apex 3201 49.99 after 30 rebate at Compusa 4/7 -14

[Yoshi2000]

Some thoughts:

Hacking - Part 1 (Updating the DVD drive software)
[*]You can check your firmware version by hitting "Eject" then "Display". (My drive showed v.1.41 LT17)
[*]Downloaded the latest DVD player firmware from Apex Digital dated (9/13/01).
[*]The EXE is a self-extracting archive. UnZip the files to a temp directory.
[*]Burn the BIN file on to a CD. (I burned it with Nero, ISO 9660, Level 1, No Multisession, Disc at Once)
[*]Insert CD into Apex... choose Firmware Upgrade option "TOTAL" and then WAIT! Don't freak out when your TV produces static. This is normal.
[*]Disc will eject after a while. Remove the disc... then WAIT SOME MORE!
[*]Finally, the screen will clear back to the usualy spalsh screen. You're done!
[*]Check your firmware version again by hitting "Eject" then "Display". (It should now show v.1_42 LT17)

Hacking - Part 2 (Updating the DVD drive firmware)
[*]Download the latest firmware from dvd-wizards
[*]Your drive will most likely be the DSL-710A LT. You can verify this visually by opening the case (more later) or simply by pressing "Eject" then "Display". The last 4 letters are your drive model and firmware version. (e.g. LT17 = DSL-710A LT version 17)
[*]Unzip the file, and burn the BIN file and one dummy file (greater than 40 Megs; use an MPG or something; it can be named anything). (I burned it with Nero, ISO 9660, Level 1, No Multisession, Disc at Once, with disc labled ATPLDR_DOWN per the site's instructions.)
[*]Now the tricky part. While in theory, you can update the DVD firmware by simply inserting the disc, many people mention that you should unplug the drive from the mainboard to avoid potential problems that could RUIN your drive... so you'll have to open the box to unplug the drive.
[*]IMPORTANT! Prior to unplugging the DVD player, open the drive tray with the eject button!
[*]This guy at nerd-out has a technique for opening the box without removing the warranty sticker. But let me clarify his technique. Remove the 4 side panel screws, 3 of the 5 back panel screws, AND the 4 smaller screws aroung the connectors. Leave the two top back panel screws by the sticker.
[*]Pop open the case. You will see a small IDE cable connecting the drive to a mini-motherboard. Remove the connector from the drive, not from the mini-motherboard. (I found that the cable was somewhat glued to the motherboard, but easily popped off the drive.)
[*]Carefully reassemble the case, and plug in the power. (Be careful here. While the two screws somewhat protect the warranty label, if you jam the power cable in, you will bend the backplate and break the sticker.)
[*]Insert the firmware disc, and nudge the drive closed (without the IDE cable, the eject button will not control the drive... now aren't you happy you left the door open now?) WAIT!
[*]Wait a while... and the disc will pop back out. Remove the disc and WAIT SOME MORE!
[*]The door will close on its own. (Technically it should be done at this point, by I waited another 45 seconds just to be safe.)
[*]Turn the machine off, unplug that machine, and replace all the screws.
[*]Check your firmware version again by hitting "Eject" then "Display". (It should now show v.1_42 LT21)

Turning Macrovision / Region Locks off
[*]Turn machine on.
[*]Hit eject and leave tray open
[*]Enter 8421 on the remote (little underlines appear on-screen as you hit each number)
[*]A menu will now popup with Region and Macrovision. Set Region to 9 (by hitting the Enter key numerous times) to get region free. Hit the down arrow, and hit enter to set Macrovision to Off.
[*]Exit this mode by hitting setup.

If any of the above ruins your drive, don't come crying to me. I'm just reporting what worked for me.

Also, to the person asking about the difference between "8" and "16" on the box (next to the Umbrella icon), I have noted some other differences in the drive. The Power button on "Box 8" is labeled on/off next to the button, whle "Box 16" does not have this label but adds a "power icon" (the circle with a line through it) on the button itseld. There are also some subtle differences in labeling as well, with DVD Video and HDCD having little (R) marks on "Box 16". I think "Box 16" is newer, but I'm guessing that the 16 itself refers to how many boxes of the product you are allowed to stack in the wherehouse. Having examined the guts of both versions, I did not notice any difference in DVD drive models or DVD deocder chips. However, "Box 8" seemed to do a better job of organizing the IDE cable with cable ties (if this makes a difference.)

All this said and done, I still have a Japanese music DVD and Princess Mononoke (US Version) that seems to drop segments of audio now and then, but I have yet to see any video jitter.

Hope this helps.

Yoshi

P.S. This should win an award for longest post ever... hahaha! (I wonder if I should start a new thread instead...

 

[zinkpig]

wow nice post yoshi.. what is the difference between the dvd drive firm ware and software.
is there any way we can upgrade the firmware of the whole player itself like the ad1500 ? the mp3 menus are irritating
ivent had a single disc skip on me yet . watching laurence of arabia right now and taping it to vhs ...the macro vision hack works great ! i also want to see if over heating is an issue with this player. many others at nerd out said while watching long movies the dvd player just froze in certain regions. ive stacked my under a vcr ..want to see what hapens ...will let ya all know soon.

 

[Yoshi2000]

Think of it this way...

DVD player software = how the DVD player works with the DVD drive
This portion of the DVD player controls how the image is sent to your TV, displays the menus, handles the remote control commands, etc. Think of it as the Operating System.


DVD drive firmware = how the DVD drive works with the DVD disc
This works on a more fundamental level, telling the DVD drive how to read the bits off the DVD. Think of it as the BIOS.

On the version display (e.g. "v.1_42 LT21" by hitting Eject then Display), the v.1_42 represents the DVD player software version, while the "LT21" represents the DVD drive model firmware version.

The Apex 1500 also has updates to both portions.

I agree, the menus are annoying. I wish there was also a way to change the boot screen like the Apex 1500.

Yoshi

 

[dwopks]

FYI, I went to Best Buy first - and got the Mintek DVD-1600 - which plays JPG's (specified by a Kodak Picture CD logo on the side of the box). It was advertised at $64.99 in the paper w/o any rebates. Lo and behold, I go to the Best Buy DVD section and a $15 mail-in rebate is listed on the shelf tag AND the rebate prints out when I check out at the register. SO it ends up that the Mintek -which DOES play DVDs, VCDs, MP3s, and JPGs is selling at $64.99 + tax - $15 MIR. Limit one per household. Of course the Mintek doesn't have ANY LCD display on it at all and the remote is very small and cheap - just like the Apex - but what do you want for $49.99 + tax on $64.99 (after $15 MIR)???

Guess this is another local BestBuy reaction to CompUSA's having their lowend DVD player for $49.99 right across the street from them in good ole Overland Park, KS... Don't know if this is nationwide ... As with ALL cheap a$$ DVD players, you may have to try out a couple of players to get a "good one" since the quality control may not be as good as those > $100 players. YMMV...

Good Luck!

 

[lingyi]

First, thanks to pete777 for the heads-up on this deal.

My local Compusa here in Hawaii was already out of the Apex just after 10:00 a.m.(though I saw about a dozen people milling about with them under their arms), but a manager was telling everyone they were substituting a Lasonic Delta-1000 for the same price. Was assured that the rebate would still apply (though the rebate form clearly states Apex 3201) and they adjusted their system to reflect the $79.99 price.

Interestingly, the salesclerk said they had over 1000 of these in stock since they're a new item and were blowing them out now and would raise the price later.

Anyway, it does seem that this is a new Lasonic model since I intially couldn't find any info about it anywhere. Tried all the usual Lasonic region-free hacks and was about to give up when I found one that works at vcdhelp.com

Don't know the rules about posting hacks on this forum and I really want to give credit where credit is due, so I'll just say...visit vcdhelp.com, search for the Lasonic 2100 DVD hack and use the one by 'smartclick' (the one that uses the 'setup' button).

So far I've tried two different region-3 discs as well as the usual all-region discs, VCDs (original and CDR) and an MP3 disc. All seems well so far. I'll post anything out of the ordinary that may happen.

 

[GundamF91]

WOW, awesome post about hacking it. Thanks.

Where is the option for adjusting volume from the Apex? I read a post above about it, but couldn't find the option in manual or on the remote itself. Great deal for a DVD.

 

[jointpleasure]

Thanks Pete 777

I got there when the store opened this morning and there were about ten people waiting at the door for this deal.

So far have watched a couple DVD's - Youngblood and Blade and they looked good.

It played the CD flawlessly.

I do have a problem with MP3's. The garbled menu lists the songs and the screen shows that it is playing but there is no sound.

 

[nekote]

pete777 - THANKS!
BIG TIME!

My kids have been very patient.

Apparently this Apex 3201 is the latest and greatest, so to speak.
Plays everything - including standard audio CDs & CDR MP3s!
$50 - Hot Deal!
Region and Macrovision "hackable" via standard menu!

Guess this is what Apex would want.
Word of mouth kudos.

But isn't Apex going to be "in trouble" for deliberately allowing Region and Macrovision to be optional?
DVD winning out and VHS dying away, so it doesn't matter?

 

[DanFungus]

thank you Pete777! I got one, and it works perfectly

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

<< Played a few minutes of the Matrix and Aliens with no problems. Played 5 minutes of a home burnt SVCD with no problems. Skipped twice watching about 15 minutes of Shrek. I will try the firmware upgrade.


BTW, On the firmware instructions - do you burn the actual hiteker.exe file to the CD-R or extract the hiteker.bin file from it and burn that? I have tried both and the DVD player still says "NO DISC". I notice the instructions say to use Adaptec 5.0 or above or something similar. I am using the Instant CD+ that came with my Toshibal CD-Writer. Does it really matter what software I use to burn the file? >>



I don't believe anyone has answered this question yet. The *.bin file is a cd image file, you do not burn this file onto the cdr nor the *.exe onto the cdr. If your software supports burning an image onto the disc try doing that somewhere.

 

[ilikemovie]

I have problem when playing svcd twiced in a row (after eject and close the cd tray again). Anyone has this problem ?

 

[uvgurer]

For displaying jpgs - drag the photos you want from your Kodak Picture CD (or probably any source, but this is what I used for testing since they are standard dimensions and I had one handy) to the area where you would usually put the video files when making a VCD with Nero. Title the CD if you want, but no titles (file names or CD title) were displayed on screen during playback. Push play to show first image, hit chapter advance buttons to go to next image. The zoom feature did not work, but the enhance features did. This is about as simple as it could get if you can't just put the Kodak Picture CD directly in the player.

Assorted trivia:
24 pictures put onto this disk
APEX 3201: V1_43 LT14
Kodak Picture CD: made at the end of 2000, don't think this matters
Iomega ZipCD 12x10x32, burned at 1X
Nero: version 5.0.2.5
Imation CD-R 16X / 700Mb

 

[sanjayraj]

What does the firmware upgrade do? Making it Microvision and Region Free - seems like can be done with the remote only. Can someone explain.

Thanks

 

[Yoshi2000]

John P. wrote...


<< BTW, On the firmware instructions - do you burn the actual hiteker.exe file to the CD-R or extract the hiteker.bin file from it and burn that? I have tried both and the DVD player still says "NO DISC". I notice the instructions say to use Adaptec 5.0 or above or something similar. I am using the Instant CD+ that came with my Toshibal CD-Writer. Does it really matter what software I use to burn the file? >>



You are supposed to burn the .bin file. Burn the file to the disc as you would any other file, but make sure you set your burner to ISO 9660, Mode 1. The .bin file is not a CD image, so do not use the "Burn Disc Image" option.


ilikemovie wrote...


<< I have problem when playing svcd twiced in a row (after eject and close the cd tray again). Anyone has this problem ? >>



Yes... this is a known problem. Shut down the power briefly, then try the next disc. (Other people have said that hitting the "Enhance" button twice will also fix the problem, but I haven't tried.)


sanjayraj wrote...


<< What does the firmware upgrade do? Making it Microvision and Region Free - seems like can be done with the remote only. Can someone explain. >>



The firmware upgrade does not add any major features (except for a screensaver). Think of it as a bug fix.


Personal annoyances:
[*]When moving from section to section (i.e. different menus, different layers.), the player will flash "Play>" on the screen. This is a known issue. Does this happen to you all as well? And if so, why isn't anyone else complaining?


Some other requests. When you guys post reviews of your machine, could you try to make note of the software and firmware version? (Hit Eject then Display to show it.) Also, maybe make a note if your machine is the older 3201 or the newer 3201 (the older one will have "On / Off" labeled next to the power button.

 

[nekote]

<< You can check your firmware version by hitting "Eject" then "Display". (My drive showed v.1.41 LT17) >>

FWIW: On this Apex 3201 "Hot Deal".
On my "RM-3000" remote, hit top rightmost button on the remote labeled with a blue border and the Eject "icon" (above the "PBC" label for the button below it), then Display (same right most column of buttons, fourth from the top).
Mine's "3201 V1_21 LT17" (maybe a slightly high _ is really a low - ?)

 

[FatDragonn]

"whats teh best way to tell if you got a dud? is there a particular movie thats prone to skipping? the matrix maybe? "


try The Stand (mini series on 2 double sided dvds)

one side of 1 of the dvds always skips. i returned it and got a new copy, still skipped. there apparently is a problem with encoding.
i know it's not my dvd player because i've not had any issues with other dvds

 

[DeeTees]

Hook composit video out from dvd to composit video in on vcr. Hook composit video out from vcr to TV.

Hook antenna/cable up to co-ax in on vcr.

Use tape/antenna switch on vcr to choose dvd or antenna/cable.

 

[pforeman]

For anyone who got the Lasonic Delta-1000 instead of the Apex, what is the quality of the player? Is it good at handling VCD and MP3 discs?

 

[kastaway]

Yes, I got one of the LAsonic Delta-1000 sku290317 , the replacement for Apex-2301 in my area, carlsbad, ca.
It is sliver in color, I have not been able to find any reviews or hacks for this player. But I played a sopranos dvd that worked fine. I played a personally made vcd, recorded at 4x speed of Dog Day Efternoon and it worked also. Now I need to try SVCD and MP3, will let you know as I do.

The deal on the lasonic is that it is also regularly $99.99, the manager will discount it to 79.99 and the rebate will still be valid. You send the apex rebate with the lasonic UPC and copy of reciept for the $30. So my total in CA will be $56.19 (AR).

Please let me know if anyone else has any info on this DVD Player

 

[kastaway]

Thanks lingyi,

Just read your post above for the info concerning the region hack for the lasonic 1000. Do you know of any macro hacks?

 

[leonc]

Just hooked up and hacked my Apex and it is working great. Didn't really need a third DVD
player, but since this one plays VCD and SVCD so well and can defeat Macrovision, how could
I not pay the $50 for it? Thanks for all of the great tips.

Now, should I really upgrade the firmware if I am not seeing a problem yet?

 

[deramon]

Out of stock in White Plains, NY

 

[John P]

I got the firmware upgraded but it still skipped 2 or 3 times (also had several small hiccups - but I didn't count those) during the entire showing of Shrek which I can live with - I bought it as a 3rd player for the kids room. What do you guys think my odds of getting a "perfect" one by exchanging it at CompUSA? (if they even have any in stock). I most likely won't bother.....

 

[misterj]

i was able to return the one that pops cuz they said they wouldnt be able to exchange it as there were none left. he said they sold out immediately that morning heh. some other guy came by totally excited i was bringing one back.

sorry you got a dud. wouldnt hurt to call and see if they have any tho as the 4 of 5 i got are fine

 

[greenant]

does this DVD player play home made VCDs ?