Apex: how you can use a PC DVDROM--Pictures includes

[Erwin]

Here it is.......
[img]http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0OgAgcMATICs8uWE1eA6Fu7*Z2j0vtn*15JLLHRXjz79QGvlid jI6iHMaggqKEdsI7qUfs4oHRkbP2tC3!gmYn3vK!QA7qDtU/Apex-DVDROM.jpg[/img]

I know, I know, they are terrible, but I did not want to use alot of memory to display the pictures.

[alucard2050]

OK, now explain what it is that you have created.

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-04 20:47:14, alucard2050 wrote:
OK, now explain what it is that you have created.
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Gladly,

This is an Apex AD-500W DVD player with a "Hi-Val" DVD-ROM IDE Drive on top. The Hi-Val DVD-ROM is being power by the Apex unit. The 2 Apex connection were disconnected from the Apex drive than they were connected to the Hi-Val DVD-ROM drive. Basically, the drive has been improved with a 12x drive. The Apex drive is underneath the Hi-Val drive and could have been removed, but has not been removed...yet. The performance is better, faster, and smoother. It's basically an Apex with a better drive. But it's also good to know that if the Apex drive ever fails, you could replace it for less than $50 for a DVD-ROM or less than $20 for a CD-ROM if you just want to watch XVCDs/VCDs/XSVCDs/CDs/CD-Rs/CDRWs/mp3s.

[jeex]

i just bought one of these mofo's today. and it's been a dream so far. quick question though. can you put the hi-val dvd-rom where the apex drive is? y'know, a nice fit and all? or will it look awkward?

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-04 21:26:47, jeex wrote:
i just bought one of these mofo's today. and it's been a dream so far. quick question though. can you put the hi-val dvd-rom where the apex drive is? y'know, a nice fit and all? or will it look awkward?

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Hey Jeex! It can be done with very little modifications. It just needs a way to be anchored. Do you have a Hi-Val or other spare CD/DVDROM drives lying around? I was surprised at how easy it was too install (no more difficult than a computer installation). I thought there would be sodering(sp?) involved. It looks like the video and sound card/board are on the right side facing forward. I would recommend taking the entire back off when removing the power plug in the back b/c it is seriously stubborn and I didn't want to damage the components/wires. All you need is a small phillips screw driver and another drive of course

[Erwin]

Oh yeah, don't use the eject button on the Hi-Val Drive(It won't ruin the Apex if you do, it's just that the Apex will not recognize that you just ejected it or close it). Use the close/open button on the Apex. It's too bad all DVD player brands don't give us the option to change the drive.

[Erwin]

Here is a picture provided at "The Digital Bits" from one of thier first DVD models. It's almost identical on the inside except the new drive is a charcoal color instead of alumimum.

[low_iq_88]

does the stock (drive not replaced) model play miniDVD? does it play miniDVD after the drive change? pretty intereesting indeed

[low_iq_88]

did you alter the flash memory of the new drive you put in?

[Tavz]

This sounds really cool and I think i might give it a try. But im wondering about the effects it might have on your player. After awhile could it perhaps damage it or something, or make the original drive not function correctly? I dont anything about this stuff so im just guesing. Have you had any problems yet Erwin? Also, thanks for the pics

[Kdiddy]

From personal experience of doing exactly what he did about 3 weeks ago...but had I read some the listed sites below first, would have saved myself some time..no the 500W does not play miniDVDs with stock drive nor aftermarket drive...the ability of playing miniDVDs is strictly a firmware issue, not drive issue...check out links below for further miniDVD related info..

http://www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=56355&forum=8

http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/

http://www.dvd-wizards.com/darrenk/index.htm

[Tavz]

I just tried installing a new drive on my Apex 500w. It was easy as hell, anyone could do it. I only had an old 2x CDRW drive laying around so i used it. Worked fine, the glitches that were on my vcds before were gone and my svcds played with out any hitches. As I didnt watch any of the movies all the way through I dont know if it stays good or gets bad. But from what i could tell it played them better than my Apex drive. This weekend I am going to go buy a new DVD Rom drive and try that. I will post the results once I get it.

[low_iq_88]

so there is two places inside a standalone dvd player that have firmware? one on the drive and one somewhere else in the circuitry of the player?

[DaMovieMastarz]

Would this work with the ad-703 (3 disk)??

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-05 10:05:57, Tavz wrote:
This sounds really cool and I think i might give it a try. But im wondering about the effects it might have on your player. After awhile could it perhaps damage it or something, or make the original drive not function correctly? I dont anything about this stuff so im just guesing. Have you had any problems yet Erwin? Also, thanks for the pics
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I don't think it would effect the player(in a bad way) regardless of what speed CD/DVD ROM you put in the Apex. While the playback was smooth with the Hi-Val DVDROM, the chapter stops had a longer pause than the Apex drive(not a big loss, just a tiny complaint, but one can live with this). Haven't had any problems. You know how us "guys" are though, we love to take things apart and make our own little creations (especially with electronics). I was like jumping up and down when the Hi-Val DVDROM worked on the Apex while my wife was like "OK, so?".

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Erwin on 2001-09-05 16:16:57 ]</font>

[adam]

Yeah I was actually forced to swap out my loader due to a firmware upgrade nightmare, dont ask.

Svcds load up about 10 times faster and dvd navigating is much faster and smoother as well. With the original drive on some dvds the menu's would take a long time to load and there was a delay after selecting a button. Now it plays perfectly.

Only problem is that my dvd-rom is really big and there is no way for the tray to fit through the face plate. So I just fed the cables out the back and the dvd-rom sits on top of the player.

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-05 16:28:16, adam wrote:
Yeah I was actually forced to swap out my loader due to a firmware upgrade nightmare, dont ask.

Svcds load up about 10 times faster and dvd navigating is much faster and smoother as well. With the original drive on some dvds the menu's would take a long time to load and there was a delay after selecting a button. Now it plays perfectly.

Only problem is that my dvd-rom is really big and there is no way for the tray to fit through the face plate. So I just fed the cables out the back and the dvd-rom sits on top of the player.
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Hey, as long as it works. You just have to remember to use the eject button on the Apex though. I think the board underneath would have to be placed elsewhere, but it could be done with some type of a make-over.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Erwin on 2001-09-05 16:38:23 ]</font>

[valzuniga]

I wonder if one could swap the dvd, with hard drive, that only had vob files on it? I dont know why anyone would do this. Just wondering.

[Vejita-sama]

1) What about the remote control, do all the buttons/features still work?

2) What about region lock/macrovision? Or is that determined by the frimware of the player/boards and not the DVD-ROM?

3) It was asked but not answered, can you now play miniDVD/cDVD? I assume so since that's more a speed deal right.

I've got an APEX AD600A (with the original firmware). Put if I put in a DVD-ROM I think I would lost my region selection and macrovision (which is the only reason I bought this guy)

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-05 16:52:31, Vejita-sama wrote:
1) What about the remote control, do all the buttons/features still work?

2) What about region lock/macrovision? Or is that determined by the frimware of the player/boards and not the DVD-ROM?

3) It was asked but not answered, can you now play miniDVD/cDVD? I assume so since that's more a speed deal right.

I've got an APEX AD600A (with the original firmware). Put if I put in a DVD-ROM I think I would lost my region selection and macrovision (which is the only reason I bought this guy)
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All the buttons and features work fine. You just have a "cream colored tray" instead

[Kdiddy]

"1) What about the remote control, do all the buttons/features still work?"

People please READ carefully, all he did was change the drive out, NOTHING else, changing a drive has no effect on a remote control, does changing your CD-ROM affect your mouse??

"2) What about region lock/macrovision? Or is that determined by the frimware of the player/boards and not the DVD-ROM?"

As stated before, that is controlled by the firmware NOT the DVD-ROM.

"3) It was asked but not answered, can you now play miniDVD/cDVD? I assume so since that's more a speed deal right."

yes it was answered, REREAD previous posts, no certain forms of miniDVD are not purely a speed deal, 98% of the time it is a firmware deal. While yes a faster drives enable higher bitrate encoded CDR(W)s to played correctly, you still need firmware (If your player does not have it, which 98% don't INCLUDING this 500w he displays). The firmware allows a CDR(W) to be read as a DVD disk. Majority of DVD standalones when inputted with a CDR(W), read the lead-in track, and automatically assumes that it contains VCD,SVCD,CD, or MP3 data..NOT DVD encoded data. Thus why the need for the firmware hack

"I've got an APEX AD600A (with the original firmware). Put if I put in a DVD-ROM I think I would lost my region selection and macrovision (which is the only reason I bought this guy)"

If its a regular IDE DVD-ROM capable DVD player, check answer #1.

"I wonder if one could swap the dvd, with hard drive, that only had vob files on it? I dont know why anyone would do this. Just wondering."

If there was a way to get the harddrive to automatically send out "fake" DVD/CDR(W) info to the firmware chip, then yes....but getting a harddrive to do such is out of my area of expertise..any thoughts on how?..a side note, following the links in previous posts, they should describe how a Toshiba IDE DVD-ROM is a perfect fit for this Apex model.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Kdiddy on 2001-09-05 17:35:32 ]</font>

[Erwin]

"Yeah I was actually forced to swap out my loader due to a firmware upgrade nightmare, dont ask."

I am interested, what brand DVDROM did you use?

[AT]

Quote:

“"2) What about region lock/macrovision? Or is that determined by the frimware of the player/boards and not the DVD-ROM?"

As stated before, that is controlled by the firmware NOT the DVD-ROM.”

Unfortunetely, the firmware within DVD ROM drive does control region lock.

So you need find an old DVD drive, which may not have region lock, or find a region-free firmware for you perticular DVD drive.

[Erwin]

I believe that the Hi-Val 12x DVDROM does not have a region lock. It can be found for as low as $39.99 and sometimes with a rebate.

[adam]

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Erwin wrote:
I am interested, what brand DVDROM did you use?

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Its a MagicDVD 16x made by I/O Magic. Its really crappy though, it only rips at 1x and it fairly loud. And like I said its too big to fit in the apex loader slot.

[Kdiddy]

"Unfortunetely, the firmware within DVD ROM drive does control region lock. So you need find an old DVD drive, which may not have region lock, or find a region-free firmware for you perticular DVD drive."

Im speaking on just these Apex models, most come with a IDE DVD-ROM that does not use region blocking on the drive...but even if you got a region free DVD-ROM, if the firmware of your player's decoder chip still will is set ONLY to play a certain region then you are still SOL, so you need to hack the firmware on it in order to be region...besides I really dont know what DVD-ROM you can buy nowadays that is still region specific.

[Erwin]

"Its a MagicDVD 16x made by I/O Magic. Its really crappy though, it only rips at 1x and it fairly loud."

It's gotta atleast be as good as the Hi-Val I got. I thought my Hi-Val was loud until I opened up the Apex to discover that's it's drive is actually capable of waking up the neighbors.

I was watching "Family Man" on the 500w and the audio droped like 3 times. So, I put the Hi-Val back on and the problem was solved. I'll bet that Apex drive is only worth $5. I'm just glad it's interchangeable.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Erwin on 2001-09-07 23:29:59 ]</font>