Toshiba SD-210
 

Hi All,
A newbie from the S. of France here, and happy to have discovered this forum and website as I try to improve my capturing of movies from satellite TV, which over here is quite excellent - no ads, great selection... for the following, remember that we are strictly PAL over here:

I recently bought a Toshiba SD-210 EE as it had some great reviews, was cheap, and multiregional, and can report some preliminary results:

- plays std compliant VCDs no problem (of course)
- plays compliant SVCDs, much better image but with audio lag of 3/4 sec on TV, but these same files or burnt CD-ROMs play OK on WinDVD or Xing mpeg player with no audio lag.

this result includes compliant SVCDs encoded with bbMPEG, TMPGEnc, LSX Premiere plugin... so it looks like a fault of the Toshiba SD-210 player.

- so far refused to play a KVCD PAL 2CD template - 75% of screen in colour blocks, hard to see the action but it SEEMS the audio lag might not be there. Possible? If so, what settings in KVCD vs LSX might have accomplished this?

Just a rundown of the method I'm using, please feel free to comment on any aspect, as your expert suggestions will surely save me some time & grief! :

I capture from the satellite SVHS using a Pinnacle DC30plus at full resolution704x576 (or 688x560 using "TV Cropping") to mjpeg successive .avi files with ReelCap. I'm using 36GB IBM 10k SCSI drives for capturing as even Quantum 7200rpm drives drop a frame here and there at this rate. I assemble the .avi's in Premiere 5.1c so that I can add fades and transitions to black where appropriate. The .avi's are captured interlaced, upper field first according to the DC30 preset.

Then feed from the Premiere timeline via avisynth to TMPGEnc or use the Premiere plugin for LSX, bbMPEG, or Panasonic. (Through diligent searching I've found "free" versions of all of these:twisted: ) For LSX, I've resized to 352x288 and de-interlaced in Premiere, but for TMPGEnc fed directly without resize or de-interlace. Results for these std VCDs have been bearable, but obviously I'm looking for better, which is why I'm here..

So far, I've put about 40 movies on disc as compliant VCD's, two discs per film, but have got annoyed with the quality. And thus my trial of SVCD and now the KVCD templates. Hope to report increasing improvement as I get the hang of it, and am avidly awaiting the new KVCD template for PAL.

gros pb avec satand alone Toshiba SD210E
 

making VCD and SVCD CDR with :
DV camera NTSC, TMPGenc, Nero express.
or after ripping DVDs

Question 1/ how to burn non standard VCD with nero?
Q2/ does a firmware exist for Toshiba SD210E?

Yes, there are probably 3 firmware versions for the Toshiba SD210.

With the Toshiba SD-210 the problem of sound synchronisation in SVCD discs is apparently quite common when the SD210-E player has firmware Boot/Main ROM versions 1.4/2.1 Mine is listed 1.400/2.100R2 and I have the problem. There is an older firmware which is reported NOT to have the problem. To check firmware version, hit Zoom 808 Zoom on the remote with no disc in the machine.

Interestingly, someone reported on another list that pressing the "Angle" button twice during play to bring up Audio1/Audio2 at Audio 2, then "up" button to select Audio1 then "Enter", caused the sound sync to be corrected for the track. I tried this, and occasionally it worked, but sometimes even INCREASED the sync problem or reversed it, with the sound then late rather than the usual 500ms advance. I checked this by encoding an SVCD with sound delay of 500ms and then the sync was approximately OK.

There is a new firmware for the SD210 Main ROM version 2.2, and I'm negotiating to have my machine updated. My machine also had a laser alignment problem, in which DVDs played fine but VCDs, MP3s etc often gave a "disc error" report, although I found that if I let the machine "warm up" for awhile, these discs would often play. By contrast, I also have the newer Toshiba SD220EE multiregional and this machine plays everything including the discs that were difficult to play in the SD210 with its laser alignment problem.

Thx for your answer.
I am impressed by your english (fluentissime)
Je suis toulousain d'origine.
I tried Zoom 808 zoom but it didnt work. May I flash new firmware?
I am following your activities on it... :)

Magnifico wrote,
I tried Zoom 808 zoom but it didnt work. May I flash new firmware?

Hmm, it was some combination like that. You must do it with no disc in the machine.

According to my information, updating the firmware must be done by the factory. I'll be finding out more in the next few days I hope.