DVD-o-philes: Why does a disc play slower on a set-top player?

[Deja Q]

Anybody see this happen?

My new disc set (from A&E, they usually release good quality sets) plays slowly (sound and video and the menu too) on both my set-top players, but plays PERFECTLY on the computer!

:crazy:

What might I be overlooking?

[Gothic Sponge]

1. Computer processing power?

[Deja Q]

3. Good idea except it's the other way around... :-(

It's the standalone set-top players that connect to their respective television sets. I have two - Sony and JVC. The Sony had cost me $150 and JVC $80. Both are 1 year old. They are the ones that can't play the discs right. :cry:

This is quite the reverse of the classic problem where it'll play fine on the set-top but slow on the computer.

My computer is an Athlon XP2700+ with 1 GB RAM, 7200RPM HD, WinXP with half the services disabled. Nvidia 5900fx o/c video card. It can hold its own. :-)

[Gothic Sponge]

7. My bad.

[Caution]

2. Sounds like a bad set top player

With a halfway decent set top you shoul dget better performance out of a dvd player (since the entire mecahnism is designed only for movies or audio (usually the traqnsport mechanism itself is of better quality and assuming you use software decoding on your dvd player in your computer you will have hardware based decoding in the set top box),

What player have you got?

[Deja Q]

5. Sony DVP-NS725P - cost me a bundle and is only one year old.

There's nothing special about this DVD set that would warrant a new set purchase. IMHO.

It plays everything. DVD-R, DVD+R, VCD, SVCD, MP3s, Precision Cinema Progressive technology, yadda yadda...

My cheaper JVC in the bedroom is also 1 year old but is capable of playing every format from here to Skaro.

I can't see how BOTH players, particularly the Sony, be the problem...

But I WILL upgrade my main player for the sake of Sapphire & Steel! :D

[Caution]

8. There is a soft reset you can do on the sony

You can basically put it into diagnostic mode and have it recalibrate the optics and the transport mechanism. Do this at your own risk though. Search around google and you'll find instructions for it.
no guarantees that this works but it's basically what they would do if you took it to a repair shop. (other than sending it in to sony for A refurbished unit)

[DS1]

4. Maybe the belt's slipping?

I know sounds like a joke, but it could be true and would explain a lot..

Sometimes the simplest answers...

[Deja Q]

6. Nice idea, but all my other discs unfortunately play just fine...

And with both set-top players doing the same thing? It could be an encoding issue... My DVD burner drive which plays the discs is also 1 year old.