Malata DVP-393...any info on this unit?

[oldfart13]

Found another new player at Futureshop today, the Malata DVP-393. Any info on this tiny unit? I notice that the setup menu in the manual allows you to change the regional encoding. Plays DVD, MP3, SVCD, VCD, Jpeg, Kodak. No other info available...

Looks like I should buy a few of these players for testing purposes and then report back here...

[BJ_M]

you sure thats the right model number?

otherwise the Malata we have here is not a bad unit , not the best picture (but not bad either) and has some problems with some dvdr's disks -- but it will play any format and region and pal and ntsc ..

[oldfart13]

Here's the link. The manual seems to state that if your discs come from another country and can't be played, then you can change the region from the setup menu! Now that would be a first...open defiance of the whole regional encoding issue...

http://www.malatacanada.com/DVP-393.htm

[oldfart13]

Just looking at that site. I wonder when their DVD standalone HDD recorder will be out and for how much?

[BJ_M]

Here's the link. The manual seems to state that if your discs come from another country and can't be played, then you can change the region from the setup menu! Now that would be a first...open defiance of the whole regional encoding issue...

http://www.malatacanada.com/DVP-393.htm

there are many region free dvd players and players that you can change the region settings .. just take a look in the player section ..

big thing for this player is the ntsc / pal thing ..

[oldfart13]

I just got the spec sheets for the 500P and the 393 from Malata Canada. The 500P looks to be the better build. I suspect it also does better on playback of SVCD/VCD. Too bad they have no Mpeg4/Divx model. I'd buy that in a minute. I may buy the 500P just to test it out and see if it also has macrovision disable. They aren't hooked up at Futureshop and seem to be sold out of the 500P already. Good thing I put one in layaway...

[oldfart13]

First impressions aren't so good:

PAL playback only on region 0 disks
poor mpeg playback (freezes and no audio Mpeg1 or 2)
remote control is very cheap and sluggish
no macrovision disable
region code change appears to be disabled
no picture formats other than jpeg or Kodak photoCD supported
no DIVX/Mpeg4


Good things:

very inexpensive ($60 CAD)
plays authored VCDs and SVCDs flawlessly
autostart of VCDs and SVCDs
all my region 1 DVDs play without any problems
plays DVD-Rs

I'll probably keep this unit for the weekend and return it on Monday after I conduct some more tests. Would like to get a look inside but it's sealed. I have PAL anamorphic widescreen DVDs but unless someone figures out how to disable the region code, they will be useless for this player...

[FulciLives]

If you need a stand alone DVD player that is REGION FREE and can convert PAL to NTSC (and vice versa) then you really are hard pressed to beat the CYBERHOME CH-DVD 500

This DVD player can be ordered for around $80.00 USD from the CYBERHOME website.

This player has easy-to-do SOFTWARE remote control hacks that will make it REGION FREE and allow you to enable PAL to NTSC or NTSC to PAL conversion. If you are using a MULTI-SYSTEM TV display then you can output NTSC as NTSC or PAL as PAL without doing the conversion.

There are also remote control hacks that can disable both MACROVISION and CGMS/A copy protection. This is the ONLY stand alone DVD player I know of that does PROPER PAL <---> NTSC conversions while ALSO being able to disable ALL forms of COPY PROTECTION.

The remote control codes or hacks as I call them can be found on the CYBERHOME forum at the NERD OUT message forum website.

Good Luck!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Do not ... I repeat DO NOT upgrade the firmware with those located on the CYBERHOME website. The original FIRMWARE is the best when it comes to the PAL to NTSC conversion process.

Also please note that this DVD player works great with factory made DVD discs of any format or region but can be tempermental with some DVD-R and DVD+R discs. Also it does not like SVCD although it can handle regular VCD as well as high bitrate SVCD discs. Basically this player is for the person that NEEDS a DVD player that can do proper PAL <---> NTSC conversions. This player is NOT the one for you if you want SVCD playback and/or DVD-R/DVD+R playback.

[ROBERT BLACK]

OldFart,go here, www.Nerd-out.com .They're might be some additional info on the DVP-393. It would be pretty sweet, if you can access(through a hack) the Multi region menu, and it would accomodate anamorphic PAL to NTSC conversion.

[oldfart13]

Since we know that the Liteon DVD/DIVX player will be in Canada in a couple weeks, I can wait til then to get one of those even at a higher price. Thanks for the info about Nerd-Out (a site I've known about since the old Apex AD-600A days) but there is no info and no hacks available from there either. My last resort will be to ask at Malata Canada as to why these units are crippled...

[jistintime]

Just bought one of these for my daughter.Not bad for the price ($60.00 Cndn)This is a list of everything I tried.Plays DVD's,mp3's,Jpeg pics(slide show),music cd's.Will not play backup music cd-r's so I would suggest make mp3's only!So if your on a budget this is for you, if you're watching mostly DVD's.

[oldfart13]

Apparently some people who are making inquiries of Malata Canada are asking the same questions as we are. Latest word is that Malata Canada is getting the firmware upgrade at a later date (soon?) to play back other region DVDs. We'll just have to wait...