DVDs: Anyone had this happen?

[Duncan Haldane]

I have two DVD players in my living room. One is just over four years old, the other one year. I have had a couple of newer CDs not play in my old DVD player.

But that one's a multi-zone. I own a few DVDs from the US and the UK, so I made sure I got a DVD player that would play them.

The DVDs that didn't play in my old player have always played in the new one.

It is my understanding that there is a new technology that won't allow some DVDs to play in multi-zone players. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that's why they wouldn't play in my player.

So, Mr T. Wrangler, is your player set to multi-zone?

Duncan

 

[Saqhara]

Could be a ROM thing..

I had a similar experience with Armagedon a few years back. I went all over the city exchanging that damn disk and then finally gave up in frustration. The topic came up a few days later when a friend was having a similar problem. Seems all his (and my) player needed was a ROM upgrade and everything worked fine. A local shop did the same for mine at no cost and I got it back the next day.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

So, Mr T. Wrangler, is your player set to multi-zone?

As far as I know it's strictly Region 1 (that is what you're talking about, right?). If there's a programmable setting for multi-zone I haven't seen it.

After a bunch of useless tips, Sony's basically told me bring it in or send it in. The only problem is I've got a pretty complicated setup and I'm not really overjoyed about taking the thing apart. I've got a huge TV and a custom-built entertainment center and I'd have to call up a bunch of friends to move the thing around to get at the back of the player. Reconnecting will be a chore too. Doesn't this seem like the kind of thing that should be upgradable by slapping a disc in there ?

 

[Krieg]

As far as I know it's strictly Region 1 (that is what you're talking about, right?). If there's a programmable setting for multi-zone I haven't seen it.

If you purchased through "normal" channels, (ie Best Buy/Circuit City) chances are that it is indeed Region 1 only.

After a bunch of useless tips, Sony's basically told me bring it in or send it in. The only problem is I've got a pretty complicated setup and I'm not really overjoyed about taking the thing apart. I've got a huge TV and a custom-built entertainment center and I'd have to call up a bunch of friends to move the thing around to get at the back of the player. Reconnecting will be a chore too.

This is a longshot, but if you know someone else with a DVD player of the same make/model you could try the disc in question in their machine.

Doesn't this seem like the kind of thing that should be upgradable by slapping a disc in there ?

That would depend on whether the issue is software or hardware based.