Adam PatridgeThe retro tech hoarder in me couldn't resist picking up some new electronics at the thrift store, hidden amongst various regular DVD and Blu-ray players.
First one I've ever seen in person. Sadly, no remote included. Now to get it working.
Technically, I already have a way to play HD DVD discs, but it's the Xbox 360 drive I picked up from eBay for cheap: "parts/untested", but worked fine and even came with a movie.
It's just USB, so you can rip movies [slowly] using that drive on Windows with MakeMKV. And I have an Xbox 360 console, which means I can properly experience the interactive menus and such.
So, the initial symptom was that it wouldn't eject the disc tray. At the thrift store, first it would just say "Welcome" forever and the eject button just beeps. After unplugging and trying again, the eject button doesn't even beep.
Being me, my first thought was to take it all apart to make sure it doesn't have any obvious physical obstructions. Took it down to being able to see inside the drive, but nothing obvious causing issues (and no free disc this time).
The dozens of other owners of this HD DVD player may already be aware of my issue and laughing at me. Reading the manual revealed a hint with this block of "keep your expectations low" wording. The problem isn't hardware at all. Though I'd still argue it shouldn't be as bad as it is. (Why can't I eject the disc until it's fully booted!?)
Hooking it up to a display for the first time, it eventually showed the clock setting page. (The equivalent to blinking 12:00 on an old VCR, I guess.) This page took probably 30 seconds to show up on my TV's HDMI input. At this point, you can finally eject the disc tray.
Of course, since I don't have a remote, I have to skip this.
With my impatience being the real issue, I finally popped in my HD DVD copy of Nine Inch Nails Beside You In Time to see its top-level menu.
Again, since I don't have a remote yet, I have no ability to proceed from here.
So, that's the end of this saga until I can emulate the Toshiba HD DVD Player remote (model SE-R0285, I believe). With how slow this player is, I'm not sure this will ever find a permanent home on my shelves. But it's been fun to get explore the inner workings, even if that was totally unnecessary.
in_sympathy@patridge I still have that DVD disc I borrowed from a friend who used to run #NIN fansite here in Ukraine π€. Someday I'll give it back - luckily we're still in touch even from before that DVD was released - can't say that about too many people π .
P.S.: I wish someone made at least 1080p AI upscale of the show - it's surely my favorite one. What's yours btw?
@in_sympathy At the time, this specific tour video came out on HD DVD, Blu-ray, and DVD. The HD DVD and Blu-ray should be 1080p, though this Toshiba can only output 1080i from it.
Here's the VLC media info on the main Winter Tour video from the disc. (You can rip HD DVD video files with MakeMKV on Windows with the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive.)
As a teenager (I'm old), I would have loved to see the Downward Spiral music live on the Self Destruct Tour. I saved up to buy the Closure double-VHS tour video when it was a new release.
After all the releases over the years, though, The Fragile is still my favorite albumβ¦so, the Fragility Tour, I guess. I have the And All That Could Have Been release from that tour, but it was only ever released in 720p DVD.
@patridge not sure how old are you, but i'am no teenager as well :).
However my favorite album somehow definitely is With Teeth. Man, it's been 20 years since the release already... Wow.
I wish I'd get to see NIN live, they even announced their first show in Kyiv, of course I got a ticket, but then the show got cancelled because the mess began in the eastern part of the country :(.
Thanks God we have YouTube anyway :)
@in_sympathy That's certainly the crappiest possible thing to cause a concert cancellation. I'm so very sorryβ¦for just so much at this point.
π‘πππΊππππΊπ π°ππππ±@patridge
I hate devices that don't provide you with actual buttons to use if the remote isn't working. π‘ A player should at a minimum have a play and stop button.
I hate devices that don't provide you with actual buttons to use if the remote isn't working. π‘ A player should at a minimum have a play and stop button.
@SmartmanApps This one has all the basic buttons, but none of them seem to work until you are beyond the menus and in a video. So, without even an Enter/OK button, Iβm stuck at the root menu.
@patridge
Yeah, not having an enter button is a ridiculous omission if you're not going to let the play button just, you know, play the content - they didn't think that through! π
Yeah, not having an enter button is a ridiculous omission if you're not going to let the play button just, you know, play the content - they didn't think that through! π
@SmartmanApps That would be lovely. I'd complain about it on this HD DVD player, but that's been the way of things for DVD and Blu-ray menus too. Heck, even VHS before that would pack trailers in front of your movie, though at least it would play there eventually.
@patridge
I think I had a disk player at some point that did have menu and tab buttons, for once, but the problem goes back to I even had a VCR that you could play/record, but had no buttons for setting the timer π‘ - then eventually a lot of the other buttons disappeared too. My BD recorder only has power and eject, both of which useless to you if your remote is out of action
I think I had a disk player at some point that did have menu and tab buttons, for once, but the problem goes back to I even had a VCR that you could play/record, but had no buttons for setting the timer π‘ - then eventually a lot of the other buttons disappeared too. My BD recorder only has power and eject, both of which useless to you if your remote is out of action
@patridge
And of course, the remote is always the first thing to start failing (or go missing)
And of course, the remote is always the first thing to start failing (or go missing)