Ok. Time for a list of working DVD Players for Tivo DVDs...

[jdiner]

Alright. I continue to get asked about issues with various DVD player hardware.

Some of these issues are things that can't be fixed. Limits to the DVD player itself (i.e. no support for 480x480 etc...) But some of them are obviously software creation issues. A few have mentioned that using tools like tmpgenc's DVD Author or DVD Lab has produced things that play from a source TyStream where TyTool does not. This means there is something fixable in there that I have not found as an error to date. So what I would like us all to do is make a list of the DVD Players we have and have tried things on and what we know about them in general.

This way people can come here for information and I can get the information I need to get things off and running in an attempt to get the maximum compatibility. Because right now everything I make plays on everything I have...

Now in some cases older players in the same vein work better than newer ones so if possible provide date information from the sticker on the back of the player (some have it, some do not).

Please answer the questions below directly and in order for ease of gathering results down the road. I know that some of this is available on other sites. But I would like to know which users here are having which issues and what those are. It is the only way I am going to be able to look into support for anything.

So the list of questions:
1- Brand/make/model/year?
2- Software to split/process TyStream?

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
4- DVD success or failure?
5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
7- SVCD sucess or failure?
8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?

9- Short comment on report.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
JVC XV-N40, XV-N50, XV-N55

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool

4- DVD success or failure?
Success with minor issue. (40+ disks now)

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
Minor. Menu works when using number key to select a show but arrow navigation doesn't work at all.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
TyTool with Audio transcoding to 44.1 @ 192

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Failure!

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
The display pops and jerks. The video data rate is just too high.

9- Short comment on report.
Great for NTSC Tivo DVD playback.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Panasonic DVD-S35 Feb, 2003

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool

4- DVD success or failure?
Success. (40+ disks now)

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
None.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
TyTool with Audio transcoding to 44.1 @ 192

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Failure!

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
The display pops and jerks. The video data rate is just too high.

9- Short comment on report.
The best I have seen for NTSC Tivo DVD playback.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Apex AD-600a 1997 (I think but it is an old old one.)

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool

4- DVD success or failure?
Success. (40+ disks now)

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
None.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
TyTool with Audio transcoding to 44.1 @ 192

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Sucess!

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
None. The display is smooth and playback is perfect.

9- Short comment on report.
The most flexible I have seen for NTSC Tivo DVD and SVCD playback. But it has no progressive output. So the color degredation found in certain DTV streams is very noticble during DVD playback.

--jdiner

[koreth]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Pioneer DVL-909, 1998 or thereabouts

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool

4- DVD success or failure?
Success, mostly

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
Video plays back fine, but the 480x480 picture is squished to the left side of the frame (i.e., the player doesn't stretch the picture.)

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
n/a

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
n/a

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
n/a

9- Short comment on report.
Since I play back through a computer, it's no big deal for the computer to do the stretch instead, but it wouldn't be any good if I had the player hooked directly to a TV.

[Pro-289]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
RCA/Progressive Scan DVD/RC-6001P/2002

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool7r6, 44.1 @ 192 for SVCD
TyTool7r10, #7 & #3 for DVD

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool7r10

4- DVD success or failure?
Success.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
Nero 5.5.10.35

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Success.

9- Short comment on report.
Doesn't say it supports SVCDs. But plays over spec discs greater than 2.6Mbit video bitrate (xSVCD), and @ 48KHz audio. For DVDs (either 720x480 or 480x480), plays either Dolby Digital or MPEG audio.

[Pro-289]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Pioneer DV-503/2001 or 2002

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool7r6, 44.1 @ 192 for SVCD
TyTool7r10 for DVD

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool7r10

4- DVD success or failure?
Failure.

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
Didn't actually see it. But I heard it was squished on screen and shifted to the left a little, probably due to the 480 width, and the audio played a little random noise and pops every now and then. It was transcoded and burned @ #7 Dolby 48@384 and was @ 480x480 size.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
Nero 5.5.10.35

7- SVCD success or failure?
Failure

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
Did not like Nero SVCD menus. Also failed because the video bitrate was too high, sometimes 3-4Mbit. It plays, but skips when it gets to the high bitrate sections.

9- Short comment on report.
This player is spec-bitrate strict. I had to use TMPGEnc to re-encode the video down to spec 2520kbit max. Only then would it play smoothly on this player. I haven't tried 48kHz audio yet. The DVD menu created with TyTool worked perfectly. This DVD player is totally by-the-book, and shouldn't be purchased if possible.

[jmhenry5150]

1- Brand/make/model/year?

SONY - DVP-NS700P

2- Software to split/process TyStream?

TyTool7r6

3- Software to create DVD fileset?

TyTool7r6

4- DVD success or failure?

SUCCESS

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?

TyTool7r6 - TMPEG

7- SVCD sucess or failure?

FAILURE

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?

This DVD player will play VCD's just fine, but not SVCD's - If you change the SVCD header using TMPEG, it WILL play fine...

9- Short comment on report.

This DVD player is stubborn...it will not play audio that is not encoded as Dolby Digital...if you are burning MPEG II audio, you won't get any sound...So, the new release of TyTool7r6 that is able to convert to DD, is the key here...

[6021tivo]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
UK Pacific 1002 YR 2003

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TYTOOL

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TYTOOL

4- DVD success or failure?
Failure

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
Counter on front counting up ok, display just showing the DVD players HW menu.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
NEODVD (I Think)

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Sucess

[artships]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Panasonic RV32 2003

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool; Tystudio

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool

4- DVD success or failure?
Gotta call it a failure.
A 720x480 movie (sound shifted to48K) plays fine!


5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
A 544x480 looks a wee-bit choppy. Worse, about two-thirds of the way across the screen there's a weird column about 1/10th the width of the screen. This inch-wide column looks ot be shifted up a row or two of pixels above the rest of the screen.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
I've a DVD burner.

[Wes]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Apex AD-5131 and Apex AD-1500 (the old one that is region-free-able)

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
SpruceUp and/or DVDMaestro

4- DVD success or failure?
Success. (100+)

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
None.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
TyTool with Audio transcoding to 44.1 @ 192
Also work with TyTool with goldwave for audio transcode
Then use Nero.

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Sucess!

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
None. The display is smooth and playback is perfect.

9- Short comment on report.

[Wes]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
Apex AD-1200 (the newer model that's not hackable) and Apex AD-1200 (the old one that is region-free-able)

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
SpruceUp and/or DVDMaestro

4- DVD success or failure?
The old AD-1200 Success. The new one doesn't start at all.

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
The DVD started spinning and stop.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
TyTool with goldwave for audio transcode then use Nero.

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
Sucess!

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
None. The display is smooth and playback is perfect.

9- Short comment on report.
The old AD-1200 is extinct. To determine which one is new and which one is old, check this website: http://www.nerd-out.com/darrenk/

[asicguyca]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
SONY - DVP-CX850
bought less than 1 year after introduction

2- Software to split/process TyStream?

TyTool7r6

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool7r6

4- DVD success or failure?
SUCCESS

Using cheap DVD-R no-name discs ($48/100)
I have had 1 flaky disk out of about 15 written so far.

[sirfergy]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
KLH 1220, 2003

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
TyTool

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
TyTool, Nero

4- DVD success or failure?
Success

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
Audio needs to be @ 48KHz

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
n/a

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
n/a

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
n/a

9- Short comment on report.
Excellent!!!!

[slideaway]

1- Brand/make/model/year?
SONY DVP-S560D, 2000

2- Software to split/process TyStream?
Tietool-TMPEG-DVDPatcher (Tytool7r3)

3- Software to create DVD fileset?
Ulead DVD MF 2/ Nero

4- DVD success or failure?
Success with minor issues. 15+ discs

5- Description of the DVD failure if there was one?
Playing shows on disc; some start properly but others, once you the select show, get a quick snip of audio and the clock starts but it stays on the menu, no video. If you fast forward a bit, the show comes on the screen.
I've narrowed that down to the cut point I select when editing in GOP, just have to go back and try a different cut point and rebuild the DVD. Otherwise no other errors.

6- Software to create SVCD fileset?
n/a

7- SVCD sucess or failure?
n/a

8- Description of the SVCD failure if there was one?
n/a

9- Short comment on report.
In regards to the player, I've only used +R/RW media so I can't report on -R/RW compatibility. Sometimes the audio lags behind or the video moves real fast but this is only for a second or two and the player corrects itself. Love the tools and this ability we all have as a result.