Page 1 of Is the Encore 450 good then?

Will it play RCE disks
Does multi-region work?
Will it play MP3 CDRs?

Can it make the tea?

Clayts your wanted!


HITACHI 505 ROCKS!

Yes to the first three, but I`m having a job getting it to switch the kettle on!

The player is WELL worth the money, for a budget jobby.

See my reply to the guy putting the Lecson, X-Wave, Encore and Yelo to the forum. With Encore you get a 1970s looking player that does EVERY format, and also bangs out component video too, for £200. And it`s backed up with a bunch of staff who KNOW their product.

What more could you ask ?

This item was edited on Friday, 17th November 2000, 22:45

But does it have Macro disable???

Where there`s a will there`s a way !

It all boils down to firmware - ie stuff you download and write onto a CD-R.

There are two steps:

Firmware 2.1 - this is a backward `flash` where you pop the CD in and confuse the 450 into thinking it`s a Sampo 560 (it`s previous incarnate). Weirdly, you use the Encore remote hack to access the loophole menu, where you can switch the Macro off.

Firmware 3.3 - this is the most up to date firmware that cures these dicky Region 1 lip-sync problems that have plagued the 450/560, and also renders your 450 normal again

The site you need is http://www.dvdschmiede.de - make sure you select pidgin English instructions, otherwise you get fluent German (unless you`re German, of course).

Buy black not silver - viva the 1970s VHS look !!!

What about the dodgy tray mechanism I`ve heard about??? I know a guy who got a black eye after his 450 flung the tray across the room at him. Maybe he was joking but is it safe???

Just get yerself a nice wee Aiwa 370 for all yer playback needs... any format and Macro disable may be possible, but we need to wait a while to find out. :)


AIWA ROCKS!!!!!!!!

Damn. I just won an Encore450 on QXL today but now I want the Aiwa one. The Aiwa looks like it`s from the 00`s but the Encore looks like something out of a 1970`s Dr.Who episode. Oh well, I suppose I can just shove my VHS player ontop of it. Maybe I could paint over the front panel. Hrmm.

Pale green LED is in, I tells ya !!!

Looks can be deceptive Assassin - under that Korean exterior beats the heart of a true DVD gem.

LOL with the tray story. The tray mechanism on mine is a little `quirky` too - i.e press the open button on the remote, go to the loo, take the dog for a walk, throw a dinner party, tidy up and it might just have got round to opening. I exaggerate....no, it actually takes twice as long as that!!!

ok, Just got one of the silver Encores on monday (another QXL auction!!) Anyway first impressions were great, looks better than I expected and build quality is acceptable. The infamous tray is actually quite sturdy and loading times are acceptable. At first I was quite happy but then I started spotting artifacts in dark & murky areas and on flat areas of colour (i.e. in cel animation) particularly on Alien and the Iron Giant. Also noticed banding in places like the sun at the start of the Exorcist. Overall not a great improvement over PowerDVD on my PC. Tried out the offending disks on a Sony 535 and a LG 2330P, with no sign of artifacts (except much less obvious banding on the sun on the LG)! not happy. looks like its going back... *sigh*

stavvy