Stuttering playback fault: DV135 + Beatles 'Love' DVD/A

[dazmb]

Well what a day I've had! Got into work to find that we are all on 90 day notice pending a 450 compulsory redundancy programme for end of April , then later in the day I find that the person parked next to me in works car park has put a deep 6 inch scratch down the side of my 2 month old Beemer... I've had better days

So when I got home I find my Ebay won Beatles 'Love' album had arrived to cheer me up. My first DVDA disc to boot for newly acquired DV135.

So, put it on and oh no... bad luck does come in 3's. I've found that the disc will only play 30 seconds before it starts to stutter. Then I can rewind it a few seconds back (or forward) and it's fine again for another 30 secs then same stuttering occurs. Now there are some hairline scratches on disc, but as I say it will play any section ok but only upto the 30s time limit.

Is it a hardware problem with buffering? Or maybe a poorly authored disc? I've seen some entries on Google for problems with this disc but not similar to my own.

I've tried both disc priorities in settings (but left it on DVD Audio). I've changed to PCM and 5.1 audio (although it's only outputting through analogue outs..).

Is there any known issues with the DV135? It was purchased in July 08, so not too much use. I've no other problems with it.

Any advice appreciated from Arcam community.
Cheers,

 

[jeffstra]

It play fine in my cheap ass Denon.

That's too bad.

 

[Mark.Yudkin]

I'd blame the disk since - as you say - the problem is only occuring on this disk.

Are you sure the disk is even a legal pressing, not a DVD-R (you did say eBay)? You can normally tell by looking for the embedded information on the inside rim (just inside the playing area). If you're not sure how to read this, post the complete set of letters and digits you find - you may skip the bar code - and we'll probably be able to assist.

 

[Theo Maxtible]

Well what a day I've had! Got into work to find that we are all on 90 day notice pending a 450 compulsory redundancy programme for end of April , then later in the day I find that the person parked next to me in works car park has put a deep 6 inch scratch down the side of my 2 month old Beemer... I've had better days

So when I got home I find my Ebay won Beatles 'Love' album had arrived to cheer me up. My first DVDA disc to boot for newly acquired DV135.

So, put it on and oh no... bad luck does come in 3's. I've found that the disc will only play 30 seconds before it starts to stutter. Then I can rewind it a few seconds back (or forward) and it's fine again for another 30 secs then same stuttering occurs. Now there are some hairline scratches on disc, but as I say it will play any section ok but only upto the 30s time limit.

Is it a hardware problem with buffering? Or maybe a poorly authored disc? I've seen some entries on Google for problems with this disc but not similar to my own.

I've tried both disc priorities in settings (but left it on DVD Audio). I've changed to PCM and 5.1 audio (although it's only outputting through analogue outs..).

Is there any known issues with the DV135? It was purchased in July 08, so not too much use. I've no other problems with it.

Any advice appreciated from Arcam community.
Cheers,

Like Mark Yudkin mentions, my first suspect would be the disc. I have this album, and what a wonderful DVD-A it is. I only ever play the MLP tracks of the DVD-A, and needless to say, it all plays perfectly. I have the DV137 operating with software version 5.06. I play all music through the analogue outputs.

Is it easy for you to put the disc in another (similar) machine? Do you perhaps have an Arcam dealer nearby where you could do a check with the same/similar machine?

Just out of interest, by way of another simple check, when the disc is playing and you press "STATUS" on your remote control, what information is shown on your display?

 

[dazmb]

I'd blame the disk since - as you say - the problem is only occuring on this disk.

Are you sure the disk is even a legal pressing, not a DVD-R (you did say eBay)? You can normally tell by looking for the embedded information on the inside rim (just inside the playing area). If you're not sure how to read this, post the complete set of letters and digits you find - you may skip the bar code - and we'll probably be able to assist.

It's not a fake disk mate. It's got all the embedded info on the disk etc. When I say it's the only disk it's happening on I have to add it's the only DVD A disk I have - so I can't say that other DVD A discs play fine.

 

[dazmb]

It play fine in my cheap ass Denon.

That's too bad.

Are you suggesting that Denon players are better or something? Otherwise i'm not sure how this helps the discussion in any way.

 

[Ward Cleaver]

It plays fine in my cheap ass Denon.

Are you suggesting that Denon players are better or something? Otherwise I'm not sure how this helps the discussion in any way.

Just FYI, I had a DVD-A disc of Eric Clapton.
Oddly, it had a very frustrating, stuttering sound when played on my Sony player, similar to what you're describing.
However, when I put it in a Denon player that I had in another room, it played fine.

I never did figure out what the problem was with it.
But it would never play well on the Sony, yet consistently played fine on the Denon.

Regards,
-Ward

 

[Theo Maxtible]

Just FYI, I had a DVD-A disc of Eric Clapton.
Oddly, it had a very frustrating, stuttering sound when played on my Sony player, similar to what you're describing.
However, when I put it in a Denon player that I had in another room, it played fine.

I never did figure out what the problem was with it.
But it would never play well on the Sony, yet consistently played fine on the Denon.

Regards,
-Ward

Interesting points you've made Ward, and it sort of (at least with my logic) still points at the disc, rather than the OP's DV135. One thing I'd forgotten to ask, but which you've reminded me of, is that although we're all talking about DVD-As, they are in fact (although rarely referred to as such) DVD-A Hybrids. With you mentioning a Sony player, brought home to me the fact that you would only have been playing the DVD-V part of the disc, as Sony players do not support DVD-A. If the original OP's newly-aquired DV135 is new (and not second-hand), then the finger would point towards the fault lying with the disc. If his newly-aquired DV135 has seen a fair bit of service before he bought it, perhaps the laser is getting tired, and the blame does in fact lie with the player. Could the same thing have been with your Sony player? I remember my very first Sony player, bought in 2000, on which I played everything. It got used a hell of a lot, practically everyday for at least a couple of hours, for CDs and DVD-Vs at first, and then DVD-As from late 2005. That's when the player started to expire. It still played CDs OK, all things considered, but with all DVDs it started to misbehave. I said goodbye to it, with just under six years service under it's belt. Does the playing of DVDs (with their added complexity) place extra strain on a weak/tired laser etc?

Alternatively, assuming that the problem is with the disc, perhaps the fact that it's a DVD-A is irrelevant.

Just a thought.