PLEASE READ FIRST BEFORE POSTING QUESTIONS! IT CAN HELP A WHOLE LOT! ENJOY!
Check this post for the following information:
- Audio, video, settings, tweaks
- Firmware updates, procedures, bugs, fixes, new updates requests
- Analog out settings, performance
- HBR settings, performance, issues
- Upscaling performance
- Interlacing issues/fix at 1080i/p 60fps
- HDMI CEC
- HD-DVD disc play issues
- Others?
There are multiple threads with bits and pieces of A35 knowledge, but we'll try to aggregate the key stuff here, up front, in this thread, in this first post with periodic updates.
FIRMWARE UPDATES - LATEST VERSION IS 1.3
- Firmware 1.3 is out. For full information on what it is, how to update and all that good stuff, go here .
- It has 39 download steps and 4 installation steps and it apparently fixes playback issues, though some have reported improved response times to remote commands. Note, even though the player says "1.1/1.1", still proceed with the upgrade (it will let you). When done, it will read "1.3/1.1", (which will likely be fixed to "1.3/1.3" in the FW version . . . 1.4 upgrade?!?).
- To check your firmware revision, go to setup and then the 'general' tab. Then go to 'maintenance'. Under maintenance, there is another button...Update. Push update and a box will pop up. The current format is: xx/yy where yy is your version number.
KNOWN ISSUES, BUGS AND SUCH
- Disc playback errors, especially with rentals or Netflix: any dirty or scratched discs, . . . Solutions: light soap and warm water, firmware updates. This appears to be a larger problem for the A35 than initially thought - discs that won't play in Generation 3 players, particularly the A35, will play in the Generation 2 players. So the A35 is excessively unforgiving of any dirty, scratched, or even just "used" or "rental" discs. If you have this problem, contact Toshiba.
- Improper deinterlacing at 1080p60 for HD-DVD, and at 720p, 1080p60, 1080p24 for SDDVD upscaling. . . Solutions: hoping it's not a hardware issue and that a firmware update will fix it in the near future.
- SD-DVD menus will not hilight, move, adjust, or generally work when the player is set to 1080p24. They do work if the player is set to another resolution. The HD-XA2 has the same problem . . .. Solution: hopefully a firmware fix, but otherwise have to switch resolutions for menus and then switch back to 1080p24 or 480i to then avoid the other deinterlacing bug listed above.
- Stuttering frames and then the 408bc504 error. . . Solutions: clean the disc (see above), power cycle, firmware updates.
- HDMI "handshake" issues: if the player is turned on before the display and/or audio or splitting device, HDCP or "handshake" errors may occur. . . . .Solution: turn on the HD-A35 last in your equipment power-on queue. Hopefully, future firmware may address this.
- Audio sync issue after pause to TACP . . . Solution: do a chapter skip and then jump back to re-sync, power cycle, maybe firmware.
- [To Be Confirmed] Selecting "bitstream" on the SPDIF digital audio setting seems to affect the sampling of the frequency of the digial audio signal sent over HDMI by locking it at 48kHz instead of 96kHz. This problem existed on the G2 players, but not sure how many HD-DVDs it really affects that have audio output at 24bit/96kHz. . . Solution: unclear, maybe firmware.
- Audio dropouts playing DD+ tracks bitstreamed to a HDMI version 1.3 receiver, but seems to work if PCM is selected, indicating a problem sending the bitstream over HDMI. . . Solution: unclear, maybe firmware
VIDEO SETTINGS and TWEAKS
- Suggestions welcome on settings.
AUDIO/HBR SETTINGS AND TWEAKS
- Suggestions welcome on analog 5.1 out and HBR over HDMI.
- To playback HBR (Dolby TrueHD, DD+, DTS-HD XX, etc.) over HDMI 1.3, set "Digital Out HDMI" to "auto", set "Direct Digital Audio" to "on."
- If you are using the optical/toslink port to output digital audio, then select either "PCM" for uncompressed 2-channel audio or "Bitstream" for 5.1/7.1 DTS and Dolby Digital output to a capable receiver.
UPSCALING PERFORMANCE/NOTES/ISSUES
- Suggestions welcome on the ABT1018 chip/overall performance
HDMI-CEC
- Anyone?
OTHER TWEAKS/NOTES
- To enter the time and date on the unit, you have to use the numeric keypad, not the arrows
NOTES - FAQ: PLEASE read before posting questions . . .
- The Units has the following features:
- - HDMI 1.3a port with support for Deep Color
- - Component video out
- - 5.1 analog output via 5.1 ports with distance, crossover and speaker "size" settings. The A35's analog outputs are line level outputs and cannot drive speakers - you will need to run these to your receivers 5.1 inputs for amplification.
- - Optical Toslink port for digial audio output
- - NO COXAIAL DIGITAL OUTPUT
- - ABT1018 chip for SD DVD upscaling - there are no picture quality adjustment settings for SD-DVD playback, except an adjustment for black level enhancement, which only works on 480i output over component cables according to the manual, though people seem to see a difference over hdmi too. This is unlike the XA2 which uses the Reon chip and has picture (color, brigntness, contrast, etc.) and quality (noise reduction, edge enhancement, block noise reduction) adjustment capabilities.
- - HBR = High Bitrate Audio - sends the HD audio formats to the receiver over HDMI 1.3, including DTS HD-Master, DD+. HBR is NOT possible over the optical toslink port, though you can get certain "core" or downmixed signals of the HD audio formats. HBR is NOT possible as a digital audio signal over the 5.1 analog outs, but the HD audio formats ARE output via an analog signal over the 5.1 analog outs.
Check this post for the following information:
- Audio, video, settings, tweaks
- Firmware updates, procedures, bugs, fixes, new updates requests
- Analog out settings, performance
- HBR settings, performance, issues
- Upscaling performance
- Interlacing issues/fix at 1080i/p 60fps
- HDMI CEC
- HD-DVD disc play issues
- Others?
There are multiple threads with bits and pieces of A35 knowledge, but we'll try to aggregate the key stuff here, up front, in this thread, in this first post with periodic updates.
FIRMWARE UPDATES - LATEST VERSION IS 1.3
- Firmware 1.3 is out. For full information on what it is, how to update and all that good stuff, go here .
- It has 39 download steps and 4 installation steps and it apparently fixes playback issues, though some have reported improved response times to remote commands. Note, even though the player says "1.1/1.1", still proceed with the upgrade (it will let you). When done, it will read "1.3/1.1", (which will likely be fixed to "1.3/1.3" in the FW version . . . 1.4 upgrade?!?).
- To check your firmware revision, go to setup and then the 'general' tab. Then go to 'maintenance'. Under maintenance, there is another button...Update. Push update and a box will pop up. The current format is: xx/yy where yy is your version number.
KNOWN ISSUES, BUGS AND SUCH
- Disc playback errors, especially with rentals or Netflix: any dirty or scratched discs, . . . Solutions: light soap and warm water, firmware updates. This appears to be a larger problem for the A35 than initially thought - discs that won't play in Generation 3 players, particularly the A35, will play in the Generation 2 players. So the A35 is excessively unforgiving of any dirty, scratched, or even just "used" or "rental" discs. If you have this problem, contact Toshiba.
- Improper deinterlacing at 1080p60 for HD-DVD, and at 720p, 1080p60, 1080p24 for SDDVD upscaling. . . Solutions: hoping it's not a hardware issue and that a firmware update will fix it in the near future.
- SD-DVD menus will not hilight, move, adjust, or generally work when the player is set to 1080p24. They do work if the player is set to another resolution. The HD-XA2 has the same problem . . .. Solution: hopefully a firmware fix, but otherwise have to switch resolutions for menus and then switch back to 1080p24 or 480i to then avoid the other deinterlacing bug listed above.
- Stuttering frames and then the 408bc504 error. . . Solutions: clean the disc (see above), power cycle, firmware updates.
- HDMI "handshake" issues: if the player is turned on before the display and/or audio or splitting device, HDCP or "handshake" errors may occur. . . . .Solution: turn on the HD-A35 last in your equipment power-on queue. Hopefully, future firmware may address this.
- Audio sync issue after pause to TACP . . . Solution: do a chapter skip and then jump back to re-sync, power cycle, maybe firmware.
- [To Be Confirmed] Selecting "bitstream" on the SPDIF digital audio setting seems to affect the sampling of the frequency of the digial audio signal sent over HDMI by locking it at 48kHz instead of 96kHz. This problem existed on the G2 players, but not sure how many HD-DVDs it really affects that have audio output at 24bit/96kHz. . . Solution: unclear, maybe firmware.
- Audio dropouts playing DD+ tracks bitstreamed to a HDMI version 1.3 receiver, but seems to work if PCM is selected, indicating a problem sending the bitstream over HDMI. . . Solution: unclear, maybe firmware
VIDEO SETTINGS and TWEAKS
- Suggestions welcome on settings.
AUDIO/HBR SETTINGS AND TWEAKS
- Suggestions welcome on analog 5.1 out and HBR over HDMI.
- To playback HBR (Dolby TrueHD, DD+, DTS-HD XX, etc.) over HDMI 1.3, set "Digital Out HDMI" to "auto", set "Direct Digital Audio" to "on."
- If you are using the optical/toslink port to output digital audio, then select either "PCM" for uncompressed 2-channel audio or "Bitstream" for 5.1/7.1 DTS and Dolby Digital output to a capable receiver.
UPSCALING PERFORMANCE/NOTES/ISSUES
- Suggestions welcome on the ABT1018 chip/overall performance
HDMI-CEC
- Anyone?
OTHER TWEAKS/NOTES
- To enter the time and date on the unit, you have to use the numeric keypad, not the arrows
NOTES - FAQ: PLEASE read before posting questions . . .
- The Units has the following features:
- - HDMI 1.3a port with support for Deep Color
- - Component video out
- - 5.1 analog output via 5.1 ports with distance, crossover and speaker "size" settings. The A35's analog outputs are line level outputs and cannot drive speakers - you will need to run these to your receivers 5.1 inputs for amplification.
- - Optical Toslink port for digial audio output
- - NO COXAIAL DIGITAL OUTPUT
- - ABT1018 chip for SD DVD upscaling - there are no picture quality adjustment settings for SD-DVD playback, except an adjustment for black level enhancement, which only works on 480i output over component cables according to the manual, though people seem to see a difference over hdmi too. This is unlike the XA2 which uses the Reon chip and has picture (color, brigntness, contrast, etc.) and quality (noise reduction, edge enhancement, block noise reduction) adjustment capabilities.
- - HBR = High Bitrate Audio - sends the HD audio formats to the receiver over HDMI 1.3, including DTS HD-Master, DD+. HBR is NOT possible over the optical toslink port, though you can get certain "core" or downmixed signals of the HD audio formats. HBR is NOT possible as a digital audio signal over the 5.1 analog outs, but the HD audio formats ARE output via an analog signal over the 5.1 analog outs.