jtkv

for region code changing:

pop in the DVD
when it says incorrect region, press and hold down CLEAR until the screen goes blank.
press the required region #
play

that's 2 keys to change the region code, 3 to play it :-)


J.T.

RichardW

Patrick,

I watched Dinosaur in DTS last night and didn't notice any dropouts. In fact, it sounded amazing. It was playing Prologic at first, but I changed the settings using the Expert menu and that fixed my problem.

Patrick G

Richard, where did you get your machine, and what version of firmware is on it? Hold down the pause button for a few seconds and the firmware version should appear onscreen.

Matt Stevens

The following are settings for anyone that has a 16X9 HDTV and a Malata N996 DVD player...

I have a 47" 16x9 Panasonic HDTV and my MALATA is in 480p (progressive) mode.

USER MENU:

TV Signal System: NTSC
TV Type: 16:9
Audio Mode: 5.1
Video Mode: CVBS Y Cb Cr
Scan Type: Progressive

EXPERT MENU

Video: DAC Progressive - Y, Y Pr Pr
...........Signal Type: - 525 lines
...........Video Filter - Smart (use Movie for animation; Still for PAL)

Subpicture: Always

Audio: CDDA S/PDIF BYPASS - Off
...........DECODER SETUP - DTS (this passes through all signals to your receiver)

please email me if you find an errors, as I wrote this up in a hurry.

RichardW

Hey Patrick,

Like most, if not everyone here, I bought it from AV Deals. My firmware version is:

SDK0402 Data: Jun 22 2001 Time: 15:34

Patrick G

SDK0402 - June 22, 2001
Having DTS audio problems.

no pants

i posted this here earlier but it was delete, could some tell me why it was deleted, the header indicates this topic is to help solve malata problems, so did i post something else wrong??

from earlier:

just wondering if any one has made any of their own vcd's and tried to play on the malata, not just copied a vcd, but captured then editted and encoded for vcd. i'm on a mac and have made 3 vcd's of my own lately, just tv shows, but when i play them back i hear a real subtle beeping sound while they play. and was curious if this is a common thing for this player?? vcd's that i have bought play fine or copies of original vcd's play fine too. this happens on both cd-r's and cd-rw's. but these same vcd's that i've made play fine on my pioneer dv 525 and a 333 and my buddies apex. and when i play these vcd's on my mac or my pc they play fine too. but vcd's my freinds have made have been made on a pc, but it seems weird that the malata would have a problem playing some from a mac, so i was curious if any one else has had this problem with vcd's they have made, on a mac or pc. any thoughts on this??

thanks

pants

AdamGott

Does anyone else have an excessive red level problem with their malata? Part of it is my tv but when I was using my old Pioneer dvd player the red was only 15% high when everything else was properly calibrated (using a test disc) and with the Malata it is quite a bit higher. I have somewhat alleviated this problem by turning the (I can't remember the term now, but it is one of the adjustable video settings that defaults to 4) to 8 and calibrating it that way but I am wondering if there is a better way.

Best bet would be to recal my tv, is there an easy or even semi-hard way to do this on a consumer tv? JVC, btw, ask for the model number if you are considering buying this because the red level is definitely WAY too high, something that you won't find in any reviews.

Patrick G

Which defaults are reset when you push the power button on the front of the machine?

Sinister Ash

you can reset by pressing the power button, and leave it off for a while and then turn it back on. give it like 10-15 mins off

then powerback on.

Patrick G

I think you misunderstood my question. I'm asking which settings are reset to default when the power button on the machine is pressed.

Hannibal

One thing I've noticed is that even though I'm down mixing from dts and DD to regular two channel, the differences are still louder for dts. But when the player goes to its defaults when powering off, If I have selected dts in the decoder screen, I notice it defaults back to DD. Those with dts selected might want to check after a hard power down..could be the cause of those dropouts you've been having.

EbonyKat

Hi, everyone!

Well, I was charmed by the idea of the Malata codefree player (Region 0 default), but I have to admit I'm baffled as to what my equipment capabilities are or how to adjust the settings! (I found the user manual to be inadequate for the needs of a "common user.")

My TV is a Toshiba Cinema Series--CN27H95. And my receiver is a Yamaha Natural Sound Receiver--RXV-596. I have surround and a subwoofer, and I THINK I might have set the sound up correctly, because I can get DTS as well as 5.1 channel, etc. My questions have mainly to do with the system settings for the other features.

For example:

Is my TV 4:3 letterbox, 4:3 pan scan, or 16:9? (I guessed the first.) And would I be able to tell the difference if I picked the wrong one?

Video mode: I guessed CVBS, Y, Cb, Cr--only because that looks like the ColorStream cable designations. Is this correct?

Scanning mode: Progressive scan versus interlace...no clue here, I'll come right out and admit it (can you tell I'm blonde?). Does the scanning mode have to do with the TV or the DVD disc? If it's the TV, how do I find out which applies in my situation? I see nothing about scanning mode in my TV's user manual.

As for the Experts Menu, can anyone suggest which settings I should select? (I'm definitely of the Common Users variety!) I have set the sound--it works very well, but again, it's the video--DAC, signal type, video filter, etc.--that has me floundering.

Though I can get "The Accidental Spy" all-region DVD to work beautifully, with DTS sound, I can't get "The Shadow" Region 1 DVD to work at all. I get a disc error message. Is it likely that the disc is bad? It used to work on my Toshiba player. Or is there a setting I need to adjust to play "The Shadow"?

Also, I see from other posts in other forums that there is an issue with the remote--I do have a similar problem in that it sometimes won't power on from the remote--and if I press the power button, I get this annoying RED SCREEN that filters over everything. It's as if all my settings just disappear.

I've been looking around the Internet all evening trying to find a place to tell me about the scanning settings alone. Can someone please tell me where I can go to find out about these features, in terms a less-than-technical person can understand?

I would humbly appreciate it!

Thanks,

Patrick G

Have you searched the DVD and LD Hardware section of avsforum.com for "malata"? You'll probably find your answers there.

EbonyKat

Actually, I DID look through their forum a bit--haven't figured out yet how to search for specific topics on that forum, though.

What I found was a lot of really technical talk that served to let me know just how little I DO know. Also, the problems discussed had to do in a lot of cases with combing (I don't think I'd recognize that issue if it displayed itself in blatant form on my screen...), pixelation, sound drop-outs, etc.

I just want to know how to set this up, really...and somehow this particular forum seemed the most helpful.

Any tips you can give me would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,

Sinister Ash

Choose 4:3 letterbox, that way you can watch DVDs always in widescreen. For some dvds, like shaolin soccer, if you have it set on pan scan, it will automatically go to full screen, losing picture.

do you have one wire connected to the tv for video? I know that if you have the cable that came with the player, or if you bought a s-video cable for the video, then you should choose the first option for video mode.

use interlaced, unless you have a digital tv. I tried progressive, and my player blanked out.

choose movie type for filter, and if all else fails try camera 1 or 2, but those are known to be the worst.

and as for shadow dvd, it's probably RCE disc, meaning that it won't play in any other region (including region 0) other than r1. You have to change your region settings by pressing:
(this is all on after the screen tells you that it is an error)

clr (hold until screen goes blank)
press region number (which in this case 1)
press play.

I hope this helps.

EbonyKat

Thanks for your help, Ash!

I just got The Shadow to work (there appears to actually be a glitch between the warnings and the menu, so perhaps that was the problem...when I hit play, just on a whim and before I tried your solution, it started!)

I reset to letterbox, again thanks!

You asked,
do you have one wire connected to the tv for video? I know that if you have the cable that came with the player, or if you bought a s-video cable for the video, then you should choose the first option for video mode.

I believe I set it up as follows: Video out to video in on TV AND Y/Cb/Cr out to Y/Cb/Cr in on TV. Is that not correct? It works, but I'm not sure I've got it set up optimally... So then, would the first option for video mode still be correct?

I don't have digital TV, so Interlaced it is!

You've said to choose movie type for the filter--is that because of my older equipment? I read in some of these posts that Smart mode is best for NTSC discs and, I believe still is best for PAL discs. But movie mode will work just fine, then, for NTSC discs as well?

I just got my first PAL HKL disc--Iron Monkey--and I was very excited, but I'm wondering if I have a defective disc. There are flashes of pixelated horizontal bars in the beginning--before I even get to the movie! (I haven't watched it yet, because the bars were very apparent and I didn't have the heart to watch a less-than-perfect disc.) Thinking that it might be my settings, I cleared and reset for Region 2--no difference. Then I tried changing the filters--again no difference. Does it sound like a disc problem to you? If so, I'll contact PokerIndustries and ask for an exchange.

Thanks so much for all your help. It's very frustrating to jump in with both feet and then to realize that the manual is not designed to explain anything to a newbie! At least my old Toshiba manual never left me totally at sea... :-)

Happy viewing!

AdamGott

AUTO is not the end-all/be-all setting to use though. The South Park PAL dvd's looked like real crap using auto, movie, or still but looked fine with camera 1 or 2. I don't know what these settings are but I would imagine it would have something to do with the source material/encoding used?

Sinister Ash

has anyone had problems with the corruptor DVD on the malata?

I noticed that there are horizontal black lines streaking on people when in fast motion. I think it's called combing, but no one has told me if it was called combing.... so I call it "horizontal mess" when there are quick motions in some scenes on this DVD.

Anyone have such problems with this particular disc on the malata?

Krstulovich

Has anyone had any problems playing Mei Ah discs in their Malata DVD players? I have Mei Ah's "Attack the Gas Station" and "Clean My Name, Mr. Coroner" VCDs, and neither of them will play on my Malata N996 (but don't have a problem playing in Media Player).

If you know of any solutions, please let me know...

Thanks,

james

silenzio

I watched the French PAL "Les demoiselles de Rochefort" DVD the other night and noticed that there are tons of shimmering effects around the horizontal edges (in "Still" mode). I found these effects in many of my DVDs (both NTSC and PAL) in a small amount, but this DVD is the worst of all. I read that aliasing is a problem of the interlaced scan, and my TV is an old (antique) 20 inch TV with only composite in. So, I'm wondering if newer TVs, especially the progressive scan ready TVs, are capable of eliminating these nasty effects.

Also, I watched the French PAL "Shoot the Piano Player" DVD, and there are lots of combing with the "Still" on. So, I had to change it to "Smart," and I see lots of shimmering that's similar to the one described above, but more like Mpeg-1 flickering effects. I know "Smart" uses the video mode here, because the edges of the screen jump around every second or so (look very unstable). So, I'm also wondering if the progressive TVs eliminate these nasty effects.

Thanks!

Taka

EbonyKat

For those of you who have both the Malata player AND the Iron Monkey PAL (Hong Kong Legends) disc--Which is likely to be the problem if the movie displays flashes of pixelation, sound AND picture cutouts, and some shimmering? I could probably live with the shimmering--it's not that bad. But the cutouts and the sound burping are inexcusable. I tried playing this with each filter on. Some make it worse, but none make it better.

I checked the disc. There does appear to be a darker, larger swirl which is not a surface smudge, ingrained into the disc. I contacted my supplier, and they said that I should send it back; however, if the disc plays fine on their equipment, I will be charged a 20% restocking fee.

I'd like your opinion on whether you think this is a disc problem, and I should go ahead and send it back with confidence, or if this MIGHT be a player issue. I don't have any other HKL or PAL discs yet to try. (They're taking the slow boat from England, I think...)

I've heard so many great things about both the Malata AND HKL discs that I'm riding on a wave of disappointment right now. I hope this is just a fluke! I would hate to have to chuck my TV and have to buy a new HDTV just to watch movies on my new player!

Thanks for your suggestions--I'd really appreciate it!

Matt Stevens

EbonyKat, if that retailer attempts to do that, then tell them not only will they lose your business, but that you will dispute the charges. They cannot charge you 20% when you are exchanging for the same product.

I bought the IRON MONKEY dvd and like yours, it had a swirl between the layers. This is air trapped in the layers and will cause the DVD to rot and some players will have a harder time with it than others. My MALATA crapped out my IRON MONKEY, but the replacement, which arrived yesterday, seems to work fine and DOES NOT have a swirl.

Point your retailer (just who is it anyway?) to me and my post because you are not alone.

Let us know what happens.

Sinister Ash

when I play shaolin soccer on my malata, there seems to be these lines that go across the picture of the people that make fast movements. Is this considered combing? or shimmering? I am unfamiliar with these terms. And how do I eliminate these horizontal lines?

I have my filter set on movie, and this is what happens. but I select camera 1or2, and the picture downgrades, but those lines are gone. Is this normal?

EbonyKat

Thanks, Matt! Your experience with this disc relieves my mind immensely! It's my first PAL disc, and I was in terror that my new Malata was a lemon! You can imagine my anxiety!

I purchased the disc through PokerIndustries.com. The gentleman who responded to my email seemed friendly, but the message was clear that they don't tolerate returns that are supposedly not defective, even though it is an exchange for the same disc. In this case, though, and with your information, I'm fairly sure the disc IS defective.

Thanks so much for the information and the suggestion to send PokerIndustries the link to your post. I really appreciate your help!

Ebkat