Philips DVP5960 and USB

[ytsejam]

My initial results were wrong. First, the disk or flash drive must be formatted FAT32 for the 5960 to read it. Second, If your external drive ,whether it is a 3.5" or 2.5", requires additional power make sure it is powered on before plugging it into the 5960. The 5960 will not read my 100GB 2.5" drive, so I think it might have a size limitation. The largest I have tried is 30GB.

[ytsejam]

Update 2: I finally got my 100GB drive recognized and I played an XviD from it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again, here are the two cardinal rules:

1. Make sure your drive is formatted FAT32. For drives larger than 32GB use this tool: http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm
2. If your drive needs external power, make sure it is powered up and ready to go BEFORE plugging it into the DVP-5960.

The DVP-5960's USB port is really low power. I have an external enclosure that can even be powered from just a USB hub, but also has an option for external power. This is where I was going wrong with my initial results. The DVP-5960 requires me to use the external power and it has to be powered up prior to connecting it.

[gll99]

@ytsejam

That's great news.

Is this a 100GB single partition drive or would multiple partitions work? (or mixed format parttion drives for that matter)

I haven't yet seen that drive in Ontario Canada (at least near me). The only one I saw was the dvp-5900 at Best Buy which is not the same model because it's not Ultra DIVX certified. Circuit City only has stores called "The Source" (old Radio Shack) in my area and they didn't have it.

[ytsejam]

It's a single partition drive.

UPDATE 3: It appears that while MP3, MPG, and JPG work fine. DivX and XviD will play, but have a small stutter about every 15 seconds, which can be really annoying. I'm not sure what to attribute this to, it could be the USB 1.1 port on the 5960 or it could be the larger hard drive size taking longer to seek. Although, my larger hard drive is a 5400 RPM, quicker seek time, and a larger cache than my smaller 4800 RPM drive. Both are 2.5 inch drives. So I'm thinking it just might be the size of the drive. I'm going to try a 3.5" 7200 RPM and post my results later.

[ytsejam]

UPDATE 4: I just finished trying out a Western Digital 3.5" 60GB 7200RPM Hard Drive. It played everything without so much as a stutter. Not sure exactly what to conclude from these findings. Except maybe, that if your drives are smaller in size then slower RPM shouldn't be a factor. If your drives are around the 100GB make sure they are at least 7200 RPM.

[nspavan]

UPDATE 4: I just finished trying out a Western Digital 3.5" 60GB 7200RPM Hard Drive. It played everything without so much as a stutter. Not sure exactly what to conclude from these findings. Except maybe, that if your drives are smaller in size then slower RPM shouldn't be a factor. If your drives are around the 100GB make sure they are at least 7200 RPM.

Thanks for the information. Can I know the jumper settings on hard drive?

[ytsejam]

UPDATE 4: I just finished trying out a Western Digital 3.5" 60GB 7200RPM Hard Drive. It played everything without so much as a stutter. Not sure exactly what to conclude from these findings. Except maybe, that if your drives are smaller in size then slower RPM shouldn't be a factor. If your drives are around the 100GB make sure they are at least 7200 RPM.

Thanks for the information. Can I know the jumper settings on hard drive?

I used the Master/Single setting on all my tests

[horo]

i just got my dvd player and i pluged my external hdd into it and it didnt read... it has its own external power plug its not formated as FAT32 is that the reason? and if i was to format it to FAT32 then it would read?? it is a 200gig seagate external hd

[ntngod]

Non-HD related, but has anyone tried to take a look to see what chipset is in the 5960?


The 3040/5140 have similar menu screens, and are Mediateks.

However, from the screenshots ytsejam sent over the other day, the 5960's menu screens and firmware page look a bit different.

In other photos he sent over, from the internals shots, I was unable to make out any writing on the chipset under the heatsink. If the heatsink is pasted on there as firmly as it is in my 5140, finding out what chipset is actually in there may be a bit tricky...

The 5900 line was a Zoran 7xx series, IIRC, so I'm wondering if there's possibly a Zoran 7xx or 8xx actually under the hood of the HDMI/upscaling 5960 model....

EDIT: Of course, I COULD take a closer look at one of the pictures ytsejam sent over and see a small Mediatek 1392E sitting next to the 5960's main chip, but that would be too easy 8)

[ytsejam]

i just got my dvd player and i pluged my external hdd into it and it didnt read... it has its own external power plug its not formated as FAT32 is that the reason? and if i was to format it to FAT32 then it would read?? it is a 200gig seagate external hd

Yes, you need to format the drive FAT32 for the 5960 to read it.

[horo]

NON-USB related

well i was watching some fansubbed anime on the dvd player and the subbed are like cut off like the dvp 642 one is there anything on the 5960 to fix it? i know you can zoom out but it zooms out to small i think it was 1/2 of the picture when you zoom out

[Jack&Water]

i just got my dvd player and i pluged my external hdd into it and it didnt read... it has its own external power plug its not formated as FAT32 is that the reason? and if i was to format it to FAT32 then it would read?? it is a 200gig seagate external hd

Yes, you need to format the drive FAT32 for the 5960 to read it.

Will this player work with bus-powered enclosures, or does it have to have its own power supply?

[ytsejam]

In my experience, it would seem you need to stick with an enclosure that has it's own power supply. Unless you have a USB split cable and can draw some extra power for a laptop or the USB ports on the back of a TiVo for example.

[Jack&Water]

Thanks for the reply. I might have to grab this player sometime in the future. I'm also thinking about the following player here, which has a built-in hard drive. I could kill two birds with one stone that way. I've been toying with the idea of dumping my Netflix rentals onto a hard drive so I can have a bunch of movies on-hand to watch while I wait for new arrivals. I'll delete them, of course, being that I'm not one for multiple viewings.

[handyguy]

Those RJ's are pretty filmy according to reviews sushix. Also are not divx6.

[ZacSixChip]

I have been looking for a cheap alternative to a Home Theater PC that will allow me to watch all my DivX files so when I read about the DVP5960 on Monday I was extatic. I had seen the DVP 642 but didn't want to burn tons and tons of DVD's in order to catalog all my media. I bought the DVP5960 yesterday to find that my 1-gig flash drive works great but my powered external Western Digital 230-gig didn't! I was sooooo disappointed; I had driven all the way home after buying the unit hoping that my external hard drive of DivX files would just rest neatly on top of the DVD player and allow me ultimate access, no Home Theater PC needed anymore – HA! WRONG! There is more to it! Lousy Philips couldn't just make an amazing product - they had to gives us a taste and then cripple the machine.

I appreciate all the research and results that you all have posted here.

I'm hoping to find a 200-300 gb drive that will work with this unit so if anybody has success of this nature, please share!

[horo]

try formattign it to FAT32 like ytsejam said

[ZacSixChip]

try formattign it to FAT32 like ytsejam said

I forgot to mention that that particular drive is already formatted NTFS and is half-full of DivX content. I don't have anywhere to put that data inorder to format the drive FAT32 so I need another external drive anyway!

[jmikeh]

NON-USB related

well i was watching some fansubbed anime on the dvd player and the subbed are like cut off like the dvp 642 one is there anything on the 5960 to fix it? i know you can zoom out but it zooms out to small i think it was 1/2 of the picture when you zoom out

I have a Lexar card reader loaded with 1GB of SD memory and formatted as fat or fat32 plays files fine. Including DIVX. Now on the other hand my Corsair Flash Voyager 1GB thumb drive does not work. It says device not supported. What is up with that????

Here is a pic of both devices..
I would be interested to know what thumbdrives you guys are using that DO work.

[ZacSixChip]

I wish someone could figure out what allows one flash drive work and another to not!

I use an A-Data My Flash 1GB USB 2.0 PD2 Flash Memory Drive and it works great! This flash drive can be bought here:
http://www.digi4me.com/product.php?productid=507&cat=0&page=1

[ytsejam]

I have a Lexar card reader loaded with 1GB of SD memory and formatted as fat or fat32 plays files fine. Including DIVX. Now on the other hand my Corsair Flash Voyager 1GB thumb drive does not work. It says device not supported. What is up with that????

Have you tried plugging the flash drive in with the 5960 off, then powering up?

[jmikeh]

I have a Lexar card reader loaded with 1GB of SD memory and formatted as fat or fat32 plays files fine. Including DIVX. Now on the other hand my Corsair Flash Voyager 1GB thumb drive does not work. It says device not supported. What is up with that????

Have you tried plugging the flash drive in with the 5960 off, then powering up?

I have tried everything I could think of. My Corsair thumber is only 3 months old and works great everywhere else. Guess I have to face the fact it will not work. For whatever reason. I have tried to contact Philips. Will keep trying. Maybe a future firmware upgrade could address it.

Does anyone know how to view the version of firmware on the player?? Or have I missed a post somewhere???

Later kids....

[jmikeh]

Been wanting to also try out the "Divx Ultra" advanced features and have been looking for a clip or disk to try. I may have found something but can't try it out until I get home.

http://www.divx.com/divx/advanced.php

[ytsejam]

1379 on General Menu for Firmware version

55 with Tray Open for Firmware BIN


Double check your flash drive and make sure it's formatted FAT32.

[jmikeh]

Been wanting to also try out the "Divx Ultra" advanced features and have been looking for a clip or disk to try. I may have found something but can't try it out until I get home.

http://www.divx.com/divx/advanced.php

I tested both divx files from the URL. Last Man Standing and Star Wars Revelations. They worked perfectly. Menus, subtitles, audio, etc. Just like a dvd with the bells and whistles.


Now. How to create one??? More scouring the web..

[jmikeh]

1379 on General Menu for Firmware version

55 with Tray Open for Firmare BIN


Double check your flash drive and make sure it's formatted FAT32.

Thanks for the firmware trick..

As to my thumbdrive, I formatted in all flavors and it always said Device Not Supported. So something about my Corsair it does not like. If anyone else has the drive and 5960, please let me know if it works for you..

I think I am going to goto Circuit City and plug it into one of the display models and see what it does on another unit..

[horo]

i just picked up a seatgate 200gb external drive with external power supply and its pre-formatted to FAT32 and it works fine with the dvdp player.

i just wish there was a way to make the anime fit the size of the screen so the subs dont get caught off without re-encoding

[Bodyslide]

I also have now tested a 200 gig drive formated as fat32 in an external enclosure. The player has no issue seeing data on the drive and playing from it.

Try using the Zoom feature to downsize the movie to view the subs.

[nspavan]

Thanks to all.

I was able to use 120 gig drive formatted as fat32 in an external enclosure. The player has no issue seeing data on the drive and playing from it.

Formatting FAT32 format is key in making it work.

[Rowen]

I bought the DVP5140 recently, and overall I'm pretty happy with it - it's played almost all the DivX/XviD discs I've tried so far, except one with a srt subtitle file (yes it's named the same as the .avi file it's attached to), but perhaps the two files don't synch up properly or the video is a bad rip. I'm tempted to spend the extra $15 for the 5960 ($70 at Circuit City, 5140 was $55 at Walmart) simply for the use of the USB port. I have to wonder though, USB 1.1 seems a bit outdated, especially on a brand new unit such as this. Are there any other similar name-brand players with a USB 2.0 port, or is the 1.1 on the 5960 not really a hinderance, speed-wise? Thanks.