Page 1 of Why so little info on Pioneer DV360??? And other help too please.....!

Hi all,

Following the success of my first post last week, which attracted no replies, I have vowed to return with a more interesting question (and maybe not so boring question for the geeks - I am just a novice and new to the site!)!!!

I was thinking of buying a Pioneer DV350 ages ago and never got round to it, and I want to buy a new DVD player for sure now.

But I have just heard about the launch pf the Pioneer DV360, which I have heard from Richer Sounds os the replacement for the 350 and sold out within one week of launch at their stores. But I have tried to find reviews for the 360 and, considering the huge legacy of the player
it is supposed to replace, I was amazed to find no reviews in What Hi-Fi or any website!!!!!

The question is `Is the 360 a worthy sucessor to the 350?` and where can I find a review on it??? Is it just that reviews are about to come out???

Also, I have seen a review of the Tosh 330 which also seems good, and I can get both for £99.......which one would you people recommend???

I also hear that to play region 1 discs on the tosh 330 u have to have an NTSC capable TV......I`m not sure if mine is.....is it a common feature that I need not worry about???


Just one more thing I would like clarified.....what is firmware and what do peopel mean when they talk abotu downloading the latest firmware for DVD player XYZ???? How do I do this and why would I do this, and is tere any point to it???

Sorry for being a novice!
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

Zak

This item was edited on Saturday, 21st June 2003, 11:27

Quote:
Why so little info on Pioneer DV360???

I think the answer is that it`s too new - hardly anyone has had the chance to look at it yet! Give it a month or so.

Quote:
I also hear that to play region 1 discs on the tosh 330 u have to have an NTSC capable TV

If you`re using S-Video or composite video, yes. However, you don`t need a NTSC-capable TV if you`re using a RGB SCART connection, as RGB signals bypass the NTSC/PAL colour circuitry entirely. The only requirement is that the TV can handle a 60Hz video signal - most reasonably modern TVs (10-15 years old or newer) should be capable of this.

Quote:
Just one more thing I would like clarified.....what is firmware and what do peopel mean when they talk abotu downloading the latest firmware for DVD player XYZ???? How do I do this and why would I do this, and is tere any point to it???

Firmware is to your DVD player what Microsoft Windows is to your PC (or Linux, if you want to be awkward ;-) ) - it`s basically the software that handles all of the functionality and provides the graphical user interface. Generally speaking, if a piece of software is stored in a memory chip (ROM, Flash, or EPROM) rather than on a disc, it`s often referred to as firmware.

There are quite a few reasons why you might want to update your DVD player`s firmware, for example if...

1) The new firmware supports multi-region/Macrovision off, and your current one doesn`t
2) The old firmware has lots of bugs which are fixed in the new version (Samsung 709 anyone? ;-) )
3) The new firmware adds new features (e.g. SVCD playback, DVD-R support)

You`d obviously have to find out what the new firmware actually does to determine whether it`s worth upgrading or not.

The method of upgrading depends on what type of memory chip the firmware is stored in. The vast majority of new players use Flash chips, which are easy to update (usually, it`s just a case of burning the firmware onto CD-R and putting it in the player).

Other players (e.g. many Samsungs and their clones) use EPROM chips, which have to be removed, erased with ultra-violet light and reprogrammed using a dedicated piece of kit - this is a more difficult process, but it can be done (you may have to find someone to reprogram the EPROM for you).

Finally, some very old players use ROM chips, which are permanent and cannot be updated at all. To upgrade the firmware on those players, you`d generally need to de-solder the chip from the board and replace it with a whole new chip.

Mike

I`ve just bought one for my Parent`s from http://www.homecinemaheaven.com/prod_info/dvd/dv360.htm, it`s got some information, and Pioneer have information here http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/product_detail.jsp?product_id=3728&taxonomy_id=45-64. The short exposure to it on Saturday it seems a good player (nice picture out of the box on there Panasonic 24inch widescreen 50hz tele). Sound is only going through a stereo system (which did cause me some problems in the set-up), but sounds pretty good. Layer change was pretty quick. The menu`s etc. are simular to my 656 and my brother`s 454.

I hope this helps.