Toshiba SD4700/SD5700 Info Incl. XVCD, SVCD, Pal / NTSC

[regnad_kcin]

My system is a Toshiba SD-4700, read below about the 5700.

I'd put some of this information in the compatibility or hack list (but they seem to be down for this particular model only). I also noticed that the compatibility list mysteriously removed XVCD compatibility (unless I misread it originally). Here's some info on this great player:

DVD-A: Supported with onboard decompressor
Mp3: Supported (I haven't checked it against bizzare/variable bit rates yet). Playlists include 1st 8 letters of filenames only.
DVD: 520 progressive.
DVD-R: Haven't checked it, supposed to work
DVD-RW: See above; supposed NOT to work
CD-RW: Works for CD-A, VCD (all supported flavors) and Mp3
80 minute cd-rs: Works, even though the manual says no
Now to the fun bits...
XVCD: Supported at least up to 3300 variable mpeg-1 (compatiblilty list had it listed at 4500)
VCD: 2.0
SVCD: Supported! Options like multi language and subtitles are not (at least with my method, which I will elaborate upon). Have only tried 480x480 and 480x576.
XSVCD: Unknown
And the best bit...
PAL2NTSC: Supported! I believe the manual might mention this, but the manual addendum CORRECTS this (incorrectly as it were) and says it is not. I am playing a PAL SVCD at 480x576 and it plays flawlessly on my craptacular NTSC 17" TV.

Some notes: To get an svcd to work, the mpeg-2 streams must be burned in Nero as follows: Burn as VCD NOT SVCD! Turn compliance off. That appears to be the trick. As for the encoding type in nero (NTSC or PAL) this applies only to when nero needs to REencode a file (like if you dropped an avi onto the vcd screen). Multi-language and subtitles seem to require svcd compliant burning, so even though they're there they're not there (accessible) (I had to go for the perfecta in that sentence .
Menus (I've seen people having trouble with this elsewhere in the forum): An annoying feature; If you turn menues on in your setup menu, the ONLY way to play a track is to leave it on screen 1 and press the number "1" on your remote. This may be a problem that Nero is creating, and if you have better luck please pass it on!

On encoding (X)VCDs (and probably SVCDs as well0 in TBMPEG: Padding must be turned on if VBR is being used (or a minimum bitrate must be used, but I don't know the threshhold). If padding is not enabled your VCD will stutter horribly when the bitrate drops too low (as in blackout scene transitions and titles).

If anyone knows if this machine is firmware upgradeable please post it! I doubt it greatly (I don't know if _any_ DVD players allow this) but it never hurts to ask.

Also, note that I included the SD5700 in my description. If these "tricks" or attributes do NOT apply to your 5700 please post and explain "what-up"! From my research the difference between the two players is that the 5700 includes HDCD support. I would be willing to bet that, save for HDCD, the internal components and firmware are identical.

If I have ommitted anything or have made any errors please feel free to follow me up! Also follow up if this little svcd trick works for your non-4700/5700/toshiba player. I read a trick with TBMPEG about simple demultiplexing of svcd files to get them to work; its not a difficult process but my 'trick' (if you can call it that) is as easy as it'll ever get.

Hope this helps some of you out! I believe that at least some of this information may apply to other models/manufacturers; it never hurts to try when you're at wits' end.

Any questions can be sent to nick__danger@hotmail.com
Please unlock the hack tricks so that I can include this SVCD "hack"
Anyone who knows about disabling macrovision please email me or post it!

[regnad_kcin]

Quick update:
Pal/NTSC conversion does not (seem to) work with PAL dvds (I could only try it with one, and its an oddball Chinese import that's badged as NTSC even though its PAL).

SVCD encoding VBR: padding is not enough (I'm sure there's a faq out there on how to do it correctly, and I'm about to look). SVCDs certainly work, I'm just trying to figure out how to encode in VBR correctly.

That's it, hope this helps!

[howdy29]

I tried this on a Toshiba SD2715. However, I got a 41 sec clip to run in 1:08. I had run it in the default constant sampling. Is there any way try to fix this problem or is this just part of the problem of trying to run a SVCD on a system which doesn't truely support SCVD?

BTW, this got a better result than putting the VCD header on the mpeg using multiplexing.

[warlock110]

if you do the SVCD method above you can't fastfoward while playing, the search function will not work neither, I have the SD3750 and tried that method, did not work for me

[regnad_kcin]

Sorry to hear that about the 3750 (I believe that was the player you tried it on). FF and time jump (whatever they call it) work fine for vcd/svcd on my 4700 (so does slow mo and i think a-b). The only function on the quick button i believe is the a-b? Can't remember.

But a quick fix to your problem may be to try the time jump. I find this gives me more control than the FF/RW buttons anyways. Hope it works for you!

If anybody's tried "my" method with XSVCD give a holler! I'll get around to it eventually....

Also, i've still not found a way to encode _correctly_ in mpeg-2 VBR. As I've mentioned, it works (for the most part) but during blackouts (low or no motion scenes like in a scene change) the audio stutters. a tap on ff corrects this, but this fix is really quite lame. I'm using TMPGenc and i've tried padding and setting a minumum to 500 kbps. I'm gonna mess around some more and I'll post the results!

[winman42]

OK, i just tried the SVCD trick on my SD-5700, and it worked
like a champ. Very cool. I can now watch SVCD on the
Toshiba SD-5700

Winston

[sarrons]

Oaky, so how does this work if you are burning an image of a file from nero. Also, does the SD5700 have any particular CDr/CDRW dis it likes better. I love this machine, it is totally awesome. I do not have any problems like people have been describing. Also, I hear that the unit is software programmable, but no revisions have been released. I guess this is supposed to be utilized for enhance bit stream support..

I would appreciate soeone posting some answers to my previous questions..