!
Roger

quickfire

12-22-05, 08:26 PM

tuna.man

12-22-05, 09:19 PM

Don't let my experiences scare you off... judge for yourself. As they say, 'your mileage may vary' and you might be another satisfied customer.

I've watched a couple of DVDs so far and the playback quality is fine, even with upconversion, as stated in many previous posts.

Regards,
Roger

tuna.man

12-22-05, 09:25 PM

neploxo

12-22-05, 09:38 PM

I posted in the HP DLP forum about this. I'm on my second Sony 995v as the first was dead out of the box. I have a Pioneer F727 this is replacing as the Sony has HDMI output and 400 discs versus 300.

However, I can't get the player to output HDMI so my TV can read it. I've played with auto, 1080i, 720p, 480p, etc output and I can't get any picture on my TV. I know the HDMI connection works on the TV because I just returned a Samsung player with HDMI output and it worked fine.

Any tweaks or known HDMI issues with this player? ALso, I heard from CC that htis player tends to have lots of repair issues. Any thoughts?

I'm using with a Westinghouse 37" LCD monitor that is supposed to be HDCP-compliant. It will not output more than a 480p signal. Contacted Sony online and they took me through all the setup steps (which I'd already done) and found it couldn't work, so they told me to call the 'video specialist group' or something like that. So, I called and opened a case and got a call back the next day telling me the problem is this player does not upscale DVD content. They say it will play high-def DVD's, any content that is recorded at 720 or 1080, but that it does not upscale.

This is in direct contradiction of the current marketing on their website, as well as the manual and the info printed on the side of the box. I am starting to think about a class-action suit for deceptive trade practices. The only thing this unit is good for is eliminating shelves full of DVD cases, otherwise it does NOT live up to expectations.

Johnla

12-22-05, 11:24 PM

Danabw

12-23-05, 03:00 AM

:( Man..........My wife bought the 995 for me .......I have read this thread from beginning to end ....and HAD come to a realization that this was a good dvd player..........Can anyone chime in here and tell me that I'm making too big of a deal out of tuna.mans comments?!~And that the 995 is a good player.......?

Tuna man is technically accurate for the most part...however, this part:

and when paging through discs you can't pause too long because it will then try to load the disc and get into the autoplay loop.

...is incorrect if he is talking about the explorer view...the 995 will not load a disc if you highlight it in the explorer list...the player won't do anything unless you specifically request that the disc is played by pressing select and then choosing play.

The 995 is a good choice...DVD info entry is a bit more cumbersome than it should be, but once you get the hang of it the process is simple and easy to complete, it would be much better if more discs were recognized but entry is a one-time activity, so short term pain for long-term benefit. The folder view works very well for me and has good performance, the autoplay issue isn't much more than an annoyance, you can get to a specific slot quicky enough via page-up/pg down, etc., etc. Roger's concerns are real to him, obviously, but I expect overall you'll be very happy w/the 995. I'm loving mine...family, friends are very impressed with it. Very few electronic devices that my wife has said to me "You're right, we needed this." :)

tuna.man

12-23-05, 10:38 AM

Kevin R

12-23-05, 11:47 AM

Glad this thread exists. I was just going to buy the ES. But the 995 sounds like what I'm looking for.

Danabw

12-23-05, 11:56 AM

It's true that, while in Explorer mode, it does not try to automatically insert a disc. I guess it means that nearly everything is meant to be done in the Explorer, which is pretty sad and not efficient. There are far too many remote presses required for activities that should be simple and streamlined. In the case I mentioned, I knew where the disc was that I needed to get to, but while navigating to the desired slot I was momentarily interrupted and found that the player was loading the slot where I had paused, without me 'asking' it to. That design behavior just boggles my mind, as I can't for the life of me reason the logic used for that 'feature'.

Still trying to get to know the unit and get used to the quirks... it might take a while :confused:

Sorry to hear you are so frustrated by the unit. It may help to review the manual (somewhat painful to do in the case of the Sony manual, but likely worth the effort to help you w/your transition from another context w/your other player).

Just so others are clear...the Display view designed to provide access to a number of settings and features (some specific to the currently loaded/playing disc, others overall settings). If you go into display mode (press Display/File)when the player is stopped, nothing will be played automatically. It will sit there showing the currently hightlighted disc, the list of options available, and await action. If you choose to scroll up and down through the slot numbers using the up/down arrow keys, nothing will happen. Only if you enter a specific slot number and press Enter, or press Play, will the 995 begin playing a disc. That is how it is designed to work (direct access to discs) and actually makes sense to me. Choose a specific disc by number or press play and it begins playing the entered or currently selected disc, respectively.

The options the Display view provides access to includes selecting another disc via number, selecting chapter, time code, playlist, setting defaults for repeat play, audio, subtitles, etc.), as well as things like parental control and overall setup of the unit. (A lot of these are available directly via the remote.)

The Explorer is designed for scrolling through your collection, organizing/titling your collection, and selecting a disc to play from the list there. The explorer lacks a "go to this Genre" or "go to this number) feature that would make navigating easier with a large number of discs inserted. You can use Folders to improve your ability to get to certain groups of discs more easily.

This is all documented in a somewhat disjoint way in the manual, which can cause some unfortunate confusion (did in me at first!). :)

Now, to rant about an issue I have w/this player...my key one is that if you access the Explorer, the Resume info for any discs stopped while playing is lost. That's the one "quirk" that cheeses me off the most, and I don't understand why they couldn't get around that. I can live w/it, as the rest of the functionality, the great PQ via HDMI, and the convenience are all exactly what I wanted.

tuna.man

12-23-05, 12:23 PM

Danabw

12-23-05, 12:47 PM

Thanks Dana, right again. HOWEVER, if you just start moving through the discs without going into either the Display or Explorer views, it exhibits the behavior that I've outlined. I shouldn't have to go into either view if I know what disc I want to play - those are extra, unnecessary movements that I didn't have to do with the F727. On the previous unit I could just start rotating the carousel and move to the desired slot. In addition, the display panel would show the title in addition to the disc number, obviating the need to go into an extranneous mode just to decipher the title.

Again, realizing that the behavior between this and my former unit is different and will take some getting used to, but my point is that the design is pretty poor and not well thought out. It is painfully obvious that they had little or no end user input into the interface design.

I know, I know... get over it and get used to it! :D The serenity prayer comes to mind... ;)

Thanks again for the input!
Roger

Serenity now!!

Agree...clearly Sony could have used more input from usability/customer testing, or had the input and no time/$ to implement what they suggested...since I did not come from a different experience w/another megachanger, I've been happpy overall w/how the Sony does it. Innocence (or it was ignorance, right?) is bliss. :)

P.S. I read the manual cover to cover before even actually receiving the unit, again while playing with it the first time, and once more last night (I'm a techie from way back), so am very familiar with the content and details outlined.

Acckkkk!! You have WAY more patience than I do...impressive! I tried to read the manual front to back just once and experienced flashes in my peripheral vision, a loud thrumming in my ears, and moments of vertigo.... :eek:

DWPC

12-23-05, 02:19 PM

I'd like to get a 995 but it will get more use as a CD player than for DVD movies and I don't want to give up any audio quality. My existing older Sony DVD player has discrete lasers for CD play and for DVD play. Literature on the 995 doesn't say anything about whether it has this feature. The DAC isn't an issue; I'll use the 995's coax audio out to a stand-alone two channel DAC. Can anyone tell me if it uses a single laser for both CDs and DVDs or if has one for each? Any other comments on CD audio quality will be appreciated.

I looked at the Pioneer F727, but the price is 50% higher and its design is at least five years old.

WillyGib

12-23-05, 03:53 PM

I'm using with a Westinghouse 37" LCD monitor that is supposed to be HDCP-compliant. It will not output more than a 480p signal. Contacted Sony online and they took me through all the setup steps (which I'd already done) and found it couldn't work, so they told me to call the 'video specialist group' or something like that. So, I called and opened a case and got a call back the next day telling me the problem is this player does not upscale DVD content. They say it will play high-def DVD's, any content that is recorded at 720 or 1080, but that it does not upscale.

This is in direct contradiction of the current marketing on their website, as well as the manual and the info printed on the side of the box. I am starting to think about a class-action suit for deceptive trade practices. The only thing this unit is good for is eliminating shelves full of DVD cases, otherwise it does NOT live up to expectations.

I have my 995 connected via HDMI - DVI cable and a component cable to a DVDO iScan HD+ video processor. I did this to see if a 1080i signal would look better than a 480i signal. When I look at my input signal on the DVI interface of the VP it is 1080i, so the Sony is up-converting the signal. I'm using my VP to do the de-interlacing by inputting a 480i signal then a 1:1 pixel map to my projector. The 480i input looks best.

tuna.man

12-23-05, 08:05 PM

Well, I can now confirm the lost data scenario... I turned on the unit this afternoon to set up my A/V surround settings, and pressed Folder to abort the loading of the current disc. I then pressed Display, then Enter, and the display on the unit said Folder All but the message on the screen indicated it was 'Loading'. I left it like that for about 30 minutes (there were no audible indications it was doing anything), then tried pressing Stop, Folder, Return, etc. on the remote to no avail, then tried pressing Stop, Return, Folder, Disc Eject, Open/Close on the unit also to no avail. I then pressed the Power Off button a couple of times without response, and held it in for about 5 seconds without any indication or change. I then went to make a sandwich and found that the unit had powered off in the mean time, and when I powered back up all the information that I had previously entered was gone (including about 60-70 of my CD titles and artists that put me on my initial rant). All discs were indicating the ubiquitous ?, so for the last couple of hours it has been going through the Load process once again.

I'm not too sure I'm going to enter all the information again - I've got the lists in Excel and printed out and might just reference them for now.

Danabw

12-23-05, 10:09 PM

Bummer...:( See what happens when you talk trash about the Sony? It gets even. If I had to re-enter all my discs I'll be a very unhappy camper.

Trying to protect myself...when you say:

Well, I can now confirm the lost data scenario... I turned on the unit this afternoon to set up my A/V surround settings, and pressed Folder to abort the loading of the current disc. I then pressed Display, then Enter, and the display on the unit said Folder All but the message on the screen indicated it was 'Loading'...

...are you saying you've done this same series of commands before and lost data, or ? I've used a similar sequence of keypresses before and haven't lost any data yet.

I tried to replicate your steps but they didn't actually work for me...

1. ...pressed Folder to abort the loading of the current disc
- Brings up the list of DVDs in Explorer view
2. ... I then pressed Display
- Doesn't do anything - no change to screen though player lights up to indicate received a command
3. ... then Enter,
- Brings up the context menu for the currently hightligted disc (Back, Play, Details, File, and Edit options)
4. ... and the display on the unit said Folder
- As noted, pressing Display doesn't do anything when in explorer view

Tried above steps starting from a blank screen, assuming maybe you'd cancelled the Explorer view before pressing Display in step 2 above. When I did that I ended up in the disc number field w/the "---" prompt waiting for me to enter a disc number.

Are you doing this on the device, or on the remote?

Do you think it's possible you have a bad unit? I haven't lost any data in several weeks of use, unplugged the unit a few times to move it, etc., and all has been solid so far. Oops...I did lose title data for one disc, one that the Sony initially recognized on its own and then seemed to forget (Hang 'Em High, Clint Eastwood). That's the only data issue I've had so far...knock on wood (my head). :)

tuna.man

12-23-05, 11:22 PM

Actually, I'm saying that I've now experienced what others have previously experienced. I've seen several posts about the 'Loading' hang, followed by either powering down or unplugging the unit, followed by the sheer dismay of finding that the hours of data entry had been replaced by simplistic question marks :) </capricious mode>

I don't think that it is a repeatable event, but it is definitely a software 'feature'. I'm not sure which button press caused it, but I have to believe it is a timing issue. I'm sure you could try a thousand times to recreate and would be unsuccessful, as would I, but I'm also equally convinced that it is more common than obscure (given the number of similar reports I've already seen). The initial steps were performed on the remote, and I had a feeling when I saw the "Loading" message pause on the screen that I might be in trouble. I don't believe the unit is defective - I think it is part and parcel of the design.

And you may be right... the Sony might be just spiteful regarding my reviews, although given the infantile interface design I hardly believe that it could read! :D

Don't get me wrong - I entered into this with the best of intentions and expectations, otherwise I would have never sold my F727. I only want to ensure that anyone else contemplating the purchase has an opportunity to know its limitations and quirks, as well as its strengths. I read a great many reviews before deciding to make the purchase, but overall there were none that I found that outlined the plethora of issues to lead me to believe my experience would be such. Que sera, sera.

Danabw

12-24-05, 12:43 AM

OK, thanks for the clarification.

In my opinion you're overstating the design issues ("plethora" seems a bit much) w/the deck...it isn't nirvana, it ain't chopped liver, either. :)

I certainly hope you don't experience any more data problems if you decide to keep it.

quickfire

12-24-05, 02:09 PM

?????? What happens if you put in a blank DVD disk.....and when you go turn off 995 just go to blank disk and turn off!!!In theory shouldn't it load the blank disk very quickly..so there should be almost no wait time to select another movie correct??

quickfire

12-24-05, 02:10 PM

I'll find out tomorrow....I'll know this 995 within a month or so.....so if it can be made easier I'll find it...stay tuned:D

mikek

12-25-05, 01:14 AM

This player is almost more trouble than it is worth. The only good thing it is for is to store DVDs. You are pretty much forced to buy this thing or wait for sony or pioneer to make a new model.

I can't believe people are being forced to put in a blank DVD for a "placeholder" this is ridiculous.

I can't believe this thing doesn't have cd-text.

You should be able to put any disc title in whether there is a disc in there or not. An icon should pop up indicating whether there is a disc in that particular slot. So I take a few movies on a trip and I have to leave the player on and the door open so I don't lose all the info? Are you kidding me?

If anybody is unsure about buying this thing I suggest you wait until something better comes out. This player is an exercise in frustration.

-mk

mikek

12-25-05, 01:30 AM

One other anomaly or quirk that contradicts the information in the manual - has anyone noticed the behavior of the Disc Change indicator? Mine comes on when the player is powered up, and to this point I've never seen it go out. Whenever I push the Disc Change button nothing happens at all... the indicator stays lit, there is nothing additional displayed on the display or screen, and it appears to have no effect. According to the insertion instructions you are supposed to push the button (at which point the indicator is supposed to light up), then rotate to the appropriate slot and insert the disc. I don't get it... is it just me? I saw the same behavior on a 985 that I received (and returned) a couple of days before I got the 995.

This one I think I do understand.

The Disc Change button and the Direct Search button (directly underneath) work in tandem. If you press Disc Change then when you turn the dial the discs change.

If you press Direct Search then the Disc Change light goes off and when you turn the dial chapters or tracks can be accessed.

So basically, Disc Change is for the entire player and Direct Search is for the particular disc that is loaded.

-mk

HapHazard

12-25-05, 07:25 AM

Well, I'm in for one or two (been a fan since my 985-purchase), and I've wanted to try a decent upscaling dvi-or-hdmi player, anyhoo...
Does anyone have more than 2 of these and/or 1-2 AND a 985? I know the 985 was selectable for up-to 3-per-remote on Rear (and this 995 on Front) BUT did Sony keep the Codes similar? IOW, can I use a new/995 remote to control up-to three of the 985/995/995's?
Also (995-specific, I don't think it's 'on' the 985?) is the CustomPictureMode worth playing-with? :
"Standard: Displays a standard picture
Dynamic 1: Increases the picture contrast and the color intensity
Dynamic 2: Further increasing the picture contrast and the color intensity
Cinema 1: Enhances details in dark areas by increasing the black level
Cinema 2: White colors brighter, black colors richer, and color contrast increased
Memory: Individually adjust/store settings: picture, brightness, color, and hue"
Anyone have any 'love' for above?
Lastly, it apparently makes no-diff [re: HDCP] if player-output is HDMI/DVI (and if dvd isn't content-protected [backup-dvd's makes this moot?]) BUT, what needs to be 'present' at display for upscaled-input? Does the dig>vga-input (or any dvi/HDMI-input) HAVE to be HDCP-compliant -- for the connection to even-function?
I have an well-aged-NEC plasma with only s-vid/component/vga-rgb inputs, and rather-hope the 480p/720p/1080i-scaled output will 'improve' over the ancient-scaling/'AccuBlend' in the display (possibly via dvi>vga-cable/adapter OR 'transcoding' [needed?] the HDMI/digital progressive-or-interlaced signal to the vga?) OR, if not 'practical', make use of the HDMI (somehow) to a DIY-LCD-projector [soon, I hope<g>]. Can any HDMI/dvi output from an upscaling-player be easily converted to input on ANY vga-input (compliancy for some, and not others?)? Or, maybe a 'upscale-to-component-player' is what I really-need for this plasma? [Wish I knew exactly how all-this can be accomplished, and the HDCP-'limitations' for commercial v. 'backed-up' dvd's...? Sans 'hacks', I mean...]
In order to even-'see' 480p-output from ANY player on my NEC 4210W PlasmaSync, I HAVE to 'backup' any of my original-dvd's...otherwise the signal is trashed (!?!) using Component-input (amusing, no?). 4210W's are SUPPOSED to scale 480p/720p/1080i into it's 853X480-Native (via component, presumably) and up-to-SXGA (over vga, presumably) and convert-all to Native via 'AccuBlend' (but its 'scaling', apparently, is 'suk' -- thus my interest in some upscaling-player and/or 'real'-scaler "someday").
Anyone here with advice about any of 'this stuff'? 'Pre-EDTV' gets a somewhat 'complicated', it seems...! <g>

xberto

12-25-05, 09:03 AM

Yeah but the 995 can not play back a DVD-Audio disk with true DVD-Audio sound, it will only just play them like a "normal" DVD.

I am still not convinced that the 995 does not play DVD-A 5.1 tracks. I tested with Fleetwood Mac -Rumors on DVD-A. I play it, and set my Sony STR-DE845 receiver to the DVD input, and I get the DVD Dolby track. When I switch over to 5.1 channel, I get the DVD-A 5.1 channel mix. The 995 is definitely putting out a 5.1 signal to my receiver as well as the regular Dolby track through the optical output. Check it out for yourself and correct me if I am wrong.

windsoreight

12-25-05, 12:52 PM

I had a 985 and was very pleased with it compared to my older JVC. After 6 months it went south so Sony sent me a 995 as it's replacment. I have a question if I am running HDMI to my Plasma can I still run a coaxial or optical cable to my home theater reciever? I am expecting my ne Dell W5001c on the 28th and am trying to plan out how my components are going to hook up.

DiCecco

12-25-05, 01:20 PM

Yes it will output audio out the digital output when using HDMI . I have mine
hooked up that way . HDMI to plasma and digital audio to HK-8000 .

Johnla

12-25-05, 09:58 PM

I am still not convinced that the 995 does not play DVD-A 5.1 tracks.

It don't matter if you are convinced or not, but the 995 definitely does not play back a DVD-Audio disk in the true DVD-Audio format. Sony owns and supports the SACD format, and they do not support the DVD-Audio format, other than it will play the normal type 5.1 tracks that are also on a DVD-Audio disk. ALSO, you can not get true DVD-Audio sound through either a optical or coaxial digital connection, it requires either i-Link or a 6 cable analog connections. And you said that you are using a optical connection, so even if it could, which it can't! You could not even get it with that type of connection anyway. Just look in your owners manual where it lists what formats the 995 plays/supports, and you will not find DVD-Audio as one of them in the list.

Johnla

12-25-05, 10:21 PM

Can any HDMI/dvi output from an upscaling-player be easily converted to input on ANY vga-input (compliancy for some, and not others?)?

Although some DVI devices can be, all depending upon what kind of DVI signal is actually being outputted by the device. But DVD players DVI is not that kind. But as for HDMI, and then when you add the HDCP it has...... You are just not going to find any easy way to do it.

necrolop

12-26-05, 03:13 AM

Was the issue with a movie playing automatically when the unit is turned on ever solved, or anyone have a way to jerry rig a solution?

I think if its unfixable that Ill just leave the unit always on, my question being, how much power do you think the unit takes just sitting there idoly? still outputtinga picture but not playing a movie?

KenLand

12-26-05, 10:51 AM

It's Energy Star compliant so I'm sure its not burning much power.

I leave mine on all the time.

Ken

HapHazard

12-26-05, 11:30 AM

Although some DVI devices can be, all depending upon what kind of DVI signal is actually being outputted by the device. But DVD players DVI is not that kind. But as for HDMI, and then when you add the HDCP it has...... You are just not going to find any easy way to do it.

A lot of peep's report 'good-image/scaling' after connecting a dvd-player, simple dvi->vga-cabling via 480p (apparently to a 'sync-on-green-style' LCD-monitors often 1280X768 or greater?). I've never seen it work, myself...?
As for splitting dvi-from-HDMI, it's fairly standard/compliant, and HDCP shouldn't 'kick-in' unless content is non-SDTV or other HD/Commercial-content from dvd/player. Standard/backup'd dvd's shouldn't HDCP-provoke...? Hope not...!
[Hunching that I'll not be 'happy' until I employ a VP30/BelkinRazor or HTPC...!]

jgibo1

12-26-05, 02:54 PM

I just looked in the manual. States 25 watts of power. so if left on it is like having a 25 watt light on all the time.

Also has anyone tried a blank dvd in like disk one and then changing to disk one before turning off to see if it load faster.

I am thinking about buying one this week and I thought about making a dvd that say something like "Welcome to My Theater" with background music.
That way until I was ready to actually watch the movie when I had company over it would start on my previous movie.

necrolop

12-26-05, 04:10 PM

But 25 watts is probably its max power usage, which is probably when playing a movie, but with no mechanical movement and it just displaying a screen saver id imagine it would be quite abit less.

I just got the player yesterday, Im pretty pleased other than the few odd quirks that sony should have easily been able to ring out.

Like it sorting movies that start with "The ...." under "T". and the autoplay thing, yarg, but leaving it on isnt too bad maybe even better.
Cant wait to ditch my CRT, cause the straight lines of the menu are warped by the bad geometry.

I entered in the names of some movies and then unplugged it for 15 mins, kept the info for ones I had entered in, not for ones it found on its own. Its not very good at finding the title of a disc, not even paramount ones.

On a sheet in the box it reads, "Simple, Organized", haha, organized maybe, but simple, not quite. The remote is terrible, why the disc explorer and player itself need seperate modes i dont understand, but im just gonna teach my learning remote the functions that Ill need all under one mode.

jgibo1

12-26-05, 04:16 PM

Since most people are having trouble recognizing movie titles are people manually entering "The" at the beginning of the title or at the end after an apostrophe?

quickfire

12-26-05, 06:18 PM

The blank disc works....just remember to go to this blank disk before turning off!!!!!!I 'm going to load all 227 disk by tommorrow and start typing!!!:D...p.s ...I read somewere in this thread that there was only 4 or 5 catagories for DVD movies to choose from...there is about 10 that I saw:D..and about 10 for music!

Danabw

12-27-05, 02:12 AM

Since most people are having trouble recognizing movie titles are people manually entering "The" at the beginning of the title or at the end after an apostrophe?

I entered them w/leading "The" and now wish I hadn't...if I was doing it again I think I'd do the trailing ",The" approach.

My wife disagrees, however, and likes movies titled w/their "real" title, and claims they are easier to find that way.

Go figure...opposites attract. :)

One limitation...you can't edit the titles of films recognized by the player, so that could lead to a few inconsistencies if the player recognizes titles w/a leading "The."

cinedream

12-27-05, 07:26 AM

After weeks of searching i've given up...

I have a brand new 995 here "in the box", but i need a region free unit...
Since for this one there is no hack (yet), i want to trade it for an older model, which is hackable for PAL and region free.

If there is someone who has an older Sony (or even another multi-disc brand with at least component out) that would like the HDMI function, please feel free to e-mail me. I would like to trade with your older unit.

Greetings,

Nicolas
Beligum

mill5

12-27-05, 08:53 AM

I am a new owner of the 995. Great forum…thanks everyone.

I have a 135 discs loaded and labeled. Also have the list on spreadsheet as recommended. Overall, the unit works great. No problems and it really cleaned up the mess of CD/DVD cases.

I did notice that Photo CDs do not auto start, so there is another idea for slot one.
But the image quality, which look great on the computer, is very poor on the 995.
Anyone else have this problem? ( HMDI, 1080 feed)

On music files (MP3s), playback is great but I still can not get a list of files on the disc. I would also like to use a DVD disc (vs. CD) to increase capacity. Anyone know of a good (as in free) format converter (mp3 to vob) or another idea?

Finally, I love jgibo1‘s idea on the “Welcome to my Home Theater” banner..way cool. Jgibo, please share your experience when completed, may be even the vob.

chinadog

12-27-05, 10:04 AM

All,

Question. I'm debating on picking up one of these units, but I want to make sure its kid friendly. Is the interface intuitive enough for kids to scroll through and select a movie? Is there any where that there is a screen capture or image of the interface I can see? Are the discs "parent password controlled" for those discs you don't want your kids to access?

Also, its my understanding that there is no RS232 interface. I'm thinking about a HTPC down the road, is there anyway to interface the two via DVD Lobby or something similar?

Thanks!

Bud

boozcruz33

12-27-05, 11:02 AM

I also just received the 995 and am wondering if I should consider "upgrading" to the ES model. I have searched high and low and the only reason I can find for going to the ES would be the RS232 input.

What are people with the 995 doing for organization of their DVDs? Are people mainly using the interface provided by the changer, or are they using their Pronto remotes, etc. for organization (wondering because I also just purchased an MX-850). Screenshots of the interface would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Shane

Danabw

12-27-05, 11:19 AM

My kids are 12 and 14, and use it w/out any issues. My wife uses it as well, which would match up w/an 8 year old in technical years. :)

Seriously, if they are old enough to use the remote for turning on watching TV or DVDs now, you can show them which button on the remote brings up the disc explorer movie listing, and navigation in the explorer is up/down arrow keys or page up/page down and then select and choose play. Simple to use...I wish it sorted by name within Genre, but the ability to change sorts from name to disc # to genre quickly helps make it easier to find a disc.

We have about 200+ discs in our changer now, and are loving the lack of a plethora of DVD boxes to store, keep organized, open/close, and find we are making better use of our DVD collection now that it is very simple to find, load, and play one.

Picture of explorer attached that I "borrowed" from another thread.

temp1234

12-27-05, 01:57 PM

Helllo tuna.man,

You seem to be very thorough so I'll toss this question directly at you. Just purchased the 995. I agree with your assessment 100%. Bad design, etc. I noticed that when I am playing a DVD, I click pause - sometimes it causes my amp (Bose 3-2-1) to play a repeated loud noise (like it was stuck on a loop on the last sound made before the pause). Unpausing does not fix it. This does not occur all the time, never the same spot, never the same disc, purely random. I'm using the digital optical cable to connect the two. I don't have issues with the Bose when using a standalone Sony DVD player feeding it. What do you think? Thanks!

quickfire

12-27-05, 03:14 PM

ChinaDog....The interface is VERY easy to use.......just push 1 button and your looking at all your selections of movies and cds .....you can also lock any movie you want with a password...as well as type in the title and brief desription of movie and then select what catagory you want to put it in.there are about 10 t0 15 catagories for DVD movies and about the same for CDs...it's VERY simple...as far as the auto load goes just put in a blank cd or dvd ...or create a dvd with a dvd authoring program ..I am going to use TMPGENC dvd author and make a menu that has WELCOME TO THE SHOW..or something to that nature...then just select the movie I want and press play.....its that simple...the only thing I wish the 995 had was direct access but the explorer works with just 1 push of a remote button....i'm going to load all my dvds tonite......and start typing.....p.s. you dont have to have a key board there is a onscreen lettering and #'s etc.but that would take to LOOOOONGGGGGGG... OYEAH.......I was finally able to do the direct audio/speaker inputs from 995 to my H/K 525 receiver.I was jsut curious as to what it would sound like ..I disnt think it would be a big difference?.....but I must say it sounds even more detailed than Dolby Digital....That doesn't make logical sense but to my ears it sounds like the speakers have more depth and spacial sounds to them.....I love this player..

tuna.man

12-27-05, 03:16 PM

Hello temp1234,

Funny, I had that also happen once. I figured it was an anomaly, and so far it hasn't happened again. It cleared when I unpaused the disc, so it is interesting that unpausing it didn't clear the condition for you... that is sad. My setup is similar - digital coax coupled to my Kenwood VR 6070. I've never had that issue in the 5+ years that I had the F727, and I've only experienced it once with the 995 so far. I couldn't tell if it was only through the receiver or also being transmitted through the audio channels directly to the plasma speakers, as it was so annoying that I had to quiesce it as quickly as possible without doing much troubleshooting.

My wife and I had a Star Wars marathon on Christmas day, watching the first 5 episodes in sequence, and I had to pause many times over the course of the day (and night!). I didn't have any issues during that time. I turned off the THX button on the receiver and used Dolby Digital EX for the encoding - when the issue cropped up before I had THX on and was outputting in native Dolby Digital. You may try to determine if any of your encoding settings have any impact on the frequency of the issue? I doubt that it is related - it really seems to be an issue with the pause circuitry from what I saw, but it doesn't hurt to try to isolate the variables.

Good luck, and keep me posted on your findings!

Johnla

12-27-05, 04:18 PM

Also, its my understanding that there is no RS232 interface. I'm thinking about a HTPC down the road, is there anyway to interface the two via DVD Lobby or something similar?

That's right, there is no RS232 interface on it, or control-I/control-S ports. As for using it with a HTPC and DVDLobby, that was all gone through here pretty extensively about a month back. And yes it can be done, but it will also take some effort plus additional hardware and programs.

If you look here, this it is about the "start" of it, where it started to get specific in what is needed, and in a few different ways to do it.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6527982&&#post6527982

But unless you need the HDMI output of a 995, I still would recommend using the DVP-CX777ES for doing this instead. Because it has the RS232 interface, and just makes it so much easier to do.

quickfire

12-27-05, 05:25 PM

That's right, there is no RS232 interface, or control-I/control-S ports. As for using it with a HTPC and DVDLobby, that was all gone through here pretty extensively about a month back. And yes it can be done, but it will also take some effort plus additional hardware and programs.

If you look here, this it is about the "start" of it, where it started to get specific in what is needed, and in a few different ways to do it.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6527982&&#post6527982

But unless you need the HDMI output of a 995, I still would recommend using the DVP-CX777ES for doing this instead. Because it has the RS232 interface, and just makes it so much easier to do.
What he says rings true there is no RS232 port/interface on 995 ...and the only difference is the HDMI output on 995 vs.component on 777....but the price difference was a deal breaker for me,thats why I chose the 995 with the HDMI....IMO your not going to go wrong with either chose....

Danabw

12-27-05, 11:30 PM

I would like to see the 777 explorer menu...I don't think anyone has posted a pic of that yet. I believe I read that it is different than the explorer screen provided with the 995.

Unless you are planning on making use of the RS232 port, the price premium on the 777 isn't worth it, IMHO. Plus, I strongly prefer black components...when I'm watching movies in subdued lighting I don't want anything glinting at me. ;)

Mntneer

12-28-05, 12:39 AM

BGK

12-28-05, 01:11 AM

Johnla

12-28-05, 01:20 AM

It's not just RS-232 that has the 777 costing more than the 995.
Right, even though the 995 has HDMI, the 777ES is still a better built player than the 995 is. And the 5 year warranty on the ES line is also a nice extra to have, and at "street" prices the 777ES while still more money than a 995, is a still a deal when you find them in the $500-$600 range. But the RS232 also adds control options to it that are not even available with it's own IR remote, the RS232 actually can allow two way communication. The 777ES when coupled with the right program "DVPgenie", will not only automatically look up the DVD's and catalog them all for you, but it will also look up and download the cover art for them as well! And this is all done with just one EZ to set up and run program. Sure that pretty much is what MLserver, DVDLobby, and DVD Profiler almost do when they are all combined together, but even then, they can not go on-line and automatically look up the DVD's that are actually in the changer itself and D/L what they are, catalog them, and also get the cover art for them like DVPgenie does.

http://www.ibtcorp.com/dvpgenie/default.asp

For anyone that does have a 777ES, just D/L their free demo version. It will look up what is in your first 40 slots, and D/L the info and their cover art. All you need is the program, a null modem cable, and a internet connection.

Danabw

12-28-05, 02:22 AM

I received this player for Christmas, and am starting to load all of my disks. I started by loading about 40 disks, then was going to go back and label them in the explorer. The problem is, it won't let me edit in the explorer until I actually have the player read each of these disks, and it won't read the disks until I manually go in and play each of them.

Is there a way to make the player automatically read each of the disks I just loaded without manually reading each disk? I don't mind entering all of the info manually, but if I have to go in and tell the player to manually read all disks, that will take forever.

Thanks in advance.

See bottom left of page 43...press the "Load" button on the front of the player. It will read all discs inserted.

tuna.man

12-28-05, 02:25 AM

I received this player for Christmas, and am starting to load all of my disks. I started by loading about 40 disks, then was going to go back and label them in the explorer. The problem is, it won't let me edit in the explorer until I actually have the player read each of these disks, and it won't read the disks until I manually go in and play each of them.

Is there a way to make the player automatically read each of the disks I just loaded without manually reading each disk? I don't mind entering all of the info manually, but if I have to go in and tell the player to manually read all disks, that will take forever.

Thanks in advance.

Once you've got your discs loaded, press the Load button on the player and it will load each disc and read its contents. It will automatically import all the disc text that is in the proper place, although that will probably be a small percentage of your discs. Once done, you can then go in and manually enter the disc information as you'd like.

Danabw

12-28-05, 02:32 AM

Right, even though the 995 has HDMI, the 777ES is still a better built player than the 995 is. And the 5 year warranty on the ES line is also a nice extra to have, and at "street" prices the 777ES while still more money than a 995, is a still a deal when you find them in the $500-$600 range.

The 995 is available for under $300, so that is a heck of a premium (IMHO) to pay for the additional features and warranty...you could buy an add-on warranty for a lot less than that, of course. The download feature you describe below does sound very nice, however. Obviously a personal decision, based on what you're looking for in features, how many discs you have, and what your budget is.

But the RS232 also adds control options to it that are not even available with it's own IR remote, the RS232 actually can allow two way communication. The 777ES when coupled with the right program "DVPgenie", will not only automatically look up the DVD's and catalog them all for you, but it will also look up and download the cover art for them as well! And this is all done with just one EZ to set up and run program. Sure that pretty much is what MLserver, DVDLobby, and DVD Profiler almost do when they are all combined together, but even then, they can not go on-line and automatically look up the DVD's that are actually in the changer itself and D/L what they are, catalog them, and also get the cover art for them like DVPgenie does.

http://www.ibtcorp.com/dvpgenie/default.asp

For anyone that does have a 777ES, just D/L their free demo version. It will look up what is in your first 40 slots, and D/L the info and their cover art. All you need is the program, a null modem cable, and a internet connection.

stepmback

12-28-05, 08:14 AM

I got this player for christmas. I got a 60 SXRD a couple months ago and the wife thought this would help get rid of 200+ dvds we have. I am not overly joyed with the picture quality. It is better than my old component cable Toshiba SD-4800, but I would imagine not up to a Oppo or Dennon. I have made some tweaks using the avia and am using an HDMI plug. Is anyone else using this player with the same TV. If so would you mind sharing your settings on the DVD player and TV. Was your DVD and TV ISF calibrated as well?

It also occured to me, how is the index information saved? If I loose power will I loose all the info I typed in? Or what if my player breaks, do I have to re-type all my info, any way to back it up externally?

I have considered taking it back and waiting for Blue Ray.... surely a Blue Ray 400 disc changer is in the future by Sony.

Danabw

12-28-05, 11:37 AM

Rather than "imagining" how the oppo or Denon would look compared to the Sony, likely better to borrow or buy one and see how much difference there is (or isn't). Also, there is a thread in the RPTV forum about DVDs on the SXRDs...you might look/post there for more info.

Power is not required to retain the disc data. There is no way to back it up externally.

Single-disc blue ray players are going to be very "not cheap" when they first come out next year - I've read in the $1,000 range. Whether there will be a 400 CD blue ray changer in a "reasonable" price range in the near future is anyone's guess, but that seems unlikely.

Johnla

12-28-05, 12:27 PM

The 995 is available for under $300, so that is a heck of a premium (IMHO) to pay for the additional features and warranty...you could buy an add-on warranty for a lot less than that, of course. .

Yeah, but the ES model is also a better quality changer. And you can't buy that as a "add-on" for the 995.

boozcruz33

12-28-05, 12:30 PM

What makes the ES a higher quality? From the specs, it looks like that unit is a little heavier, which is always nice. Are the internal parts the same, or are different decoders and converters used that make the picture quality and audio better?

Thanks for your help,
Shane

Danabw

12-28-05, 01:41 PM

The ES line is supposed to be higher quality than Sony's "normal" line, but I haven't seen that quantified specifically. Given Sony is charging so much more for it, they could use a different color case and the same overall quality components and they'd make a boat load of money on it even w/the same or higher failure rate as the regular model...from their perspective there'd be no real reason to spend a lot more on the guts of the unit other than obvious things like the RS232 port.

Anyone have any specifics on which ES components are better? Heavier doesn't necessarily mean anything other than heavier. :)

Even if the 777 lasted twice as long as the 995 (say 10 years instead of 5), would you really care? My old Pioneer three-disc changer is still goin' strong six or more years after I got it, and will likely go another six years, but I don't care, I'm not even using it any more. Resale on it makes it a waste of time to put it on ebay so it sits in the den disconnected. Technology has moved on, and will continue to obsolete older devices, often long before they ever get the chance to break down.

Consumer publications/advisors have made it clear that extended warranties are a big profit area for companies and provide very low return for customers...the longer coverage on the ES is no better deal than purchasing an EW from Sony or aftermarket, and not a good reason to pay the extra money for that unit. That money is better applied to other HT equipment, put in the bank to compound, etc.

Again, I'm not bashing the 777, I'm sure it's a great unit (after all, the 995 is based on it, and the 777 clearly has a few cool bells and whistles that the 995 lacks). But given you can purchase two 995 units for approx. the cost of one 777, the 777 premium is way too high unless I feel I can't live w/out the RS232 port to chain units together, or must have the disc info download capability, etc. Pay extra for features, don't pay extra for warranties.

Johnla

12-28-05, 03:32 PM

The ES line is supposed to be higher quality than Sony's "normal" line, but I haven't seen that quantified specifically.

Here are many of the differences, of the 777ES compared to the 985. And the 995 is really just a updated 985 with HDMI, and contrary to what you said, it is not something that is based on the 777ES. So the other added features and quality of the 777ES pretty much still applies. The only thing the 995 offers over the 777ES besides lower cost, is the HDMI, and it's upconversion feature when HDMI is used. But I have a outboard scaler that is much better and is also more adjustable at doing that function anyway. If the price on SDI mods was not so overpriced, I'd take that over having the HDMI output also.

http://www.pixelwright.com/av/MegaChangers.asp

boozcruz33

12-28-05, 04:11 PM

Johnla

12-28-05, 04:35 PM

I went from a 860 and then to a 875p, and then went right to two of the 777ES. I went right past the 985, and went direct to the 777ES. So I am familiar with their regular line.

pinedsa

12-28-05, 04:40 PM

Johnla,

Which scaler do you have connected to your 777ES?

Danabw

12-28-05, 05:30 PM

Here are many of the differences, of the 777ES compared to the 985. And the 995 is really just a updated 985 with HDMI, and contrary to what you said, it is not something that is based on the 777ES. So the other added features and quality of the 777ES pretty much still applies. The only thing the 995 offers over the 777ES besides lower cost, is the HDMI, and it's upconversion feature when HDMI is used. But I have a outboard scaler that is much better and is also more adjustable at doing that function anyway. If the price on SDI mods was not so overpriced, I'd take that over having the HDMI output also.

http://www.pixelwright.com/av/MegaChangers.asp

Thanks! That's a very helpful summary. Thank goodness for other people w/too much time on their hands who are good enough to put stuff like this together. :)

Here's a link to a nice set of pages on the 995V, for those interested. Inlcudes nice front/back pics, remote control, etc.

http://www.oade.com/Home_theater/sony/dvd/dvpcx995V_specs.html

Lots of tweak options I would be unlikely to use on the 775...doesn't alter my opinion/choice, but it's nice for folks to have a fuller set of info to review.

Johnla

12-28-05, 05:47 PM

Johnla,

Which scaler do you have connected to your 777ES?

Now I have the new iScan VP30.

Johnla

12-28-05, 05:49 PM

Thanks! That's a very helpful summary. Thank goodness for other people w/too much time on their hands who are good enough to put stuff like this together. :)

Here's a link to a nice set of pages on the 995V, for those interested. Inlcudes nice front/back pics, remote control, etc.

http://www.oade.com/Home_theater/sony/dvd/dvpcx995V_specs.html

And here, they also have the same thing for the 777ES......

http://www.oade.com/Home_theater/sony/dvd/dvpcx777es.html

Mntneer

12-28-05, 11:25 PM

Very informative... thanks for the link.

I wonder how many people with the 777 even use the extra configurability that is available. Obviously, having the better Video DAC is nice, but I would bet that 99% of 777 owners don't even touch the other options (besides the RS-232).

I am not arguing against the 777, I am just trying to justify in my mind whether I would benefit from returning the 995 and upgrading to the 777. So far, the RS232 port is the only reason I could justify... and I am not sure if it is worth twice the cost.

How many people out there started with the 995 and upgraded to the 777? Are you happy with your decision? Do you use the extra features?

Thanks,
Shane

You'd be surprised how many like having that extra bit of control. THe first thing I did with my 777 was change many of the preset video output settings, to get a better picture.

I think the entire ES line was meant to be a custom integrator line, and not readily available at places like Circuit City and Best Buy.

Johnla

12-29-05, 02:27 AM

Sony blew it big time, when they got cheap and let the bean counters remove the Control-S interface that the regular line always used to have up to the 875P model.. But when they came out with the 985 they decided to save the $1 or $2 per unit that it probably used to cost them, and left them out. And of course they also left it off the 995 as well. Because even with them just having that simple Control-S 1/8" mini jack interface back again, would make it so much easier for those of you who wish to run and control them either singly or in multiples with something like DVDLobby. Just having back the addition of that alone, would let it do about 70% of what the RS232 port can do.

stumacdo

12-30-05, 10:30 AM

I used cheap cables and I'm happy with sound quality although I was really disappointed with my first SACD selection. I bought the Aerosmith Ooh Ya, i think its called. The dang thing is only 2-channel!
It does play DVD-A, I borrowed a "The Corrs" DVD-A from a friend and it sounded sweet! It had a real good mix and itilized all the channels.

BTW, my wife bought me this machine for Cristmas and gave it to me early because she got a display model for $289 that only had a 24 hour return. It came complete and in perfect condition.

Just wanted to follow up on this. I did indeed order a DVD-A disc from the band Porcupine Tree. The disc actually comes with 3 audio options when you pop it in, DVD-A, 2-channel or DTS. I selected the DVD-A option, but it didn't seem to be in surround. HOWEVER, when I selected the DTS option and played it, holy cr@p, what an excellent sound. I have to tell you that I'm extremely satisfied with the DTS sound from this disc and would say it absolutely compares quite favorably to SACD.

mike1812

12-31-05, 01:03 AM

Ok, I tried searching but didn't find anything in this thread on this-sorry if repeated or elsewhere or a stupid question.

I'm about to bite the bullet and buy a couple of the 995's, and I've been wondering--how do you handle double sided discs? As far as I can tell from the literature, the 995 has no "disc flipping" ability like some older changers do, so I presume this is all manual?? How does it NOT foul up the disc info if you open the carousel and take a disc out, flip it over and put it back in the same slot. I'm not worried about discs that have both P&S and WS on two sides--my issue is with box sets were half of the episodes are on side A and the other half on side B.

Have any of you encountered this and how have you resolved? I'm considering ripping all my B sides to dual layer discs so that I will have only single sided discs in the changers. Not the best solution, but all I can think of right now. Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance!!!

Johnla

12-31-05, 01:44 AM

You could always try to find a new 875p 300+1 changer somewhere, there are still few new ones out there. As that was the last model Sony made that still had the disk "flip" feature. And use one of those along with a 995. And that's also what I use along with my two 777ES's that I have, for the "flipper" disks I have. I even have extra one that's still NIB as a spare, in case that one pukes. The "flip disk" option, was another thing they took away when they went to 400 disks, that should have also stayed. As should have the control-I/S port, which was also removed when then went to 400 disks.

Danabw

12-31-05, 01:54 AM

jgibo1

12-31-05, 03:31 AM

I had nothing to do tonight so I decided to buy one of these and load all my dvds into it.
So from around 5pm to 2 am I have finally loaded all the disks. Now I am loading them. Just noticed an image that said Dr. NO. must have read at least one:)
About 2 hours total spend adding dvds sence June that I haven't entered into DVD Profiler.
The rest was getting dvds out of theater and into the player. I had then in alphabetical order on the shelves but too much hassle to try and do that so I kept going back and forth to keep getting more.
I would recommend you plug it in on a table and slowly load them in the order you want. I put all the tv series toward the back. Have 55 dvds left to fill. At some point I may go back and removed the bonus disks just to get a few more slots. I have loaded all but 1st season of Lost and seasons 1 through 4 of Seinfeld. If I put those in I would be cutting it close to filling it up and would have to buy another one :)

BruceOrlando

12-31-05, 05:53 AM

mill5

12-31-05, 08:37 AM

PQ on JPEG images still sux after playing with the settings.
It appears the image is being stretched by the HDMI.
I may try a non-HD feed next.

mike1812

12-31-05, 10:34 AM

I'm not familiar with Sony products, so I didn't know the 875p might still be available. I'll look around for that. I need two changers anyway, so maybe I'll do one 995 and one 875.

Glad to hear that I wouldn't lose the data. That's a relief. Thanks again, folks!!!

quickfire

12-31-05, 10:54 AM

I have FINALLY loaded all 223 dvds into the 995.......& have finally entered all titles and genres......I made a list of what slot each dvd was in and my Daughter & I spent about 10 hours typing/creating guide sheets & was able to place the papered list into plastic sleeves and put them into a binder folder.....now we should be able to flip thru folder and select what movie we want...or use the explorer..plus if the 995 were to lose the data....I can reenter it quickly.NOW FINALLY MY FAMILY & I CAN SIT BACK AND ENJOY THIS PLAYER:D...Theres alot of work up front but it was worth it!!!!! :cool:

quickfire

12-31-05, 11:03 AM

Danabw

12-31-05, 11:30 AM

Got all of my meager collection loading into the player, and have about 80% of them labled, so I'm feeling pretty good about the the player. It's held all the data from the discs that I've loaded and the player has been operating just fine, now that I'm learning my way around some of it's quirks.

One thing that keeps striking me about the sony is the PQ seems to vary widely between discs. Is this just me? For instance, when I viewed Aliens (Special Edition) I was disappointed. The picture was very grainy and it was like artifact city everywhere.

However, last night I watched Star Wars Ep. IV. (from a boxed set recieved a couple of Christmas's ago that I'm sad to say I've watched maybe once before now) and I was just knocked out by the PQ. It really was outstanding on my JVC 720p set, and I mean eye poppingly good.

Does the quality of the transfer make that much difference to where some discs just look ok (or ho-hum) and others just knock your socks off?

-bruce

The quality of the transfer is the most important part of PQ...garbage in, gabage out (or on screen, in this case). You'll see a range of on-screen results w/any player (I did w/my previous player as well). I would expect the Lucas stuff to be good quality (and it has looked great on my set as well) as he is all about the digital world. On the other hand, I have some DVDs that just look OK or worse. I have Star Trek "Wrath of Khan," but the release I bought is unfortunately a really crummy transfer...it almost made me cry when I saw how awful it was the first time I played it. I'll be replacing it, if I can find a later/alternate release that was done properly.

If you liked that Star Wars DVD, you'll need to see Episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith).

Danabw

12-31-05, 11:32 AM

I thought I should make everyone that owns this player AWARE that there is a way to access directly to disk without having to use explorer.....all you have to do is push display once,move to right and key in the #/slot you want and push enter...thats it 3 button pushes.......:D

You'll find the nice thing about using this method is that the player should retain all restart points in up to 40 DVDs (at least that's the number I remember) so you can easily return to the last point you were in the disc, if you left in the middle of a movie/episode. If you open the Explorer it clears the restart info.

jgibo1

12-31-05, 11:47 AM

After loading 369 disks it labeled 74 of them. Is kind of funny how some groups are different than others. The 4 Superman films are all different in the numbers.
Superman, Superman 2, Superman III, and Superman 4. And only Return of the King is labeled but not the first 2.
Oh welltime to start typing.

miloulp

12-31-05, 01:02 PM

Hello,

I spent time to read all posts concerning this new Sony DVD carousel.
Regarding questions about PAL compatibility or Zone/Region free there is no concrete replies.
Coming back to Europe with my Xmas gift (DVP-CX995V), I'm looking for a solution to get it compatible with European std or multi std.
I have a huge NTSC DVD collection (1/3 of my total collection) and there is no trouble with them but for PAL DVD collection (2/3 of my collection) I am expecting to get soon a viable solution (hardware or software) to make my player multi std.
If somebody heard something on this subject, thanks to keep me informed.
Happy New Year to the list.

Danabw

12-31-05, 01:04 PM

After loading 369 disks it labeled 74 of them. Is kind of funny how some groups are different than others. The 4 Superman films are all different in the numbers. Superman, Superman 2, Superman III, and Superman 4. And only Return of the King is labeled but not the first 2. Oh welltime to start typing.

Yeah...noticed the same. Likely due to lack of consistent standards on the part of the folks developing the DVD for the movie.

Johnla

01-01-06, 01:00 AM

I'm not familiar with Sony products, so I didn't know the 875p might still be available. I'll look around for that. I need two changers anyway, so maybe I'll do one 995 and one 875.

Well the last store I knew that had any 875's left, no longer does. And at the $348 they charged for the last ones. I'm not so sure they were even really worth it, for a 3 year old player, even if they were still new. So I guess you are back to using two 995's and either flipping them manually or burning a DVD "backup" of the 2nd side and placing it next to the side1 disk.

ekko star

01-01-06, 08:54 AM

Are Sony likely to launch this player in Europe ?

mike1812

01-01-06, 12:07 PM

Johnla -

Yep, I looked all over the web after your post and couldn't locate ANY 875s, not even on eBay! I went ahead and ordered the 2 995's and started identifying all the double-sided discs I'll need to "backup". (I never said, but I don't want to flip manually as these will be in a rack tucked away and not as easy to get up and get to to flip). Not too bad at this point, looks like about 45 or so.

ALSO, fwiw, when I demo'd the 995 yesterday I verified that Memorex DVD+R DL, Memorex DVD+R and Memorex DVD-R all will play with no hassles in this player. Didn't try any other brands, but in case anyone was wondering, there you go!

quickfire

01-01-06, 04:53 PM

How do I get into service menu?Once in how do I get back out?Has anyone tweaked any settings in the service menu?If they have could you tell me.!I want to get the 995 tweaked.....thanks quickfire

Danabw

01-01-06, 09:54 PM

Just curious...what are you interested in tweaking?

quickfire

01-01-06, 10:30 PM

Johnla

01-01-06, 10:34 PM

How do I get into service menu?Once in how do I get back out?Has anyone tweaked any settings in the service menu?If they have could you tell me.!I want to get the 995 tweaked.....thanks quickfire

I can't say if it's the same or not, but for the 777ES you do it like this...

Press the TOP MENU, CLEAR, I/O keys on the remote commander in this order with the power of main unit in OFF status, and the Test Mode starts, then "DIAG START" will be displayed on the fluorescent display tube and the "Test Mode Menu" will appear. To exit from the Test Mode, press the I/O key.

quickfire

01-01-06, 11:17 PM

Interesting ......what can you do in service menu with this player JohnLa?

Johnla

01-02-06, 12:19 AM

Interesting ......what can you do in service menu with this player JohnLa?

I don't know about the 995.

But with the 777ES. Not much, besides check the firmware revision. Make a few adjustments. And also run the test modes, which is basically only a bunch self tests that it can run on itself. If you are looking for some sort hidden adjustment settings that will make major differences, like you can find in some TV service menus, then you're not going to find that kind of stuff.

Danabw

01-02-06, 01:37 AM

Getting better blacks mostly..............on a side note.....I was finally able to access service menu for my Toshiba 65h82 HD tv and can now perform a 54 point convergence!I guess i'm a little bored and want to see whats tweakable on the 995!:D

I suspect the limiting factor is going to be the TV, tweaking there is your best bet. Sounds like you have the secret handshake for some fun there. :)

If you try the key-presses Johnla suggested, let us know if it works, and what you find...

quickfire

01-02-06, 01:57 AM

Danabw?Have you been in the 995's service menu............?I'm just curious as to what can be adjusted..thats all

Burd

01-02-06, 03:35 AM

You'll find the nice thing about using this method is that the player should retain all restart points in up to 40 DVDs (at least that's the number I remember) so you can easily return to the last point you were in the disc, if you left in the middle of a movie/episode. If you open the Explorer it clears the restart info.

Danabw, do you see this behavior consistentlly? Although I have noticed instances of the player apparently losing the restart point of a recently played disc, I've never been able to figure out why. I never made the connection to using Disc Explorer.

Do you mean that simply calling up the Disc Explorer while playing a disc (before hitting the stop key) will wipe out its restart point, and all the other saved restart points as well? My unit doesn't seem to behave this way; though a few recent restart points have disappeared, it seems to have retained some from discs that I've played weeks ago.

tuna.man

01-02-06, 12:31 PM

I've found a better way (for me, at least) to avoid two issues - the disc loading when first powered on, and the poor behavior related to using a slot (slot #1 in my case) for rentals or other temporary usage. I have a Netflix account and watch quite a few movies this way, which is probably the predominant use for our household.

With the unit powered off, press the Open/Close button. The player will come to life and open up the door at the last known position. You can then insert a disc in the slot, then push Play and it will close the door and begin playing the disc.

When you are finished with the rental, press Stop to stop the disc. Press Open/Close to remove the disc, then push I/O to power the unit off. It will close the loading door (leaving it on the selected slot number) and power the unit off. Follow the first instructions again and it will power up and ready the player at that same slot position, even if there is no disc in the slot.

This is the way I used to manipulate the F727, and it is good to see that Sony didn't disable these behaviors at least. Try it and see if it works for you... it saves me a modicum of frustration at least.

Happy New Year to all!

jgibo1

01-02-06, 02:09 PM

That is a good idea. I forgot this thing can show jpegs. I was going to make a custom dvd that says "Welcome to my Theater" or something to that effect. But I think I will try a data cd with some cool pics and see if it loads them up when powered on.

quickfire

01-02-06, 04:30 PM

Anybody have/use DVDProfiler?I downloaded the free version last night .....and want to be able to enter all of my DVDs and let this program keep up to date with all DVDs i will buy.....and I want to be able to print off a list of the dvds I have..will this program allow me to print off list's?If so I cannot figure it out for the life of me were to go in the program to do so....Help!

jgibo1

01-02-06, 04:39 PM

After you download DVD Profiler and add your collection click on Tools then Reports in the drop down. You can generate reports from there. If you click on Get more reports it will go online and pull up other templates that people have created. do search on the word "slot" and you will find 4 templates that have that in it.
If the discs tab doesn't have info in it already you can add it there. After that is saved you can then right click on movie and click on Personalize and add the slot number.
Then when you generate your report if you choose one of the templates that has it already you will see which slot for which movie. If you have a ton of movies and tv shows that can come in handy. It considers a tv series or box set as 1 in the collection.

Danabw

01-02-06, 08:02 PM

Danabw, do you see this behavior consistentlly? Although I have noticed instances of the player apparently losing the restart point of a recently played disc, I've never been able to figure out why. I never made the connection to using Disc Explorer.

Do you mean that simply calling up the Disc Explorer while playing a disc (before hitting the stop key) will wipe out its restart point, and all the other saved restart points as well? My unit doesn't seem to behave this way; though a few recent restart points have disappeared, it seems to have retained some from discs that I've played weeks ago.

I'm afraid I can't say I've tested it specifically, so I'm not sure how behavior varies depending on what you are doing when you access the Explorer. Sorry...

Edit...just tried stopping a DVD in progress. Pressed stop, then brought up Explorer. Exited Explorer, Pressed Display and it was still on the same slot, so I hit Play and the DVD started from the beginning. So that sequence does clear the resume info.

hairfarmer77

01-02-06, 11:50 PM

OK, Thank you for starting this thread..

I actually have read the ENTIRE thread as I need to replace my 985 which I have owned since the week it was available.

My unit now wont work because the disc drive motor has worn out and wont spin up the disc. (I can kick start it with my hand with the cover off and it works fine.)

You may ask why I watch DVD's so much that I can wear out the drive motor? I dont. You want to know the reason:

THE IDIOTIC AUTOSTART FEATURE PLAYING ON EVERY START KILLED MY PLAYER!

Because of that "Feature" I would sometimes notice that my player was on for weeks on end. Nobody pressed play. It is a by product of my harmony remote. When you change activities it would turn it on for some reason. I have since tried to change that behavior but unfortunately their setup (harmony) is for the prolitariat not the technocrat, so changing details across all activities is hit and miss.

Anyway, I was very close to buying the new 995, infact enthusiastic until I hit this tread and found out that the autostart feature is STILL IN THERE!? I can't believe it! Who uses this? and WHY CANT YOU TURN IT OFF. Well maybe my situation is why, you sell more units when they wear out over time. How can you be sure that the unit will wear out fast! Play a disc and run the turntable. How can you be sure that it will be worn out? Make sure its used at every opportunity? PLAY A FREAKING DISC EVEN THOUGH NOBODY WANTS TO!

I have to say I have ZERO respect for SONY as a company. It is so abysmal not just because of this, but after the rootkit fiasco, the PSP firmware upgrades and lockouts for homebrew applications, and by trivializing their own customers by not listening to feedback and trying to focus that on their product. Its seems that the product is secondary to the fact and first is getting just enough features to separate you with you money.

Why are there only 2 companys making these devices? Shows what the lack of competition does for you.

Ranting out.

Johnla

01-03-06, 12:28 AM

THE IDIOTIC AUTOSTART FEATURE PLAYING ON EVERY START KILLED MY PLAYER!

Because of that "Feature" I would sometimes notice that my player was on for weeks on end. Nobody pressed play. It is a by product of my harmony remote. When you change activities it would turn it on for some reason.

You actually brought up a good point for not just leaving the player on at all times. Because you are not the first person who I have heard about having a player prematurely die on him because it was left on like this, because the motor is not really fully turned off. I have also heard of a few that died even faster if they were left on with the door open for a prolonged period, like when one of my friends when he was changing some disks and it was on and open, and he answered the phone and talked for about a hour. And when he got off the phone the motor was dead from it. His was less than two months old when that happened, and was he pissed.

hairfarmer77

01-03-06, 12:59 AM

johnla,

I wanted to leave the player on and not playing, however sometime when using the harmony remote it would turn the thing on and off (even though it was set to remain on all the time).

I hadn't noticed that when the player was stopped that the motor was running, (maybe it was) however it was noticable when:

1) somehow the unit was turned off.

2) turned back on, but not viewing movie

3) left on for weeks presumably viewing a Title menu of one of my discs for weeks on end.

That for sure wore the thing out!

Its that autoplay function that kept it loading an playing a movie.

Now obviously my remote was not performing as I would have wished... another rant, but it seems silly that this feature even was concieved.

tuna.man

01-03-06, 01:48 AM

Johnla

01-03-06, 02:55 AM

Well just to have them on hand, and in case I may need them at some point in time. I just ordered the service manuals for my DVP-CX777ES players, and also for my DVP-CX875p that I also use, direct from Sony parts.
Who knows what else I may find in the service manuals beside just the normal schematics, trouble flow charts, adjustment procedures, and parts lists.......

Danabw

01-03-06, 10:29 AM

[QUOTE=hairfarmer77]
---------------CLIP------------------

Because of that "Feature" I would sometimes notice that my player was on for weeks on end. Nobody pressed play. It is a by product of my harmony remote. When you change activities it would turn it on for some reason. I have since tried to change that behavior but unfortunately their setup (harmony) is for the prolitariat not the technocrat, so changing details across all activities is hit and miss.

---------------/CLIP------------------

You can turn this behavior off for your Harmony remote of course - I had to do the same with mine so it wouldn't turn off all of my equipment every time I used an activity. It is fairly easy to do, but you have to edit each Activity individually.

No comment on the idiocy of the Autostart 'feature'... I've ranted enough already.

It's very easy to ensure a device is off when not in use when using a Harmony remote, and you do not need to edit each activity...simply go to the Power settings for the device, and set it to be turned off when not in use. That is actually the default setting when you add a new device. Then the DVD player (or whatever device) is turned off automatically whenever you change to an activity that does not use it (e.g. change from "Watch DVD" to "Watch TV.") The device (along w/all others) will also be turned off when you press the main "Power" button on the Harmony to turn off everything.

The DVD player will not remain on or turn on when you switch activities, unless someone accidentally added it to every activity that has been set up, (e.g., added it to "Watch TV" where it isn't being used). It's pretty simple to set Power settings, and a device is turned off by default when not in use, unless you change that...

From the Harmony main page:

>Devices

On the Devices page, select your device. On the specific Device page, select:

>Adjust Power Settings

Three choices on the following screen:

"Do you want to leave your DVD on all the time?

Setting Up Your Sony DVP-CX995V DVD

- I want to leave this device on all the time

- I want to turn off this device when it's not in use

- There are no power buttons on my current remote for my Sony DVP-CX995V DVD."

I've used Harmony remotes for years, and never had it turn on a device that wasn't included in an activity, nor add a device to an activity that I didn't intend, of fail to turn one off when it was supposed to. It has worked flawlessly w/my 995 for the past few months. Hope that helps. :)

tuna.man

01-03-06, 01:20 PM

Danabw

01-03-06, 02:43 PM

Agreed, although that is not what I want mine to do. By default when it initially set up mine, it always wanted to turn everything off that wasn't in use for the specific activity. This included my HD Tivo, which should always be running for the way I use it. I had an activity to listen to the tuner on my A/V receiver, and also one to listen to CDs on my Pioneer DV-F727 - each time these activities were activated it would turn off everything else, including my Tivo and my plasma display (even if I wanted to have it on in the background). I prefer it leave each device not being used for the particular activity in whatever state it is currently in, both at the start and end of the activity. To each their own, right?

Of course. :) That's one of the benefits of the Harmony, provides a lot of options to customize, or you can do a basic setup and have things working w/little need to get into any details.

I used to have my VCR set up so that the Harmony never turned it off or on...I managed that "manually" via the VCR's power button becuase I sometimes had it doing recording when I wasn't watching it, and didn't want the Harmony to turn it off in the middle of something.

I just wanted clarify how the Harmony controls power settings...that they are set in the Device setup, and that the default is power off on activity exit.

metfoo

01-03-06, 06:49 PM

khellandros66

01-03-06, 07:10 PM

Is it just more does its seems that the HDMI out screen positioning is off a few pixels to the right and this is not the case on all dvds...

~Bob

Danabw

01-03-06, 08:06 PM

i am done with sony hardware.

I have one of these, and had the IR receiver die on me. I use a harmony remote, and over the weekend it quit powering on. I then grabbed the original remote, put some batteries in it(brand new), and had the same problem.

So, I filled an RMA, and i need to send it to Laredo texas for service. I need to unload all of my DVD's, and pay to ship this thing out. I just go rid of my origianl box like 2 weeks ago...

I asked if they had any sort of option where they ship the new then I ship the old unit, and they dont. What a pain in the a$$. Sony warranty support services sucks.

Sadly, though I currently own Sony stuff (receiver and the 995) I would have to agree...my interactions w/Sony support over the years have been dreadful experiences...I did not buy an HDTV from them in part due to that reason. I'm OK w/taking a chance on "cheap" stuff like the mega-changer (and let's face it, they are about the only current option) and receiver (got it on close-out for a song), but no way on a multi-thousand $ device. :(

hairfarmer77

01-03-06, 08:44 PM

Danabw

01-03-06, 11:02 PM

OK,

Maybe someone can clarify for me on their Harmony the power settings.

I can switch activities and it WONT power OFF.

However if I push "Watch TV" and it does its thing, then push "Watch TV" AGAIN, it will power my 985 OFF.

I sometime push "Watch TV" Twice because the TV doesn't get its input signal so I found that pushing it 2 times repeats the procedure, however it also will turn my 985 off as well.

After doing this a couple times the 985 is on again, autoplaying and wearing itsself out.

Can anyone clarify how to stop it doing this?

First, ensure the Power settings for your 985 are correct in your Harmony setup.

Log into the Harmony software.

Select Devices.

Select the 985.

Verify that the setting to turn off when not in use is selected. If it isn't, select it, and return to the main menu. If turn off when not in usse is already is selected , back out to the Harmony Main menu.

Then verify that the 985 is in your Watch DVD activity.

From the main settings page, select Activities.

Select "Watch DVD"

Select "Review settings for this activity"

The next page will list the devices and their state in the Watch TV activity. If the 985 is listed as part of the Watch DVDactivity (the "Status/Actions" column says that it is "on") you're OK and you can back out to the Activities screen. If the 985 isn't listed as on:

Select: Yes, but I want to add more control of options and devices for this Activity.

Select: "Add" next to the 985 in the device list on the next screen and follow the steps to add it to the activity.

Then, verify that the 985 is not included in your Watch TV activity:

From the main settings page, select Activities.

Select "Watch TV"

Select "Review settings for this activity"

The next page will list the devices and their state in the Watch TV activity. If the 985 is listed as part of the Watch TV activity (the "Status/Actions" column says that it is "on") you willl have to either remove the DVD player from the activity, or delete the Watch TV activity and recreate it w/out the 985. Probably easiest (and cleanest) process would be to delete the Watch TV activity and create it again and ensure the 985 is not included in the activity.

If the 985 is in your Watch DVD activity, and is shown as off during the Watch TV activity, then your troubles might have been due to the power setting on the 985 getting out of sync w/what the Harmony thought it was (Harmony thinks it's one when it's off, and vice-versa).

Update your remote if you make any changes.

Make sure all your components are off.

Select the Watch TV activity and verify the 985 doesn't turn on.

Select the Watch DVD activity and verify the DVD turns on.

Select the Watch TV activity and verify the DVD turns off.

Select the Watch DVD activity again, etc.

Select Power to turn everything off.

Select the Watch TV activity and verify the DVD doesn't turn on.

I think you get the idea.

If you have the power settings right for the DVD player in its Device settings, it should only turn on for the Watch DVD activity, and be off for everything else.

If that still isn't working, call Harmony support...they are EXTREMELY good, and should be able to clear things up, or at least tell you what's going wrong.

Good luck. There is a small chance that a remote signal for the 985 is very close to a signal for another component, but hopefully that's not it.

Let us know how it works out. You could actually try the troubleshooting steps at the end first (turn off all components, try the different activities) just to be sure of your issue.

xxThe Deanxx

01-04-06, 12:28 AM

Danabw

01-04-06, 01:36 AM

The 995 does not feel slow or cumbersome at all to me...I have been happy w/it from the "performance" perspective. Can't compare to the 985, never had one.

tuna.man

01-04-06, 01:47 AM

I currently have a 985 mega changer and have grown to hate it. When i moved my stuff I lost all of my entries so now they are written on paper.
The thing is so slow and cumbersome too. It's too bad they didn't make it better but I'm wondering now how much better the 995 is?

And contrary to Dana's experience, I find the 995 to be very slow and cumbersome myself. It is all perspective I suppose... from what I saw of the 985 for the one day I had one, and the experience I've had so far with the 995, they seemed to be about the same to me. Neither is very fleet in operation in my opinion

xxThe Deanxx

01-04-06, 01:52 AM

And contrary to Dana's experience, I find the 995 to be very slow and cumbersome myself. It is all perspective I suppose... from what I saw of the 985 for the one day I had one, and the experience I've had so far with the 995, they seemed to be about the same to me. Neither is very fleet in operation in my opinion

That's really all I needed to hear. I think I'm just going to sell my 985 and go and buy a regular old upscaling DVD player. Thanks.

tcsubwoofer

01-04-06, 09:21 AM

My two cents on the 995 which I have had for about a month is that its user interface is inferior to the Pioneer F727 (300 disc DVD player) that I have owned for 5 years. I have enough adult/kids movies that a multi player is important to me and I am willing to sacrifice ease of handling for lack of clutter and scratched DVDs. I bought the 995 almost exclusively for its ability to handle 400 DVDs (I had maxed out my Pioneer with +300 DVD/CDs and its ability to upconvert to 720P or 1080i which I think is crucial if you have a high def TV.

I'm not quite as annoyed at the autostart feature that some people hate. I do like the feature on the Sony that it remembers the last location of the last 25 DVDs that you watched. We have netflix and everytime I get a batch of movies I load all into open slots into the DVD player and I really like being able to cycle through the movies without pulling them in and out of the sleeves. Since my wife and I have different tastes and we have kids we do find ourself often stopping movies to do other things or switch movies, etc. The history and autostart feature in that capacity has been nice.

The one thing that I think is a glaring error is that you cannot directly enter the number of a DVD by the remote and have it move to that location. If you want to quickly move through the carousel you have to use the front nob of the DVD player, or hold the "next disc" button down and have it slowly move to where you want to go. I figure Sony thought that everybody had time to meticulously enter every DVD you have (or buy only Sony DVDs which are identified in the player - the ARROGANCE!) and use the disc explorer functions to find the DVD you want. I learned long ago that organizing via an excel spreadsheet is the best way to go since it is unfathomable to me that these players still do not have some sord of internet functionality to identify them for you. I update my list every so often and print it out and keep it near my couch. Forget manual entry - if you have lots of DVDs and CD's then you find yourself retiring stuff to make room for new stuff and it gets to be a real pain to manually update that.

OVerall because I find the ease of a 400 disc player to be more compelling than its list of faults and because of upconversion via HDMI, I have been satisfied with this player. My only reservations was why spend over $400 for this player with tax and new HDMI cable when HTPC is right around the corner? Well, I guess I figures I'd save money by waiting a few more years.

Final Analysis - I'm quite satisfied with the player despite some major functional drawbacks.

tuna.man

01-04-06, 09:28 AM

<clip>
The one thing that I think is a glaring error is that you cannot directly enter the number of a DVD by the remote and have it move to that location. If you want to quickly move through the carousel you have to use the front nob of the DVD player, or hold the "next disc" button down and have it slowly move to where you want to go. I figure Sony thought that everybody had time to meticulously enter every DVD you have (or buy only Sony DVDs which are identified in the player - the ARROGANCE!) and use the disc explorer functions to find the DVD you want.
</clip>

tcsub - in case you hadn't seen it, read back a few pages and you will find that you can indeed enter the disc number (from Display mode) - there are two methods that have been mentioned (5 stroke and 3 stroke), Its not quite direct access, but as close as you will get with the Sony.

stumacdo

01-04-06, 09:41 AM

Does anyone have any suggestions on after-market equipment that may assist with the Infrared sensor ? My new 995 sits in the Entertainment Center where the IR sensor is behind glass doors/wood and will not pick up any IR signals from the remote. Obviously, I can open the doors and the remote works fine, but with 2 kids under 5 years-old..... you get the picture.

I remember years ago getting a small sensor that I taped over the IR sensor on an older Sony unit that had an attached wire that I taped to the door. This worked - but when I stopped at Radio Shack to ask, they said they had no ability to order any parts such as this, and instead tried selling me a $50 remote "extender". Umm, no.

Any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

globule

01-04-06, 10:40 AM

abyssblue

01-04-06, 12:13 PM

Hi, guys. I've read thru most of this lengthy thread and have a question regarding the 995's picture quality. I took delivery of a unit two days ago. It is hooked up via HDMI to my Samsung HLP-5063. Looking at scenes from the movie "Last Of The Mohicans", I noticed the picture quality was not what I expected. I took the disc out and placed it in my Samsung HD-931 player and replayed the same scenes. For whatever reason, the Samsung via DVI was significantly clearer. The question I pose is why would there be a difference in picture quality? I am no stranger to Sony dvd players as I have the DVPS9000ES & 775 players.

Any insight from you all would be appreciated.

Mike

HiHoStevo

01-04-06, 01:15 PM

As long as we are talking about comparative PQ....

Can anyone compare the output of this player to the Oppo 971H (which is the only upconverting player I have any experience with)??

:-)

shanewalker

01-04-06, 03:55 PM

The HotLink Pro (http://www.hot-link.com/) is one fairly inexpensive solution. I have had one for just over a year, and I love it.

The HotLink Pro seems to get lots of kudos on other threads by users. I may spring for one myself to solve an issue w/ another component's IR sensor being too deep in its chassis (God I hate when that happens).

Also,
as to the functionality of the Harmony 880 remote--I've only been using it for a week, but it's been great. Any on/off inconsistencies or otherwise are both typically 'user error' and easily fixable via the on-screen Help/Wizard. It's a great device and I'm really happy that I received one for Christmas.

Danabw

01-04-06, 06:10 PM

Just for kicks, and to provide some actual performance numbers for folks reading this who are thinking about getting one, I just timed my 995 twice going from one disc to another...each time it was between 25 and 30 seconds. I had the first disc playing, and then changed to the other disc. I went from disc 25 to disc 170, and back from 175 to 20, so the carousel had to do a fairly long transit. Thought that might help people reading here to see an actual timing. Going back to the Explorer from a DVD takes 2-3 seconds. Other menus come up <1 second.

So to summarize:

- Load a disc: 25-30 seconds
- Load Explorer menu: 2-3 seconds
- Load "Display" menu: 1 second

All tests were done w/a disc playing.

I find that the on-screen menus/explorer respond on par with other components I own, and that the disc access is plenty fast considering it has to stop the current disc, unload it, move the carousel to the new location and load that disc and begin playing it. Obviously, given what it's doing it isn't going to equal a simple flat-platter three or five disc changer. If someone was using the player in a way that they had to keep jumping between discs, 30 seconds could be a problem. For normal viewing the load time shouldn't be an issue.

I am SO happy to trade off the tedious old steps of finding a DVD on the shelf (or is it in the other room, or ??), opening the case (oh please, let it actually be in the case :)), loading it in the player, and then later unloading it, putting it back in case (assuming I can find the case), and putting it back on the shelf - all that gone, all I have to do is press a few keys and let the player do the hard work. :D

Plus, the load time gives me a few moments to get settled and tell the kids to stop hitting each other. ;)

I'd be very interested to see the 985 timings on the load and menu steps, as well as the 775...Johnla, can you time the 775, and xxThe Deanxx, can you time the 985? Be interesting to compare the results.

HiHoStevo

01-04-06, 09:07 PM

The one issue that I find holding me back...

Is wondering about the PQ versus my wonderful Oppo...

okay there is two things....

Why is it that so FEW DVD's are recognized and the information loaded by the player???

Danabw

01-04-06, 10:13 PM

Can't tell you about the PQ...never seen an Oppo in operation. Can say I'm very pleased w/the quality on my 65" HP DLP...looks excellent.

As for the DVD data...no idea why it isn't recognized...likely combination of Sony's implementation having some holes in it, and a lack of standards or inconsist application of those standards by DVD makers in storing the information.

Entering it is a minor pain (eased by using a standard PC keyboard), compared to the gain once you're done...

quickfire

01-04-06, 10:40 PM

I love my 995..the load times are nothing in daily life..the picture qualitys are the best ive seen ........thru HDMI & Component......STEVO!? As far as the 995 not recognizing all the movies,out of 223 dvds ...mine remembered 53!....as for me I would rather it not remember any dvds....why you ask?Well once it remembers the dvd it will not allow you to change the title......that doesn't sound like a big deal....but there's a movie called Emperors New Groove that the 995 remebered and it has it spelled like this.......emperor's_new_groove_2152.There are many more movies like this!!!:(what the HELL is this...all my movies that I typed in are the way I WANT them....but overall this is a great player

quickfire

01-04-06, 10:59 PM

Heres another example of the 995 blundered remembered title....I have the 1st 4 seasons of KING OF QUEENS....the 995 has it like this..........The King of Queens-Season 2 (d ...IT DOESN'T TELL THE DISC#WHAT DISC#?????:(.....Now if I type it I can do this......KING OF QUEENS-Season #2(disc#1)..and it remebers it like this..thats exactly the way I have it typed in.......so now you should begin to understand why I/you may not want the 995 to remember DVD titles

Danabw

01-04-06, 11:26 PM

Actually, you could not bother to title anything on the 995 manually, and just maintain a list off-line (spreadsheet, DVD profiler, etc.) and use that to select and play your DVDs...

Speaking of DVD Profiler I downloaded it to play with it and ended up entering all my DVDs into it...pretty nice program w/a unfortunately not too friendly user interface. :D

Downloaded and edited some reports to my liking and printed out a couple copies of my DVD listing that my family can use to skim through to decide what they want to watch...easier for them to fight over what they are going to see when they can hold a print-out in their own hands. ;)

Johnla

01-04-06, 11:59 PM

Speaking of DVD Profiler I downloaded it to play with it and ended up entering all my DVDs into it...pretty nice program w/a unfortunately not too friendly user interface.

I certainly don't see where it is not a "user friendly" interface. Get yourself a old Radio Shack "Cue Cat" bar code scanner somewhere off the net for about $10, and use it for entering in the DVD info off the package bar code, it just could not be any easier. ZERO typing of any DVD info, other than the price you paid for it, where you bought it from, and what slot you want it listed as being in. And if you don't want that stuff listed, you don't really need to even do it.

Danabw

01-05-06, 02:04 AM

I certainly don't see where it is not a "user friendly" interface. Get yourself a old Radio Shack "Cue Cat" bar code scanner somewhere off the net for about $10, and use it for entering in the DVD info off the package bar code, it just could not be any easier. ZERO typing of any DVD info, other than the price you paid for it, where you bought it from, and what slot you want it listed as being in. And if you don't want that stuff listed, you don't really need to even do it.

I should note that I'm talking about this from a standard consumer SW design perspective. Part of my job is developing SW for consumers, including doing usability and other customer testing, and trust me, as much as I appreciate what DVD profiler provides, it would crash and burn in one of our usability tests w/our standard consumers (non-technical "average" moms and dads who own computers, digital cameras, HDTVs, and other home-theater equipment).

One simple high-level example...to print out your DVD list you don't go to the File menu to find the Print command (like 90% of all other Windows apps) or go to the Collection menu or even a Print menu...you go to Tools and select Reports. Standards, even such as they are in Windows software, are there to make life easier for users and developers. "Hiding" printing under Reports on the Tools menu isn't a value add change from the standards. Makes sense if you work w/databases a lot, doesn't make sense if you are developing SW for regular people. :)

My point wasn't to trash the app...I actually like it quite a bit. It's free if you don't want the advanced features, it does what it is supposed to do well, and the results have made my family very happy. :D

Danabw

01-05-06, 02:04 AM

Johnla...can you do some timings w/your 775 and post them here, like I did for the 995?

HiHoStevo

01-05-06, 02:58 AM

Thanks for the Heads Up on the auto naming...

Until I can afford a Home Media Server I guess this is the best thing going!

Mntneer

01-05-06, 09:51 AM

Johnla...can you do some timings w/your 775 and post them here, like I did for the 995?

I didn't run any substantial tests, but I did notice that if I went from Disc 190 to Disc 30, it took about 20-30 seconds for the entire process to take place and the new disc to start. Time has really be depended upon location of the discs.

BWT... those of you using Profiler. How do you all handle sets? Like I have the Matrix Collection, should I enter each disc individually? Or enter it as a collection with discs within that collection? What do you guys prefer?

wjjz106

01-05-06, 10:46 AM

BWT... those of you using Profiler. How do you all handle sets? Like I have the Matrix Collection, should I enter each disc individually? Or enter it as a collection with discs within that collection? What do you guys prefer?

Mntneer:-

I'm a registered DVD Profiler user. When it comes to having to add more than one disk from the DVD (box sets, special editions, etc.) you will need to add the additional disks manually by using the "Add By Title" tab.

This software is a excellect way to organize/maintain your DVD collection. And may I add, it's a cheap alternative method compared to the others that serve the same purpose.

- wjjz106

www.intervocative.com/dvdcollection.aspx/wjjz106

Danabw

01-05-06, 11:39 AM

I didn't run any substantial tests, but I did notice that if I went from Disc 190 to Disc 30, it took about 20-30 seconds for the entire process to take place and the new disc to start. Time has really be depended upon location of the discs.

BWT... those of you using Profiler. How do you all handle sets? Like I have the Matrix Collection, should I enter each disc individually? Or enter it as a collection with discs within that collection? What do you guys prefer?

Haven't done this yet, but there is evidently a way to add a box set after you add the individual DVDs in the set, and then make the individual DVDs part of the box set, if that makes sense. You might look on the add by title screen and see if the box set is listed.

Also, DVD Profiler has a forum like this on their that can be useful...there is a post there about adding box sets I believe.

Danabw

01-05-06, 12:55 PM

wjjz106

01-05-06, 01:17 PM

Danabw and Mntneer:-

Remember when adding manual disks to your collection, you need to deselect "Download profile from IVS" found near the bottom on the Add DVD By Title screen.

-- wjjz106

http://www.intervocative.com/dvdcollection.aspx/wjjz106

Mntneer

01-05-06, 01:43 PM

Thanks...so was that w/the 775 or 985?

Sorry, left that part out, I have a 775.

Currently I add a set to DVD Profiler and then indicate slot assignments for each disc in that profile, like in my Matrix Collection, or TV series collections.

Just wasn't sure what people that use apps like DVD Lobby like to do.

Danabw

01-05-06, 06:52 PM

Sounds like they must all use the same or very equivalent transport mechanism/firmware, likely the 985 as well. Thanks...that's good to know.

Johnla

01-06-06, 03:30 AM

Sounds like they must all use the same or very equivalent transport mechanism/firmware, likely the 985 as well. Thanks...that's good to know.
On all the 400 disk units, 985, 777ES, 995. Their actual disk transport mechanisms itself is probably virtually identical to each other, but other than any instructions it provides to move the disk around, there are big differences in the firmwares. But the basic menu system is the same, hell I know for a fact, that the basic menu system with the auto-play "flaws" goes as far back as to the 300 disk CX860, and probably even back to the older 200 disk CX850D. But there is definite differences between the transport mechanism of the 300+1 disk units and 400 disk units. Most notably being that the 300+1 units could "flip" a disk, by rotating 1/2 turn to the back of the unit, which would still insert the disk in the same play mechanism, but in the backside of it instead of the front, thus with 1/2 turn, it would also be put in backwards.

Now for times on my 777ES, all I timed was going from one disk in play, direct to another disk at least 40 slots away. And with using the IR remote I also was close to a average time of 25-30 seconds.

BUT when I switched over to RS232 control with a PC I got down much closer to 20-25 seconds per swap. But that also comes with one more time saving addition to that, is that doing it that way it can bypass the FBI warning BS and in most cases any otherwise also normally "locked" preview BS as well, and instead it just goes right to the movie itself. So depending upon the DVD and how much locked "preview" and warning BS that they have on it where your 'IR" is locked out from fast forwarding past this stuff. The time saving potential here can be quite large, it can easily on some disks save you minutes of time and not just seconds, to get to the point where the movie actually starts to play.

nycazn79

01-08-06, 09:12 AM

Danabw

01-08-06, 11:13 AM

I currently have the DVP-CX895V (previous model, non-upconverting) changer and will be getting a new HD LCD TV with a HDMI input. Will the upconversion that the DVP-CX995V does be noticable and worth upgrading to?

Depending on how good a job your TV does of scaling the input from the 985 you might just fine sticking w/the 985...certainly I'd want a pretty significant improvement to justify the hassle/cost of changing players. :)

If I were in your shoes, I'd wait and see...if the PQ from the 985 on the TV looks good to you, stick with it and save your $$ for upgrading to a new Blu Ray player late this year or early next year. :) If you're not happy w/how it looks, you could even try a single-disc upconverting player like the Sony NS70H first to see if it looks a lot better, to help decide if you think it will be worth it to change.

mike1812

01-08-06, 01:29 PM

I agree--FOR THE MOST PART. I just hooked up my 995V and experimented with the upconvert (I have both Component and HDMI run into my DLP). I really can't tell any difference (watching Star Wars Episode III). Has anyone else been able to really see a difference? If so, what discs are you using to see the difference? I think you'd be fine with the 985 until something better comes along.

The part I disagree with is the comment about buying Blu-Ray later this year. Does anyone know if Sony or anyone else is coming out with a megachanger in Blu-Ray? That's why I just bought the two 995's. I'm usually an early adopter, but I don't see a hi-def megachanger coming out anytime soon and I NEEDED to get control of my disc collection. Those of us with changers and mega-collections are NOT going to be so excited to move back to a single disc hi-def player. So I DON'T expect to upgrade to blu-ray or HD DVD this year or maybe even next year (depending on the cost of Microsoft's add-on HD-DVD drive for the XB360). Besides, I have a really nice DVD-Audio player and FOUR, count 'em FOUR DVD-Audio titles. . .what's that saying, once bitten, twice shy (although I guess I could now invest in the also-dead SACD format?). I'm waiting til the dust settles to see who wins the hi-def video war. Maybe by then I'll have gotten a huge bonus and can buy a Kaleidascape system. :)

nycazn79

01-08-06, 04:21 PM

Thanks for the responses on the 985 vs. 995. I canceled my order for the 995 and I'll get a single disc HDMI upconverter player to see if there is any difference.

Danabw

01-08-06, 08:09 PM

Regarding Sony building a mega changer based on the 775/985/995 chassis...retrofitting to Blu Ray shouldn't be extreme rocket science, should it? Are the lasers/pickups for Blu Ray massively different in terms of their size/power requirements than current technology?

Seems like Sony would want to get a megachange out as soon as possible to encourage purchases of it's titles and to help win the format wars. :)

jgibo1

01-09-06, 01:41 PM

Has anyone here watched the movie "Wedding Crashers"? It was playing fine until it got to the scene where he is going outside to meet the girl for a walk.
I looked at the disc and it was fine. I ripped it to my hard drive and was able to finish watching the movie. Wonder if this is the kind of thing the manual was stating about some discs may not play right due to companies trying to make it harder to copy a movie.

Danabw

01-09-06, 02:08 PM

What happened when you got to the problemmatic scene? Just froze up, or ?

jgibo1

01-09-06, 02:13 PM

jgibo1

01-09-06, 04:32 PM

Sorry if this was posted before but while looking around on Sony's website found this in the eSupport knowledge base.

Knowledge Article C83086
The inserted disc begins to play when the DVD player is turned on.

The inserted DVD will begin playing if it is the first time the disc has been inserted into the DVD player. Also, if the DVD player was previously turned off while the DVD was playing, the inserted disc will automatically begin playing again when the player is turned back on. This is normal operation.

NOTES:

Most DVD discs are encoded to automatically begin playing when the DVD player is turned on. The Resume Play and Autoplay features cannot be disabled for DVD discs.
When a DVD changer is turned on, the last disc that was played will begin playing.
Compact Discs (CDs) do not automatically play. This feature is not supported with CDs.

Created: Wed Oct 30 09:35 2002 | Last Modified: Tue Jan 03 16:16 2006
http://www.iq.sony.com/srvs/autoresponsev4.asp?id=83086

So even though they have an option for not auto playing if the DVD itself was encoded that way it can't be prevented. Probably part of the DVD specifications.
So we are all here upset that it automatically plays a dvd that we don't want. ;)

So anyone want to try all 400 dvds to see if they can find one that will not auto play :D

Danabw

01-09-06, 06:55 PM

I got a lot of macro blocking? I think that is the right term. It tried to keep playing and by the time owen wilson got to the stairs it froze and I couldn't go backward or forward.
Turned the player on and off and took out to inspect and same problem.

Did you try cleaning it?

I've had issues like that w/my old player w/rental discs, and they were always resolved by cleaning the disc, unless there was a scratch in it. Problems that occur at a specific point in a disc are usually related to problems w/the physical media.

Even if it looks OK, try cleaning it and trying again...

DWPC

01-09-06, 07:51 PM

I'm planning to get a DVD megachanger. The main motivation is simply ease of disk storage. The new player will replace a Sony DVP-300s; old but dependable and I like that it has discrete CD and DVD lasers. I have an excellent stereo audio system (DAC, tube preamp, Vandersteen speakers) that I don't want to compromise.

My TV is a Pioneer Elite Pro530HDi; 480p and 1080i with internal progressive scan. I use component inputs and have no interest in HDMI or DVI (I forget which it has). I use two-channel stereo through an outboard audio DAC via coax. Use will be 90% CD play/10% DVD viewing. The Pro530 has a bit of a soft HD picture (though overall its stunning), so I'm not terribly concerned about a DVD player with absolute highest resolution. I don't really see where I need upscaling etc. until I get a new TV which will probably be many years.

The Sony cx995 is several years later in technology, but after reading this extensive thread I haven't discerned any large video performance advantage for the Sony (vs the Pioneer) for my TV, and it seems to have a buggy, hard-to-use interface, especially by remote. It has HDMI, but I don't see where that gains me anything. I'm concerned the klugey interface could be a real issue seeing that the main use would be for couch potato CD listening. I'm also concerned that Sony products no longer seem a slam dunk for dependability and performance.

The Pioneer F727 is older technology, but gets consistent high review scores for ease of use and dependability. It seems to have a much better user interface. 300 disks is adequate capacity. It appears it can connect to a computer to manage disks, but this isn't clear. (Discussion on the forums is over mostly my head when it gets to this stuff.) It costs more than the price of the Sony, but factory refurbs are competitive. I haven't been able to find any info on its output resolution but its PQ never gets any negative comments.

Can any ex F727 users comment on the wisdom of their switch to the 995? Am I missing something about PQ? Most of the Sony's advantages seem to be associated with HDMI and 5 channel audio that I don't need. Any comments that will help me decide will be welcome, but please don't get too technical.

Danabw

01-09-06, 10:21 PM

Frankly, it sounds to me like you've pretty much made your decision... :) You should read your own post and then go buy an F727. ;) Factory refurbs are typically pretty good deals...they often have more/better attention than a unit rolling off an assembly line, so that could be a pretty good deal if you go for a F727.

The only corrections I'd offer is that IMHO the 995 interface is neither "klugey" nor hard to use, nor would I consider it buggy based on my personal experience and the range of posts I've seen in this thread. Some others feel differently on that matter, and I'm sure you'll hear so. :)

KenLand

01-09-06, 11:47 PM

Danabw

01-10-06, 12:20 AM

I question the switch everyday. My F727 is much easier to use. It picks up most titles and remembers DVD's like an elephant. The DV-F09 Elite version has an RS-232 port as well.

The thing I like most is using the dial to dial through the titles quickly with or without the remote.

If only the 995 would show the titles while dialing through discs. The user interface is just not finished.

Ken

Yes, well called....When you're moving through discs w/the knob on the front of the unit, having the disc title show up on the front panel would be nice. That is one feature that I've wished the 995 had as well...

tuna.man

01-10-06, 08:35 AM

I'm planning to get a DVD megachanger. The main motivation is simply ease of disk storage.
<clip>

I'm concerned the klugey interface could be a real issue seeing that the main use would be for couch potato CD listening. I'm also concerned that Sony products no longer seem a slam dunk for dependability and performance.

The Pioneer F727 is older technology, but gets consistent high review scores for ease of use and dependability. It seems to have a much better user interface. 300 disks is adequate capacity. It appears it can connect to a computer to manage disks, but this isn't clear. (Discussion on the forums is over mostly my head when it gets to this stuff.) It costs more than the price of the Sony, but factory refurbs are competitive. I haven't been able to find any info on its output resolution but its PQ never gets any negative comments.

Can any ex F727 users comment on the wisdom of their switch to the 995? Am I missing something about PQ? Most of the Sony's advantages seem to be associated with HDMI and 5 channel audio that I don't need. Any comments that will help me decide will be welcome, but please don't get too technical.
</clip>

As anyone who has owned or used the F727 and switched to the 995 will tell you, the 995 is a far inferior player, period. ESPECIALLY regarding audio CDs. Plain and simply, the 995 is nearly useless for organizing and playing a CD collection. You'd have the same 5 channel audio options and a far superior player.

You won't regret the F727 - you might regret the 995... I do.

jgibo1

01-10-06, 09:17 AM

Did you try cleaning it?

I've had issues like that w/my old player w/rental discs, and they were always resolved by cleaning the disc, unless there was a scratch in it. Problems that occur at a specific point in a disc are usually related to problems w/the physical media.

Even if it looks OK, try cleaning it and trying again...

Since the dvd rom in my computer was able to read it I finished watching the movie from there. I have since returned it to blockbuster.

Danabw

01-10-06, 12:37 PM

WillyGib

01-10-06, 01:26 PM

Well, I have had this machine for a couple of months now. I LIKE IT A LOT. :D I also have a Harmony 880 to control all my stuff. The 880 and the 995 are a good match.

I walk into my theater, turn the lights on and point the Harmony to the equipment rack and press WATCH A DVD. All needed equipment powers up, I walk to my seat and press INFO on the Harmony (I remapped this button to bring up the disk explorer) and page up or down until I find a move I want to watch and off we go. Press the EXIT button on the Harmony (I remapped this button also) and the lights go down. Press device mode to bring up the DVDO iScan HD+ video processor and select the proper AR. When the movie is over press EXIT, lights come up then press one button on the Harmony and all equipment powers off.

I also have all my DVDs (~200) entered into the Harmony and DVD profiler, but I use the disk explorer. It gets a little cumbersome when I get a new DVD. Need to enter the title into the Harmony, DVD profiler, and the 995 disk explorer. The time it takes to enter the title into the 995 isn't that big of a deal.

Danabw

01-10-06, 02:18 PM

WillyGib...were you already using the power discretes for the 995?

How are you controlling the lights, via X10, or ?

wjjz106

01-10-06, 04:04 PM

I walk into my theater ...

WillyGib - Home Theater looks great, but I didn't see listed in your equipment inventory some type of Power Conditioner to protect against surges, spikes, and improve picture and sound quality. Do you own such a device?

My apologizes for not following the subject's title post.

-- wjjz106

Doug Schiller

01-10-06, 04:05 PM

Just noticed this today...my Harmony Remote has discrete Power commands for the 995 that I didn't know were there...they are loaded into the LCD soft keys when you add the 995 to your devices.

I don't think the Sony remote supports discrete on/off, but if you have a Harmony remote, the commands are there and do work. :)

Sorry if this is a dumb question.
But, since I have a harmony. What is the advantage of the discrete on/off over the one on the Sony remote?

Danabw

01-10-06, 06:33 PM

With the Harmony, not as much as with a non-activity-based remote...I just like to use discretes when possible so that the commands I am sending are exactly what I want to have happen.

The issue I have is that sometimes I'm screwing around w/the DVD player (loading more discs, trying out things) and I leave it on when the Harmony thinks it is off, or vice-versa. W/the discrete power commands I don't need to worry about the state of the 995...if it's already on and I start the watch DVD activity the "on" command won't change anything. If I sent a power toggle command, then the 995 would turn off when I wanted it on (or on when I wanted it off). Discrete power commands remove the potential for those types of errors.

Up to you if the difference is a big deal or not. :)

To use them on your Harmony, go into Device setup for the 995 and tell it you have separate on/off power commands, and use Power on for on, and Power off for off, update the remote, and things should be hunky-dory.

Danabw

01-10-06, 06:33 PM

WillyGib

01-10-06, 06:46 PM

WillyGib - Home Theater looks great, but I didn't see listed in your equipment inventory some type of Power Conditioner to protect against surges, spikes, and improve picture and sound quality. Do you own such a device?

My apologizes for not following the subject's title post.

-- wjjz106

To tell you the truth, NO, I don't have a power conditioner. I have been thinking I really should get one, but haven't gotten around to it. I have never had a peace of equipment go out because of power surges or spikes. Come to think about it I have never had a peace of equipment go out... I still have a stereo receiver that I got back in the 60's and it still worked fine the last time I fired it up.

DANABW
WillyGib...were you already using the power discretes for the 995?
I'm controlling the 995 power with whatever the Harmony site downloaded to my remote.

How are you controlling the lights, via X10, or ?
I don't know what you mean by X10. I have a Lutron remote controlled light switch from Home Depot. I had the Harmony learn the Lutron on/off command then set to toggle, since you press the Lurton remote once to dim the lights and the same button to bring the lights back up.

Danabw

01-10-06, 07:20 PM

<snip>

DANABW
WillyGib...were you already using the power discretes for the 995?
I'm controlling the 995 power with whatever the Harmony site downloaded to my remote.

You would need to confirm in your Device setup (see my post above) how the power commands have been setup, but I think it may default to power toggle.

How are you controlling the lights, via X10, or ?
I don't know what you mean by X10. I have a Lutron remote controlled light switch from Home Depot. I had the Harmony learn the Lutron on/off command then set to toggle, since you press the Lurton remote once to dim the lights and the same button to bring the lights back up.

Ahhh...quick and simple...I'll have to go look for that device. I have an application in my setup where that would be useful. :)

wjjz106

01-11-06, 09:25 AM

To tell you the truth, NO, I don't have a power conditioner. I have been thinking I really should get one, but haven't gotten around to it. I have never had a peace of equipment go out because of power surges or spikes. Come to think about it I have never had a peace of equipment go out... I still have a stereo receiver that I got back in the 60's and it still worked fine the last time I fired it up.

WillyGib:-

I too never owned a power conditioner until recently. I was always hesitant and some what skeptical the claims made by the companies that sold these units. My friend told me that it just may be the most important piece of equipment you own in your home theater.

After thinking of all the money I've invested into my system, I thought it was time to spend a extra dollar or two for its protection. I think of it as a insurance policy. The reputable manufacturers carry a "connected equipment protection warranty" with their product. How could I go wrong? It's a win-win situation.

After researching what the market had to offer, I decided to go with one of Panamax's EX models.

Besides the unit providing protection against power surges, spikes, and brown outs, I noticed a marked improvement in the picture quality of my HDTV monitor when connections were made through the power conditioner :)

I now feel it was money well spent.

-- wjjz106

ps - Again, apologies for not keeping with the subject's title post.

wjjz106

01-11-06, 10:15 AM

WillyGib...were you already using the power discretes for the 995?

How are you controlling the lights, via X10, or ?

Danabw:-

I happen to own X10's IR543 IR Command Center (relatively cheap - under $20) and a couple of lamp modules. The center is controlled by ProntoPro TSU7000 remote control.

There is a separate device in my RC that can control the lights manually and macros through out other devices that turn the lamps on, off, dim/brighten the lights.

The lights are set up to gradually go off when a DVD begins to play on my DVP-CX985V player. If I pause the movie the lamps come up half-way or on when the movie is stopped.

I can't tell you how much enjoyment this little piece of equipment has brought. My family, friends, and neighbors get a big kick out of my home theater's lighting configuration :)

Thought I give you another idea for your Harmony.

- wjjz106

Danabw

01-11-06, 12:34 PM

Danabw:-

I happen to own X10's IR543 IR Command Center (relatively cheap - under $20) and a couple of lamp modules. The center is controlled by ProntoPro TSU7000 remote control.

There is a separate device in my RC that can control the lights manually and macros through out other devices that turn the lamps on, off, dim/brighten the lights.

The lights are set up to gradually go off when a DVD begins to play on my DVP-CX985V player. If I pause the movie the lamps come up half-way or on when the movie is stopped.

I can't tell you how much enjoyment this little piece of equipment has brought. My family, friends, and neighbors get a big kick out of my home theater's lighting configuration :)

Thought I give you another idea for your Harmony.

- wjjz106

Thanks for the idea...I'm actually looking into X10 IR options as well, and will look into that unit. I have a buddy who has his configured similarly, and it does look very cool when the light show (up or down) occurs. :)

MidnightQ4

01-13-06, 05:32 PM

Just an FYI for everyone.

I wasn't able to use my Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite to type in DVD info. Using a junky Dell keyboard that I borrowed from work did just fine however.

webdd

01-16-06, 02:12 PM

Just finished wading through this forum - 24 screens or 269 pages downloaded into word. What a wealth of esoteric information for an A/V noob.

I'm in for $296 shipped (Circuit Chity wanted over $420 locally).

Thanks for all of the great advice and information... :)

Purchase an eligible* Sony® home audio or video product between
November 1, 2005 and January 31, 2006 and receive the book
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by mail.
[Note: I cannot embed the link to .pdf as I am a new member] If you go to the sony style website add unit to cart and you'll find it.

* Eligible models: DVP-CX995V, DAV-X1, RDR-HX715, RDR-VX515 and RDR-VX511.

**This should work- worth a shot...

wjjz106

01-16-06, 05:52 PM

Purchase an eligible* Sony® home audio or video product between
November 1, 2005 and January 31, 2006 and receive the book
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by mail.
[Note: I cannot embed the link to .pdf as I am a new member] If you go to the sony style website add unit to cart and you'll find it.

* Eligible models: DVP-CX995V, DAV-X1, RDR-HX715, RDR-VX515 and RDR-VX511.

Here is the link webdd was referring to:

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/rebates/1001Movies.pdf

BTW- It's a great book for DVD enthusiasts :)

Danabw

01-16-06, 06:27 PM

Fair warning...they require the UPC code from the product box...so make sure you still have your box before bothering...and you must mail within 30 days of purchasing.

Had my box, but I'm well past 30 days.....

Johnla

01-17-06, 12:24 AM

Had my box, but I'm well past 30 days.....

Ahhhhhh........... You should have it almost filled up by now, and soon be needing a 2nd one anyway... :D

Danabw

01-17-06, 02:03 AM

Johnla...

:) Scary how much more true that is than I ever thought it could be... :)

Johnla

01-17-06, 03:27 AM

It's strange how they can fill up so fast, it's almost like every Tuesday someone who shall remain nameless....;)

Goes out and buys at least 2-3 of the new releases, and for some strange reason maybe also another 2-4 that are on sale for $10 or less, and then puts them in the back seat of my car. Not counting the sometimes buying of a dozen or more at a time of harder to find DVD's online. And then they all get put in one of my changers, and also reducing the amount of available empty slots at the same time.

Stroker Ace

01-17-06, 03:07 PM

I just purchased the DVP-CX995v, and while not perfect, I'm pretty pleased with it. There is one thing that concerns me, though - on the front panel display, there are
nine horizontal red lines. Is this a bad display, or is it normal? If I push the "FL Off"
button, the text and icons on the display go away, but the red lines remain. When the unit is powered completely off, the red lines go. The only other piece of Sony equipment I have is a STR-DE935 receiver, and if I stare really, really hard at it,
I can see some similar lines. Now, keep in mind that if I move two feet away from the changer, I can't see these lines at all, and that the receiver is almost seven years old (just because I don't remember red lines being that prominent before doesn't mean they weren't there). From where I sit normally, I can't see these lines at all. I
just want to make sure that I know whether this is the norm or not. If it's not, I need to send it back and get a new unit ASAP, because a bigger problem may lay ahead down the road. If it's the norm - I'll actually be very relieved. Any feedback you folks could lend would be greatly appreciated!

Danabw

01-17-06, 04:37 PM

I've never noticed any red lines in my display on the 995...I don't sit and stare at it from close proxity regularly, but I've been up close to it numerous times and never noticed what you mentioned.

mike1812

01-17-06, 11:41 PM

Hey, Johnla, if you find the guy who keeps putting those dvd's in the back seat of your car every Tuesday, let me know. He's doing the same thing to me. :) As a matter of fact, I stopped for dinner tonight, and wouldn't you know, there was a bag in my car with 4 dvd's when I came back!!!

Working on filling up the 2nd 995 now, won't be long before I'll need a third. . .

Johnla

01-18-06, 12:37 AM

I was lucky today, he decided that I only needed 2 new ones in the backseat today. But it looks like he ran right over to you in TX on a fast plane from IL, and then decided that you needed 4 more new DVD's today. The guy just has no shame..... :rolleyes:

Ralph Potts

01-18-06, 09:54 AM

I've never noticed any red lines in my display on the 995...I don't sit and stare at it from close proxity regularly, but I've been up close to it numerous times and never noticed what you mentioned.

Greetings,

I have never noticed this on my 995 either. Sorry.

Regards,

Stroker Ace

01-18-06, 10:09 AM

Thanks for the responses, but now I'm more confused. I have a friend who works for a home theater dealer/installer, and they are very familiar with the unit. After speaking with them yesterday, they said it was completely normal - definitely NOT a defect. Bear in mind I did not purchase this from them (they're in a different part of the state), and there's no way this guy would try to pull something over on me (he got me a sweet deal on an Aquos 37" 1 1/2 years ago - saved me $1200). I'm starting to think I just caught a glimpse of this thing, and I'm just being overly critical.

Danabw

01-18-06, 01:18 PM

mill5

01-18-06, 07:38 PM

Could there be a sheet of clear plastic with red lines like they use to protect the acrylic during shippping?

I know I had several on mine. Don't remember if them had red lines.

WillyGib

01-18-06, 07:50 PM

I don't have any stinking red lines on my unit. :rolleyes: Did you have to pay extra? ;) Do they look Cool? :cool: Where can I get some? :confused:

sclick

01-26-06, 02:45 AM

Danabw

01-26-06, 04:13 AM

I received my DVP-CX995v. I'm amazed by the size. This thing is like a monolith tipped on its side. I put it out in the garage and when I checked on it there was a bunch of monkey-men hitting each other with bones.

Luckily, we are in the middle of a remodel and I was going rid of my old glass-front entertainment center pier that I was using for my components. I'm looking for a clean, simple, modern audio rack (probably wood instead of glass and steel). Now, though, I'm wondering if I'll be able to find something that can hold this thing. I think it's the depth that's the main issue.

What are you guys using to hold your DVP-CX995v?

LOL...dahhh.....dahhhh....dahhhh....dah-dahhhhh!! :)

I have mine in this...wood, clean looking, not too expensive, but pretty wide as I have the 65" HP 1080p DLP...

From Lane Furniture. Stand is just about 67" wide, 24" high, 24" deep. Handles the 995V just fine, and just about anything else you could throw at it... :)

Here's the link to their web site...I took out the center drawer (as you can see on my picture) and put my center channel and HDDVR there.

http://www.lanefurniture.com/products/ProdInfoDet2.asp?MasterNo=15713

Looks much better in person than it does in the pic on the Lane site.

Johnla

01-26-06, 05:06 AM

I'm looking for a clean, simple, modern audio rack (probably wood instead of glass and steel). Now, though, I'm wondering if I'll be able to find something that can hold this thing. I think it's the depth that's the main issue.

What are you guys using to hold your DVP-CX995v?

If it's a wood based rack, it's easy. Just open up the back if it's not deep enough. All I had to was open it up enough to allow for the motor housing *hump* to hang past the back of the rack. That's what I did for my two 777ES changers, which are just as deep as the 995 is.

Ralph Potts

01-26-06, 08:32 AM

nameless33

01-27-06, 12:16 AM

Does this unit have any problems with DVD-r discs ?

Danabw

01-27-06, 12:31 AM

None that I've found yet, but I've only used one brand so far, and actually can't remember right now what that brand is/was... :o

mrtbig

01-27-06, 02:02 AM

Does this unit have any problems with DVD-r discs ?

I have recorded several movies on Fuji DVD-R's and they play fine.

isamu

01-27-06, 09:51 AM

The Home theater controller from Control4 will provide cover art and such for this unit with no rs232 connection. The HTC will control the changer with a macro command and you just assign dvd info according to slot number.

Can you expand on this item and how it works with the 995?

Guru:

Try using AnyDVD by Slysoft. I use it with DVDShrink and Decrypter. They have a free two week trial.

Whoah!!! What is this item AnyDVD? Can it really remove region coding from an original dvd like it says? If this is the case, why aren't people using this instead of paying hundreds to mod their dvd players?

I was told the 777 succssor would be available around Oct.

Well it's way past October....heard anything new?

Is it 100% guaranteed that a 777 successor with both DVI and RS-232 support will come out? Or is it just rumor? Perhaps someone could point me to a press release please?

Thanks!

Yes...someone needs to clarify this please :)

Greetings,

The Denon's image quality is cleaner than the Sony's ( via HDMI, I have not tried any other video connection ). However I want to state that this difference is not what I would call night and day.

I am using my setup with a front projector and a 92" image. Subtle differences can be obvious. I would say that somone who was not very fussy would probably not see any difference at all.
Regards,

I have a Denon 3910 in my system in addition to the 995. The 995 while not on par with the 3910 is certainly not left in the dust ( via HDMI ). Component may be another matter entirely.

Hi placidman.... that is encouraging to hear. I just bought a 995 on Monday, and reading this thread has me thinking about taking it back to the store because of all the people saying they're not satisfied with the PQ. Is the PQ really acceptable? I don't have the ability to use the player yet because I don't have my pj yet. I'm definitely going to get an HD front pj at 720p, probably the new Optoma HD72 or the older H78. I want great PQ but I also want storage as well.

I haven't tested the eject issue extensively, but that is my experience as well. I think it depends on whether you shut the door or queue up another movie while it's empty. I will know better after I take my first trip and pull out and replace several discs.

The mere ejecting or removing a disk does not cause the Sony to lose info about that disk. If you take it out and let the Sony carousel "spin", you lose the info.

Wait a minute let me get this straight. Let's say I want to use the 995 as a convenient way to store my dvds, while using a single player with better PQ as my viewing player. Everytime I take a disc out of the 995 to play it in my other player and then put it back, are you saying I'm gonna have to re-input all the information I put for that dvd back into the 995??????? WTF?

isamu

01-27-06, 09:55 AM

Here's are tidbits of info I have collected over the years:

I own the old Sony 200 DVD jukebox and the original 400 jukebox.

RS232 - I use DVDProfiler to track my movie collection (which works perfectly). I then use a program called Movies! to control my 200 jukebox. It imports data from DVD Profiler and then allows me to pick movies and play them from my PC (very cool interface with a real home theater look). It has to use a RS232 port for direct control (which my 200 has) or you can buy the IR adapter (which I have not tried). My 400 jukebox does not have the RS232 - which really bugs me. I wanted to buy the ES, but it was too much at the time. Now I have to consider the replacement for the 777 (RS232 and HDMI - $$$) or the new 995 (no RS232, but HDMI $$).

Autoplay - The autoplay feature drives me nuts!! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Remote Control - I have used several remotes from $20 to $1,000. The ProntoPro did a decent job with the Sony, but the programming time was crazy. I had a super custom setup with DVD pictures and everything. The new Harmony 880 rocks for a $250 remote. It is an unpublished feature, but it controls the Sony 985 like magic. You can import a .CVF file from DVD Profiler or manually enter the titles into the proramming website (all 400) and then update the remote. Now, when you are in the "Play DVD" activity and press the "Media" key, it will show you alpha ranges [A-F, G-K, etc.], when you pick a range it will show you all movie titles in that range, then you push the button next to the title and it sends the correct sequence to the player. Works EVERY time!

That's all I have time for now...

Intersting post robtwilk. How are you getting the PC to let the player play on your PC?

isamu

01-27-06, 09:57 AM

Also the picture using HDMI is slightly worse than my cheap Toshiba SD-4980 upconverting DVD player through HDMI both at 1080i. It seems the Toshiba has a better upscaler and also gives more accurate colors and a sharper picture. Oh and the black level function doesn't affect HDMI at all.

what kind of display are you using?

isamu

01-27-06, 09:59 AM

New Information for RS-232 Modification

I received the following e-mail from JVB Digital, which has been creating quality modifications for various Laser and DVD players for years now, and they seem to be willing to investigate the possibility of modifying the Sony DVP-CX995V disc changer with an RS-232 connection. Maybe if enough people expressed interest in an RS-232 connection being added to their Sony DVP-CX995V, JVB Digital could make it happen. Here is their contact information:

digital@jvb.nl and www.jvbdigital.com

Currently. JVB Digital offers an SMPTE259M serial digital interface (SDI) for the Sony DVP-CX995V.

http://www.jvbdigital.com/jvb.asp?c...title&title=269

Hmmm, any update from them regarding a RS-232 mod? It's been a couple months now since that last update.

grob312

01-27-06, 10:53 AM

Does this unit have any problems with DVD-r discs ?
I've found that even cheap-o DVD-R's are playing just fine in this thing. It seems to read all 300+ discs I have, all with varying degrees of light surface scratches. If only it were region-free....

JayMan007

01-27-06, 10:59 AM

Remote Control - I have used several remotes from $20 to $1,000. The ProntoPro did a decent job with the Sony, but the programming time was crazy. I had a super custom setup with DVD pictures and everything. The new Harmony 880 rocks for a $250 remote. It is an unpublished feature, but it controls the Sony 985 like magic. You can import a .CVF file from DVD Profiler or manually enter the titles into the proramming website (all 400) and then update the remote. Now, when you are in the "Play DVD" activity and press the "Media" key, it will show you alpha ranges [A-F, G-K, etc.], when you pick a range it will show you all movie titles in that range, then you push the button next to the title and it sends the correct sequence to the player. Works EVERY time!

Do you know if the Harmony has a similar feature for CD jukeboxes? I have a Sony 300 CD jukebox, thinking about getting the 400 DVD jukebox and was wondering if it could control both with this "Media" concept ... I currently have a Pronto remote, and thinking about the Harmony.

JayMan

gas_man

01-27-06, 12:27 PM

Hmmm, any update from them regarding a RS-232 mod? It's been a couple months now since that last update.

This is the response I got when I emailed.

Hi,

No we will not the 995 is not suitable for this. The RS232 will not
have the same functionality as on the CX777 and therefore we do not
offer this solution.

Thank you for your interest,

JVB Digital
Dearborn, MI 48124
USA

FOR ALL YOUR CODEFREE DVD & SDI MODIFICATIONS

Stroker Ace

01-27-06, 09:22 PM

I assume you mean that the red lines look like they are lit from behind (electronic) rather than something secondary that could be caused by an external reflection. Since it goes out when the unit powers down, sounds like it must be created by the display, rather than secondary.

I took another very close look (like inches away) and don't see anything...you either have a unit w/a display problem, or x-ray eyes. :)

X-Ray eyes would be awesome, but I'm afraid that isn't the case. It's definitely on the display itself, but I'm not gonna worry about it - the unit's working fine, and I called up and got a replacement warranty for it, so if it craps out, I'll just get a new one. As far as I'm concerned, it's case closed for now. Thanks for the responses!

metfoo

01-31-06, 02:17 PM

i am done with sony hardware.

I have one of these, and had the IR receiver die on me. I use a harmony remote, and over the weekend it quit powering on. I then grabbed the original remote, put some batteries in it(brand new), and had the same problem.

So, I filled an RMA, and i need to send it to Laredo texas for service. I need to unload all of my DVD's, and pay to ship this thing out. I just go rid of my origianl box like 2 weeks ago...

I asked if they had any sort of option where they ship the new then I ship the old unit, and they dont. What a pain in the a$$. Sony warranty support services sucks.

Cost $77 to ship it to Texas ground using sony's UPS store discount. I am still waiting. Expected delivery date is 2/2/06.

It took them 7 days from the day it was delivered until the day it was marked "with a technician". It then took about another week until they sent the replacement. They were supposed to send out a new unit once they received it.

Again, I am done with sony....

Danabw

01-31-06, 04:00 PM

Wait a minute let me get this straight. Let's say I want to use the 995 as a convenient way to store my dvds, while using a single player with better PQ as my viewing player. Everytime I take a disc out of the 995 to play it in my other player and then put it back, are you saying I'm gonna have to re-input all the information I put for that dvd back into the 995??????? WTF?

No worries, mate. (Can you tell I've been watching a lot of Australian Open. :) )

Put a place-holder CD/DVD (even blank, if you want) into the slot, and change the slot number using the front-panel dial to another disc before closing the door, and your disc data will be retained.

When you're done watching the DVD on your other player, reinsert it, replacing the place-holder disc.

isamu

01-31-06, 10:49 PM

No worries, mate. (Can you tell I've been watching a lot of Australian Open. :) )

Put a place-holder CD/DVD (even blank, if you want) into the slot, and change the slot number using the front-panel dial to another disc before closing the door, and your disc data will be retained.

When you're done watching the DVD on your other player, reinsert it, replacing the place-holder disc.

Thanks. Hadn't thought of that makes sense :)

By the way I sent the following email to JVB yesterday.

Hello JVB. I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer for me.

Which unit in your opinion has better picture quality....the Sony DVP-CX777ES or their latest changer the DVP-CX995? I just bought a new DVP-CX995 last week but I haven't bought my projector yet and I'm wondering if I'll be satisfied with its HDMI upscaling output, rather than running a raw SDI connection to an external scaler.

Also, I am considering getting my CX995 modded to run PAL, region free, and add an SDI output. How much would it cost to have you mod it for PAL, region free and add SDI? Please let me know and thanks in advance :)

Haven't replied yet :(

Johnla

02-01-06, 04:00 AM

isamu

02-01-06, 04:03 PM

The cost of the SDI and code free mod on a 995 from JVB, is going to be a total price about $750. As the SDI alone is about $500-$550, and the codefree is about another $200. As far as SDI output goes, if both a 777ES and a 995 were SDI modded, the picture quality between the two would via a SDI output likely be vary close to the same, if not the same. Assuming both were outputting into the same scaler. And a SDI modded 777ES outputting to a scaler, most likely would be a lot better than the 995 outputting just through it's upscaling HDMI output. The scaler function in the 995 just does not have all the options or adjustability of that of a good outboard scaler. You really can't expect the 995's built in scaler to equal or better that of a dedicated $1500-$2000+ outboard scaler. So if you do mod even just 955 which MSRP's for $400, and street prices for $300 and up. Then you are talking about another $500+ just for the SDI mod alone for it, without the codefree. Which is more than the price of the 995 itself, and then you still must add a outboard scaler that can also accept a SDI input, and that's another $1500-$2000+. And depending upon your display device/TV, it just may not be worth all that extra cost, over just going with the 995's HDMI. For what may not be a $2000-$2500+ picture improvement over the HDMI. So what it comes down to, is it/would it be better enough to be worth all that extra amount it will cost to run either with a SDI output?

If the SDI mod were only about $150-$200, then likely all three of my players would have it. And I would just buy the "add in" SDI input board for my iScan VP30 scaler. But at the $1500 it would cost me just to add SDI to all three of my Sony changers, there is no way I will pay that much. Sure the SDI would be nice to have, but not at a cost of $1500+. Not with some form of HD DVDs just around the corner. And likely when one of the two competing HD formats emerges as the clear winner over the other, then someone most certainly will offer a HD DVD megachanger sometime soon after that.

Excellent post Johnla! You hit the nail square on the head because I just received this reply from JVB....

Hi,

To answer your questions:
1. Picture quality between these machines is almost identical. The CX777 does have a better digital to analog converter though.

2. HDMI compared to SDI is very easy. SDI is superior and gives you a much better picture, using an external scaler.

3. SDI for the 995 is $549, see: http://www.jvbdigital.com/jvb.asp?cur=2&level=sdi&page=title&title=269. Codefree and PAL are not available.

Thank you for your interest,

No codefree/PAL option available for the 995????? DAMMIT that sucks. Now I'm gonna be forced to return my 995 and get a 777ES because I must have a quality codefree and PAL mega-changer! I assume they don't have any plans to offer a PAL/Codefree version of the 995. Oh well. It's been 8 days since I bought my 995 from Circuit City and I haven't opened the box yet(thank God). I'm returning today and getting a codefree/PAL 777ES from JVB, and will save up a couple months for the iScan VP30. Gonna cost a fortune but what are my alternatives?

I COULD get a tricked out HTPC from Cellar Cinemas with 2 to 3 TB of hard drive space for around $3000-$4000....but then that would only be able to upscale PC content. What do you think?

sharp_1

02-01-06, 05:27 PM

Now I'm gonna be forced to return my 995 and get a 777ES because I must have a quality codefree and PAL mega-changer!

isamu

Not sure if you are interested but there is a place on ebay with remanufactured units..check it out. Still have the 5 year warranty too.

Johnla

02-02-06, 02:46 AM

isamu

Not sure if you are interested but there is a place on ebay with remanufactured units..check it out. Still have the 5 year warranty too.

You can buy brand new 777ES units, for very close to the prices of what most of the ebay refurbs are going for.

Johnla

02-02-06, 03:34 AM

Excellent post Johnla! You hit the nail square on the head because I just received this reply from JVB....

No codefree/PAL option available for the 995????? DAMMIT that sucks. Now I'm gonna be forced to return my 995 and get a 777ES because I must have a quality codefree and PAL mega-changer! I assume they don't have any plans to offer a PAL/Codefree version of the 995. Oh well. It's been 8 days since I bought my 995 from Circuit City and I haven't opened the box yet(thank God). I'm returning today and getting a codefree/PAL 777ES from JVB, and will save up a couple months for the iScan VP30. Gonna cost a fortune but what are my alternatives?

JVB still shows they are selling the DVP-CX985, with the SDI and code free mod. For about $250 less than the same thing on the DVP-CX777ES.

But you can also always buy a brand new DVP-CX777ES somewhere else, for about $550 shipped. And then send it to JVB for the mods on it, which would be about $700-$800 for them all. And then it would end up being about the same cost as what they charge for a pre-modded DVP-CX985.

BTW:

I also sent you a PM with some more info and options.

Also JVB can do the Code free mod, by you just sending them only the mpeg board and not the entire player.
Which is why the other option for having the SDI mod done elsewhere that I mentioned in the PM, can save you even more money in the end by about $170 just for the mods alone, over having JVB doing it all.