Why couldn't these players have included the ability to just play a .TS file?

Turn the clock back to when you said this:

I had originally wanted to get an ioData AVELINK player...but this is the best bet for the future.

I have both. The A1 with whatever firmware version it shipped with, I can't tell. I have the upgrade disk, did not install it. How do I know which version is installed on mine? The Version says 1.4/1.09/2.0R ? I guess that's 1.4?

Anyway, it plays HDVs made with MF5 without the VIDEO_TS.VOB file. Perhaps they wouldn't play in the A2 or with the 2.0 upgrade version.

The problem, is that except for utility as my personal player, the HD-DVD format is essentially worthless as a distribution format with these problems. Nothing is solved when my disks play in mine but not yours.

That's where the I-O Data AVeL Linkplayer2, with all its admitted quirks, at least PLAYS just about everything you throw at it, straight from the cam, with none of the DVDSP or MF5 sillyness.

From what I've read at avsforum.com, ULead Movie Factory created HDDVDs have always played fine on the A1 and that includes A1s with the 2.0 firmware.

The Ulead created HD DVDs can use AC3 sound elements for example.

It is basically DVDSP4 that has the issues and I'm sure that it will be corrected in the next version from Apple.

I admit I seriously waffled and changed my mind about getting the ioData Avelink player, but playback of commercial HD DVDs was just too compelling.

I bet, however, that in the future, if the HD DVD format succeeds, that some manufacturers will include other playback formats like DivX and .TS stream formats.

To check the firmware on your player, go to the upgrade feature on your A1, it will display your current firmware. [As long as you are not wired and do not go past the agreement screen nothing will change on your player.]

I admit I seriously waffled and changed my mind about getting the ioData Avelink player, but playback of commercial HD DVDs was just too compelling.

Right! HD-DVD movies...I wasn't thinking, Doh!

The HD-DVD player also has a slightly better picture owing to the HDMI interface. It would be vastly superior except there is a filter mod that can be performed on the Linkplayer2 that really unlocks the analog bandwidth. But you have to unsolder 3 inductors and solder in some jumpers. The difference is night and day. But you shouldn't have to.

Update #2

Ah ha! I've solved the issue with DVD Studio Pro and making HD-DVDs that work with the Toshiba's with New Firmware 2.0. [Basically the same hint that PC users do...]

And you've heard it first here! Even the Apple forums don't have this answer yet..

Basically here is what you need:

Create a "Burn Folder" in Tiger.

Inside this folder, create a VIDEO_TS folder which contains a plain text file that is named "VIDEO_TS.VOB"

Place the "HVDVD_TS" folder[that you created when you authored a DVD Studio Pro HD-DVD, alongside the VIDEO_TS folder in the "Burn Folder"

Burn the DVD.

Voila! DVD Studio Pro does not include the necessary "VIDEO_TS" folder...that is why the 2.0 firmware Toshiba will not play the DVD Studio Pro Authored discs.

Follow basically the same instructions for HDDVD making as how the PC users do it in the AVS forum thread.


I actually had the same issue, 2.0 broke my A1, it used to play all of my +R's just fine and now it won't I have cused and B*&^ and nothing. (BTW: They don't support +R, but mine played them fine until 2.0)

Last night playing with a couple of settings and things I decided to try instead of burning directly from DVDSP to just create the folder and burn it using Toast 7.

IT WORKED, no need for VIDEO_TS at least for me.

Toast 7 or 8: Create a new data DVD in UDF format, and put your HDDVD_TS folder in it, that's it.

The problem has been DVDSP all along, no useful menu's and such.

NOTE: Whatever the success or not, something changed radically on the 2.0 firmware that screwed us all up.

I have heard of reports of people having success with H264 and DVDSP4 menu's but that's about it "Rummors" have not seen actual posts explaining the process.

IT WORKED, no need for VIDEO_TS at least for me.

Toast 7 or 8: Create a new data DVD in UDF format, and put your HDDVD_TS folder in it, that's it.

The problem has been DVDSP all along, no useful menu's and such.




Good info---I guess it is because burning from the finder in Mac OSX 10.4 is automatically utilizes a UDF format...and DVDSP4 is not doing that correctly for the 2.0 firmware.

Hopefully in 2 months we will look back at these posts and laugh.

C'mon Apple!

Good info---I guess it is because burning from the finder in Mac OSX 10.4 is automatically utilizes a UDF format...and DVDSP4 is not doing that correctly for the 2.0 firmware.

Hopefully in 2 months we will look back at these posts and laugh.

C'mon Apple!


I so hope so, are you running universal code or are you still in 4.0?

Hi there,
Dont know if anyone is still on this forum but I managed to burn a HD-DVD on to regular type 5 DVD RW and it played fine on the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, menus worked, sound and picture fine. Is this a first?
Only problem I had was after creating a H.264 quicktime movie in Compressor, DVD Studio Pro would not recognise the format. Anyone have any ideas why?
So instead I made a MPEG 2 at 720p, which came into DVD SP pro fine and made the DVD.

All the Best

George

keep in mind that AVEL2 has a very big limitation - FAT support only. That means you cant (theoretically) play files larger than 4G. Which is about 20 min original HDV (25mbs). Actually it does play files larger than 4G but the playback is jerky and usualy without sound. Of course you can always compress your foottage to lower bitrates but the PQ will degrade.