Just a sidenote here about standalone players and firmware. [bold]Some Standalone players can be updated for firmware.[/bold] I updated the firmware on my Philips. The procedure involved downloading the file and writing it to a CD (my standalone plays CDs and a lot more), then playing the firmware disc in the standalone and following the procedure outlined for the process. However, for this model Toshiba, the SD-330ESB, I've not seen any firmware updates.
Hey Brobear thanks for the input, Yes I can confirm that files are available to 'upgrade' the Toshiba SD-330ESB. I am in the UK (Region 2) and found that my Tosh wouldn't play disks from the US (Region 1). I located the necessary files on the net, burned a CD and ran it in my Tosh. After 30 seconds or so, following the instructions, I was able to play my Region 1 disk.
I would have mentioned the Region Code patch, but didn't think that was important. Normally firmware is for handling newer media or solving programming faults. One can rip using DVD Decrypter or use AnyDVD in a transcode to solve "out of region" problems when copying a disc. Guess having a player play out of region discs might be handy. However, in the time I've been recording (since the burners came out), I've yet to run into an out of region disc. It might be handy for someone travelling between different regions. Some areas may see more of the different discs, but I'd wonder why they were diverted to the wrong region. A region patch didn't appear to be the original problem anyway. Unless you purchased players from different regions (in which case you should have known about region codes) the problem appeared to be with media compatibility. A region patch doesn't help that unless you were copying out of region DVDs. In which case, wouldn't it have made more sense to change the code during the copy process?
Brobear, yes it wold have made sense to change the code to region free when I backed the DVD up, but I couldn't. Like a lot of people on these forums I found great trouble in copying a certain disk, namely Hitch. I bought it in the US. It wouldn't play here in the UK so I tried to copy it, making lots of coasters in the process. I gave up in the end and 'altered' my DVD player to play all regions. BTW, I'm still after a driver for my Sony/LiteOn DVD player, any ideas. Thanks, Angus.
Don't see why Hitch would have been a problem. The R1 version was very easy using AnyDVD and/or DVD Decrypter, not a single hitch doing the backup (couldn't resist the pun). I backed it up and it's somewhere in the Video library now. I didn't realize people were having problems with Hitch until I read about it on the forum. Hacked firmware for your Sony/LiteOn, haven't seen any. Just keep looking though, someone may come up with it. You appear to already know the likely spots to find it. If you're just wanting to play out of region materials, AnyDVD and Region Free will work; and if you're wanting to play the output on the home entertainment center, I'd have thought you'd have your PC hooked up to it by now. All it takes is a card and some cable.
@angus999, Go here http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks.php?select=Toshiba+SD330E and see if you feel comfortable of doing the following hack guides that was posted in there. A few people say that it's hackable.
angus999, I'm not sure what you're looking for or which model DW-56A or what brand laptop it is in, but you can find some f/w updates here. http://codeguys.rpc1.org/firmwares.html Mort
Mort81 you're an absolute star. I'd checked every site I could find and I'm sure I'd tried that firmware before but from a different source. Well, I followed your link, downloaded it, double clicked it, rebooted, and............yeeeeeehaaaaa. No more 'Found New Hardware' messages. A great big thanks and shout out to you. I'd spent days solid trying to crack that. Thanks again mate Alkohol, thanks for that. I have 'hacked' my standalone Tosh to play all regions. Does your link let it play all DVD media? Brobear and everyone else, thanx for your input guys
You're very welcome. Glad to have helped ya out. Thank you for the thanks. It makes it all worth while. So many forget or don't take the time to thank folks after their problem is solved. Mort
