Weird Toshiba HD-A2 problem on a standard PC LCD monitor

[danimal99]

I got one of the Toshiba HD-A2's that were on sale last week, with the intention of hooking it up to my 2nd LCD monitor on my PC, which is an off-brand 19" 4:3 (haven't bought an HDTV yet). I got the requisite HDMI to DVI cable to hook it directly up the the LCD monitor, and once I blindly changed the Picture menu to limit to 720p, I got a picture on my LCD. So far, so good. The first thing I played was a DVD I had backed up, and that went just perfectly.

Next, I tried an HD-DVD I bought-- the menus play, but about a minute into the movie, or any chapter I try, really, the monitor shuts off (actually, it turns off the digital display and flips back to analog, which is how my PC is connected to it.) No matter what I do, commercial DVDs shut off the monitor. Would this be a problem with my monitor, or something that can be adjusted on the HD-A2, or am I just S.O.L. until I can convince the wife that we really really need an HDTV? I was thinking that it must be related to copy protection somehow, since a DVD backup works, but that's just a guess.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[diablo2003]

I bought the same HD-DVD player at the Walmart sale. I do not have a response to your problem, but I will mention that there is a Firmware update for the player. Go to the Toshiba site and under the HD-DVD support you can download the firmware update (iso file). Burn it to a cd, insert it into the player, and it will update the firmware. The update takes less then 10 minutes.

Hopefully, this update may help.

[jman98]

Your problem definitely is NOT copy protection related as ALL current HD-DVD players and BluRay players do NOT enforce the need for HDMI at this time.
I would blame firmware and suggest you take diablo2003's suggestion to upgrade yours.

[zagortenej]

In order for your monitor to display HD-DVD content, your DVI port has to be HDCP-compliant. Otherwise, it will not play HD-DVD's and you will experience exactly what you describe. Note that the menues will play fine because they are usually not HDCP-protected, but the moment you start playing the main movie, HDCP will kick in and if your monitor is not compliant the player will not allow the content to be displayed. Tried playing regular DVD and see if it can be displayed on your monitor. If it can, that means that the connection between your HD-DVD player and monitor is fine but the monitor is not HDCP compliant. Solution: if your monitor has analogue video inputs try connecting your player that way, because HDCP is enforced only via digital connection; alternatively, you'll have to get HDCP-compliant PC monitor or HDTV.

Hope this helps.

[jman98]

In order for your monitor to display HD-DVD content, your DVI port has to be HDCP-compliant. Otherwise, it will not play HD-DVD's and you will experience exactly what you describe. Note that the menues will play fine because they are usually not HDCP-protected, but the moment you start playing the main movie, HDCP will kick in and if your monitor is not compliant the player will not allow the content to be displayed. Tried playing regular DVD and see if it can be displayed on your monitor. If it can, that means that the connection between your HD-DVD player and monitor is fine but the monitor is not HDCP compliant. Solution: if your monitor has analogue video inputs try connecting your player that way, because HDCP is enforced only via digital connection; alternatively, you'll have to get HDCP-compliant PC monitor or HDTV.

Hope this helps.

Unless you can offer evidence to the contrary, I believe you are confusing PC HD-DVD requirements with settop HD-DVD player requirements. There is no such requirement on settop HD-DVD players but it could be implemented in the future. None of the currently available HD-DVD discs enforce HDCP at this time on standalone players.

[danimal99]

I upgraded the firmware last night, and it shuts down my monitor even sooner into the likely protected content.

Oh well, poop.

[jman98]

Maybe your player is bad. You might try to search on the internet for a forum dedicated to this player (surely there is one) and see if others have reported this issue. I really don't think it's a copy protection thing as everything I have read says that DVI connections should be full resolution for standalone HD-DVD players.

[danimal99]

No, I'm sure the player is fine. It plays content that I know is unprotected without any problems.

[Krispy Kritter]

What is the brand and model of the LCD? It's possible this is a LCD issue, and not the player.

[danimal99]

It is an IC Power 19" LCD (probably sold under more than just that one name, too). You know, the cheap Wal Mart 19" LCD.

[jman98]

No, I'm sure the player is fine. It plays content that I know is unprotected without any problems.

I'm not sure the player is fine and you said only that it played DVD content OK, which has nothing to do with HD-DVD. Although I think zagortenej is wrong, you have provided no information at all that disproves his suggestion. Perhaps it is your cheap LCD as Krispy Kritter suggests.

I suggested one possible avenue of help (another forum) and you seem to not really be interested in going that route. For a guy asking for help you seem awfully sure about what the problem is and isn't. Since that's the case, I'll bow out of this thread since you obviously don't need anyone else's help on this.

[danimal99]

Jeez, dude, a little less on the attitude next time? And yes, of course I googled all over the place looking for info, and eventually wound up back here. I've had a profile here for years, but it seems to have vanished, so I had to create a new one.

I didn't say it played DVD content ok, I said it played my backup, as in burned to a DVD+R and therefore unprotected, DVDs ok. It also plays the menus of DVDs and HD-DVDs, and even goes a short time into the feature films-- then shuts the monitor off.