Page 1 of The late lamented(?) Sampo

Hi,
I was one of the suckers that believed the reviews and bought a Sampo DVE-560 off the now defunct Magnate.

Anyway, I know there`s some sort of firmware upgrade available - prob for the Encore incarnation.

Can anyone tell me what this will actually do??

My only gripe with my machine is the lip sync probs with R1 discs, Deep Blue Sea, Lake Placid, Matrix, etc., etc., With fiddling with the central speaker I can sort of make it go away - will this firmware upgrade fix it?

Ta

Suggest you search the Hack forum under Encore 450 cos I posted this very question about 3 weeks ago and some geezer gave me a link to a German site (don`t worry. you can select English language) - I believe you can download the firmware. As I don`t get a PC `til Friday I can`t report on it. Still using crappy ONnet `til then...Let me know how you get on

Yes, went to http://www.dvdschmiede.de

downloaded a version 2.0A (version 3.3 wouldn`t download - said "page not found"). You have to burn the update onto a CD-Rom and then play it in the machine. Groovy - but I have no idea what it`s going to do.

You`ll be able to get your macrovision hack through downloading ver. 2.0A. Damn useful having the macrovision off. I can get full access to the LOOPHOLE screen as is, so not sure I want to p*** about with it. I can live with minor lip-sync on my region 1s.

I emailed the germans and so will wait for a reply as to what the hell this upgrade does. Hmm.

Cheers anyway

Glad u found the site okay - I clicked on German when I first went in and then realised I hadn`t done German at school...Let me know what our German friends say, I`d be intrigued to find out. I seem to have one of the very few lucky 450/560s not blighted by the lip-sync problem thank goodness. Unfortunately, the Encore hack doesn`t release the full loopholes menu so I can`t switch off macro. As you say, better to put up with a mildly irritating lip-sync problem than lose this facility. Sigh, I wish I had it so I could flog dodgy VCRs to kids on this hellhole of an estate I live on. Mind you, I`d probably end up on crack ! That`s another story...Thanks for keeping me posted, matey

Here`s the e-mail I sent to the Sausagesuckers:

James Boraston schrieb:

Hi, Tried to download your version 3.3 for DVE-560/360 and had a "page cannot be found" message. What does this download actually do?? Will it remove lip-sync problems with R1 discs?? Danke James Boraston

Dear sir,
it works only with our German DVD-Player.
Best regards Carsten

Don`t quite think they understand English. I`m still not brave enough to put the downloaded product into my DVD. Dammit!!

Go on you know you want to:P

HITACHI 505 ROCKS!!!!!!!!

J - ignore the Sampo/Encore knocker above (yeah, we`re quite capable of doing it ourselves, as Duke would note, wryly).

If you can put up with it, leave well alone. Remember that should your Sampo go bananas who are you going to send it to for fixing ???

I`m sure Encore Direct would take a look, but I bet they`d charge you. Try e-mailing them - they may ask you to phone them if they know something cos they won`t give secrets over e-mail (sounds a bit Secret Service doesn`t it). Their website is http://www.encoredirect.co.uk

Love the reply from `Carlsen` - you can almost visualise the German accent !

I also bought a Sampo DVE560 from magnate - and to be honest, I really like the player (beauty is in the eye of the beholder - And I`m ugly :) ).

But recently I bought T2 and found it had problems playing the special edition. Some kind person sent me cd`s with the firmware upgrade on after I posted a request on the Sampo forum on Nerd Out (http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/list.php?f=11)

I decided to Email Sampo in Taiwan asking why the firmware wouldnt upgrade with the software, and within 24 hours I had a reply telling me that the Magnate version of the DVE560 did not have software upgradable firmware but Encore could do a harware update of the chipset that would allow me to use the software updates in the future.

I contacted Encore and they told me that for £26.00 they could collect, upgrade to the latest firmware and return it. They came and collected it today.

If all goes well I should have it back by the weekend.

Mike, can you keep me posted on this one - my macro disabled days may be about to end....

I prefer to describe the player as "unconventional" rather than ugly. The 1980s `music-centre` design has a certain aesthetic appeal.....

Encore are actually very funky and very helpful guys - they kept me posted virtually every day while they fixed my DV450.

Ooh, thanks for the tip about the firmware too - all useful stuff.

k folks
It was me who was trying to help out Mike_e and sent him the disks {didn`t you try them Mike ? , and as for the firmware version 2.0a gets you`s the macrovision menu and for the lipsync probs version 3.3 cures them, and as far as the Encore and Sampo goes it`s a real good player has all you need 5.1 DTS and the rest and i have now played ID4, T2 Special Edition, or should we call it extra special edition {hidden option :-)), and they all played faultlessly which is more than i can say for a lot of DVD player`s out there.

l8trz

P.S.
the Lake Placid probs are cured when you upgrade to 3.3 firmware,
and no one should worry about backward flashing the player, I did and it works perfect Mike send the guy that`s looking for 3.3 the disks since he can`t get it from the site :-). and the 3.3 works on all the players the German guys Bullsh!tting you m8.