Hi,

I'm trying to follow up on a rumor i've heard.

Preface: I have finally received my Pioneer DVL-909 (black model). Laserdisc player works great and so does VCD! Also supports CDV, not that i care for that format.

My real issue is with DVD playback. I cannot get a single DVD to play...

I put in the DVD, the machine does it's standard churning noises, blue screen says DVD after a while, DVD disappears, COMPACT DISC appears, COMPACT DISC disappears, tray opens.

I've heard a certain encoded DVDs don't play; Is this true? I've tried a few official DVDs: Spider-Man (2001), Herby Fully Loaded (Girlfriend's...) and Spy Kids.

I don't think it's the mechanism itself because, as i stated above, i did get my VIDEO CDs (VCD) to play.

What do you all think? Open to opinions.

Thanks.

It's saving you, it's bad for dvds. If you are serious about DVD I'd recommend an Oppo.

First off, I don’t know much about DVLs.

Ok, so if you have a player that is made to play 5” discs of totally different eras it has to be more flexible because the lasers used for LDs and such wouldn’t play a DVD. CD/LD player lasers are 720nm lasers and DVD needs a 650 nm laser.

Because of this many machines suffer a failure of only one kind of disc. The most famous of these was the Playstation 2 which would one day not be able to play DVDs or in some cases would play DVDs and not be able to play CDs.

It’s possible there is a gain adjustment or something that could be tweaked. The worse case scenario is that your machine doesn’t play DVDs which isn’t much of a loss. The molded in pink plastic $30 garbage from Target does a massively better job of playing DVDs than any DVD player from the DVL era.

The way the ps2 works you really want to avoid playing cds with it. This includes ps1 games.

Could have sworn i replied to this, but the forum seems to have glitched out.


Nah, i'm not crazy about DVD. I have a JVC VHS/DVD combo player that does the job just fine... I really only bought it for Laserdiscs and the possibility of supporting VCD, which it does.

I do need a remote though.

Is the "CU-DV026", which is a DVL remote, compatible with a DVL-909? (black USA model). I need a remote for my unit, but i REALLY would like a shuttle and jog on it.

My two remotes here aren't compatible nor do they have the necessary functions i want to take advantage of like MEMO.

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About the PS2 thing: That's really just for fat models. The slim fixed this.

Sorry to say, your DVD pickup has gone out. It is remotely possible it might need some mechanical adjustments, but more than likely the laser is dead. I've rebuilt about a dozen of this type player (DVL-700, DVL-9, DVL-91, DVL-909, DVL-919 (both US and Japan), DVL-919E) and I've had to replace 4 or 5 bad DVD pickups.

VCD is using the MPEG board, but it's using the CD/LD laser.

Rest in piece, i guess. Now i just gotta figure out the remote situation, as i stated.

Did they actually change the mechanism inside? I remember reading something about the way it spun the disc with magnets could scratch cds. It's definitely true too, some of my most used CDs on PS2 that were flawless are now pretty rough and I pretty much never drop discs or leave them out so the PS2 is really the only explanation. I since ripped all my PS2 CD games and use a PS1 for PS1 games now.

I really don't like DVDs either (2nd least favorite format above VHS) but I ended up with thousands of them mainly because they are the cheapest way to get a movie and really I can't pass most things up for 25-50 cents at garage sales.

As far as VCDs go, do you have particular ones you are after? Seems like it would be a nightmare to determine what is legitimate and what is a bootleg.

The main issue was the original PS2 could operate on it's SIDE and also FLAT. My fat PS2, which is actually a debug PS2, can read normal games while flat, but it needs to be on it's side to read GOLD/BLUE discs and DVD movies.

Slim only operates flat and has a re-designed tray system. It's a top loader instead of slide, as well.

As for VCDs, yeah i only go after official ones. Mostly things that interest me as i find them, not particularly any movie unless it has bill murray in it. Most official VCDs will have a holographic film sticker and substantial copyright information. Bootlegs tend to be all artwork, low disc print quality and in mainland chinese dialect. Official ones are almost always simplified chinese or cantonese.

It’s true. The PS2 was the only machine I know of that would literally destroy discs. It would grind rings into them. I seem to recall it happening to one of EA’s basketball games more than on any other title.

I used to work at EB during the PS2 era and holy s**t what a pile of junk that thing was. Everyone has their theories about heat or playing it sideways or whatever. That’s all a distraction. The thing was junk. The failure rate of new units out of the box was crazy.

Every time a new Capcom fighting game came out I’d hook up the Dreamcast.

Every time a new GTA game came out...GTA fans would come in and buy replacement machines in waves. The more intense the software the harder the machine ran, so GTA which used a TON of disc access and was really really popular just meant someone in your dorm would see your PS2 die the weekend the new game came out.

Well since you don't need access to the DVD features, I'd imagine any old remote should do?

Coincidentally, there's a guy selling a remote for the DVL-909 on a local market site, but that probably won't do you any good since it's here instead of there.

Couldn't find any proper programming instructions, but i have tested the CU-CLD063 and CU-CLD084 with luck.

Primarily using face buttons for the 909, at the moment.

I ordered a CU-DV026; Has DVL functions with a jog and shuttle. HOPE it works for 30 bucks.

Just for the heck of it, https://www.dropbox.com/s/bbs334mfodoms ... 2.mp4?dl=0

This is a video of a DVD attempting to be played on my machine. Let me know if it sounds odd to you.. sounds like something is stuck, perhaps.

The laser pickup for DVD is probably dead like blam1 said, but just for the hell of it, have you tried a really old or a single layer DVD?

The oldest DVD i own is "spy kids", which i have tested. To me, the machine makes a grinding noise so i wonder if it's the mechanism and not the laser.

It just does not "sound" right. Then again, i've never used a DVL player so i don't know what it SHOULD sound like. Certainly not like this, though, I'd imagine.

Really? I never had a problem with mine. Toxic OS mod and would literally play anything you threw at it. Don't recall it scratching or destroying discs.

Yup. It's pretty well documented if you are curious you can google/youtube it. Apparently it's the ribbon cable with slims.

I may be late to the party but a lot of people don't know that the DVD only DV-505 remote works on the DVL LaserDisc units but does not have the DISC SIDE A/B button.
It does however have all the other buttons like a CU-DV026 or CU-DV030. Buy a CU-DV008 & save some money.

I've already purchased a CU-DV026. A remote with shuttle is mandatory for me.

I watched the video and all of that noise is normal. The player is swapping between the LD pickup and DVD pickup. Which ever is NOT in use goes back to the turn mechanism and rotates out of the way. What is happening is the LD pickup sees the disc and that it's a CD or LD. The DVD pickup swaps in and tries to get focus and fails. I've seen it several times.

If you take the bonnet off and watch the pickup, see if you can see the laser glow red. Sometimes it will flash on then off. It "should" turn on and then scan forward toward the spindle motor to read the disc TOC. If it doesn't do any of this, or the laser blinks out, the pickup is bad.