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TAW Rock HD died... anyone know if Phil is still around?

post #1 of 27
9/10/08 at 6:28am
Thread Starter 
I have a TAW Rock HD and Digilink II DVD player that I still use, but my TAW Rock HD died recently.

The picture froze, then, I powered the unit off via the switch in the back then powered back on again. I get a TAW logo and it looks like it's going to start up OK, but then I get a black screen and no "Run" light. The remote is unresponsive.

So, it's 100% non functional right now.

The last I heard Phil was still supporting existing customers, but so far, I haven't gotten any reply from him. (I'm willing to pay to have it fixed if it's possible to fix it.)

The only e-mail address I have for him is phil@taw.biz.

Perhaps he changed addresses? Or maybe he dropped off the scene completely, or is on vacation... I really don't know, so I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone else knows.

It really is going to be heartbreaking to have no choice but to throw the unit in the dumpster.
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post #2 of 27
9/16/08 at 2:07pm
Does this unit still use a PC motherboard? If so, the first thing you shud do is open it up and look for a LiOn rechargeable calculator type battery. These batteries eventually die and it did so in my Rock. Replacing the battery resolved my issue.
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post #3 of 27
9/20/08 at 4:55pm
Mine is dead too, but I won't spend anything to fix it. It did serve me well for a long time but there is so much better now. Wanna use HDMI maybe?
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post #4 of 27
9/20/08 at 5:10pm
Did you try Phil at this address and phone?

http://start.cortera.com/company/res...hil-tuttobene/

Oh look. Mebbe Phil's going to law school to become a lawyer like Mark Haflich and me?

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/6/174/470

HA! HA!
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post #5 of 27
9/21/08 at 6:43am
You have to have a clean record to be accepted to law school. A promotional marketing type, hype city baby, might not qualify. Dunno with respect to Phil. I would bet he is doing fine doing something else now.
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post #6 of 27
9/21/08 at 7:06am
Try pilling the covers and check the cpu fan. Make sure it is not full of dust, and is spinning.
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post #7 of 27
9/21/08 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mark haflich View Post

Youvhave to have a clean record to be accepted to law school. A promotional marketing type, hype city baby, might not qualify. Dunno with respect to Phil. I would bet he is doing fine doing something else now.

To get into law school you need positive character references from non-nefarious types.
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post #8 of 27
9/26/08 at 7:28pm
Phil, TAW, fun stuff..... dead forever.....

(sorry, couldn't help myself).
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post #9 of 27
10/11/08 at 6:47pm
i was just about to get rid of mine - have not idea if it works. I would give it to you for a very small price - assuming it works.

rtywonia@cisco.com
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post #10 of 27
10/13/08 at 7:41am
Thread Starter 
I got in touch with Phil about a month ago. (Lost track of this thread, sorry!) He is moving to a new house, so he wasn't checking e-mail that often. But he says if any TAW customers contact him with issues, he will support them. He had me send the unit to him to see if he can repair it. I haven't heard back from him however. I just e-mailed him this morning asking for an update.
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post #11 of 27
10/13/08 at 9:29am
His idea of "support" in my case was to tell my insurance company that TAW was very much still in business. Gee thanks!!!
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post #12 of 27
10/14/08 at 6:19am
McCain in the polls is more alive than TAW. I'd like to see its PL statement of income tax filings. Bet it hasn't anything to put on a filing. Seriously, if Phil is willing to service a unit for a fee and one wants to keep using it, great. but for likely what it would cost you could buy a cheap VP from say DVDO and have better processing with HDMI too.

Damon. What's shaking with your CRT blend set up?. Man. Talking about a Texas, a state that McCain has locked up, it may supply over one fouth the electoral votes McCain might get if one believes the current poles. Maybe the south except for Florida will try and succeed from the US again?
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post #13 of 27
10/14/08 at 10:51am
You mean secede? Mark I love your posts man, but for the love of all that is HT watch the spelling I beg you .
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post #14 of 27
10/15/08 at 2:52am
Thread Starter 
Holy crap, after all these years I can't believe the hate and hostility is still so alive. Talk about being bitter.
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post #15 of 27
10/15/08 at 5:52am
Grendell,

Mine would have died had he simply admitted TAW was no longer a functioning entity. My insurance then would have paid for the processor of my choice!!

Complete jack off move!! I did get the last laugh, a VP50 Pro & DVX-8022 were purchased for my insurance settlement total.
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post #16 of 27
10/15/08 at 6:28am
Grendell - no idea what it would take to get a TAW working again, even if you could - but heck - go up or down a thread - check out and grab one of the new DVDO Edge processors. Pretty nice, and the price is right. (imagine it is close to the repair cost on a "vintage" processor.)
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post #17 of 27
10/16/08 at 5:37am
Thread Starter 
Just heard back from Phil, it was the motherboard that died. The cost was $750 for the board, $100 for parts, and $48 for labor. I would love to have it fixed but at this point $900 is simply too much to justify repairing an older analog scaler (it does have a digital DVI output, but it doesn't work "across the board" with all displays). I basically wanted to have it fixed so I could have a working unit as a backup, or perhaps sell it, but I don't think I could get $900 out of it.

The Rock HD does a beautiful job scaling, and it gives the user control that I haven't seen matched on any other scaler available so far (zooming in 1% increments, custom aspect ratios in .01 increments, etc.).

But again, $900 is simply too much. I feel sad losing it, but I guess that's life.
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post #18 of 27
10/16/08 at 5:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingvee View Post

Grendell - no idea what it would take to get a TAW working again, even if you could - but heck - go up or down a thread - check out and grab one of the new DVDO Edge processors. Pretty nice, and the price is right. (imagine it is close to the repair cost on a "vintage" processor.)

DVDO's are nice but not in the same class as Crystalio or TAW Rock HD.
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post #19 of 27
10/16/08 at 6:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grendell View Post

DVDO's are nice but not in the same class as Crystalio or TAW Rock HD.

you got me....I flat had/have no idea how DVDO compares to what has to the Rock - simply assumed it was last gen - my bad. I know that my DVDOs blow away the older "top of the line" Faroudjas and I used to play with....
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post #20 of 27
10/16/08 at 11:24am
Quote:


DVDO's are nice but not in the same class as Crystalio or TAW Rock HD.

Surely you're kidding?
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post #21 of 27
10/17/08 at 3:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Axatax View Post

Surely you're kidding?

There's a reason the top Crystalio (VP3800) is $2,500 more than the top DVDO (VP50).
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post #22 of 27
10/17/08 at 5:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grendell View Post

There's a reason the top Crystalio (VP3800) is $2,500 more than the top DVDO (VP50).

Because they charge that much more?

Don't let the Anchor Bay people see that post - they'll raise their prices, and then their gear will be the best.
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post #23 of 27
11/14/08 at 9:18pm
I was always under the impression that the Rock and Digilink were essentially rebadged Key Digital units (I believe they did the OEM of them): in particular a Digital Leeza and SDI modded Panasonic DVD player, they just had pretty machined faces on them. You might want to try KDS for repair services, they'll probably charge for them- but Mike Tsinberg is the one who designed the original Leeza (basis for the Rock?), I have to figure that they have people that can help.

Dan
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post #24 of 27
11/15/08 at 3:15am
Thread Starter 
They weren't. They were totally unique to TAW. The Rock Pro/HD was essentially a HTPC. All of its code was software based. It ran Windows Millennium core files for the OS.

The Digilink II used a Denon transport.
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post #25 of 27
7/3/09 at 6:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon S View Post

Does this unit still use a PC motherboard? If so, the first thing you shud do is open it up and look for a LiOn rechargeable calculator type battery. These batteries eventually die and it did so in my Rock. Replacing the battery resolved my issue.

Jon S

I saw your advice because I am trouble shooting my Rock processor. I pulled it apart and there is no battery. There is a place for one, but no battery in the place. Odd. I don't guess you know what kind of battery goes there, do you?

thanks
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post #26 of 27
7/19/09 at 8:50am
usually the good old CR2032 is used in motherboards.
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post #27 of 27
12/14/12 at 5:08pm
Hi... I have the same symptoms and saw this thread indicating it may be the battery.... I opened up the Rock, and saw a place for the battery, but no battery there.... Make me wonder if a battery would solve the problem.... Does anybody have any other ideas?
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