Assuming you have only the component cable hooked up, then that would explain the lack of audio. The component VIDEO cable you have hooked from your player to the TV is simply that - video, and video only. It splits (or more accurately, keeps split) the separate video signals that a more common composite (AKA "RCA") cable merges together. Hence the name "component" - the video components are kept separate - versus "composite" - as in mixed. Normally the composite cables come with two or three "ends" or cbales, like your component cable, but one is for video, and one is for audio (or two for audio, if stereo). The component cable you have uses all three of the cables for video, giving you a much improved picture. The end result is you need another set of cables for the audio. Get it?
I was reading in several reviews on the net that said you could play mp3 and view jpg files at the same time. Does anyone know how to do this or if it is possible? I would really like to have a slide show with background music. Right now I have start the slide show and tell my stereo to play a CD. Would be more convient the other way. (This is a Repost)
dx9s (Doug) Thanks for the pixel width info info! I'm kind of a noob to this stuff but it sounds like if I encode using a fixed 640 pixel width (autoGK seems to "choose" widths near 640 most of the time in the auto mode anyway) the resulting file should display correctly in most cases. I'll try it out. Thanks again.
Some more information about MPEG4 and the 642 (and other PC players like 'The [Divx] Player') ... All dealing with MPEG4 assuming source is/must be square pixel. Just to help you understand the matting logic (assuming you are performing some cropping)... if you are performing NO cropping then your width to height should ALWAYS be 4:3 ... 640/480 = 4/3 as does 720/540 = 4/3!! Those are two magic numbers (frame sizes) that I will use alot, but ANY numbers can be used AS-LONG-AS they fall onto an even 16 pixel count boundary. (644/16 = 40.25, 640 works, 640/16 =40). Now in a cropped setup like 640x352 (360 is not even 16, but is even 8 and *MIGHT* work, but not recommended). The target "matted" output should be 640x480 (640/480=1.33333)... For the normal matting processes (adding/filling frame on the top and bottom): The source is 640x352, 640/352=1.81818... This ratio/fraction is higher than 1.3333. The 640 is used to determine what the height SHOULD be. 640/4*3 = 480. Now in theory (i've never tried/tested) if the number was something like say 640x540, 640/540=1.185185185 which is lower than 1.3333! In theory (i haven't tested/proved it on 642 or PC based players), the height is picked and the width is calculated; 540*4/3=720. So the picture should be matted (black bars added) on the left and right. Since left/right matting is something I've never done, I couldn't tell you that this WILL happen, but it SHOULD happen. The problem that I have (that I documented earilier) is that once the scaling/resizing/matting is performmed, the output is adjusted to NTSC 4:3 (pixel with of 0.9). Take the 640x352 matted (top/bottom) to 640x480 (still square pixel) then outputted to NTSC 4:3 ( rounded up to 0.9, it actually is a little bit lower by about 2%, or about .889)... The effective (or finial width) is 640/0.889 = 720 (rounded). The issue is that when you pick (in the 642 menu) that your TV is widescreen (16:9, 1.2 pixel width). It doesn't take this into account when outputing MPEG4 content. So everybody looks really wide. I've had to go to the extent (using VirtualDub) of rescaling the MPEG4 file so that when viewed on 4:3 (0.9) that everybody looks thin and when played back on normal TV, it looks perfect. For StarWars #4 which is wider than 16:9/1.85:1 it.s 2.35:1 (about 25:11), I cropped the source so that it was 2.35:1 and then scaled and compressed as MPEG4. 720x480 cropped top 56, 60 bottom, stretched to 740x400 (416 is technically correct rounding to nearest 16, but 400 looked correct). When played back an effective "SQUARE" frame of 740x540 and then adjusted for 0.9 pixel (or 540 * 0.889 = 480) and outputted as 740x480 .. but everybody looks thin unless 16:9. If play back on PC using Divx player, I can over ride the "ratio" and put in 720x304 (720/304=2.35 the original aspect ratio). But there is NO way to encode this ratio and have the player *deal* with it. Xvid allows for (during encoding) one to embed either the aspect ratio (in pixels) or the pixel size INSIDE the MPEG4 stream. BUT NO PLAYER *DEALS* WITH THIS INFORMATION -- INCLUDING 642, so I *HAVE* to adjust the file for optimim viewing (on 16:9 projector). --Doug P.S.> That is why I have HAD to learn so much recently!
Which brings me back to my original point-why should I have to make adjustments and recodes just to watch downloads?
Ok this might soud like a very very stupid question, but how do you search through your DivX movies?? When I try to scroll through as I would scroll through a DVD movie the Movie just exits and goes back to the root menu, this really sucks if you have missed 5 minutes of your movie and you want to rewind.
I purchased my philips DVP642/17 in June 04 from Amazon.com. Their site stated that it did play DVD-R. However, I can tell you that mine will not. The information from Philips clearly states DVD+R and dose not mention -R compatability at all. Maybe Philips will add DVD-R support in a later firmwar update.
About the DVD-R issue, I have the DVP642/37, and it DOES play DVD-R. Maybe that's the difference between 642/17 and 642/37... About the issue of having to re-encode everything just to watch it on the player... I don't get it. I've so far downloaded 85 movies, and 170 TV episodes and about 97% of these play perfectly well, just as I downloaded them. I don't know what you guys are doing to provoke all your problems. This player was made to do something simple, and to do it well: download movies and play them back. That's it. No fancy schmancy aspect ratio fiddling, subtitle shifting and whatnot.
Well you should just pull out your manual and read it really but I'm feeling generous. Use the right arrow key for forward and left arrow key (as in the buttons you'd normally use to move around menus) for back. you should be able to go 2x,4x,6x, and 8x using this method. If you want to jump ahead faster I suggest pressing display and typing in the the time you want to go to and hitting the ok button. Try it let me know if it works for you. Love this player. Plays wmv files for me!
Alright I need everyones help here. I tried to upgrade the dvd player with the links provided and have big problems now. I can't even get the dvd player to turn on. Just sits there with no response to any of the buttons except the power button. When it turns on nothing is on the screen and then I am able to turn back off. How can I get the player to be functional again??? Any help would be appreciated!! Sorry forgot to add that this is the phillips dvp642/37 that I am having the major issue with.
If... by any chance, you interrupted the upgrade session (turned the power off, unplugged it, etc.), then you're in a lot of trouble. Only solution, return it to where you bought it, and get a new one.
Thanks for the solution, dponce80. Already called phillips after posting last night. They also said the same thing. Got a new one coming already, thanks to Amazon. Phillips really wasn't much help in trouble shooting. Just kept telling me to turn off for a half hour and then turn back on and should work. Another questions, when I burnt the cd for the upgrade I just used the Windows XP software. Is this alright to use? Is there a certain way I have to burn this software? How long does the upgrade take?
The upgrade process doesnt take very long. Maybe 5 minutes total. But there's a certain way to do it. And, yes, there IS also a certain way to burn the CD. It's all in the pdf that accompanies the file. I suggest you read it carefully, because (as you already know), upgrading the firmware can be useful, but has to be done right.
I'm needing some help or some input here, i'm a newb so take it easy on me =) I've had this player for a few months now. It plays any svcd i put in it. When it comes to avi's (xvid in particular) It will play some, but then certain ones the picture is all blocky, pixlated, messed up. The sound is there, and fine, but the piture is crazy. I bought this player so i can just burn something, pop it in and watch. I didnt want to have to re-encode, blah blah blah. So is there an easy fix for this? Anyway to fix the messed up picture? Any help is appreciated
Just to update you guys-I finally finished modding my computer with an audio card that has pdif out in both coaxial and toslink-one cable to my receiver and one to the tv. Viola, watch downloads off my hard drive. Gee, kinda sounds like tivo, huh?
uh... SStar... there is a simple way. You'd know it if you'd read this thread a little before asking. What you have to do, (it's weird, but it works, for some reason) is when you start playing the movie, press "menu" on your remote. Then... press it again, to exit the menu screen. Your show should now play just fine. Try it.
ha, wow so it does work. I read almost all 11 pages of this thread, and had no idea that is what they were refering to, thx for pointing it out
Any insight you guys can give me will be very appreciated. I bought the DVP642/37 two weeks ago. My Toshiba television is 6 months old. I love this dvd player already, but I find myself adjusting the picture everytime I watch something new. (mainly brightness and contrast, it seems very off between divx/xvid and DVDS) The "Standard" option in Smart Picture gives me a VERY dark picture, "BRIGHT" is too high, and "SOFT" is pretty dark also. (I have the latest firmware and its set to NTSC for my NTSC tv) If someone can confirm that their "Standard", "BRIGHT" and "SOFT" options on their DVP642 is acceptable to them, then I'll just go back to the store and exchange it for another one instead of getting a refund. (maybe its my player specifically)
