Sony ES DVP-CX777ES reviews?

[Dominus]

Originally posted by luckyflyer
I don't think this is their advertised priced. I ask the salesman if I could buy it for $599 because I knew that others had gotten it for that he said yes. The salesmans name was Conrad.

I called Conrad yesterday after work and he had gone home for the evening. I'll try again today. For 599 I've finally found the one. If I don't get that price, then my choices become one of the 5-disc changers from Denon or Yamaha.

Thanks for the info on a b t.

Dom

[mcascio]

Originally posted by Dominus
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Don Black
[B]Mario: Two quick questions please.

1) Will the 2-way feedback upgrade be free for DVDLobby 3 owners?

2) If I have 3 777ES changers, where do the three serial cables plug into with native support? Do I need 3 serial ports on my computer (most of course only have 2)?


What we really need is a wireless card in the 777ES and then I can sit back with my laptop and run the entire show with DVDLobby and DVDProfiler.

Wires, wires, wires! When will vendors ever learn?


Hi Dominus,

We've actually released MainLobby 2.60 which has many hooks for bidirectional communication. At this point, it doesn't really do much for CX777 owners. Because we'd like to make it as easy as possible for Sony CX777 owners to get up and running instantly, we've started development on a product geared specifically for the Sony CX777ES similar to the MDM100 product. Some 2way feedback will be available in DVDLobby 3 - but it depends on how far we take it. Production in this area (Sony CX777ES Cinemar solution) has been slow given all of the other gazillion products/updates/ideas we are working on. But we are looking at expanding fairly quickly in the next few months to meet the demands of our users.

Yes - you will need a separate com port for each changer. You can purchase USB > Serial Adapters fairly inexpensively. I think they make 1 USB to 8 Serial ports. We can support up to 16 of these changers.
Other options might include the Global Cache hardware which we also support and can control the Sony CX777ES changers. The Global Cache connects to your network via Cat5 and then can be used to SendIR to components and Serial commands to your changer.

Believe me, I've thought of the wireless adapter that connects to the back of serial devices. Someday you may see Cinemar dive into some innovative hardware solutions as well. :)

[JimmytheSaint]

Once again, does anybody know if these models can be made region free?

[pciav]

Anybody own the CX777ES and have trouble playing the DTS track from these two DVD's: The Eagles: Hell Freezes Over or The Bee Gees: One Night Only. The player plays every other disc I've thrown at it so far without a hitch DTS or DD, but on these two it will not pass the DTS soundtrack and only outputs PCM. If somebody has either or both of these discs and can confirm, it would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[pciav]

EDIT: DTS NOW WORKS

The list of DTS titles that this player will not play grows. If anybody else can confirm that the 777Es passes the DTS soundtrack from the following Discs, it would be appreciated:

As Noted Above:
The Bee Gees: One Night Only
The Eagles: Hell Freezes Over

New Findings:
Antz
Apollo 13
Dragonheart
Waterworld

I was using an Escient DVDM-100 in conjunction with the CX777ES and was having other problems with it. Taking it out of the system solves the problem. DTS now works on all the above discs. Player has impressed me and this is coming from someone who has been using an HTPC for the last year and a half. Sorry to raise a flag. I will put up a more in depth review once I have had time to really set things up. Thanks for the quick help.

[Mancubus]

Have you tried contacting Sony for a response? If it is in fact a bug I'm sure they'll be able to help you.

[jslepicka]

Have you tried contacting Sony for a response? If it is in fact a bug I'm sure they'll be able to help you.
Just like they responded to and fixed the chroma bug on my 'reference' DVP-9000ES? :rolleyes:

I have a couple of 777ESs and I think I might have the DTS version of Apollo 13. I'll check it out.

pciav -- what kind of audio gear are you using?

[pciav]

Yamaha RX-Z1 Receiver. I have no trouble with any other DTS tracks. It seems to be isolated to the early stand alone DTS releases. It is probably a flag reading problem. I will contact Sony also, but wanted some confirmation that I was not alone with a specific title and it was not my specific player.

[jslepicka]

ok -- I will check. If I don't have the Apollo 13 DTS disc, this is a good excuse to buy it :)

[pciav]

OK, Thanks. I see if I can get a hold of Sony also.

[Mancubus]

Just like they responded to and fixed the chroma bug on my 'reference' DVP-9000ES?

I think the Chroma bug (something that not everyone can see and is really only noticable on large displays) is quite different than a problem where the unit cannot pass a signal that the company explicitly advertises as it being able to do so.

[jslepicka]

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm just a little jaded after spending so much money on the 'best' (and it was annoying to me on my 65" screen. Never saw it on my 110" projection setup, but I can only imagine).

[pciav]

I edited my earlier post as I have solved the problem. The problem was not related to the Sony, but to the Escient DVDM-100. Thanks for the quick replies.

[jslepicka]

that's disconcerting... I have a DVDM-100...

[mdownard]

For the amusement of anyone still following this saga, my order for two 777's on Dec 26th still has not been filled. They website has listed availability of "4-6 business days" for the last 3 weeks. Fun.

[pciav]

Originally posted by jslepicka
that's disconcerting... I have a DVDM-100...


Well, I hope you do not experience any of the problems I have. I am on my second DVDM-100 and it is being returned later today untill they can show me a combination that works correctly. The 777 by itself is fantastic. All my frustration so far has come from the DVDM-100 including degradation of the signal. Thanks again, for the quick replies.

[jslepicka]

I was disappointed with the first couple of DVDM-100s I had -- the RCA component video connectors would pull out of the chassis with my Monster cable.

Returned two units and got a third, then switched to my own custom-made Canare cables, which don't have the excessive grip of the Monster cable, and haven't had that problem since.
The 777 by itself is fantastic.
With the (big) exception of the user interface, I'd agree. For me, though, the DVDM-100 really brings the package together and makes it easy to use -- especially with two 777s.

Oh -- I'm also using digital coax, not toslink. Wonder if that has something to do with the DTS issue...

James

[pciav]

Using digital coax and all cables (component and audio) are new from Blue Jeans Cable (Canare Connectors). I fell in love with the DVDM-100 and the idea, unfortunately for me, it just does not work. At the price it costs, I was hoping for a lot less problems. I have a definite degradation of signal with the DVDM in the loop. The first unit was so bad, it was almost like watching VHS. The second unit is much better, but is still there. I have IR problems with the second unit in addition to signal loss. Once I take the DVDM out of loop the picture is rock solid from the 777. The Sony interface leaves a lot to be desired, but it does the job. I am very disappointed that this has happened with the DVDM-100 as it has been what prompted me to do so many upgrades and it looks right now it will be the only piece that doesn't stay unless something changes, which I am not to keen on right now.

[jslepicka]

What kind of image quality issues are you seeing? I haven't noticed anything wrong with mine, but now when I get home, I'll have to do a more thorough comparison.

Thanks a lot -- I was fine until you said something :D

[pciav]

The issues involve what I can only describe like electrical interference in the picture (Moving waves from faint to very noticable) or like water running over a glass window, A decrease in the level of black output almost milky appearance, and overal just a very noisy picture. Take the Escient out of the loop and the noise and wavy motion through the picture goes away, and the black level snaps in and overall the picture is very solid. There is a very noticable difference. On the first unit it was was than the second, but the same symptons. The weird part is that the output of the Escient Menu system is fine. It is only introduced when the DVD Player is outputtingand like I said it disappears when the DVD bypasses the DVDM-100 all together. I'm really disappointed that this has happened.

[Mancubus]

Hrm... could it be a ground loop problem?

[pciav]

Originally posted by Mancubus
Hrm... could it be a ground loop problem?

Why is nothing else affected? All power is routed through Monster HTS-2600 Power Center. No ground loop effects anywhere else nor is the menu output of the Escient affected in anyway like with the DVD Player. No change in power to the DVD Player and it goes away when connecting the DVD player direct. Can you elaborate more on how I would even check this.

[jslepicka]

I definitely don't see any problems like that.

What does Escient tech support have to say about it?

[Jgabrius]

It almost sounds like Macrovision.

Anyone ever copy a copy-protected VHS tape and then watch the result?

How this could be coming into play in this setup is beyond me, though...

[galileo2000]

Originally posted by mdownard
For the amusement of anyone still following this saga, my order for two 777's on Dec 26th still has not been filled. They website has listed availability of "4-6 business days" for the last 3 weeks. Fun.

Same here.

I will NEVER order from CDW again and I will tell everybody I know to stay far away from them.

I am also very concerned about Eagles and Bee Gees DVD's not producing DTS on DVP-CX777ES. I have both, and w/o DTS they are useless to me. My Pioneer F727 produces an excellent DTS signal.

So did anybody else have the DTS issue with "some" DVD's?

Grrr...:)

[pciav]

The DTS issue has been solved. It was not the 777, but the Escient DVDM-100 that was causing the problem for whatever reason. Don't worry, the 777 is a fine player. Are you all waiting on CDW becasue it was a great price or something? If you need to change I know a dealer that has some units. You will have to discuss price with him directly, but if you are interested, PM and I will forward the info along.

[Johnla]

Originally posted by mdownard
For the amusement of anyone still following this saga, my order for two 777's on Dec 26th still has not been filled. They website has listed availability of "4-6 business days" for the last 3 weeks. Fun.

There are other authorized Sony ES dealers, where you can get them for very close to what the "pre-corrected" CDW price was. Say about $50 more, but that also includes the shipping charges.

[pciav]

There is a firmware update for the Sony available on the Request Multimedia site (http://www.request.com/us/). Go support, then Video Request, then Integration - Sony on left side. I checked mine and I had the latest firmware, what is interesting is if you download the .PDF and follow the instructions, when exiting it puts you in the Sony service menu with some other tools such hours of DVD Play and CD Play. Color Output Adjustment etc.

[jslepicka]

funny :) I just came across the firmware last night!

I have versions 1300 and 1500, so I will perform the upgrade to 1510 at some point.

What button sequence got you into the service menu? With my 777s hooked up through the DVDM-100, I can't usually see what the 777 is displaying (DVDM-100 does switch the video until you start playing a DVD).

James

[pciav]

I do not have it in fnt of me right now, but I believe with the unit in standby, you press 5, clear, then the on/off button. That will bring up the firmware version. When you exit, you go back to the service menu, I think there are 6 choices in there. The .PDF at Request has the instructions.

[DaveFi]

Interesting. I wonder if this will work in the 985?

My Version Info in the DVP-CX985 says

SYSCon. Ver:1.501 (881F)

Oh cool! I can do all sorts of video adjustments now!

Anyone want to figure out how to put the unit into All Region?

This one deserves it's own thread.

[Kingdaddy]

Ok I got a 777ES on the way from onecall for 678.50 shipped, should be here Monday. Now I need an extremely long Null Modem Cable (about 50') to reach my computer, any ideas where I could get a long cable or a wireless version?

[galileo2000]

I can't believe it...The guy from CDW just called and told me he is going to ship my 777 today...it's been only 3 months... we'll see...

There is a hope after all :)

[Omen]

Kingdaddy,

Look at this cable - 50ft DB9 M/F EXTENSION CABLE (http://www.cablesamerica.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=501&sku=09453). If this isn't the type you want, I'm sure Cables America has the right one on their site.

[Johnla]

Originally posted by Kingdaddy
Ok I got a 777ES on the way from onecall for 678.50 shipped, should be here Monday. Now I need an extremely long Null Modem Cable (about 50') to reach my computer, any ideas where I could get a long cable or a wireless version?
CDW http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?edc=365535

[Kingdaddy]

Omen, thanks but wrong cable, not Null and has wrong sex connectors.

Johnla, that’s exactly what I was looking for, unfortunately, there out of stock, so I'll keep looking.

[Johnla]

Originally posted by Kingdaddy
Johnla, that�s exactly what I was looking for, unfortunately, there out of stock, so I'll keep looking.
It shows a 4 to 6 day shipping when I looked it up. So maybe it's a special order item, that then gets drop shipped direct to you.

HOWEVER! I did find a alternate way to do it, that you also may wish to consider. And it's in fact, the the way I am going to do it now! I found these after looking at buy.com. Which I think is much better solution (not to mention also at a lower cost), as it will be easier to run and hide the cable.

By using one of THESE (http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10320805&hdwt=30506&loc=101&sp=2) Null modem adapter - DB-9 - female - RJ-45 - female, and one of THESE (http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10030258&loc=101&sp=1) DB-9 - female - RJ-45 - female adapters. And then as much RJ-45 network cable as is needed to connect the two together.

[ilikemyHT]

Originally posted by galileo2000
I can't believe it...The guy from CDW just called and told me he is going to ship my 777 today...it's been only 3 months... we'll see...

There is a hope after all :)

Same thing happened to me just today. Made my day. Looks like they kept good on the price too.

[Don Black]

Kick ass! All three changers were just billed to my credit card. CDW comes through...

[Don Black]

And my order status shows "All items shipped." For less than $550/unit, I can't complain.

[bowbie89]

Looks like a pretty good deal for the 777ES from eCOST for $543.52. Here's the link (http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=417704&store=ecost&source=ECOSTPG&adcampaign=email,ECOSTPG)

[Don Black]

OOS though. I saw that too.

[Kingdaddy]

It would be nice to have a separate thread for the DVD lobby or automated controlling of this unit, I know many of us are going to receive their units pretty soon now, and I for one don’t plan on beating my head up against the wall with Sony’s “Disc Explorer”. I found out long ago with Sony products not to bother and try to fix their shortcomings in ergonomics, instead just bypass and go to a third party solution. My Sony M555ES 400 disc Cd changer is working on a pronto with SuperNudeList, and has the capability of just touching the songs you want on the remote and it stores them into a program automatically for true jukebox playback. You can even add songs to the list while your playing and you can have 3 different lists of up to 32 songs or discs each. I did all this the hard way, but it was well worth it. This has got me interested in Cinemar’s main lobby and DVD lobby but I will need a very long RS232 cable.

Anyway there will be a lot to discuss concerning the RS232 control of this unit and it would be a shame not to fully utilize this great feature, believe me it’s not worth even thinking about dealing with Sony’s solution to Disc selection, every other way is much better and makes these kind of jukeboxes a joy to use.

[galileo2000]

Kingdaddy,

There are 3 options for RS-232 control:

- DVD Lobby (http://www.cinemaronline.com/dvdlobbypro.html)

- free program located here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/cx777es-rs232/)

- and, of course, Escient DVD100M.

So, form $0 to $2000 - your choice

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by galileo2000
Kingdaddy,

There are 3 options for RS-232 control:

- URL=http://www.cinemaronline.com/dvdlobbypro.htm]DVD Lobby[/URL]

- free program located .[here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/cx777es-rs232/)

- and, of course, Escient DVD100M.

So, form $0 to $2000 - your choice

Actually there are more then that.

Pronto with SuperNudeList would work with a little code hacking. I don't consider anything an option that costs more then the DVD changer, so the Escient is out, that's for the rich and lazy. I'm sure there are others also.

[Herakles]

Does anyone know if there will be a european, region 2, Pal-progressive equivalent of the DVP-CX777ES,
if so I am very interested,
dvdlobby + megachanger would be a dream come true !!!

[Don Black]

I think rich and lazy is a bit harsh. Time starved people would be a better description. If I make $500/hour, it doesn't make sense for me to waste 3 days programming my DVD collection.

[lonekazoo]

Just picked up a 985 from Circus City for $319, and received a $25 gift card during their 5-hour sale.

Love it so far.

[Kingdaddy]

Got my CX777ES Friday and already have it up and running with DVD Lobby, made my own 60’ RS232 Null cable and ran it in the attic and down the walls, took nearly all day to do, but worth it.

All my movies are already cataloged and everything is working good, except I cant get my Transport controls to work yet. Also I’m having a bit of trouble cataloging my SACD’s, DVD Lobby is a bit fickle about manual entries and attaching your own cover art. Still all problems aside this is a very slick interface and will certainly change the way anyone watches movies, having everything so available at your fingertips makes it so easy to just play a few scenes of anything you want, it’s great for Music/Concert Videos and DTS Music.

[mcascio]

Hi Kingdaddy,

Glad to hear you are up and running now.

Fairly detailed instructions for getting DVDLobby and the CX777ES changer are located here:
http://www.cinemaronline.com/mlserver.cx777es.html

One of the most common mistakes for setting up the transport controls recently is that users are not clicking the left most tab when configuring their transport controls.

When you select EDIT REMOTE COMMANDS from the MLDVDLobby plugin, it will default to the right tab instead of the left. DVDLobby allows you to configure 5 different remotes, which is useful if you have multiple sources that need controlling (CX777ES, 985, Kenwood Changer, etc.)

[Kingdaddy]

Thanks Mcascio, that's exactly what happened, I configured the controls on the Right Tab. I also changed skins to the one with the thumbnails to the left and a big preview pain to the right. Will the Left most tab in MLDVD Lobby config, setup transport control commands for this Skin, or any skin you choose?

In addition, what can I do about getting my SACD collection integrated, do I need to buy Music Lobby now?

BTW your product is great, so much better then Sony's Disk Explorer, Thanks.

[mcascio]

Kingdaddy,

Yes - it will work with that skin. When you pop open the remote control panel - you'll see a source button. That's what allows you to scroll through the tabbed remotes you've configured.

You are temporarily out of luck on your SACD collection right now unfortunately as far as using our interface.

[longshanksdvd]

Folks, is it worth buying a additional PC (to place in the theater) to run this DVD lobby program?

I was looking at buying a Escient Fireball 100 at a street price that exceeds the price of a new PC.

Has anyone done the same?

[galileo2000]

You can assemble PC to control this thing for around $500. Nice case (such as d.Vine) will cost you around $300. Not sure how much DVDLobby is. I will use free program (http://sourceforge.net/projects/cx777es-rs232/) and possibly myHTPC with it.

[Kingdaddy]

Why won't Music Lobby work with the SACD collection? There has got to be some work around to get the SACD's cataloged.

[kaka]

I am planning to purchase the DVD Lobby for use with my CX777 along with one of my notebook computer. Last night I configured my notebook computer's S-Video output to my projector and tried projecting the screen shot from the DVD Lobby site. The screen shot I used was the Spiderman one and it looked good on the screen of my notebook computer but was somewhat burried on the projected screen. I know that If use a dedicated computer that has a good video card such as the Radeon 9700 will probaby improve the image quality through the projector but I really like to use the notebook as it is dead quite. I don't want to add another computer fan in my equipment rack. Anybody has any suggestion how to improve the image quality frm DVD Lobby through a notebook computer that only output S-video (the proejctor is a Sony VW12HT that has an excellent internal scaler).
Thanks,
Frank

[pciav]

Mario,

Is there a solution of controlling the DVP-CX777ES via a pocket pc without having a full blown PC in the mix. I'm thinking the pocket pc version of DVD Lobby with wireless serial control? Am I way off base here or is this something that can be done now or in a future release?

[mcascio]

pciav,

You'd still need a full blown PC to install the software on your PPC and to store the movie database information. One option might be to add a global cache to your network. This device plugs in to a wall outlet and a cat5 connection - which could be wireless.

[chadly25]

Originally posted by longshanksdvd
Folks, is it worth buying a additional PC (to place in the theater) to run this DVD lobby program?

I was looking at buying a Escient Fireball 100 at a street price that exceeds the price of a new PC.

Has anyone done the same?

I have an Escient H40 Fireball and an Escient DVDM100. The DVDM100 is very seamless and works very nicely. I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants DVD managment in their home.

BTW-There is no harddrive in the unit so it is VERY quiet. If it weren't for one blue LED on the front panel you wouldn't even know it was there.

[jslepicka]

I also have an H40 Fireball (check out my Pipeline replacement at http://slepicka.net/Conduit) and a DVDM-100. I love the DVDM-100 and would highly recommend it to anyone. The Fireball sits in my office and I can stream music off of it into my theater.

DVD Lobby looks nice and the idea of setting up a system intrigues me, but not having to deal with the hassles of doing so (and the fan noise), makes the DVDM-100 worth it to me.

[pciav]

Originally posted by mcascio
pciav,

You'd still need a full blown PC to install the software on your PPC and to store the movie database information. One option might be to add a global cache to your network. This device plugs in to a wall outlet and a cat5 connection - which could be wireless.

Mario,

I should've been clearer. I understand the need for the full blown PC to install the software and to keep the movie database up to date in order to synch. My question was more along the line that the pc does not have to live in the Theater and can be housed somewhere else? Unfortunately for me as to the DVDM-100, I tried it and have sent back two units as I had issues with image degradation, IR problems, and DTS issues. I love the whole idea, but I am looking for an alternate solution.

I would have no problem running main lobby, DVD lobby etc. on a pc away from the theater, but having all control from a PPC. I have a wireless network in place and I aslo have a wireless to ethernet bridge that I was using with the Escient.

I am also interested in hearing more about your out of the box solution. I hope the above inquiry is clearer than my previous post. Thanks in advance.

[chadly25]

Originally posted by pciav
Mario,

My question was more along the line that the pc does not have to live in the Theater and can be housed somewhere else?

Answer is, it depends. How far away do you want to put your computer? RS232 has length limitations and can vary from wire to wire.

[pciav]

Originally posted by chadly25
Answer is, it depends. How far away do you want to put your computer? RS232 has length limitations and can vary from wire to wire.

Chad,

I may be way off base here, but I was thinking about a wireless serial port with full control from the PPC...

By the way, I've spoken with Tony at Escient several times and told him you tried to help me and that you said hi as requested. He sends his regards.

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by chadly25
Answer is, it depends. How far away do you want to put your computer? RS232 has length limitations and can vary from wire to wire.

Really, I wonder what those limitations are, I just made my own 60' RS232 Null cable and hooked it up to me 777ES and it works flawlessly, also I've installed many RS 232 cables in aircraft at close to 100' without problems.

[jslepicka]

This is interesting. From http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/RS-232_specs.html.

Maximum cable lengths
Cable length is one of the most discussed items in RS232 world. The standard has a clear answer, the maximum cable length is 50 feet, or the cable length equal to a capacitance of 2500 pF. The latter rule is often forgotten. This means that using a cable with low capacitance allows you to span longer distances without going beyond the limitations of the standard. If for example UTP CAT-5 cable is used with a typical capacitance of 17 pF/ft, the maximum allowed cable length is 147 feet.

The cable length mentioned in the standard allows maximum communication speed to occur. If speed is reduced by a factor 2 or 4, the maximum length increases dramatically. Texas Instruments has done some practical experiments years ago at different baud rates to test the maximum allowed cable lengths. Keep in mind, that the RS232 standard was originally developed for 20 kbps. By halving the maximum communication speed, the allowed cable length increases a factor ten!


RS232 cable length according to Texas Instruments
Baud rate Maximum cable length (ft)
19200 50
9600 500
4800 1000
2400 3000

[chadly25]

I was trying to keep my answer simple :) Need an engineering degree to answer that question correctly.

pciav-Sorry they couldn't get anywhere with your DVDM. Let me know if you send it to Escient for repair. I would like to go and check it out. As for the wireless serial port??? Do you have a link for this piece? I have yet to see one and would be interested. My off the cuff answer would be yes. The limitation using wire is the resistance, which wireless doesn't have that problem nearly as bad. I wouldn't count on it working as far as the RF goes until you have it installed and tested. Too many times I run into wireless RF problems where other signals slam the receiver (DSS, CATV boxes, HDTV receivers, pretty much anything with a D/A converter) Since each house is different and has different electronics in it only testing it in your home will give you a difinitive answer. Good luck!

[Kingdaddy]

jslepicka:
Thanks for the information.

I believe that most run no higher then 9600 baud, so there is no practical problem of running a cable in any house, in other words for this application it is a moot point. You can run a RS232 cable in any house without a problem

[pciav]

Originally posted by chadly25
I was trying to keep my answer simple :) Need an engineering degree to answer that question correctly.

pciav-Sorry they couldn't get anywhere with your DVDM. Let me know if you send it to Escient for repair. I would like to go and check it out. As for the wireless serial port??? Do you have a link for this piece? I have yet to see one and would be interested. My off the cuff answer would be yes. The limitation using wire is the resistance, which wireless doesn't have that problem nearly as bad. I wouldn't count on it working as far as the RF goes until you have it installed and tested. Too many times I run into wireless RF problems where other signals slam the receiver (DSS, CATV boxes, HDTV receivers, pretty much anything with a D/A converter) Since each house is different and has different electronics in it only testing it in your home will give you a difinitive answer. Good luck!

A Google search for wirelss RS232 brings up a lot of info. How about something like this (http://www.datahunter.com/serialan.html)

As far as the Escient goes, both units have been returned. Tony is working with the dealer and the distributor. I offered my setup as a test bed, but it hasn't gotten that far yet. Too many problems, too much money. I could live with a lot of them, but not the PQ degradation that was occurring. Everyone is still stumped. Tony has been unable to duplicate the problem in house, so they are going through my equipment list. I will keep you posted.

I would still like to hear more about Mario's proposed out of the box solution. Main Lobby, DVD Lobby via PPC and wireless serial control could be a price adventageous solution provided it works seemlessly.

[chadly25]

Originally posted by Kingdaddy
jslepicka:
Thanks for the information.

I believe that most run no higher then 9600 baud, so there is no practical problem of running a cable in any house, in other words for this application it is a moot point. You can run a RS232 cable in any house without a problem

Be careful in generalized statements like that. I was running a lutron homeworks system RS232 from a crestron processor that was only communicating on a 100' piece of 8723 (shielded) and it didn't work. I was trying to communicate 9600 and it didn't work. I used that same piece of wire to communicate with a crestron RS232 box at the lighting processor and it worked fine. Remember that the limitations that are listed in the previous post only represent ideal conditions, which no house has. You cannot say for sure if it will work or not until you test it. I will say that 98% of all installations do work, but there are some that do not. And the 2% that don't causes 98% of my problems LOL

[ilikemyHT]

So the player just arrived yesterday, and now I have to get into it's operation. DVDLobby, serial control, etc. But after felling I had prepared myself, mostly thanks to this thread, I come across something in the manual that stumps me. I'm supposed to rub a pencil along each and every one of the 400 discs I'm gonna put in this player? Are you kiddin me? Every dvd I have has those little left over sealant blotches on it's side. I'd go nuts if I had to do this. Please tell me this is just a cautionary meandering on Sony's part to waive their liability?

[jslepicka]

I've never rubbed a pencil along the edge of a disc. Never had problems.

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by ilikemyHT
So the player just arrived yesterday, and now I have to get into it's operation. DVDLobby, serial control, etc. But after felling I had prepared myself, mostly thanks to this thread, I come across something in the manual that stumps me. I'm supposed to rub a pencil along each and every one of the 400 discs I'm gonna put in this player? Are you kiddin me? Every dvd I have has those little left over sealant blotches on it's side. I'd go nuts if I had to do this. Please tell me this is just a cautionary meandering on Sony's part to waive their liability?

Yea, I read that too, I believe they mean this as a fix to problematic DVD's, some may have burs that cause it to wobble so much that it wont track properly, but most will be ok. I did about 20 of my discs with the pencil trick and got tired so I just left the rest alone, so far so good none have any problems, but if they do I will try this if I don’t notice any scratches or any obvious marks that might make it miss-track.

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by chadly25
Be careful in generalized statements like that. I was running a lutron homeworks system RS232 from a crestron processor that was only communicating on a 100' piece of 8723 (shielded) and it didn't work. I was trying to communicate 9600 and it didn't work. I used that same piece of wire to communicate with a crestron RS232 box at the lighting processor and it worked fine. Remember that the limitations that are listed in the previous post only represent ideal conditions, which no house has. You cannot say for sure if it will work or not until you test it. I will say that 98% of all installations do work, but there are some that do not. And the 2% that don't causes 98% of my problems LOL


Why be careful, everything has it's exceptions, I think I spoke correctly in saying that there should be no problem running any length of cable in a house for this simple automation. Your problem had nothing to do with cable length, you said it your self, "the same wire worked on different hardware". The biggest problem with RS2323 is Protocol and handshaking, the rest is elementary, this is not difficult stuff here. Maybe using store bought cables that are using cheep 26awg wire could be a problem for long runs, but I always use 22 or 20ga twisted shielded Mil wire and after installing about 200 systems in aircraft over the years I have never had a problem of the cable being too long, always software configuration.

[chadly25]

Originally posted by Kingdaddy
You can run a RS232 cable in any house without a problem [/B]

This was the statement that you previously stated that I was pointing out as being wrong, and it is. You cannot run 232 in any house without a problem, there will be exceptions.

Also, you probably haven't used crestron before, but the RS232 box communicates over a cresnet 4 wire bus. It does not communicate over RS232 so saying it worked with different hardware is wrong.

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by chadly25
This was the statement that you previously stated that I was pointing out as being wrong, and it is. You cannot run 232 in any house without a problem, there will be exceptions.

Also, you probably haven't used crestron before, but the RS232 box communicates over a cresnet 4 wire bus. It does not communicate over RS232 so saying it worked with different hardware is wrong.

But were talking about 232 hear, Creston has nothing to do with this thread or the CX777ES, I'm trying to stay within the sub-topic of controlling the DVD changer. And cable length is not a problem here, so lets leave it at that.

[chadly25]

Crestron was mentioned ONLY to show reference that the wire was in good working condition and had no damage. I too am trying to stick on topic but feel that I have to keep explaining everything to you. You go ahead and live with the WRONG philosophy that it will work in every home. Good luck with that.

[batlas]

Hey guys-- this is a great thread with knowledgable contributers (you guys!) in a great Forum

If you want to snipe at each other, why not spare the rest of us and do it in private messages :-)

Your knowledgable advice and input is much appreciated by all of us who aren't so well-versed!

Barry

[galileo2000]

My 777 is here..it's a beauty...Picture is great...more later...

[ilikemyHT]

Originally posted by Kingdaddy
Yea, I read that too, I believe they mean this as a fix to problematic DVD's, some may have burs that cause it to wobble so much that it wont track properly, but most will be ok. I did about 20 of my discs with the pencil trick and got tired so I just left the rest alone, so far so good none have any problems, but if they do I will try this if I don’t notice any scratches or any obvious marks that might make it miss-track.

Originally posted by jslepicka
I've never rubbed a pencil along the edge of a disc. Never had problems.

Thanks. That was my thinking.

On to another question. Is there such a thing as a serial switch? One that had nothing but rs232 ports?

I doubt it, but I'm asking anyway just cause you never can tell.

[chadly25]

There are tons out there. You can find an example here http://www.wti.com/datreach.htm Why are you wanting to use a switch? Just wondering how you are planning on configuring yours.

[Kingdaddy]

I have finally figured out a way to get my Music (SACD, DTS) collection integrated into DVD Lobby, and thanks to Mario I was able to modify the Cover art to fit the DVD box cover by adding a bar at the bottom and labeling it SACD or DTS. This makes it easy to tell what the disc is even in the small thumbnail view.

DVD Lobby is a great tool and I couldn’t live without it. I did however find a glitch in the Direct Disc entry method of selecting movies which all automated programs use, that being on Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" DVD, you cannot select the DTS Audio option, it will skip right past the screen that allows you to select the audio options, and once you have passed up this screen there is no way to select DTS. This only happens with the Direct Disc entry, if you use the front panel rotary knob to select the movie it will go to the Audio selection screen and stop the way it is supposed to.

Anyway, here is a screen shot for anyone who is interested.

[mcascio]

Kingdaddy,

Looking good. I'll see if there is another optional DiscDirect command that won't bypass all the menus.

In the meantime, you could probably create a macro, that uses the old fashioned way of selecting a disc. Similar to the way someone would send IR commands and then add pauses in between.

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by mcascio
Kingdaddy,

Looking good. I'll see if there is another optional DiscDirect command that won't bypass all the menus.

In the meantime, you could probably create a macro, that uses the old fashioned way of selecting a disc. Similar to the way someone would send IR commands and then add pauses in between.

Thanks, that would be great if there was a workaround that would allow the Serial control to do this, if not and I have to use IR commands then I would have to have the syntax and IR codes wouldn’t I? I have no idea how to do this with IR commands is there some information you can point me to, a tutorial or example.

[wilky]

Kingdaddy,

Do you have DVD Lobby setup to just start playing your music discs or have you figured out a way to select individual tracks on your music discs???

I like the cover art. Mind if I PM you with details about how you did that sometime in the future when I'm ready to tackle that task myself???
Or is simple enough to discuss in this thread??

Thanks

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by wilky
Kingdaddy,

Do you have DVD Lobby setup to just start playing your music discs or have you figured out a way to select individual tracks on your music discs???

I like the cover art. Mind if I PM you with details about how you did that sometime in the future when I'm ready to tackle that task myself???
Or is simple enough to discuss in this thread??

Thanks

I'm not setup for PM so we will have to discuss this on this thread, no big deal however, it's fairly easy. I just went to Add DVD then you must put a 11 digit # in the ID field (top right corner) then manually fill in all the info you want. Cover Art is a little more difficult though, I search the internet for SACD/DTS discs then right click on the largest image you can find of the particular image and select Save As. Once it's saved to your hard drive I open up paint and open the cover you want and grab the lower right corner and drag it down until it is about the same ratio as a DVD cover (rectangular) then I use the text tool to add the SACD or DTS at the bottom blank area, then save. Go back to your DVD add files and you will notice 2 boxes to the right of the dialog box these are for the cover art, just double click on the box and it will prompt you for a location to insert the Cover Art, just go to the directory where you saved the modified Cover Art and click. Now just enter the Direct Disc command string in the Play field of the Add DVD dialog box and your done. I have posted a more detailed description of the steps I used to catalog all my DVD over at Home Theater forum, the process is the same except you cannot use the DVD search function for music, you must enter your own (made up) 11 digit # in the ID field or use the actual UPC# of the SACD/CD as the ID#, the rest is the same.

Detailed DVD Catalog importing.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196431

[Kingdaddy]

The only way to get to specific Tracks on Music CD's is to use SuperNudeList and a pronto, I do this on my dedicated 555ES 400Disc Cd changer and it works very well, although there is some tricks there too.

[galileo2000]

Does anybody know whether 777 will take DVD-R/RW full of MP3's ?

[wilky]

Thanks for the reply Kingdaddy.
That sounds about like what Cinemar's instructions tell you to do, I thought you might have run into a snag and needed Mario's expertise and maybe a secret technique.
I haven't played around with DVD lobby since I found out it wouldnt work with music (playing specific tracks), but if I could load pictures to ID my discs and label them with my own words, that in itself would beat the hell out of the Disc Explorer way.
I plan on having DVD Lobby open when I have people over, since you can't search for the titles I manually enter, I guess the other option would be for people to scan the thumbnails and look for discs that they like. Do you let guests use DVD Lobby to play your music, or is that what your other interface is for???

[Kingdaddy]

Originally posted by wilky
I plan on having DVD Lobby open when I have people over, since you can't search for the titles I manually enter, I guess the other option would be for people to scan the thumbnails and look for discs that they like. Do you let guests use DVD Lobby to play your music, or is that what your other interface is for???

No secret technique is needed, just follow the instructions word for word and it will work, the only trick to music is getting around the auto title/artwork lookup by entering your own fake UPC # in the ID field then scaling your artwork to fit the DVD box dialog.

I have only Movies, SACD's and DTS Disc's in the 777ES, and no way to select a specific Track at this time, I'm not sure how you can do that with DVD Lobby. All my regular CD's are in another changer and it is interfaced with a Pronto remote that has every Disc name and ever Song title listed (about 2000 songs) and it is easily available for gusts to use by simply touching the song you want to hear and it is added to the end of the play list just like a jukebox, you can keep adding songs as it is playing up to 32 tracks.

[wilky]

I started looking at the Pronto remote after reading your posts. That looks awful good, but I can't seem to handle paying more to organize my music than the player that is playing it.
I'm going to try to at least get DVDLobby to start playing the disc and use the remote to skip tracks once its playing. Maybe by then, Mario will have a plugin for Music Lobby that will take it the rest of the way.

I have a feeling that I'm going to spend that $1k one way or another, if Mario hooks up Music Lobby, the first thing I'm going to buy is a wireless touch screen to run it.

[Kingdaddy]

a reconditioned Pronto TSU2000 will go for under 150.00 now. Thats all you need, and DVD lobby with a Slink-E or like device will work with the Pronto to select DVD's.

[DanHT]

When I rent movies from blockbusters, they typically have scratches on them, and the 777es chokes up, and eventually freezes when it gets to that location of the DVD.

The same DVD runs fine on my old Panasonic H1000.

It has gotten to the point that I am using the 777es only as a jukebox, and not for video (which is a shame, because the picture is great!)

Does anyone have a similar problem?

[mdownard]

Originally posted by DanHT
Does anyone have a similar problem?


Nope. At least not so far.

[jslepicka]

Nearly all of my discs are scratch free, save for a few with very minor scratches -- I haven't had any problems with those.

I don't rent, so I haven't given it a torture test.

[Kingdaddy]

I haven’t had that happen yet, but I do have a used disc that I bought that has a trouble spot in it. So far every DVD player has had a problem tracking this area of this DVD, so I used it to test the 777's tracking ability and it did not do very well. It did not completely freeze like my Sony NC650V would but the problem seemed overall worse, it skipped several seconds. In addition, I am starting to realize that this machine (as much as I love it) definitely has problems with layer change. However all in all this is still the best purchase I have made concerning DVD players, the RS232 hookup is fantastic when you use DVD Lobby. One thing I have always missed about my old Sony DVP-S7700 is the neat remote shuttle jog feature on the remote, well the other day I found my old 7700 remote, popped in some new batteries and what do you know, the shuttle and jog features work on the 777ES as well, in fact nearly all the remote commands work from this old remote.

[pciav]

I rent from Netflix and every once in a while you get a disc that is in bad shape. I have a Disc Dr. that I run it through and that usually does the trick. I have only had one problem so far with a used disc, American Pie, and to my eyes there is no surface damage or scratches. Could be something else with this disc. Other than that, very happy so far.

[M3 Pete]

Originally posted by Daniel Swartz
I've scanned a copy of the warranty card from the 777ES here. Sorry for it being upside down but Acrobat can flip it for you with 2 clicks...

From my perspective, the only requirements for full warranty coverage (5 years parts and labor) based on this document are:

1) A proof of purchase indicating that the unit is within the warranty period

and

2) An unaltered and present, factory-applied serial number.

What does everyone think?

Sony 777ES Warranty (http://www.danielswartz.com/avs/777ES_Warranty.PDF)

I confirmed with Sony the other day that this is their policy.

[bruce]

I hope an owner of this player can answer my questions.

From a web site I read regarding the DVP CX777ES:

........the Sony DVP-CX777ES DVD player features high-end multichannel and stereo SACD playback. Depending on the discs, SACD music releases provide super high-fidelity multichannel and/or stereo sound. A set of stereo and a set of multichannel analog-audio outputs route audio from SACDs .

Am I to understand that when you switch from multi-channel to 2 channel on SACD that the audio output routes to the standard stereo RCA outputs (L/R) instead of the 5.1 multi-channel RCA jacks? Is the two channel from these jacks still the pristine higher quality analog audio the SACD DACs provide?

I thought in the case when you select 2 channel sound for an SACD that the 2 channel (L/R) audio would simply come from the 'left front' and 'right front' jacks of the multichannel outputs.?

I must say the downloaded user manual isn't clear on a lot of issues. In the setup it appears to ask whether you wish the output to route to (line out L/R) 'or' (Digital out) 'or' (Digital out + 5.1 Multi). Is the question a blanket one for both DVD and CD? What if I want DVD to route to the digital out and the CD to route to the analog out?

Well, I don't have a multi-channel input on my preamp and am not really interested in SACD multichannel, but would like to use SACD in two channel mode fed through my bypassed preamp. This is what I presently do with CD.

The following is how I would like to use connect and use the CX777ES. Can someone who owns this unit verify this setup...

1. DVD - digital audio DD5.1/DTS output jack...

2. CD - analog audio (line out L/R) jacks...

3. SACD (2 CH) - analog audio (line out L/R) jacks...

thanks

[Kingdaddy]

It does both; the audio will come out the 6-ch analog main Left and Right as well as the 2-ch composite outputs. I don’t even use the 2-ch composite outputs. What you wish to do will work using the SACD front R/L outs.

[bruce]

Thanks KingDaddy for the quick response.

That will work great for me then....

I have one of these on order and am moving shelves and cables around to accommodate.....seems awful large.. :)

[Kingdaddy]

It is huge and once you get a few hundred discs in it, it weighs a ton. Have you been following any of the threads concerning the RS232 buss, IMO this is the best thing about the CX777ES.

[dromayn]

i don't know if anyone will reply to my post since this thread has been here for a while but i'll take my chances...

my question is, does the CX777ES play SACD using the DSD or is it still PCM like playing ordinary redbook CDs?

your response is greatly appreciated.

[Andrew_Ballew]

[QUOTE=dromayn]i don't know if anyone will reply to my post since this thread has been here for a while but i'll take my chances...

my question is, does the CX777ES play SACD using the DSD or is it still PCM like playing ordinary redbook CDs?

your response is greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Its a Sony, so its gonna be DSD.

[galileo2000]

[QUOTE=M3 Pete]I confirmed with Sony the other day that this is their policy.[/QUOTE]

Applauds to Sony. If you buy, say, Denon from anyone not on their AR list, or God forbid, eBay, you are SOL.

[yyuksel]

I have a question.

I currently own the Pioneer 1014-TX Receiver, Infocus SP 4805 Projector, and soon to be the owner of a Sony DVD-CX777ES.

I would like to know how I should set up the video if I was to purchase the DVDLobby product.

I would like to use the Projector to display the Movie selection menu's from DVDLobby, and would like to have the movie play directly from the changer to the Projector via a 480i signal (component). I would prefer to use the scalar in the projector.

Currently, I have an Xbox and DVD player hooked into the receiver via Component and a single component connection from the receiver to the Projector.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Yanki

[Kingdaddy]

[QUOTE=yyuksel]I have a question.

I currently own the Pioneer 1014-TX Receiver, Infocus SP 4805 Projector, and soon to be the owner of a Sony DVD-CX777ES.

I would like to know how I should set up the video if I was to purchase the DVDLobby product.

I would like to use the Projector to display the Movie selection menu's from DVDLobby, and would like to have the movie play directly from the changer to the Projector via a 480i signal (component). I would prefer to use the scalar in the projector.

Currently, I have an Xbox and DVD player hooked into the receiver via Component and a single component connection from the receiver to the Projector.

Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks,

Yanki[/QUOTE]





If the PC that is running DVD Lobby is connected to the projector then this will work, if this isnt possible you will have to buy a add on that will allow DVD Lobby to dispaly over a standard NTSC feed.