Philips DVP 5960 and dvix/xvid

[steve1221]

Afternoon all,

I've been reading the post about this machine and was thinking about going to get one tomorrow but can someone tell if it will play divx and xvid without jerking when playing files with packed bit streams ? Some of the posts seem to say it will others not ?

And if it won't, whats a good machine (thats can be bought in the UK) that will ?

Thanks

[FulciLives]

MPEG4Modifier can be used to unpack a MPEG-4 file (DivX or XviD) with packed bitstreams.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Squash]

I'm in the US, so not sure how much of this will apply to you. I bought the 5960/37 back around March or April of this year when they first came on the market. It played packed bitstream XviD AVIs fine even with 2 or more consecutive bvops.

When they came out with a new firmware for the 5960/37 in September, I upgraded (this firmware apparently resolved some 5.1 audio issues and allowed DTS playback). Then the player would not play PB files any more without stuttering. After removing the packed bitstream with mpeg4modifier, as FulciLives suggests, they played fine. But I've got a LOT of old AVIs that are packed and burned to DVDs already and it would be impractical to re-process and re-burn all of them. So, I wrote to Philips support on Sept. 26th explaining the problem and asking for a link to the old firmware or a fix. They replied and said they would have someone respond to my problem within 4 days. Of course I never heard from them again. So after a couple of weeks I went out and bought a new 5960/37 at Walmart (I really love the USB feature or I'd have gotten something else). This one has the old firmware and works great, no stuttering on the same files that the new firmware stuttered on. So I put the old one in the closet and will use it to test new firmwares as they become available.

I have been unable to locate a copy of the original 5960/37 firmware, although there is one for the 5960/12 (I think this is the Euro version but I don't know) on Softpedia's "original firmwares" section but I did not try it. I don't even know if the 5960/37 CAN be downgraded, it seems like there was an issue with that once on the DVP642 (they came out with a firmware that wouldn't let you go backwards anymore or something) but don't remember the details; it was a long time ago and may have been fixed.

So, in summary, you may have problems, may not. The "good", old firmware version is 37.06.42.18, the "bad", new firmware is 37.06.42.29. If there is a display model in the store, you can check the version by hitting the SETUP button on the remote, then on the GENERAL menu, press 1,3,7,9 successively on the remote.

Good luck.

[steve1221]

MPEG4Modifier can be used to unpack a MPEG-4 file (DivX or XviD) with packed bitstreams.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

The machine I've got now will only play them after I've run the file through mpg_mod, I was trying to find a new model so I could cut that step out.

[robbynaish]

there is one for the 5960/12 (I think this is the Euro version but I don't know) .

Hi,

yes, its the European Version

ciao

Alessandro

[jwillb]

Hi, New to the forum. I am tagging onto the end of this thread because it seems an appropriate topic.

One of the reasons I purchased the DVP5960 was to watch slideshow videos produced with MemoriesOnTV 3 Pro encoded with DivX or Xvid, preferably in HD resolutions. (As with many others, I am looking for a bridge until the HD-DVD/BR wars have subsided, along with the price). I developed a test video in MoTV and encoded several variations using different settings (all 720 X 480, burnt to CD-R) in DivX and Xvid, but none of them seem to play on either my DVP642 or DVP5960. The videos will start playing for a few seconds and then hang, while the audio track keeps playing.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,

[lacywest]

Interesting info here ... now that I have the DVP5960

I might need to process my AVI files ... at the moment ... the AVI files I have played ... work great.

But I am having the HDMI - Dolby Digital - Coax out ... problem.

And if I update the Firmware to fix the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio ... I may find out my AVI files will have the stutters.

This is one case where ... your damned if you do and damned if you dont.

[Blackman75]

So, in summary, you may have problems, may not. The "good", old firmware version is 37.06.42.18, the "bad", new firmware is 37.06.42.29. If there is a display model in the store, you can check the version by hitting the SETUP button on the remote, then on the GENERAL menu, press 1,3,7,9 successively on the remote.

Good luck.

Ok this is friggin ridiculous. One of the pioneers in this technology and they can't update firmware without fracking up something else? And they don't offer the old firmware or we can't find it with a bloody Google search? Come on!! We have to be able to fix the stutters!

[lacywest]

I updated the firmware and my divx/xvid videos ... do not have the stutters.

And I now have Dolby Digital 5.1 audio

I processed Mission Impossible 3 with Dr Divx 1.06 ... size was set at 850 megs.

After it was through processing I copied it to my ... 1GB Memorex Travel Drive U3 thumb drive. And plugged it into the USB port and it played fine.

[Blackman75]

I updated the firmware and my divx/xvid videos ... do not have the stutters.

And I now have Dolby Digital 5.1 audio

What kind of usb source are you using to provide the video?

[Squash]

@lacywest:

I'm glad the new software has not caused you any problems. As long as you encode with Divx you shouldn't see any since DivX doesn't do packed bitstream with 2 B-VOPs, at least not with the default Home Theater profile.

I'm the guy a few posts up that had the problem with the upgraded firmware causing certain files to play with jerkiness. I had been watching a DVD full of TV series episodes that a friend had backed up as AVIs from his DVDs and then loaned to me. Between episodes I upgraded the firmware on the 5960/37, started watching more episodes and suddenly the video was jerky. They were encoded with Xvid and had packed bitstream and 2 consecutive B_VOPS, which as I understand is a pretty common way to encode AVIs. Once I unpacked them with mpeg4modifier, they were fine.

I've uploaded a couple of samples if anybody wants to try them out. One is packed bitstream, the other is the same file after unpacking. They are about 15 seconds long; 1.4 Megs. They are at:

http://mihd.net/2rn3tp
http://mihd.net/wf2ipr

(I hope these links work, I've never linked to a clip from Videohelp before, and Rapidshare is full so I'm using a new sharing site I've never used before).

Download them, throw them on a USB stick and see if you get the same results as I did. Both play fine on the original (37.06.42.18) firmware, but the packed.avi jerks on the new firmware (37.06.42.29). It's a panning shot, so the problem is very easy to see.

While looking at other possible causes for the jerkiness, I re-muxed the audio using AviMuxGUI but it didn't improve it (bad muxing has occasionally caused stuttering on a few files I've seen and I was able to fix it with that). I also converted the audio from VBR to CBR; no help. However, I did notice that the packed file played fine with no jerking when the audio was removed from the file.

I've played these files from both DVD+R and USB flash drives. No difference in behavior.

If anybody using the new firmware feels like it please download the files and check them out. Maybe I screwed up the firmware upgrade, but I doubt it. It probably wouldn't work at all if I had.

Right now I have both of my 5960/37s hooked up, one with the original firmware, the other with the new. If anyone wants me to try an experiment, let me know.

Thanks

[jbernhard]

Squash: I just discovered the firmware issue today. I was so happy with my 5960 that I bought another one. I hooked it up in another room and noticed the 'jerky' issue. After trying different combinations of hook-ups, I decided to check the firmware and, sure enough, the old one has the older "good" firmware and the new player (direct from the store this afternoon) has the new firmware.

Have you had any success in finding the older firmware, or has Philips support answered you?

[Squash]

@jbernhard:

No luck so far. I just put up a request in the Divxpert section at Softpedia's forums. They have the original FW for the 5960/12 available there. If I find anything I'll post back here and let you know.

[tunis5000]

Does anyone know the best way to burn divx files to DVDR? I've been having some discs lately that have been giving me problems. It may be the media (FujiFilm DVD+R) but I've used lots of them without issues. Is it better to burn as ISO or UDF? Does it help to burn at a slower speed?

Thanks

[jagabo]

ISO, no multisession. Speed will depend on your burner and media.

[F-Swed]

@ Squash

The original FW for 5960/12. Version 12.06.36.24 is here:
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=314821

[synchro505]

How do you check the Firmware version on a DVP5960?

[F-Swed]

@ synchro505

How do you check the Firmware version on a DVP5960?

1. Press the "Setup" button on the remote
2. Enter 1379

[synchro505]

Thanks F-Swed!

[yousearch]

Guys, you probably saw the other thread, but if not, F-Swed has fixed the stuttering problem by providing 'hacked' firmware, so you get the latest fixes but without the stutter

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1621940#1620786

Peace

[mexican.a]

Seems like the stuttering has nothing to do with packed stream

I found today the following
1. My DVD player (5965K/55 which as far as I know is 5960 version but for Latin America) shows jerky both avi files (with or without packed streams)_FROM_USB_
2. Then I burned a DVD RW with same files: Player plays all of them without any problem
3. I have checked out scenes where the player was stuttering more and found that the bitrate there was very high.
So I think that the problem is that USB 1.1 can not pass data in some scenes with high bitrate that is why the video is stuttering

[max2]

I'm in the US, so not sure how much of this will apply to you. I bought the 5960/37 back around March or April of this year when they first came on the market. It played packed bitstream XviD AVIs fine even with 2 or more consecutive bvops.

When they came out with a new firmware for the 5960/37 in September, I upgraded (this firmware apparently resolved some 5.1 audio issues and allowed DTS playback). Then the player would not play PB files any more without stuttering. After removing the packed bitstream with mpeg4modifier, as FulciLives suggests, they played fine. But I've got a LOT of old AVIs that are packed and burned to DVDs already and it would be impractical to re-process and re-burn all of them. So, I wrote to Philips support on Sept. 26th explaining the problem and asking for a link to the old firmware or a fix. They replied and said they would have someone respond to my problem within 4 days. Of course I never heard from them again. So after a couple of weeks I went out and bought a new 5960/37 at Walmart (I really love the USB feature or I'd have gotten something else). This one has the old firmware and works great, no stuttering on the same files that the new firmware stuttered on. So I put the old one in the closet and will use it to test new firmwares as they become available.

I have been unable to locate a copy of the original 5960/37 firmware, although there is one for the 5960/12 (I think this is the Euro version but I don't know) on Softpedia's "original firmwares" section but I did not try it. I don't even know if the 5960/37 CAN be downgraded, it seems like there was an issue with that once on the DVP642 (they came out with a firmware that wouldn't let you go backwards anymore or something) but don't remember the details; it was a long time ago and may have been fixed.

So, in summary, you may have problems, may not. The "good", old firmware version is 37.06.42.18, the "bad", new firmware is 37.06.42.29. If there is a display model in the store, you can check the version by hitting the SETUP button on the remote, then on the GENERAL menu, press 1,3,7,9 successively on the remote.

Good luck.

Is this the same case for its brother 5040 ? Could you do the same thing on the 5040 remote to tell the difference or would the firmware numbers be different please?

[Squash]

@max2:

I couldn't find anything on a Philips 5040; when I searched I got hits for a shaver and for a universal remote. So I guess you mean either a 5140 or a 3040. If it's a 5140/37, then yes, it's the same procedure to check the firmware (1,3,7,9). If it's a 3040, then it depends on the serial number (some of them use the same method, on others you have to open the tray and punch in 9,6,6).

The firmware will not be the same numbers as I talked about in my previous post above. For the 5140 the latest version is 37.06.19.07, for the 3040 it's 37.06.33.04.

You can find info on these here:
5140:
http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/dcbint/cpindex.pl?sct=DVD_PLAYERS_SU&cat=DVD_HOME_T...=Link_Software

3040:
http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/dcbint/cpindex.pl?slg=ENG&cat=DVD_HOME_THEATER_CA&s...=Link_Software

Clicking on the firmware file link will give you instructions on how find the firmware version number on your machine.

Note that the /37 suffix means that it's the U.S. model. I don't know where you're located, but versions will be different if you have a /12 (European) or some other model. There are several firmware modifications available at the Divxpert forum on Softpedia,

http://board.softpedia.com/index.php?showforum=24

especially if you're fortunate enough to have a /12 Euro model. Our European friends have done a lot of tinkering with firmware, probably due to the multitude of languages and the need for subtitles suited to fit their various alphabets and character sets, all of which is handled by firmware. There's a couple of huge threads on their front page concerning both the 5960 and the 3040. Most of the discussion is about the European models, but often expands to cover the U.S. versions when Yanks jump in to ask for help (as I have done before).

I am currently using F-Swed's excellent firmware for the 5960/37. No jerky video from either USB or disc, packed or unpacked, except for a very few scenes in a very few files due to transient bitrate spikes, which play the same from either USB or DVD. Firmware won't fix that, all players are susceptible to it. People can avoid it when encoding by using video buffering. AutoGK, for instance, turns it on when you encode with the stand-alone compatibility enabled. Only fix I've found is reencoding with better buffering, but I've only done it once (most of my avi viewing is one-time only, and it's not a big deal to me).

I'm rambling off topic. I'll shut up. Hope this helps.

[max2]

Sorry I meant 5140. My fault.

Could I use the firmware modifications for the 5140/12 for a 5140/37 I buy without any trouble? Would it still be in english?

[Squash]

@max2:

I don't know about the 5140, but there's a guy who tried applying a 5960/12 firmware to a 5960/37 player in this thread:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=314821

and it wrecked his machine. I don't know if he ever got it running again. Be careful.

[max2]

@max2:

I don't know about the 5140, but there's a guy who tried applying a 5960/12 firmware to a 5960/37 player in this thread:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=314821

and it wrecked his machine. I don't know if he ever got it running again. Be careful.

Thanks looks like it may not be a good idea

I wanted the update for subtitles the 5140/12 firmware had where their larger and have a better background color!

My eyes are horrible.

Can you enlarge the subtitle text, change the background color, and make the background solid instead on the default Philps dvp 5140 firmware please?

iF not is there any dvd player you can do this all on ?