Samsung Bdp1500 Aus Release Options

[thylacine666]

JB (in Syd at least, and I assume elsewhere) currently have 20% off ALL DVDs, inc Blu-rays, til Sunday - picked up Hellboy 2 and Blades of Glory for $31.99 each, Deliverance for $21, and Full Metal Jacket Deluxe Edition for $24.

AND my imported copy of Pan's Labyrinth (marked Region A, but actually region free - see http://bluray.liesinc.net/ for such info) which was on sale from Amazon arrived yesterday too.

Win!

This post has been edited by thylacine666: Jan 8 2009, 08:27 AM

[Dortamur]

I just changed my player to Region 9 and it still won't play my Region 1 copy of Snatch? any ideas on why?

I suspect that "Region 9" is more "Region Free" than full Multi-Region. My original US release of The Matrix won't play with the 1500 set to Region 9 either. The only "region free" player I have that will play it is my old Pioneer 515 DVD player (which I've now retired).

I have a little Sticky note on top of my 1500 with the region change sequence so if I get desperate I can set it to a set region to play back certain fussy titles. Setting it to Region 1, the Matrix worked fine.

[thylacine666]

I suspect that "Region 9" is more "Region Free" than full Multi-Region. My original US release of The Matrix won't play with the 1500 set to Region 9 either. The only "region free" player I have that will play it is my old Pioneer 515 DVD player (which I've now retired).

I have a little Sticky note on top of my 1500 with the region change sequence so if I get desperate I can set it to a set region to play back certain fussy titles. Setting it to Region 1, the Matrix worked fine.

Good point! If it's one of those annoying RCE region locks like on 'The Patriot', then yeah I seem to remember that region free player had trouble with them. I don't remember hearing Snatch to be one of those, but then I wasn't reading up on R1 stuff much...

This post has been edited by thylacine666: Jan 8 2009, 11:58 AM

[JaysonLJ]

I contacted Samsung about the DivX support and here is there reply:

Wow, talk about no information. Sounds like they were told after the BD-P1400 profile upgrade debarcle not to promise anything, even if its a possibility. 'It has the ability to play Blu-ray discs, but it may not play the movie on the disc.'

[Zodiac]

Samsung BD 1500 now has DIVX support with new firmware 090113_21_BDP1500_XSA (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[treblid]

Samsung BD 1500 now has DIVX support with new firmware 090113_21_BDP1500_XSA (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Thanks for the heads up!!!

[Goodfella]

great news.

[Sea Kitten!]

Samsung BD 1500 now has DIVX support with new firmware 090113_21_BDP1500_XSA (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I just messed myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[treblid]

I just messed myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) At least Samsung actually will release firmware upgrades for Australia. A Samsung support email I got a few days ago and which I cannot reply to basically tells me I'm not important and don't expect my issues to be fixed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) But if my problems are also the Americans' problems, eventually, we may get it too (fingers crossed).

That said, I've updated to this firmware. It can't seem to play DivX encoded animes on DVDs (shows disc cannot be played message). And it doesn't seem to be able to browse the USB drive. How to actually play a AVI file?

Edit: Tried all the discs I have. Don't think this plays AVI files (DiVX codec or others) at all... For some reason I think the black bars on BDs are a tad darker (only because my eyes hadn't adjust to the light I think). Anyway, so it seems DiVX playback is only a European feature? Unless someone here can tell me how to get it to work..

And as Dawson said below, every setting you made is gone (including the DVD region).

Edit2: DVD region change is so much easier now. Or maybe I finally got the timing right...

This post has been edited by treblid: Jan 18 2009, 12:00 PM

[Stephen Dawson]

Samsung BD 1500 now has DIVX support with new firmware 090113_21_BDP1500_XSA (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I just upgraded and the new firmware appears to have corrected the extreme slowdown problem I experienced with DHCP switched on. Just as well, since the upgrade reset my previous fixed network settings. Check your other settings after the upgrade (you should always do this anyway) because with mine, it switched PCM Down Samply and Dynamic Compression to 'On' (horror of horrors!) and, even worse, 24fps to 'Off'.

This post has been edited by Stephen Dawson: Jan 18 2009, 01:47 PM

[isilver]

I've updated to this new firmware and found that it has managed to correct a few problems with three Bratz DVDs not playing, it still refuses to play my Cornelius "Sensurround" DVD but at least it's telling me it's a wrong region now.I tried 3 avi/divx DVDs, the first DVD played some "avi" files okay, second DVD didn't work cause of was a DVD+R (they're not supposed to work, only DVD-R) last DVD didn't didn't load. So, I'm sure the divx support is there will just have to find what is the required standard/format.Did't have time to see what else is going on after the update.

[treblid]

I've updated to this new firmware and found that it has managed to correct a few problems with three Bratz DVDs not playing, it still refuses to play my Cornelius "Sensurround" DVD but at least it's telling me it's a wrong region now.I tried 3 avi/divx DVDs, the first DVD played some "avi" files okay, second DVD didn't work cause of was a DVD+R (they're not supposed to work, only DVD-R) last DVD didn't didn't load. So, I'm sure the divx support is there will just have to find what is the required standard/format.Did't have time to see what else is going on after the update.

So you and Zodiac got it to work.. Can you tell me the codec of those successful AVI files are indeed DivX, and the version.. Also will it work if you copy them to the USB drive and play it from there?

This player is too picky for me to use as a DivX player, but glad it worked for you guys.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Chopsus]

So you and Zodiac got it to work.. Can you tell me the codec of those successful AVI files are indeed DivX, and the version.. Also will it work if you copy them to the USB drive and play it from there?

This player is too picky for me to use as a DivX player, but glad it worked for you guys.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Updated mine and it still spits out a DVDr as "this disc is not playable"

[Goodfella]

same here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Do I have to unlock the region or whatever it is? its region 4. how would I go on about doing it if I wanted to free all the regions?

Thanks.

[Chopsus]

same here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Do I have to unlock the region or whatever it is? its region 4. how would I go on about doing it if I wanted to free all the regions?

Thanks.

Have a read of this thread (you are currently reading) as the instructions are in it ... basically power on without a disk, enter 76884 on the remote and press "repeat" ... when a 4 comes up on the screen press 9 and voila! region free for DVDs.

It does not seem to fix the divx/avi problem though .... mine rejects anything other than a properly authored DVDr ..... a disc with files it just rejects as not playable, so it intrigues me as to how the guys above have got it to work.

[thylacine666]

Have a read of this thread (you are currently reading) as the instructions are in it ... basically power on without a disk, enter 76884 on the remote and press "repeat" ... when a 4 comes up on the screen press 9 and voila! region free for DVDs.

It does not seem to fix the divx/avi problem though .... mine rejects anything other than a properly authored DVDr ..... a disc with files it just rejects as not playable, so it intrigues me as to how the guys above have got it to work.

Close, but repeat's pressed first...


1) Turn on the player with no disc in the tray. Wait till the unit is at the Samsung logo screen.
2) Open then close the tray, wait to see the No-Disc Message in the top Left Corner
3) Now press the REPEAT button on the remote, followed by a five digit code (76884)
4) When it works a 4 will appear in the top left corner (many have had trouble getting this to happen, all I can do is suggest trying different speeds between each press... first time took about 5 goes, second time - after first f/w update - worked first time).
5) Press 9 to make it regionless (the 4 in the top corner will change to a 9).
6) Press Eject to OPEN to open the disc tray.
7) Press Eject to CLOSE to close the disc tray.
8) Power the unit off
9) Now power the unit on again, it should now read discs from all regions.

[isilver]

There is an "official" Samsung Forum over on the CNet website, you can find it here;

http://forums.cnet.com/5204-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146

There are a few Samsung employees at the Forum responding to issues with Samsung hardware of all kinds. So maybe one of those people will be able to offer some info on DIVX capabilities if the Australian technical support people can't provide the info.

[thylacine666]

There is an "official" Samsung Forum over on the CNet website, you can find it here;

http://forums.cnet.com/5204-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146

There are a few Samsung employees at the Forum responding to issues with Samsung hardware of all kinds. So maybe one of those people will be able to offer some info on DIVX capabilities if the Australian technical support people can't provide the info.

Thanks for that, that'll be a good resource.

May be worth not upgrading to 2.3 just yet! http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.ht...ssageID=2948510

AVS forums is US-based, so problems with their firmwares may not be applicable to ours, but it seems some locals have also had their 1500 screwed by 2.3 - will no longer play Blu-rays, though normal DVDs are fine.

[isilver]

Thanks for that, that'll be a good resource.

May be worth not upgrading to 2.3 just yet! http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.ht...ssageID=2948510

AVS forums is US-based, so problems with their firmwares may not be applicable to ours, but it seems some locals have also had their 1500 screwed by 2.3 - will no longer play Blu-rays, though normal DVDs are fine.

Oh gosh I've already upgraded ... let's cross our fingers and hope for the best ... I'll have to check out and see if the blu-rays work when I get home!

[isilver]

Well I just got home and managed to successfully play a blu-ray disk without any problems after the update. Hopefully all our other users won't have any problems either (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) FWIW, I updated using the USB method.

This post has been edited by isilver: Jan 19 2009, 03:24 PM