I bought a used APEX 3201...it seems to have a thermal problem with the
DVD drive (DVS Korea DSL-710)...stops working after 5 minutes, has to
cool down before working again.

I'm thinking of replacing it with a Sony DVD-ROM drive, model DDU1612
(Office Max is clearing them out for $9.95).

Has anyone here done this? What are the steps involved besides
physically the drive? (I've already done this, but the new drive acts
as if it can't quite decode the signal - 1/3 of the picture consists
of colored blocks).

TIA,

Stan.

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 13:10:37 -0800,
(Stan) wrote:

I bought a used APEX 3201...it seems to have a thermal problem with the
DVD drive (DVS Korea DSL-710)...stops working after 5 minutes, has to
cool down before working again.

I'm thinking of replacing it with a Sony DVD-ROM drive, model DDU1612
(Office Max is clearing them out for $9.95).

Has anyone here done this? What are the steps involved besides
physically the drive? (I've already done this, but the new drive acts
as if it can't quite decode the signal - 1/3 of the picture consists
of colored blocks).

TIA,

Stan.

There's an apex user's site on the net.
do a google for it.
They have a really good discussion board for mods and such.
Seems to me when I was last there about a year ago everyone was having
problems with chips overheating on the video board as well as the dive
unit.
There were various heatsink fixes for it.
They can also point you to a dealer who sells aftermarket drives for
this brand.(I believe the link is pirhana.net for the dealer.
Picked up a drive for one of the 1000 models for just 19 bucks.

gothika wrote:

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 13:10:37 -0800,
(Stan) wrote:

I bought a used APEX 3201...it seems to have a thermal problem with the
DVD drive (DVS Korea DSL-710)...stops working after 5 minutes, has to
cool down before working again.

I'm thinking of replacing it with a Sony DVD-ROM drive, model DDU1612
(Office Max is clearing them out for $9.95).

Has anyone here done this? What are the steps involved besides
physically the drive? (I've already done this, but the new drive acts
as if it can't quite decode the signal - 1/3 of the picture consists
of colored blocks).

TIA,

Stan.

There's an apex user's site on the net.
do a google for it.
Nerd-out forums? Been there...posted in Apex3100 forum...no replies.

They have a really good discussion board for mods and such.
Seems to me when I was last there about a year ago everyone was having
problems with chips overheating on the video board as well as the dive
unit.
There were various heatsink fixes for it.
They can also point you to a dealer who sells aftermarket drives for
this brand.(I believe the link is pirhana.net

I'll pursue this...thanx.

Stan.

You need a DVD drive that does not require authentication.

http://www.bob-lafleur.net/600advd/

Has some info and a list. Interestingly enough, some of the cheapest ones are
the right ones.

The one that require authentication are like that so you can't copy the files
to your HD and make an exact copy of a DVD to a DVD-RAM. They also make region
hacking harder.

I just checked and the site is still there, check it out, quite informative.

JURB

I do not understand why one would do this since you can find these for $50.

(JURB6006) wrote:

You need a DVD drive that does not require authentication.

http://www.bob-lafleur.net/600advd/

Has some info and a list. Interestingly enough, some of the cheapest ones are
the right ones.

The one that require authentication are like that so you can't copy the files
to your HD and make an exact copy of a DVD to a DVD-RAM. They also make region
hacking harder.

I just checked and the site is still there, check it out, quite informative.

Very informative...thanx for the link. BTW, I see that the SONY DDU1621
drive that I bought is listed in both columns...is there a method
that you know of for hacking/flashing a stock DDU1621 to not require
authentication?

Thanx,

Stan.

"luminos" wrote in message
...
I do not understand why one would do this since you can find these for
$50.



And you can fix one for $20, what's your point? Last I checked $20 was less
than $50, and it keeps the unit out of a landfill. If I had a steady supply
of free broken ones I could easily make a living fixing and selling them.

Your time is far less valuable than mine then, buddy.

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:Ym%Wb.304179$na.459222@attbi_s04...

"luminos" wrote in message
...
I do not understand why one would do this since you can find these for
$50.



And you can fix one for $20, what's your point? Last I checked $20 was
less
than $50, and it keeps the unit out of a landfill. If I had a steady
supply
of free broken ones I could easily make a living fixing and selling them.

"luminos" wrote:

I do not understand why one would do this since you can find these for $50.

By "these" you might mean a cheap DVD player...
Ans.: Certain Apex players can "turn off" Macrovision & Region checking.

By "these" you might mean a used Apex player...
Ans.: The above mentioned models are usual kept when working...
The problem ones are sold on eBay...buy one of these & I'm back
where I started.

Stan.

"luminos" wrote:

Your time is far less valuable than mine then, buddy.

You are un-informed of the demand for Macrovision/Region-code free
DVD players.

Stan.

"James Sweet" ) writes:
"luminos" wrote in message
...
I do not understand why one would do this since you can find these for
$50.



And you can fix one for $20, what's your point? Last I checked $20 was less
than $50, and it keeps the unit out of a landfill. If I had a steady supply
of free broken ones I could easily make a living fixing and selling them.

And maybe the replacement drive will be a better choice than the original?

Certainly, the fact that some of these DVD players use standard DVD drives
is wonderful. Mechanical things are far more likely to go first, and
here is a means of fixing it easy. I can't imagine being able to find
parts for the existing drive for so little, at least not easily.

Michael

"luminos" wrote in message
...
Your time is far less valuable than mine then, buddy.


Figure 10 minutes to repair it, maybe 20 if I take my time, few repairs are
simpler than that. If your time is worth more than $30 for 20 minutes then I
don't understand why you're in this group in the first place.

Oh wait, this is crossposted, but those of us on the electronics repair
group fix things not only for profit but because it's fun.

In article , (Stan) wrote:
gothika wrote:

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 13:10:37 -0800,
(Stan) wrote:

I bought a used APEX 3201...it seems to have a thermal problem with the
DVD drive (DVS Korea DSL-710)...stops working after 5 minutes, has to
cool down before working again.

I'm thinking of replacing it with a Sony DVD-ROM drive, model DDU1612
(Office Max is clearing them out for $9.95).

Has anyone here done this? What are the steps involved besides
physically the drive? (I've already done this, but the new drive acts
as if it can't quite decode the signal - 1/3 of the picture consists
of colored blocks).

TIA,

Stan.

There's an apex user's site on the net.
do a google for it.
Nerd-out forums? Been there...posted in Apex3100 forum...no replies.


If you cant handle a nerd helping you out, suppose you need to hang out in the
jock forums and see if they will help???

In article , (Stan) wrote:
"luminos" wrote:

Your time is far less valuable than mine then, buddy.

You are un-informed of the demand for Macrovision/Region-code free
DVD players.

Stan.
Whats the point when the output of these macrovision free cheapo apex players
are crap.

"James Sweet" ) writes:
"luminos" wrote in message
...
Your time is far less valuable than mine then, buddy.


Figure 10 minutes to repair it, maybe 20 if I take my time, few repairs are
simpler than that. If your time is worth more than $30 for 20 minutes then I
don't understand why you're in this group in the first place.

Oh wait, this is crossposted, but those of us on the electronics repair
group fix things not only for profit but because it's fun.



And context is an important factor.

Nobody would think of tossing out a recent computer, merely because
their DVD drive stopped working. They would replace the drive.

In this particular case, we see the equivalent. If the drive can
just be swapped, one might as well.

Michael

That would be a backward flash, that site might have it on further inspection,
somewhere.

You're probably better off buying a few and testing them the way that site
describes. In case you didn't read that part, what you do is to try to copy all
the VOB files to your HD. If it works good, if not you got an authentication
required drive. If this becomes a big issue I'll do like I did in the past,
I'll literally hang a power and IDE cable out the front of my PC to facilitate
this.

JURB

"GMAN" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Stan) wrote:
"luminos" wrote:

Your time is far less valuable than mine then, buddy.

You are un-informed of the demand for Macrovision/Region-code free
DVD players.

Stan.
Whats the point when the output of these macrovision free cheapo apex
players
are crap.

I've got an old Apex player on my bigscreen, only have it because I got it
for free, I can't see any difference between it and the Sony I have
downstairs, like CD players, the output of DVD players all look the same to
me.