Toshiba RD-XS32 Help Thread, Current Owners Only - Page 2

I don't know of any programmable keys on the remote; I suspect you're out of luck.

I find the remote pretty good for controlling the XS32: lots of function-specific keys in positions that seem to work well (except a couple under the door), but I don't use it at all to control my tv or cable box. My cable box remote is far more flexible; I use it for tv and stereo as well. So I'm stuck juggling 2 remotes. I might get a good programmable one day in hopes of simplifying, but as I said I'm not hopeful that it'll manage all the XS32 functions.

Cheers... Perry.

I have a Home Theater Master MX500. Highly Recommended. Able to learn practically anything, and very flexible. But I haven't figured out yet what to label the "O" button.

I'm curious, does anyone use the DVD-RAM disks? If so, what for and how? I've recorded a number of -R, and will use the -RW quite abot to record shows and view them on other TV's. I see the flexibility of the DVD RAM's, but if I can't use them on any other players, aren't they basically just an extension of the HDD? Or am I missing something.

I just received my RD-XS32 Friday and have already created a few dvd's from movies I had saved on my Directv Tivo, this unit is great. Thanks to all of you in this thread on the other thread for helping me make my decision.

Thanks Bear15 This method is prefect for removing commercials.

Also I have seen a few posters asking about what DVD-R/RW/RAM media that is best or which to use. Since we have this thread I was thinking of creating a post with a DVD-R/RW/RAM catalog of what everyone has used and what kind of success. Thoughts on this idea? I will maintain it if everyone thinks it is a good idea.

I just got a XS32 and I do not yet have a remote. I bought demo unit with no remote and will not get remote that I ordered until end of week.

Is there anyway to set up XS32 without remote? I have tried recording to HDD and it tells me that I have to put in the time (which I can't do).

I have a MX500 universal remote and tried the codes but they did not work. Any ideas? Any way to navigate setup with buttons on unit?

Thanks!

nope, if I hit record i get the time needs to be inputed question.

This is so agrivating. It has to be the first time I have bought a toy like this and I'm unable to use it. I spent hours trying to do with MX500. Oh well, I did get it cheap.

flipcody, you got a great deal on that XS32. Even if you need to buy the remote, it's worth waiting for at that price. In the meantime, spend your time reading through the manual. By the time you have all of that digested, the remote should be there. PS. My first Toshiba PS DVD was a Best Buy demo, great unit with no problems.

In regards to media: I rec'd a box of Memorex -RW as a gift. I opened two and I now have two shiny new coasters. Neither would even format. They meet the specs, they just don't work. I've been buying Fuji -R and -RW from Best Buy and haven't had a problem yet.

I bought some fugi from newegg and will report back on if they work ok or not. Im hoping so, Allready wasted money on some Ridata that didnt work on either the XS32 or my PC. Only reason I went with newegg over bestbuy is the bestbuy were only 1x as the ones at newegg are 2x.

Never trust Best Buy online's media speed descriptions (this goes for most online stores, such as Staples, CompUSA, etc). The SKU's for 1X media is the same as 8X media as Fuji increases the speed. If you order from BB you almost always get the fastest available (currently 8x). They don't keep stockpiles of old media around just to sell later on.

I finally set up my XS32 that I bought in the weeks before Christmas. Unfortunately, it turns out that I have the ZL10 firmware. No big deal, I'm still happy with it. But is there anything I should look out for? Is media compatibility the big difference between ZL10 and ZL11?

I tried playing a DVD and I do noticed that the blacks seem somewhat lighter (in the scenes at the beginning of Superman with the Phantom Zone villians and Zor-El).

I placed an old problem DVD-RAM I had and tried to format it but it wouldn't do it. I even tried to do a physical format but it didn't help. This DVD-RAM came from a PC with a Panasonic LF-D311 drive. It used to work perfectly but then I tried to copy a Hong Kong DVD to it by using NeoDVD and for some reason I can never write to it afterwards. I can't even format it on the PC. I was hoping the Toshiba XS32 could format it and fix it.

I just think it's strange that I could ruin a DVD-RAM disk by trying to copy a DVD to it. And it's even stranger that I can't fix it by reformatting it. I thought DVD-RAM was supposed to be the most robust DVD media?

Anyways, I can't wait to get home after work and play with my XS32 some more.

I have only used Verbatim DVD-R's (Product Number : 94495) I have probably used closed to 100 (mostly in a pc) of these and I have not had one fail, and I just ordered more. The Verbatim's also have played just fine in every DVD player I have tried to play them in.

I've had mine since May '04 and still love it.

I've used a couple of different types of DVDs, with success. Presently, I'm using a Memorex 8x speed bought at BB. I've had no problems with any of the 10-12 I've used off the spindle so far.

As far as commercial editing goes, I use the playlist > DVD creation option. Works like a charm and the menus are a good enough for my uses.

Has anyone noticed any incompatibilities with playback on other dvd players? I have had one issue with Sonys, but that's it.

I had an older Sony that won't play ANY burned DVDs (either +/- R), newer DVD players seem to have no problems with discs from the Toshiba.

Just a note: I have recorded many DVD-r's on my PC and played excellent. I also used my DVD-r=R+ with the recording recorder set to DVD-ROM and played excellent. I think the thing I noticed is that the blacks were blacker than normal and I used my TV settings to lighted the picture. I have the 11 firmware. I haven't recorded anything yet on the Toshiba. As soon as I get a chance to read all the manual I will though. I appreciate all you guys have posted here. For an Old retiree it takes a little longer to get this stuff down even though I been in this field for some odd 40 yrs.

Thanks, and keep up the excellent postings
Ralph P

Well, I just received my Fuji 2x DVD-RW discs from newegg and they appear to work so I am happy now. I was hoping the Ridata 4X that I bought from amazon for cheap would work but they do not, They wont even work in my PC DVD burners, So I would stear clear of those.

Thanks for the reply. It seems older Sonys may be the issue. I have an older GE player that plays every one. I also gave a bunch of discs as gifts that have all worked (so far).

Interesting ... my oldest DVD player, a Sony, plays all DVD-R disks burned on my RD-XS32 without problem. It will also play DVD+R disks burned on my PC. I think this very well may be model-dependent -- as to which models will/will not play burned DVD media. I'll check my model # and post it after work.

How old of a Sony? I've got a Sony "300" (I think it may have some letters before the number, but 300 is the main component of the version #), and was just curious whether burned DVD-Rs will work on it. This was about the first relatively cheap Sony DVD player. IIRC, it was about $300 street.

Mostly I don't care if they don't, just curious. What about DVD-RWs?

Has anyone tried this? (I would but I don't have any -RW media yet to experiment with.)

To get frame accurate editing onto a DVD would this work:

1) Edit HD using VR (frame)

2) Do a Rate Conversion Dub HD to HD at the SAME bitrate. (When a bit rate conversion is done, all chapter markers are lost.) NOTE: it is possible that merging all chapters MAY accomplish the same thing.

3) Create new VOB chapters if desired.

4) Hi Speed Dub onto DVD.

This would eliminate the possibility of bits of commerials finding their way onto the DVD when the VR chapters are converted to VOB chapters during the Hi Speed dub.

Tom

PS: How do you go straight to your Subscribed Threads? Thanks

The PC drive is a Micro Advantage and the Media is Maxell DVD-R.

I made a DVD from a HD file that I created VR chapters. It was Hi Speed dub of a SP Mode, 4.6 Rate, D/M1.

This worked on my PC dvd drive.

Then I took a 3 hr program from the HD with VR chapters and did a rate conversion dub to the DVD where I used a Manual setting of a 3.0 rate to get the desired 3 hour capacity.

When I did the burn, I lost the chapters.

Just to make matters a bit more obscure, I dropped the DVD and it has some nicks in it. But it plays OK in the Toshiba. In the PC, it appears as an Audio-CD with no content.

I figure my problem might be:

1) I violated a "Standard" LP bit-rate.
2) Only the SP bit-rate is compatible.
3) I damaged the DVD just enough by dropping it.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Tom

You know, 6volt, that just might work... now why didn't I think of that?? I've always set chapters using GOP, then created a playlist of the chapters I want, then dubbed directly to DVD... which is why I used GOP edit to begin with.

If you copy the playlist to the HDD, that creates a new title with just the content you want, and should be frame-accurate. I think whether you remove the chapters or not is inconsequential; dub that content to DVD and you couldn't possibly pick up bits of commercials that weren't in the copy, could you? Sounds right to me.

Thanks! Perry.

PS: Click on "User CP" (Control Panel) in the top menu. There's a panel in there showing current subscribed threads, and a link to view them all.

Thanks Perry for the CP tip. I probalby spent 15 minutes looking for that. Frankly, they should have a little button right on a forum page, but that is a small point.

Do you have any idea about my 3hour DVD compatability problem?

I was reading carefully the manual and they talked about rate conversion dubbing for 2 reasons:

1) Compress a long program to fit on a DVD-RAM, and
2) Convert VR to burn on DVD-R/RW.

It sounds like the 3hour "thing" I burned on my DVD-R is bogus???

Don't know about your 3-hour problem. Maybe someone else here; I'm far from the most knowledgeable. Quite a DVD newb, actually. (You did finalize the disc, I'm sure...?)

Good luck... Perry.

6Volt, which message are you talking about? When you do a rate conversion dub, you lose your chapter points (that's a given). There's nothing 'wrong', just inconvenient.

The trick with the XS32 is to try to figure out how long the program will be before recording so you can adjust the bitrate so you don't even need to worry about a later rate conversion; granted this isn't always possible (and the XS32 does a very nice job with the conversion) but it helps prevent stupid glitches like this from having their chance to mess your video up.

Or am I missing the post about the problem?

Does anyone know if there is a DVD-R bit rate / audio rate (M1/M2) matrix out there (similar to the DVD-RAM matrix at the back of the XS-32 manual)?

Tony

JMScott42:

Yes, you missed my problem.

I think I understand pretty much about the bit rate conversion and the losing of chapters.

The Problem is that my 3 hr DVD that I burned using a rate of 3.0 is not recognized by my Micro Advantage PC DVD burner.

I burned a LP DVD on the Toshiba and it was recognized.

So why the problem with the 3 hr DVD? In fact, it registers as a "Audio CD" with a single file fragment when viewed with Explorer.

I was just thinking that there is no such thing as a 3 hour DVD so maybe when I created one, it is some kind of non-standard format that conventional DVD players will not recognize.