brianp6621

I am wondering if anyone else is seeing this issue.

I am having a slight issue with the MG25. All xvid AVIs (even ones I create work perfectly) but my DVD ISO rips (both straight/full DVD decrypter and DVDshrinked ones) don't always start correctly. Sometimes only the audio starts and then after 5 seconds or so the MG25 powers off, or sometimes they just don't start (black screen) and I have to power cycle. Once the ISO actually starts, everything works fine and I can go in and out of the menus without issues. Any ideas?

datmrman

Are you still running AL Tech's latest firmware (1.4.6)?

Sometimes when I try to load an ISO, I just see a blank screen. The Mediagate doesn't power off though. I usually cycle the power and it works on retry.

What power adapter are you using in the car? The PSP?

brianp6621

Yeah, I upgraded to it immediately.

I think that is what happens to me as well. Maybe I am misremembering about the auto power off because I get frustrated and pound on the remote.

I tried it at lunch (while finishing my install, will post picts later, I think I found the perfect place to hide the IR, for me at least) and I tried going into the ISO 5 times in a row and it worked perfectly every time.

I am using the Sony PSP adapter. Seems to be fine except the contact to the back of the unit isn't great. The plug doesn't fit the same as the stock one and if you don't put it in right or bump it, it will power off. However once you have in plugged in, in the tray, there are no issues.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Brian,
Interesting you say that. I got a NIB PSP adapter off ebay, and can't get the internal connection to make contact... thus it doesn't work.
I'm gonna just go buy one locally and try it, perhaps my ebay find was a refurb.

Could you post a picture looking down the little hole of the plug?

brianp6621

A picture of my Sony adapter? I will try tonight but I don't have a camera with great macro.

Crook

I've gotten the black screen also on some of the ISO's when I selected them. It only occured on certain ISO's and never happened on others when I went to play them. I suspect it has to do with an error while encoding/creating them or while tranfering the file to the mediagate. I was using clonedvd to create the iso files. Some with and some without the menus. I was using dvd2one to downsize the VOBs before creating the ISO. The picture quality was perfect but ISO's took up too much space. Now I just covert the movies to Divx and Xvid which have never given me any problems or freezing black screens. I'm now using Xilisoft DVD Ripper to create the Xvids. Easy two click program.

So far I have 59 movies and concert videos on the mediagate which has only taken up 21.4 gigs on the hard drive. The subfolders are Movies, Music Videos and Kids Movies. I may have to create more subfolders as I add more movies so that navigating through the menu and locating a video doesn't become such a task.

brianp6621,
The IR sensor that you have is the same one that I'm using. Works great.

brianp6621

I am still kicking around how I want to put video on the device. I like ISO because it is just a single file and I like having all the menus just as if it was a DVD however using DVDShrink I haven't gotten the ISOs down much below 3GB (this is at about 50% compression). I have considered Xvids as well but not sure if I want to give up the menus.

brianp6621

I also have another question. I have been ripping using only the 2 channel audio. There is no sense in saving the AC3 5.1 right since we can't reproduce it in the car?

KJSmitty

You are very correct!!

Laxplaya11385

when i rip my DVDs into ISOs, i'm getting 5.1 in my car....

brianp6621

How can you tell? (honest question) I get sound from all the speakers but that doesn't mean it is 5.1.

Laxplaya11385

b/c while watching Mr & Mrs. Smith, when Brad Pitt shot at Angelina Jolie (while in the desert), i heard the rocket go from one side to the other. And in various other scenes, you could hear explosions from the rear speakers of the car when the bomb blew up behind them.

Malayalee King

iTrader: (1)

hey guys...just an update -- got it on a 2G --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQmkMtDCB0w

datmrman

That is correct, if you use the Mediagate only in the car. You can rip 5.1 audio for use with your home theater though.

Laxplaya11385, I think you are hearing simulated stereo surround sound. All of the aftermarket audio interfaces I've looked at (PIE X3, USA Spec, Blitzsafe AUX) only have a left and right RCA plug: red and white. Thats only 2 channels.

brianp6621

Yeah, you can do simulated (old school surround sound) with only 2 RCAs (older dvd players/receivers) but 5.1 requires either a digital audio connection a receiver or 6 different RCAs(original ready for DD equipment)

BigB2k5

iTrader: (1)

Nice post, thanks!


Question, how do you change the background?

Thanks!

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

Malayalee King ok how did you change the background. You can't post something like that without telling us how.

Malayalee King

iTrader: (1)

In the manual, last pages, it says place a file called back.jpg or myback.jpg or mywall.jpg onto the drive -- boom bam snap! good to go

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

Guess it would have helped if I read the manual....................

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

ATTN: all users of the PSP power adapter

Hey brian,
I figured out the deal with the PSP power adapter. Since the adapter isn't "made to fit" the Mediagate, what you'll find is the "hole" on the end of the PSP plug is slightly too deep to make consistent contact with the + pin inside the mediagate plug (hence mine and your medigate losing power while being "bumped").

To ensure the inside of the plug makes positive contact with the pin, take a small amount of fine stranded copper from a small piece of spare wire and stuff it down the hole. The will "lengthen" the positive contact of the socket so the pin will make solid contact. Don't use too much.

brianp6621

I was going to post about this as a slight warning since this makes the PSP adapter not a 100% replacement. I'm glad you found a fix, I'll give it a shot tonight.

Thanks

Malayalee King

iTrader: (1)

^ i wonder if this is true with the $12 eBay adapter i'll give it a try if i can find it

brianp6621

I don't know but people have said they have had power issues with the cheap generic adapters.

Laxplaya11385

i forget where in this thread it was, but the one posted w/ regards ot the one on amazon works perfectly. Never had a problem. It's like..$25 shipped or something.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Nope, the $12 ebay adapter was an OEM sony PSP adapter, NIB. I went to Best Buy and bought another (thinking it was that cheap for a reason), and experienced the same issue.

My fix totally works, but the Archos adapter is probaby the better option, albeit 3X the price.

brianp6621

Oh if this is the OEM Sony adapter, then definitely yes, that's what we're talking about. The OEM Sony adapter plug is not a perfect fit, at least on the Vantec Avox.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Right...
Hence my reccomendation for the stranded copper in the tip. It'll make that PSP adapter almost perfect.

jdeec

I got my MG-35! The enclosure feels cheap(it is plastic) as well as the front buttons, but I won't be handling or seeing it that much so no biggie. I had the unit hooked up to my tv, watched a ripped dvd for about an hour and the unit did not get hot, maybe a tad warm.

Now I'm just waiting on the USAspec adapter and have to find a power adapter for use in the car.

brianp6621

So you took several strands of copper? About how long? I didn't get a chance to try this last night.

brianp6621

Front buttons? Does one of the version actually have buttons? The Vantec has only 3 lights and an IR window and the main part is metal with the sides being plastic. Overall yes, not excellant build quality but it is good enough for me and once I get it fully loaded I will hardly be moving it at all.

I need to find an extra A/V cable so when I want to use it in the house I don't have to disconnect the full cable from the car.

Anyone know of one that will work?

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Took fine stranded wire, about 1/4 inch worth. Twisted it up, folded it 1/2, and pushed it deep into the tip...

brianp6621

So a single strand and the twisted/folded up?

jdeec

yeah, this is the MG-35, it accepts 3.5" hard drives(desktop size) so the enclosure is a bit bigger than a MG-25. I didn't feel like spending extra money on another hard drive when I had extra lying around.

As for a/v cables I assume any cables(from Fry's or whatnot) would work, unless I'm misunderstandind something.

datmrman

The extra component video cable (blue, green, red ?) that comes with the MG-25 works. The color of the plugs is off, but the cable itself acts like the usual yellow, white, and red RCA. I can check when I get home which color maps with what.

datmrman

The MG-35 uses the ordinary RCA cable. It has RCA connections in the back. Any brand should work.

As for remote and power supply, the MG-25 and the MG-35 use the same ones. Last time I checked, the MG-35 also required 5V/2A to power.

brianp6621

Duh, sorry, read it as MG25.

brianp6621

Duh, why didn't I think of that. I'll just test the cables later today and use it instead. I'll plan on using the RGB cable in the car permanently hooked up and the normal A/V cable in the house. That way if I have to connect/disconnect the cable in the house, I won't have to remember the mapping of the connections.

Malayalee King

iTrader: (1)

Couldn't you just snip away some of the plastic on the plug to expose more of the contacts instead of stuffing something inside the player?

I say this because I have an iRiver mp3cd player and I lost my wall charger. The wall adapter that came with the mg-25p fit but didnt go all the way in. I ended up snipping some of it away with a wire cutter. Lo-n-behold I have a charger for my mp3cd player

datmrman

To use the component RCA cable as an extra RCA for the MG-25, use this mapping:

Blue => Yellow
Green => White
Red => Red

This is how I have it connected in my room. It works like a charm.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

nope, something like 18-20 gauge stranded, twist it up and fold it 1/2