MBWorld.org Forums - View Single Post - unlock your DVD command unit for US car for only 189.00

Skylaw · 12-20-2007, 06:59 AM

Good luck with it, my06clk. We'll anxiously await the results of your experiment. Thanks for being the forum's lab rat here.

The only potential hole I see is that the flash screens you reference - warnings, etc - may be generated from a memory chip (the firmware) rather than from the DVD. If our U.S. COMANDs truly lack the video decoder circuitry as we have been told, the initial data read from the inserted disc (identifying the disc as a DVD, standard CD, or mp3 CD) may be what triggers the firmware to display that flash screen, rather than any DVD video output.

I would love to be proved wrong. It would be great news. However, I'm not encouraged by the manufacturer's language in its response to you; and they still haven't responded to my very specific questions on that point.

In your PC example, you're talking about a software decoder (same as the some Macs used with its DVD Player software). A device with a hardware decoder (like a simple tabletop DVD player) does not use a software decoder. I believe our COMANDs use hardware decoders - and in our U.S. versions, the video chipset just isn't there.

I had hoped the device under discussion either provided that chipset, or provided software decoding.

We'll see.

12-20-2007, 06:59 AM	#9
Skylaw MBWorld Fanatic! Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,874 Drives: 2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL	Good luck with it, my06clk. We'll anxiously await the results of your experiment. Thanks for being the forum's lab rat here. The only potential hole I see is that the flash screens you reference - warnings, etc - may be generated from a memory chip (the firmware) rather than from the DVD. If our U.S. COMANDs truly lack the video decoder circuitry as we have been told, the initial data read from the inserted disc (identifying the disc as a DVD, standard CD, or mp3 CD) may be what triggers the firmware to display that flash screen, rather than any DVD video output. I would love to be proved wrong. It would be great news. However, I'm not encouraged by the manufacturer's language in its response to you; and they still haven't responded to my very specific questions on that point. In your PC example, you're talking about a software decoder (same as the some Macs used with its DVD Player software). A device with a hardware decoder (like a simple tabletop DVD player) does not use a software decoder. I believe our COMANDs use hardware decoders - and in our U.S. versions, the video chipset just isn't there. I had hoped the device under discussion either provided that chipset, or provided software decoding. We'll see. __________________ Warren 2005 S500 4-Matic with Gateway 500 iPod integration 1978 450SL restoration project Formerly: 2000 S500 with Ice>Link Plus iPod integration, MikBox, and Upgraded voice control Last edited by Skylaw; 12-20-2007 at 05:22 PM.