The annoying discs

[Nige]

Hello all,
first time in after lots of reading, Great threads on some very helpful topics. I just want to revisit the annoying problem with the "discs" (P Harbour & J park III) since we do not have the option of DTS "thanx to marketing"
Has anyone returned their amp for repairs to fix this problem?
I only ask since I have just returned mine for repairs to fix the problem and also a popping/white noise that happens while navigating thru various menus on some discs. (appears to happen when the Dig signal is dropped of then returns) I have been informed by the service department that this can be repaired by renewing the DSP board and a few other mods.
There is a few other models that also suffer the same problem in the Onkyo range, I suspect that they also use the same boards/chips for processing.

Does anyone know......
Has anyone returned their amp for repairs to address this exact problem?
Will this finally repair the problems?

or are we just being lead up the garden path again.

Sorry I forgot to mention that I am in Australia.
Thanx,
In frustration Nige

[Burke Strickland]

graham -

Welcome to HT Guide and Club Integra. I'm glad you've found the discussions here interesting and useful. Thanks for posting your questions about the problem discs and equipment repairs.

Since you live in Australia, I assume when you say that "we do not have the option of DTS "thanx to marketing" " you mean that the DVDs sold in your region do not include a DTS soundtrack. Of course, using the DTS track was the "quick fix" that Onkyo/Integra/ Integra Research suggested when a few movie titles exhibited dropout problems with their Dolby Digital tracks. Sorry that option isn't available to you, since, typically, the DTS soundtracks sound sensational, and they "work" right out of the box! :>) (They also suggested using the ProLogic track which presumably works fine, too, but that's kind of like sitting in Coach after paying for First Class.) :>)

Which "amp" do you own that you have just returned for repair? Is it a preamplifier/processor, a power amplifier or a receiver? How long ago did you buy it? IOW, is it a model that has had a general hardware update that you are just now getting around to having them do, or is it a model for which they never offered an update, but that they are now selling a "fix" for on an individual basis?

Following the update two years ago involving hardware modifications to the Integra Research RDC-7 (which I own), it appears to work OK with the "problem discs". I've played "Jurassic Park 3" with the Dolby Digital soundtrack and have not experienced the reported dropouts. So either the disc I'm playing was part of a later run where the soundtrack "flags" were set properly, or whatever they did to the hardware during the upgrade solved the problem.

Although Onkyo/Integra/ Integra Research isn't always forthcoming about what it can or will do in its handling of problems, if their service department has told you that they can fix the "Dolby dropouts" with a mod to the DSP board and whatever, I'd be inclined to believe them. However, be sure to document everything you report to them and whatever they tell you (or do to your equipment), whether it is phone discussion, letters, emails, face-to-face dealings or whatever. That'll help “just in case things” don't turn out the way they promised. But let's hope they follow through and get things fixed right for you the first time.

Good luck -

Burke

[Nige]

Hi Burke,

thanks for the reply sorry about the delay in responding, but like all good electrical products when one goes in for repair the other one goes out in sympathy. I've also had to book in My DVD player that lost all audio output, nope it's a Pioneer.
Ill fill in the missing blanks that I left out.
I have a TX-DS989 its approx 2 1/2 yrs old and I had the software upgraded to PL 2. I did look at getting the ultra2 upgrade the same as yours has been but shied away when they asked about 700-800usd. So I'm still waiting for the amp to be finished (3 weeks & counting) and after quite a few calls to them I've had the "Sorry we forgot to look at that, We will get to it straight away”, " The parts are on back order" and "we have a virus in the software and we are waiting for a new version" so the thought of getting them to start the update to Ultra2 doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Most of the disc's that are re-master when they release them in Australia only have a DD soundtrack, maybe someone decided that its bad for customers to have a choice of audio formats, (insert sarcasm) at least My expanding Region1 discs do the trick! (Thanks U.S.A)
Yep who wants coach after paying for First Class. (To true)

Ill let you know how thing go,
Thanks again,
Cheer Nige