G1 FW 2.1 and 2.2 HDMI->DVI thread

[sharkshark]

Edit: [FW 2.2 discussion starts here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...#post10414614]

OK, I gave up, I'm creating a new thread.

As I said in the sticky thread, there's a couple things that need to be addressed:

First of all, this thread is for users with DVI sets. Please don't write about how successful your HDMI>HDMI setup is, I'm pleased for you, but that's off topic.

Secondly, please be VERY specific about your setup, such as any switches that it passes through, etc.

Finally, indicate (to the best of your knowledge) your set and it's HDCP status.

Points to consider:

1) With FW 2.1 can you get picture on your set? Please ensure that you've done all the obvious things, such as ensuring that V-output is set correctly, etc.

2) If you need to do any special work arounds to get picture, please indicate them in full.

3) There's lots and lots said about colour space issues, but nobody from Toshiba has ever come clean about the issue, nor have they included it in their list of FAQs. If anyone has a foolproof way of diagnosing the colourspace issue (independent from black/white crush) please provide step-by-step instructions.

Thanks for your help, lets make this a productive thread for all. If there's something else we should be worrying about, let me know and I'll edit this first post.

[David Susilo]

thanks for starting this thread. 'tis a good idea!

[haulin oats]

I have an Hitachi 51S500 which is HDCP compliant. I'm using an HDMI to DVI cord run directly from the HD A1 to the set. no switches.

I can get the splash screen. I'm also getting the "no disc" screen. Unfortunately, when I put in a disc, it shits on me, and I get a blurry picture. it's similar to a "snowy" picture you might see when you chose a channel tht does not exist, but there are colours to it.

this sucks. I should have never updated. my set was flawless. I called Toshiba customer support, but they are only open till 8:00 EST, and I work till 5:30 PST which is 8:30 EST. looks like I'll never get this fixed.

[Bradad]

I am Damned sorry to hear about these issues people are having with DVI and Toshiba better get this fixed ASAP!

[lewis]

I upgraded from 1.0 to 2.1. Output HDMI 1080i>Lumagen HDP>DVI(moome DVI card on Sony G90). King Kong now plays if I reboot HD-DVD player. But if I try to go into Setup I get noise. Press setup again to exit and noise reappears instead of movie. This really sucks and how something like this firmware could be released to the public is negligent.
I will call Customer Support to express my displeasure. I hope the CD I ordered will remedy the problem. I also have a HDMI card (for a CRT pj) on order which I hope fixes these DVI issues permanently.
My biggest concern at this point is not being able to get into the setup menus. Will the firmware on the CD be accessed and loaded automatically or does it have to be initiated from the setup menu?

[MidnightWatcher]

Maybe everyone should also note the TV being used, both make and model.

[Monkey_Man]

I lost my ability to use HDMI -> DVI as well. The start up menu works fine and then the picture goes away when the movie starts for both HD DVD and DVD. HDMI output selected 1080i rez on a Optoma H78DC3 PJ.

[chad_cincy]

As I stated in the other thread, I am connected to a Lumagen via DVI.

I do have some good news for fellow Lumagen users, but just a little. If you go into your Lumagen menu, go to the input of your HD DVD player, go to Config>DVI>HotPlg. Switch it to Norm (being an A1 or A1X user, you probably had it set to RECON).

Now, whether trying to watch a movie or get into the Setup Menu and you lose DVI sync, power cycle the Lumagen. It should perform a successful handshake and display a picture. It's very annoying, but at least a work around.

On a lighter note, the color space issue seems to be fixed. I can now run 422 Component for all modes.

[Ezra]

A1 > BenQ 8700 via DVI and is HDCP compliant

Some synch issues with 2.0 but workable

2.1 causes "DVD-D(Not Supportive)" (bad english, I know) in 1080i and 480p. In 720P I get snow. The movie plays the entire time though and I can listen it to playing. I get the splash screen fine.

[sharkshark]

great, keep it coming, maybe we can get Robert to take a serious look at this and send it over to Toshiba, seems like he's our only hope in them taking notice.

I'm of course not updating to 2.1 anytime soon given the above, but this is =extremely= helpful to those like myself. Cheers to all.

[puddy77]

My HDMI to DVI connection is now broken with 2.1. I have a Sony KV32HS500 CRT with a single HDMI/DVI cord directly from my XA1.

I cannot get into the Setup screen at all. But I did find a little trick to actually play HD DVDs. I don't know if it will work for anyone else, but can't hurt to try until a real fix comes along:

I left my TV off until the "No HDMI Link" message came up and it stopped itself. Then I turned on my TV and pressed play. Voilà!

[sharkshark]

fyi, boys from toronto think alike...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=829265

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

great, keep it coming, maybe we can get Robert to take a serious look at this and send it over to Toshiba, seems like he's our only hope in them taking notice.

I'm of course not updating to 2.1 anytime soon given the above, but this is =extremely= helpful to those like myself. Cheers to all.

Thank you and I will. I know their are lots of reported problems with HDMI-DVi since 2.1 and I will immediately report it to the senior software development manager to get a fix ASAP. I will push as hard as possible to get this fixed very quickly.

I have my XA1 connected to a 4 yr. old LG 60" plasma and after upgrading to 2.1 I tried HDMI-DVI for the first time and it works fine. the last time I tried HDMI-DVI on the same TV I had inconsistent HDMI handshake issues so I went to component.

-Robert

[TrevorS]

Originally Posted by DTV TiVo Dealer

Thank you and I will. I know their are lots of reported problems with HDMI-DVi since 2.1 and I will immediately report it to the senior software development manager to get a fix ASAP. I will push as hard as possible to get this fixed very quickly.

I have my XA1 connected to a 4 yr. old LG 60" plasma and after upgrading to 2.1 I tried HDMI-DVI for the first time and it works fine. the last time I tried HDMI-DVI on the same TV I had inconsistent HDMI handshake issues so I went to component.

-Robert

I'm one of those guys still sitting on the update fence because of HDMI->DVI-D concerns. I run RCA HDMI -> Pioneer VSX-82TSX (HDMI) -> Gefen HDMI 1:2 splitter -> DVI-D Sony XBR800 CRT + Moome DVI-D transcoder.

I would just sure like to hear there's no problem driving the XBR800 series and Moome boxes, but I fear that's too much to hope for.

EDIT: Currently still running 1.0 -- works fine except for releases requiring 2.0+.

[Daniel Bishop]

FW 2.0 - all was well with A1 > HDMI to DVI Cable > BG DVI Card to Port 3 CRT BG808. Loved upconverting of A1 to my CRT Projector!

Updated FW to 2.1 - Now HDMI displays nothing
A1 Switched to Component Output > Moome Transcoder > VGA out to Port 5 CRT BG808
HD DVD still looks good over component...sure miss upconvert of DVD!

Not Happy in Memphis!

Daniel

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by DTV TiVo Dealer

Thank you and I will. I know their are lots of reported problems with HDMI-DVi since 2.1 and I will immediately report it to the senior software development manager to get a fix ASAP.

Hey, thanks for chiming in, you know you're our only hope...

Would you be so good as to test any colourspace issues on your Plasma, and to re-confirm with your engineering friends whether or not a) they're aware of this longstanding issue, and b) they could confirm whether or not it's fixable given the nature of the player's hardware.

One can hope that the duration between FW 1.2 and 1.3 in the G2 units illustrates their capacity to quickly fix any bugs that have now crept up.

[billymac]

i couldn't resist. having dvi in my chain i was hesitant, but i went for it.

i upgraded. 45 minutes later it shut off. i turned it back on, popped in a disc and it worked. i shut it off and turned it back on to be sure. worked. hard reset and it worked.

infocus in76
pioneer elite vsx-84txsi receiver
startech 3-in-1-out dvi switch

still not sure about the colorspace. more testing to come. just glad i didn't lose dvi. if it didn't fix the black crush, bummer. at first glance i don't think it did. more to follow

[JetJock3315]

My Setup: A1 > HDMI - HDMI > Octava 3x2 switch > HDMI - DVI > Toshiba 65H83
Spalsh screen comes up OK, no visual on SETUP, no visual on movie - audio only.

Fortunately, the other output from my switch is > HDMI - HDMI > Panny AE900 and everything works well in this configuration.

Until the DVI issue is fixed, the kids can't watch movies on the RPTV (no unsupervised use of PJ) but the family can watch on the PJ.

I have been extremely happy with my A1 since I picked it up two days before its official release last year. My only issue until now had been a few disc that skipped. I sure hope that they post a solution quickly. If my RPTV were my only display, I would be very unhappy right now.

Is it possible to downgrade to 2.0 via disc?

[sharkshark]

...apparently a downgrade fails/bricks the unit, but this is unclear at this time.

[ResOGlas]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

...apparently a downgrade fails/bricks the unit, but this is unclear at this time.

You can only revert firmware on the 1st gen players if the firmware reverting to has the same disc drive version. That's why you could jump back and forth between 1.0,1.2,1.3, and 1.4. They all had all the same disc drive firmware version.


but not 2.0 and 2.1. They have individual unique disc drive versions.

[chad_cincy]

Originally Posted by chad_cincy

On a lighter note, the color space issue seems to be fixed. I can now run 422 Component for all modes.

A follow up requested by SharkShark...

I am able to run my HD DVD input on my Lumagen in 422 YCbCr and everything seems to be working again.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I have the HDMI>DVI problem if I feed my DVI-input TV directly. The trick first described by DaveinTucson in the main firmware topic, post #123 worked for me as well. (Play a movie, get no picture, turn off TV, wait for "HDMI Error" message, turn TV back on, hit Play again and the movie will appear.)

The good news in my case is that I use an HDMI-input A/V receiver, and it also "fixes" the problem. My connections go like this:

HD DVD player > HDMI male-to-male cable > Mechanical HDMI switch > HDMI male-to-male cable > A/V receiver HDMI input > HDMI-to-DVI cable > DVI-input TV

My equipment:
Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player
Markertek (generic) 2-input mechanical HDMI switch
JVC RX-D402B A/V receiver
Syntax Olevia LT27HV TV

[kaspj]

Originally Posted by chad_cincy

As I stated in the other thread, I am connected to a Lumagen via DVI.

I do have some good news for fellow Lumagen users, but just a little. If you go into your Lumagen menu, go to the input of your HD DVD player, go to Config>DVI>HotPlg. Switch it to Norm (being an A1 or A1X user, you probably had it set to RECON).

Now, whether trying to watch a movie or get into the Setup Menu and you lose DVI sync, power cycle the Lumagen. It should perform a successful handshake and display a picture. It's very annoying, but at least a work around.

On a lighter note, the color space issue seems to be fixed. I can now run 422 Component for all modes.

Thanks for the info. Hope it stays working.

[Daniel Bishop]

The saga continues...

Side note - while testing after 2.1 FW upgrade tried playing Children Men (previously experienced stuttering issues).

A1 started to load, after about a minute the player display showed "CD".

Attempted to eject and the player acted like it was locked.

Had to perform soft reset and eject the disk.

Before FW upgrade I could watch the movie with 1 or 2 stutter scenes, now I can't watch even view it.



Daniel

[Krobar]

Anyone else seen any changes in regards to disc playback?

Some people are reporting skip improvements and I have a Lumagen so proper 4:2:2 would be nice (Is black crush still an issue?).

[duke32]

I have a Hitachi 46F500 using HDMI -> DVI straight from the A1 to the set. I either got the snowy screen or scrolling dots and dashes.

The first HD-DVD is put in was HP GOF. Component was fine, but HDMI yielded no picture. I hit stop and then play. Disc finally played and PQ was outstanding, better than before.

The second disc was a Stranger Than Fiction (SD). Same as before...no picture thru HDMI. I did the same stop and then play....bingo! Again PQ was a definite improvement over 2.0. The only annoying thing was an audible handshake click from the player throughout the entire movie. I couldn't hear it when playing an HD-DVD but could when playing an SD.

[jamess71]

I have a westinghouse 42" 1080p. My A1 > HDMI to DVI cable > Westy. I also loose the handshake after the startup screen. I did figure out that by unplugging the hdmi cable and plugging it back in while everything is running gets it going again. This sucks. why did i upgrade.

[slimm]

Upgraded to firmware 2.1. No problems with HDMI---->DVI other than having to change v. output on HD-A1 to HDMI.

HD-A1---->Pioneer VSX-84TXSi Receiver---->Hitachi 65S500 RPTV.

[los seres]

I cannot get my Samsung 61 inch 720P display to sync with the A1 after 2.1. My 1080p display is ok. I also can't change the resolution to 1080i as the a1 continues to output at 720P no matter what I do. I think the hdmi is auto detecting the display and not allowing me to change the resolution no matter what I do. If you have a 720P display (with DVI) I would recommend you wait until Toshiba works this out.

[k.berger]

Originally Posted by lewis

I upgraded from 1.0 to 2.1. Output HDMI 1080i>Lumagen HDP>DVI(moome DVI card on Sony G90). King Kong now plays if I reboot HD-DVD player. But if I try to go into Setup I get noise. Press setup again to exit and noise reappears instead of movie. This really sucks and how something like this firmware could be released to the public is negligent.
I will call Customer Support to express my displeasure. I hope the CD I ordered will remedy the problem. I also have a HDMI card (for a CRT pj) on order which I hope fixes these DVI issues permanently.
My biggest concern at this point is not being able to get into the setup menus. Will the firmware on the CD be accessed and loaded automatically or does it have to be initiated from the setup menu?

I encountered similar problem with my set-up:
A1 -> LumagenHDP (DVI set to Component 422) -> Dtronics DVI-RGBHV Connverter -> Marquee.
Couldn't get it to play anything...
I looks like upgrade changed some settings: for instance, "no disk" screen, which I have seen briefly, is now in proper color, meaning they have changed color space settings, but also obviously HDCP now creates problem...
I was able to downgrade it back to 2.0 (have original disk, although you can use downloaded disk image), switching Toshiba temporarily to Component - YES, YOU HAVE TO SEE THE VIDEO OUTPUT TO BE ABLE TO INITIATE UP(DOWN)GRADE!
Good news is: you CAN downgrade (presumably to 2.0 only), the bad is, doesn't work for us...

Kris