Robot Porter

I recently purchase an Ueme 10.1" portable DVD player. I got this one because it was one of the few such players that allows you to switch between 16.9 and 4:3 aspect ratios. Most portable DVD players will play 4:3 videos. But only in 16:9 mode, thus, stretching it.

This player cannot automatically sense a 4:3 DVD. But you can change to 4:3 via the "wide" button on the remote. And it does work.

But there's one little problem. There's a small sliver of black at the top of the screen when watching content in 4:3 mode.* Not huge. But enough to be distracting. There's no such black "gap" when watching in the default 16:9 mode.

I've seen this sort of thing on HD panels. And there's usually way to adjust this deep in the settings. No such luck here.

I contacted Ueme. I assumed there was a service menu I could access to make such an adjustment. They said there wasn't such a menu. But offered to send me a replacement unit, telling me I wouldn't have to send back the unit I had. In other words, they were giving me a second unit for free. Probably just to shut me up.

Because I got the second unit. It has the same problem.

Anyone know if there are service menus on these units? Because it really seems like one of those things that could be fixed with such a menu.

Thanks for your help!

(BTW, this could be a software issue. Because this player also allows you to watch video via a USB stick or SD card. And when watching video that way the unit has no problem recognizing 4:3 content and playing it properly. But that is utilizing different video player software.)

*When you watch a PAL DVD (or change the setting to PAL) the sliver of black disappears, replaced some of the bottom of the frame duplicated at the top.

Alan Smithee

Nice that they sent you a second one for free, but seems like yet another company that doesn't know what it's doing. Why couldn't they go under instead of Oppo?

Robot Porter

It's a Chinese company, and it felt like a classic Chinese reaction. Do you know the Chinese expression "mei ban fa" which roughly means "there's nothing you can do"?

In China, people are always saying this -- even when there's something you can do -- and then they give you a gift.

Not a dig. I love China and the Chinese people. But it is a common approach in their culture to stuff like this.

My guess (in this instance) is if they changed a couple of values in the firmware's code this would properly recognize the aspect ratio of any DVD. Just like every DVD player has for the last decade or more.

Still, it's a decent little player. And at least it give an (imperfect) way to watch 4:3 content. Most of these players can't even do that.

Jay G.

I don't know if this is the specific on your got, but Amazon has a listing for a Ueme 10.1" portable DVD player for $70:

It sounds like it's an issue with the scaler, especially considering what happens with a PAL DVD. It'd likely need a firmware update, which is unlikely for such a cheap DVD player.

Robot Porter

Yeah, that's the unit.

You're right it probably is the scaler. I was thinking it was just a screen adjustment issue. But the scaler makes more sense.

You're also right that this product will never get a firmware update. I've had expensive DVD and Blu-Ray players that had problems requiring firmware updates. And never got them. Or got them after years of pestering by consumers.

Robot Porter

I bet there is a service menu that would allow adjustments to fix this.

The company claims there isn't a service menu. But I think they have to say that.

Can't find out anything about one online. But online ain't what it used to be.