Macrovision? I just want to WATCH a DVD!

[fender4]

I have a Toshiba SD-3750 DVD player that works great when I use the S-video or composite outputs to my TV (CRT). When I use either of these outputs with my DIY LCD projector (using the nView Spectra C LCD panel), I get the classic Macrovision fading/brightening cycle every few seconds.

ALL I WANT TO DO IS WATCH SOME DVDs!!! I DON'T WANT TO COPY ANYTHING!!! Why am I being punished for fair use of this DVD player, which I paid good money for?

Anyway, I have a fairly firm grasp on the concept of analog copy protection like Macrovision, but I was wondering what any of you may have done to circumvent this situation. I sent an e-mail to Toshiba, but no replies. I am thinking about getting this...

http://www.directsalesinc.com/dvdvidstab.html

I'm not even sure if it will work with my DVD player (I've read that some of these "stabilizers" will not work with Toshiba equipment ), and I would rather not spend money to sneak around a protection circuit that is protecting no one from anything.

Are there any simple DIY solutions?

Just looking for opinions. Thanks for any input!

-f4

 

[griff]

i have not heard of any DIY solutions for your particular player, but these guys http://www.dvdshop.com.au will be able to help you, just email them.

 

[fender4]

Thanks for the tip. I think their website must be down...I tried it a few times, and I received the classic, "The page cannot be found" error. I'll check it later...

-f4

 

[tiroth]

I've been told that to reliably remove all vestiges of the Macrovision 7 signal you really need something better than the $30 units originally designed for VHS tapes. I can't remember the name of the unit offhand, but it tends to sell for about $100. A search of Ebay should turn it up.

 

[griff]

that link works for me, must be ur net.

 

[SushiMasterX]

Tiroth,

That's true! I used the $30 cheapo model and it would always cut out and distort the picture when there was a very white picture on screen. For instance, when I watch a skiing movie or more specifically THE MATRIX. When they would suit up with all the rows of weaponry approaching them, or basically, when they were to look like they were going into a simplistic program (all white background) it would distort the picture. I thought it migh be a cap and I changed the larger one's but, nothing fixed it.

Spend the cash for the better one if you plan on saving for the Planet of the Apes beings to watch at some latter time, when we are gone.

 

[Rich B]

Does using a Key Digital transcoder eliminate Macrovision?

Toshiba progressive dvd player component outs > Transcoder component inputs > transcoder VGA output > nView LCD panel

Thanks.

Rich B.

 

[Blockhead]

Rich...

Below is a a post by mycamel:

________________________________________________
I bought one of
these from Amazon.com. It works fine up to 1024x768, and cured my Macrovision woes. Someone in the original thread had mentioned it. Less expensive than the equivalent ones on the page you refrenced too.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...7113534/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-6800488-1970242
_________________________________________________

Below is a post from me:

_________________________________________________
I have been looking in to this and I have come across a website that is selling several different types of this...I may look into one of these just to see if they help an s-video signal. Any suggestions as to which one I should get? Moreover have you guys seen or heard anything about these?

Well here is the link...http://www.avtoolbox.com/video-to-vga.htm
__________________________________________________


Above are some other options to look into since what you are looking at is somewhere around $199 and what mycamel and myself posted are around the $75 range. My overhead comes in on Monday so after I try it out I will let you know-

BLOCKHEAD

 

[Rich B]

Blockhead:

Thanks for the reply. The items you mention take an analog signal and make it VGA. The item I'n talking about takes a digital signal (progressive DVD) and keeps it digital, but makes it VGA. The resulting picture quality should be nicer if you keep it digital all the way.

The macrovision issue just ruins the WHOLE idea for me. If I do this, I want to use it for DVD's, pretty much exclusively, along with my progressive DVD player - no PC for me in my HT. I want to try it, but not with macrovision hanging over my head (no pun intended). I don't understand why the LCD panels are tripping the macrovision. A vcr trips it due to its recording nature, but the LCD panels are nothing more than display devices, like a TV.

Why are the LCD panels tripping the macrovision???

Rich B.

 

[mrfeedback]

Hello Rich,
There are two possible soloutions to your MV problem.
First is try is to turn off the MV processing.
Some DVD players have a menu (you may have to go into service mode for this) that enable MV to be turned on or off.
Second soloution is to modify your projector.
MV works by fooling the video AGC stage, and this AGC action is controlled by a time constant (RC network).
You will need a service manual to understand the video AGC stage, and identify the time constant components.
Increasing this time constant should cure the problem.

Regards, Eric.

 

[Justinjay]

Macrovision-free DVD players

Hello, I do not have a DVD player. I am considering to buy one soon.

I might get one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1367780909

Macrovision free DVD-Player!

I was looking at a GoVideo DVD/VCR combo (they are built in to the same unit)

It has a feature to copy from a DVD to VHS tape.

Do you think this player would have macrovision? I would like a unit that plays both DVDs and tapes.

I have an nView Z215 LCD panel.

 

[Blockhead]

My Macrovision woes fixed!!!!

I orderd the tv-3000 from this company and it fixed my macrovision problems...Currently I'm running rca jack out from dvd to my tv-3000 and vga out from tv-3000 to n view spectra c.

The tv-3000 comes with several settings such as brightness/contast/hue/saturation/ so I had to fine tune these and now I can enjoy my dvds with my digital 5.1 and (DTS) on a 7 foot wide by 4 foot tall screen.

(by the way I am hanging curtains up on all my walls in this room and last night I finished the screen wall...man adding black all around the screen really gives a theater effect!)

-blockhead

p.s. here is the link to the site where I found this converter...just fyi as a product that works with the n view spectra c to remove macrovision.
http://www.avtoolbox.com/tv-3000.htm

 

[Tritoch84]

That TV 3000 would work great.

But my whole SETUP cost 80 bucks, why in hell would I spend 100 bucks to fix macrovision? Someone should sue them.

 

[scott916]

get something like this . I have this player and macrovision can be removed with a software BIOS flash quite easily. Just a thought...

 

[DonoMan]

Don't touch Apex. ever. no matter how big your pole is.

 

[unit24]

Don't know why you say that, have you tried one? I have an older AD-600A that has never given me a problem. I'm even retrofitting it to allow me to update to the latest firmware.

 

[Tritoch84]

Doesn't a simple cheap up converter or line doubler work to take care of MacroVision?