XMS-888 - Mpeg4 - Firmware?

[malcez]

on clicking your link i get this:

"SORRY FORUM OPEN ONLY TO REGISTERED MEMBERS"

can you please tell me how to manually navigate to that forum? there does not seem to be a section on DVD players. it's all mostly about broadband stuff.

i am actually a registered member! the whirlpool server must not like me coming in through a back door.

cheers

[andw]

ok, try going to http://bc.whirlpool.net.au, on the left, choose "discussion forum", then under the centre "forums" section, go down down down down to "The Movie Lounge" - The main thread is "divX player under $200".
Hopefully you can get in thru there.
I can't figure how to log out, so I can't work out if that works if it thinks your not "logged in".

[malcez]

thanx andy

that whirlppol forum is unbelievable. i have found out that all new users are BANNED from entering the MOVIE LOUNGE until they have made "50 posts" to the whirlpool forum. screw that.

check it out:

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=67229#r8

we'll have to rely on you to tell us what's going on in there.

back to the topic of the XMS-888:

once upon a time in the dim dark past of Strathfield/Brisbane Car Sound, when I was a young lad, they used to sell OMNI brand dvd players. they still do.

and it was always very amusing and entertaining to find out the REAL brand of the omni as just about every different model was a different chinese brand.

i tracked my own 3100 down to a little chinese company called BBK electronics for example.

NOW, in regards to the XMS-888, i am using the same trick that guys have used in the past:

CHECK THE BOX

the styrofoam holders inside the xms-888 box are emblazoned with the number "2008B-43". a quick google of this turned up zilch. however if you search for 2008B then you find a company based in Hong Kong called WAS Electronics, a subsidiary of the parent WAS company over the border in China.

The picture of the WAS 2008B is totally different to the XMS-888, and has karaoke functions as well. The display panel looks similar if not same. We all know that they make new covers for import to Australia.

Maybe this is the reason that the XMS-888 has the karaoke menu but no input jacks??? I'm no electroniko wiz but I reckon you could wire this baby for karaoke if you really wanted to - the internals would surely be fitted out for it.

I also did a search on the serial number but i got nothing on that.

Anyway, i am still on the path to finding that elusive "bank30.rom" file for a firmware upgrade to this machine, if anyone can tell me where it is.

The .mpg workaround for the timer issue - is a brilliant idea. Thankyou!

Cheers

[andw]

I must have only just clocked over enough to go to the Movie Lounge.
Good detective work on tracking down the recorder.
If you missed the previous post, the main board has headers for karaoke, and behind the front panel it is all set up for mike inputs and volume knobs (just missing the circuit board). So could be. What is the web site for the WAS 2008B?

[malcez]

here's the link:

http://www.was-electronics.com/products-dvd.htm

the one in question is the DVD-2008B

the problem is the front cover is completely different and even the display panel is different. even the buttons are in different locations - although the power button is the same. maybe it was just a coincidence.

there is a badge top-left which says W&B which could be another "lead".

i don't know why the manual of the xms 888 doesn't say who the manufacturer is or where to get the bank30.rom, or why it is so cloaked in secrecy by strathfields and others. we all know they're made in china. noone cares where it is made, only how to make the unit work better. in fact THAT is how sales will go up.

[davidf]

I went to the WAS electronics site and one of the players there (808) is identical to the Nintaus 9808 from JB hifi.

http://www.elta.de/english/artikel.asp?Artikel=8883%20MP4

this link is to a german player, case style is similar and it uses bank30.rom updates.

I got this info from an italian forum.. go figure :)

[malcez]

Here's another possible lead for the DVD-2008B clone XMS-888:

http://www.szkx.com/docc/kwny-cp11.htm

from SHENZHEN ZHUOKE in china

the lcd display panel on this one is VERY similar to the xms-888, but cannot find a larger pic on that chinese site to see the details

my chinese as about as good as my greek, does anyone see a link to bank30.rom updates in that site?

cheers

[dastasha]

I have tried setting the pro logic option to 'auto' and 'manual'. Neither setting seems to make any difference to what I already have. I agree the test tone is weird. I get white noise through the left speaker, it goes to centre then cuts out, the right speaker then comes on, right rear works then cuts out, and nothing at all through left rear. Left speaker then comes on again. I've mucked with any settings that appear to be audio related to me and its got me beat at the moment.

[andw]

Test tone is very weird.
I don't have surround sound decoder, however, I connected Stereo to Front Left and Front Right RCA outputs, and computer speakers to Surround Left and Surround Right outputs.
Playing ANTZ DVD, surround worked perfectly.
Settings as...
In Speaker Setup - Downmix - OFF
Turned off centre and subwoofer speakers (as I didn't have anything to output to).
Test Tone did white noise left/right then one of the surround speakers only.
Under Audio Setup, left as defaults (i.e. Pro Logic - OFF).
Played ANTZ DVD, and absolute definite surround sound worked.
Anybody who has seen it ... General Mandabile "Workers they lack discipline..." this speech starts surround, goes to front speakers only when they close in on his face, then he cracks his stick on the bench... FULL surround.
(made me jump, as I had moved up close wondering why no sound was coming out while he was speaking.)
Anyway, the rest worked as well.
I think the test tone option is not working, so I wouldn't rely on it to check surround is working. (try a DVD that you know works)

[andw]

Check on getting rid of the On Screen Display via the previously mentioned method of first playing an MPG, turning off the OSD, then playing the AVI.
Worked (thank God) however, as I mentioned previously with relation to turning off the OSD on MPG files, once the display is turned off on the screen, the units display no longer updates either. (still better than having the display up on the screen all the time.)
This is a pain tho, as every time you put a disk in, you have to play an MPG, turn off the OSD blablabla.
This problem is NOT evident when playing VCD, SVCD, DVD's, the OSD works fine with those.
I think come Monday morning, everyone should email / ring Strathfield, and start harassing them for a fix.
re zooming - On the Whirlpool forum, someone mentioned a player that plays divX, and fills the screen perfectly. http://www.neodigits.com/ So this is certainly not impossible.

[quecom]

I also have purchased One of these players and am finding the same problems. I have sorted out the region code "WORKS FINE".
But still have the problem with the OSD when playing MPEG4 (DIVX).
I have been in contact with the repair agent for this model in Sydney
and they have told me they are waiting for a reply from the manufacturer
in HongKong (He told me they should have an answer after 1pm today).

With the full screen problem I purchased a different Mpeg4 player from
germany about 3-4 months ago (elta 8882) and with this player
full screen works perfectly. Hopefully these problems will be sorted out
with a firmware update (if we can find one).

I also have asked if this is a rebaged machine and what is the original model and make, I was told that this information was not available but
they would look into it for me and call me back tomorrow.

Will let you all no as soon as I recieve the info.

[andw]

Thanks quecom, I think that the only way to get these problems sorted out is with a bit of push back at Strathfield.
I'm not really happy with the player as it is, a firmware upgrade to fix these 'niggles' up would make me happy.
However, as someone else has said, firmware updates for 'XMS' branded players seem impossible to find.
I have a feeling that the player was 'rushed' into the market for Christmas.
Just look at the manual for instance, everywhere, MPEG-4 and DVD player is in a different font, like the 'MPEG-4 and' part was added later.
I think maybe at least for me, I will start threatening to take it back, unless something is done.
Yes, there are work arounds for the OSD (but which stuffs up the units display), and a few other things.
However, there are these 'niggles' and why should we have to work around these bugs!! They should be fixed.
Strathfield needs to stop hiding behind their rebadging and provide some customer support.

[andw]

From Whirlpool Post on same issue...

----------------------------------------------
User #11702 27 posts
rimmeroz
Participant this post was edited

Got a email from Strathfield...the details are 02 9793 2111 and speak to their technical support team as they should be able to answer your questions. herring | anchor
Reply to this post | Send WhiM
posted Today at 7:32 am
edited Today at 7:43 am
--------------------------------------------------
User #33202 • 1645 posts
Pythonisman
See the world through our i 's
Whirlpool Forums Addict and they may actually be able to fix some of the bugs? ;)

[edit: can i ask why you changed the phone number after 9 minutes..?] herring | anchor
Reply to this post | Send WhiM
posted Today at 7:45 am
edited soon afterwards
-----------------------------------------------------------
User #33404 • 62 posts
andw
Participant I got thtough to them by ringing the number on the bottom of my Strathfield reciept (1800221010). Once I started complaining about it the put me through to the supplier. (WDS) he also gave me their direct number as 02 97932111. herring | anchor
Reply to this | Edit my post
posted 0 minutes ago
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[andw]

Copy of email that I sent to Strathfield via their "feedback form" on their website...
Dear sir / madam,
I have recently purchased a XMS-888 Mpeg-4 player from you (last Thursday), and have found a number of problems with the Firmware on this player. These I emailed to you on Friday.
Also a quick scan of Internet Forums around Australia that deal with DVD players and the like, have found that other people all over Australia are having the same problems.
These forums are located at...
http://forums.eyo.com.au/showthread.php?t=32586 (Now up to 3 pages in length with people wanting the problem sorted out) and
2 Threads at...
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=140042 (5 pages)
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=141046 (1 page so far - regarding Strathfield phone numbers to call to get these issues resolved.
(You may have trouble accessing the last two links as you need to be registered to access, and have 50 posts)
However, some people are already considering taking these units back to the stores they came from. (me for one).
So, we would appreciate some re-assurance that there will be some form of support on this product.
A search online reveals no support at all from past XMS products apart from how to remove region coding.
Will there be firmware updates for this model, or should we just pack them all back up and send them back?

[andw]

Just phoned "Samantha" at Strathfield on the 1800 number, she has forwarded the above email to her manager "Camille" to look into and respond...
Waiting for email now....

[jokiin]

Ok, for those of you that have this unit and are concerned over firmware issues this thread has already been forwarded to the people responsible who have in turn sent it on to the distributor and the manufacturer. Please don't call, email or whatever anymore, there has already been enough of that to get the point across and action is being taken already. A firmware fix was being researched before this thread was started however there are a few more things that have come up here since so it would be good if we could get a summarised list together as this is what the factory will be looking at as a guide to what needs addressing.

If we can get the info altogether in one post and placed at the top of the thread as a sticky (might need a mod to assist with this) keep it concise and easy to understand as to what the issue is (remember this is going to China and some things don't translate well) if collectively this can by brought together, perhaps by pm ing a mod to collate the info then it will get resolved fairly quickly.

If this is not possible then pm me the info, just the firmware suggestions, and I can make sure that it gets to the right people.

Once this is done and the firmware is available I will get it first and can do some basic testing of the things that I know are wrong but it would be best if others would like to test it also, I would think that most of the people that have posted here would be ideal candidates as there is generally a higher awareness here of what's firmware related and what's not.

Please take the time to post your thoughts on how you would like to get this info together first before posting, pm ing or whatever.

If collectively you get this together I will make sure that it gets to the right people.

[andw]

Thanks Jok11n, I will start making a list and PM it to you.

[rimmeroz]

Might be worth setting up a post with the "known" issues before we start....Then just add any others that we can find....
Remember make it "quirks"......... Not a wish list.
That way the less requests we have the quicker we might get a fix. Then we can ask for wishes....

[jokiin]

I guess you prefer to send the info to me then! Ok no problem, if others would like to do the same also i will get it altogether and post the list back here for review before it gets sent to the factory. Once a firmware becomes available I can forward it to anyone that would like to be involved in the testing.

[jokiin]

Might be worth setting up a post with the "known" issues before we start....Then just add any others that we can find....
Remember make it "quirks"......... Not a wish list.
That way the less requests we have the quicker we might get a fix. Then we can ask for wishes....

Good suggestion, quirks only. Just the things that need addressing