Class Action Lawsuit against Toshiba

[Mythos2002]

I received papers in the mail today explaining that there is a class action lawsuit being filed against Toshiba stating that their players do not fit the DVD specifications and that there are many compatibility problems. It is a little complicated to go into here because the suit states that customers are entitled to free firmware upgrades or money and it lists different time periods players were purchased.

The paperwork did have a website address which is here: http://www.dvdnotice.com/

Thanks.

Mythos

[lordsmurf]

I would have to disagree.

I have a Toshiba 2800. It's performedly flawlessly for 3 years now. I know of several other models that are equally as good.

Sure, I'll sign up for free money, but I still think Toshiba is getting screwed here.

If everybody got sued for needing a firmware upgrade, every computer device maker in the world could be sued.

[Bodyslide]

I have both an older 1200 and a 3900 model. I have had no issues with playback on either model. With Hollywood DVD's or burned DVD-r's.

[Capmaster]

In the earlier days of DVD-R creation, the Toshiba players were good because they always had support for DVD-R media compatibility in all of their models, while many others like Sanyo didn't.

[Mythos2002]

I really like my SD-3108 which I have had since the end of '98. I did have a firmware upgrade in mid '99, but I was able to bitch at them enough not to have to pay for it.

What I don't like is that my Toshiba doesn't play anything outside of CD's and Hollywood DVD's (no CD-R's/RW's, DVD-R/RW's or +R/RW's). I'm doubt if I will do anything about the lawsuit since the player plays most of my store bought collection. I use my Pioneer I bought to play my DVD R's and CD-R's, etc. I also really like Pioneer. I know they are not perfect based on some reviews of a couple of current models, but I have been happy with every Pioneer product I have owned so far.

Mythos

[MOVIEGEEK]

I have both an older 1200 and a 3900 model. I have had no issues with playback on either model. With Hollywood DVD's or burned DVD-r's.

I have to disagree with the SD1200,that was my first DVD player and it wouldn't play CD-R,CD-RW or DVD-R(that's why I got rid of it).My SD4900 only has problems with chapterpoints on DVD-R's.
Both played pressed DVD's and audio CD's fine.
Damn...I wish I saved my SD1200 receipt.

[ViRaL1]

So, is someone saying that people are entitled to be able to play burned DVDs on their Toshiba players? If so, that kind of sucks considering the number of burners, media and formats out there. Who decides what combinations they should support, or if they should support them all?

[canadateck]

I really like my SD-3108 which I have had since the end of '98. I did have a firmware upgrade in mid '99, but I was able to bitch at them enough not to have to pay for it.

What I don't like is that my Toshiba doesn't play anything outside of CD's and Hollywood DVD's (no CD-R's/RW's, DVD-R/RW's or +R/RW's). I'm doubt if I will do anything about the lawsuit since the player plays most of my store bought collection. I use my Pioneer I bought to play my DVD R's and CD-R's, etc. I also really like Pioneer. I know they are not perfect based on some reviews of a couple of current models, but I have been happy with every Pioneer product I have owned so far.

Mythos

I'm just wondering why you would need a firmware upgrade? Did it not play your DvD's before? minus the dvd-r/+r"s?

[Mythos2002]

I had to send mine back for a firmware upgrade back in '99 because it wouldn't play Alien or any other DVD that contained any DVD-Rom content. I think they called them hybrid DVD's back then. Could you imagine how bad that would suck now since so many releases have DVD-Rom content as an extra? I remember a lot of Toshiba owners complaining about Gladiator, but I didn't have any troubles with that since I already had the firmware upgrade.

The firmware upgrade was a nightmare. The first lost records of my player. Fortunately, I made copies of the paperwork and they seemed to find my records. Also, it took nearly two months becuase the plant shut down for 2-3 weeks for inventory. I really had to call over and over. I was told it would that it was shipped back to me and I should receive it in a week. That was what I was told for over a month. Finally, they sent me and everyone else who sent a player in a different, used one back. They said it was impossible to send the same players back to the people who sent them in. Does that sound screwy or what? The player I received back worked, but it was more scratched up then the one I sent to them. That is why I stay away from Toshiba unless someone can let me know that their customer service has improved. That is the bigger complaint I have with them.

Mythos

[jtommyj]

Toshiba could avoid some of the grief if someone would post firmware upgrades like someone does for the Philips i have. I have a 5 year old (I think) Philips 711 that i upgraded the firmware on 3 times already. Today i burned 2 DL discs on my NEC 3500. Both play fine start to finish on the Philips but neither will play all the way thru on the Toshiba that is only a year old. Go figure. So i had to pull the "old" Philips out of the bedroom and plug it in to the HDTV also so that my guest and i could watch the burned discs without doing a Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice in our bed.

For the newer models, they are going to send a CD so you can do a firmware update according to the lawsuit BUT the soonest it will be available is Feb 2005 due to the lawsuit. Doesn't make sense if u ask me. If they have the discs, send them out in the first place and avoid the lawsuit.

[adam]

So, is someone saying that people are entitled to be able to play burned DVDs on their Toshiba players?

No, the lawsuit is only for commercially purchased pressed region 1 DVDs.

Well, the judge already ruled on this as stated in the notice forms. Toshiba apparantly lied when entering into its licensing contracts. If any customer received a non-compliant player as a result, I'd say they are definitely entitled to compensation.

Lordsmurf don't sign up for that settlement. It specifically says it is not just for people who purchased Toshiba players during that time period, but is only for people who experienced problems with players purchased during that time period. If your players were all fine than entering the class will only deprive money, albeit a nominal amount, from those individuals who actually were damaged by Toshiba's actions.

[Prot]

My old Toshiba 1600 would not play CD-R, but it would play DVD-R, even though the manual said it could not. The Pioneer DV-414 will not play Verbatim brand DVD-R, but will play Imation and Fuji DVD-R, as well as Samsung (T-Y) DVD+R.
The Sony 725P will play most anything I throw at it, including VCD and SVCD that I create myself.
I guess this shows that all DVD players are different, but I do agree they should all be able to play commercialy pressed DVDs for the region they were designed.

[simonko]

I always hated my toshiba dvd player. Got it as a present. Only liked it for the composit outputs.

[lordsmurf]

So, is someone saying that people are entitled to be able to play burned DVDs on their Toshiba players?

No, the lawsuit is only for commercially purchased pressed region 1 DVDs.

Well, the judge already ruled on this as stated in the notice forms. Toshiba apparantly lied when entering into its licensing contracts. If any customer received a non-compliant player as a result, I'd say they are definitely entitled to compensation.

Lordsmurf don't sign up for that settlement. It specifically says it is not just for people who purchased Toshiba players during that time period, but is only for people who experienced problems with players purchased during that time period. If your players were all fine than entering the class will only deprive money, albeit a nominal amount, from those individuals who actually were damaged by Toshiba's actions.

I saw it, and I didn't. Don't qualify.