Firmware 4.0 available for A-3, A-30, and A-35 - Page 29

Thanks a lot to those who posted the information that on a Macintosh the firmware for Toshiba A3 must be burned to a CD using Disk Utility not Toast. I was about to trash my A3 when I finally found that info. It worked (after ruining about 6 CD's using Toast, trying different formats, different burning speeds, etc. - and trying to connect through the ethernet to no avail.)

Hi all
I have a a30, purchase when they first came out, upgraded too 2.9( I think )
Plays everything, afraid to upgraded again. If it is not broke don't fix it. Am I
missing anything by not upgrading to the latest firmware 4 ?

I am glad I updated to 4.0FW. No more freezing, plays everything.

At this point, if it plays everything you have and you're happy with it, don't touch it. If you pick up some new (to you) discs and have problems, worry about it then.

+1.

I have 4.0 but has trouble with Scorpion King at around the 40 minute mark. It would still play but the image froze or moved slowly for a few minutes then it would go back to normal and finished the disc without trouble. Anyone else has issues with that disc?

It's been awhile, but I don't recall any issues...

Is there any difference between the A-3 and the A-30 besides the 1080i and 1080p?

The A30 can be made region-free and PAL-capable with a downloaded firmware CD. A similar hack also enables it to bitstream Dolby Digital Plus and DTS (which you need to get the discrete extra surround channels on discs like Top Gun) but it won't bitstream Dolby TrueHD or DTS Master Audio.

Not worried about region free or PAL, but DD+ and DTS bitstream would be interesting, can you provide details or a link to the information?

thanks!

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=6948f...0BDD190C%21437

You may need a Windows Live account to get to this, which is relatively easy.

Thanks, I have the files downloaded (no problem as I have a Windows Live account already).

Interesting naming convention for the files?

Have you tried the process?

Yes, I used these on my A30 when I got it last year. Be sure to read the instructions, as one of the discs will shut the player off suddenly while 'installing' though that doesn't hurt anything.

Thanks for the information and the files, I read the procedure and it did have a couple of interesting steps,(step 5, pulling the plug) not really 'by the book' as it were.

Are you referring to step 16, regarding it turning off suddenly?

Greetings.
My A30 just died. It was working fine during the last movie played, and it shut down the same as it always has. When I tried to power it up yesterday, it was stone dead. Nothing. It was as though it was unplugged. I tried all of the buttons on both the unit and on the remote. I unplugged it and checked the fuse. I even took the fuse out and put it back in. I even tried jumpers in place of the fuse. Still nothing.

The only exception I noticed was about two weeks ago, the unit stopped playing a disk, and I got the error message "408bc504". I've never did a firmware update (it worked just fine without the updates). And the movie that was playing when I got the error message was Matrix, which has been played many times without problems.

Did my power supply die, or did the entire unit just become a doorstop?

Helpful suggestions would be appreciated.
Unhelpful suggestions are also welcome, but only if they are entertaining.

Thanks

That is a bummer, I could suggest a few things but you would need a meter and a reasonable understanding of electrnics to check for the basics...

The other options would be a used player and swap some parts around, having said that if find a used one that works then best to use it and not tempt fate!

I bought a number of players through the local ads, spares for parts and remotes, just in case something like you have just experienced happens to me.

Al,
Thanks for the good ideas; alas, my knowledge of electronics is limited to this side of the power button.

I do have an older A2, which will have to suffice. When that one goes bad, perhaps I'll have enough parts to assemble a working unit. Or maybe I'll just buy the Blurays of the relatively few HD titles I have.

I was hoping that someone might have had the same problem and that the solution was not too expensive.

Thanks again.

Are you at least getting the red light on the player when it's plugged in? If not, it's most likely a power problem. The only way I've seen these players not work is when the display says "WELCOME" and never gets past that.

You are welcome, I am embarrased to say how many HD-DVD players and drives I have, but then again when they cost anywhere from $10-40 it doesn't really break the bank.

I have over 100 titles so I like to be covered!

As 8traxrule mentioned, do you even get a red power indication on the front panel?

This is going to sound strange, but after letting the unit sit unplugged for a few days, and after reading 8traxrule's comment, on a whim (even though I was certain that the red light was not lit), I decided to plug it back in and check for the light. And guess what--the light DID come on. Then I pushed the power button, and it came to life just like it had every time before.

It is now working again; why, I have no idea.

I believe that by having the unit unplugged, you did a reset of the player. Did you have to update your preferences again after restarting? That would be a pretty clear indicator. I and a few others had problems with the 2nd generation players with the sound output, and unplugging the player fixed it for a short time. But it generally failed again in the future. I'd use this time to ensure that you have a good spare!

When I first encountered the problem, I did unplug the unit for a brief time (that is when I checked the fuse and tried jumping the fuse bracket). I then replugged it in and the unit was still dead. Which is why I was so surprised when it came back to life.

Regarding having to reset preferences, yes, they needed resetting; however, each time I unplug the unit (for lightning storms) the preferences need to be reset.

I do have a spare (A2). I did like the IQ better in the A30. I had mainly used the A2 for watching standard-def DVDs.

I haven't had a chance to watch a movie on the A30 deck yet (I will try tonite). I'll report back on how it performed.

Thanks to all who have helped me with this!

Finally had a chance to try out the deck; it performed flawlessly throughout a 2.5 hour movie. I guess it had come back from the dead (just in time for Halloween). Still have no idea what happened.

Ghost In The Machine?

unstuck