I recently bought a CLD 2090 and the STAR WARS DEFINITIVE COLLECTION, which has a commentary track in analog and movie sound in digital, but the problem is I can't switch to the digital audio when the movie is playing. If I stop the movie I can switch from analog to digital with the controller (it's a pioneer controller but it's from another model), but when it plays i can't.

What is wrong and how do i fix it?

I tried several things, first I tried a harmony remote with the CLD 2090 configuration and it didn't work, then I connected it by optical cable to a Yamaha amp and it didn't work (couldn't switch to digital), now i'm thinking maybe it has something to do with the laser? maybe it can't find the digital track?

The person who sold it to me says that if I use the original remote that came with this model I will be able to switch it to digital, is it true?

Also the eject button opens the tray but it doesn't close it, it only closes if i push the button in the player.

Help me LaserDisc Database... you're my only hope.

I'm not familiar with hands on with that model.

User manual here may have some clue to resolving the issue maybe?
http://manuals.lddb.com/LD_Players/Pion ... N_Scan.pdf

From what I read on the manual seems like it has some sort of (Auto audio switching mode)?


Some Pioneer remotes may operate some of the players functions some just not all of them.

Furthermore the audio commentary on the disc is mentioned in the booklet where the commentary tracks are as the commentary isn't constantly running all the time its really parts of the extras placed onto the analouge which seems bit like a George Lucas "its a trap".

I keep pressing that same DIGITAL/ANALOGUE button from the 2 remotes I have and it just doesn't change, it only changes when the disc is not playing, that's why I'm not sure the remote is the problem, if it was I wouldn't be able to switch from analogue to digital when the disc isn't playing.

Could it be a problem with the laser? is it possible that something has burned in the board that I need to change for the digital selector to work?

thanks

There are at least two different button styles for switching from Digital to Analog. The earlier players had a button for Digital/Analog and another for cycling through L/R/Stereo. Later players combined this to one button. I’ve never been in this situation before but I think someone has asked this question before and the issue was his remote was too new for the player. Universal remotes are always a half-ass affair when it comes to non-primary functions so I don’t know of Logitech or whoever makes the distinction. I’m not %100 sure but I think you just need a more contemporary remote. Maybe the one for the CLD-S201 would work.

Btw, another Star Wars guy with no posts. It’s only been like a week. Must be the new movie. Normally I’d ask if he had any other discs to try but...

Ok it's possible that the remote is the problem.

One more question, is it possible that the optical cable has to be connected in order for the digital sound to work?

Technically close manuals could be used based on this post:

CLD-2090 Manuals (Service and Operating)



Before you even play with the remote, you should get your cabling in order.

Analog audio outputs (white/red RCA jacks) and Digital audio outputs (Toslink) are different and require different cabling to your A/V Amp.

See: http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/pioneer/pioneer_cld-2090/pioneer_cld-2090.htm

Any recent LD player manual will show you how to do this.

Julien

Nope. LD players didn’t even have digital outs when Digital Sound was implemented so it’s always available from the line outs. The digital out will always output the digital track no matter what you do on the player, the digital outs can’t output analog.

So to be clear, you’re hearing the commentary constantly?

Every Pioneer I’ve ever seen defaults to the Digital track when the disc is played. If this isn’t happening the it’s possible there is a TOC read error. Does the player switch sides?

The optical digital output only outputs the digital PCM signal. The optical can be used with some dts-5.1 encoded film/music or even CD discs with a suitable decoder.

The twin RCA outputs left-right can output the digital signal that has been converted I guess along with the analog when switching the audio mode on the player the CX noise reduction is also accompanied on the analog with some most LD that bare the CX logo.

Do you have any other discs?

Yes only with the star wars discs I'm only hearing commentary which is recorded in the analog track, I can't switch to Digital no mater what I do. I don't now what you mean with switch sides, I does switch from side A to B automatically and the digital doesn't work in any of the sides.

How do you fix a TOC read error, cleaning the lens? replacing it?

thanks

Yes I have many other opera laserdiscs and a couple of movies, I don't need to change to digital in any other disc but I've tried and it still doesn't work.

A friend has a cheap pioneer player and it does change to digital and analog with the star wars discs, so it's not the disc.

Thanks

Yes I've connected it in 3 different ways:

1) RCA only with yellow cable for video
2)RCA for audio and SVIDEO
3)SVIDEO and Optical cable

The first two directly to my TV (LG FLATRON) and also tried through the YAMAHA receiver and the 3rd through the YAMAHA RECEIVER only.

How long have you had this player. Has it ever worked?

I wonder if anyone else here has this player (or the manual) and can confirm that Digital is normally the default when available. If so, your player is f-ed in some way. If for some reason you have to actually select Digital every time you start a movie then it could be the remote issue but I’ve never used any player, Pioneer or otherwise, that defaults to analog. Once Digital was available it became the “main program” track in virtually every release and likewise the players that can play it all default to it. You only use the D/A/CX button when you want to hear something else.

Try your friends remote, if it doesn't work there may be an issue.

I've already tried with his remote and a second remote he bought (2 with fast forward and rewind wheel and 1 small controller) and none worked.

I'm beginning to suspect there is something wrong with the player but where do I start looking? is it a lens problem or is it a board problem (bad transistors or something)?

When there is no disc in it I can see that it defaults to digital because I can see red letters in the laserdisc screen that says DIGITAL, but the moment I press play it defaults to analog and can't switch it back.

What exactly is it that could be f-ed up in your experience so i can start looking at it?

Well, I can identify the issue but sadly I'm not a real repairman, which is probably what you need. If this player has one of those "Digital Audio" lights on it then if it doesn't come on then no remote is going to switch it. For some reason the player doesn't think the discs have Digital sound.

Lets see, what could cause this...

Rotted discs will often play OK but with bad or no Digital Sound. This seems unlikely too many discs and no complaints otherwise.

Laser out of tune (won't see parts of the signal)

Bad caps (basically causing laser cal to drift)

Grip ring (usually more intermittent and loud but from my experience if the disc slips when its starting up it can cause the table of contents to be incorrectly read and not offer Digital Audio, I experienced this on a CLD-99 though which is a much newer player with totally different logic inside I'd assume).

I'm afraid I can't think of much else. I'm not a repair guy by any means. Others here know a lot more. I do think its totally a player issue even though you still may not yet have the right remote.

Wait, hang on...does this machine play CDs?

Ok that's a good start, I'll try to get a good repair guy who knows about this.

It sometimes plays cds, most of the time it doesn't, like 90% of the time, no matter how new they are, what does it mean?

If you are talking about the eject/stop button on the remote control, the button will only serve these two functions. You'll either have to press the play button with no disc loaded or push the eject button on the player to get the tray to withdraw.
I'm not really sure if newer players had the ability to withdraw the tray with the help of the remote control. Someone might answer that for you!

OOH Ok, I didn't know that!

One problem less!