Getting static and "No Copy"

[volcs0]

I'm following up from this thread:

http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?p=32423#32423

I bought a cheap Sony MZ-R700 and an optical TOSLink to 3.5mm adapter.

I hooked up the MD recorder to my EyeHome digital output, and all I get is static and "No Copy" after putting the unit in record-pause (with a disc in, of course).

I tried the same thing with my optical output on our XBox - same thing - static and "no copy".

I trust this is some form of copy protection (though I don't see how it applies in this setting).

I tried this workaround: http://www.minidisc.org/brian_youn/R900_SCMS.html

But it didn't make a difference.

I'm hoping that there is something I'm doing wrong - that maybe I can change a setting and it will work.

Even thought I get "no copy" - should I still get the sound to passthrough? Or is the horrible static part of the copy protection?

Oh - I tried analog input, and it worked - so I think the player is functioning correctly.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Sam V.

[volcs0]

So, it looks like it is the AC3 Dolby.

When I hook my XBox or EyeHome to the Minidisc and use stereo, it sounds fine. But when I play a movie that I encoded with AC3, I get loud static and "no copy". The whole purpose of my buying this was to allow me to convert the digital signal to analog. I don't want to re-encode 100 movies. Is there any way around this problem?

[Syrius]

I think that DD is automatically SCMS-ed. Try using simple stereo sound by disabling DD in your XBox, but keep your optical output on. You can also try ripping the audio from the the DVD to your HDD in wav or MP3 format. Some DVD playing software support that feature natively, or you can google for some utilities that do that. Good luck.

EDIT: By doing that, you are not converting to analog. The optical cable transfers a digital signal to your MD, which in turn records it, bit by bit.

[volcs0]

Thanks for the reply.

The EyeHome center ONLY outputs AC3 to the optical out. The MD can't handle that, right?

I don't think there is a way around this.

[Syrius]

Ok. Let me see if I get it right. You are trying to copy the audio of some DVDs you made, encoded with DD, to your MD via optical cable, right?

I suggest you use a regular DVD player, go into the setup menu, and disable DD, or select the optical output to send PCM/Stereo, but *not* DD. (It's very easy when using an Xbox). Some DVD players will output PCM when doing this. I will try with my DVD player and my Sharp Sr 60 tonight, and see if it works. Any MD should be able to take a PCM stream like this all right.

[volcs0]

The XBox was just a test.

I'm really just trying to output from my EyeHome media center to my TV.

The movies I've ripped and encoded on my hard drive are all AC3 Dolby 5.1. The EyeHome will ONLY output AC3 via the TOSLink optical.

My options are to (1) re-convert all my movies to non-AC3 or (2) find a way to get digital TOSLink signal converted to analog RCA signal.

Digital to Analog converters are too expensive. I was looking for a $20 solution. I bought this MD player on eBay for $20.

I thought I would use the MD player to take the digital signal and pass it through in record-pause, and use the headphone out to hook it to the analog RCA ins on the TV.

But, I've since found out that MD players don't have Dolby converters in them...

Which is why it has not been working...

Thanks.

Sam