HD DVD Firmware FAQ

[Ruined]

Being a new Toshiba HD DVD Player owner, the first thing you should do is upgrade your firmware to the latest version to ensure best performance & compatibility. The below directions work for all Toshiba HD DVD Players in production, including the Toshiba HD-A2/A3.

There are three methods to upgrading your firmware, and they will be discussed below:

METHOD 1: Permanent Internet Connection (BEST METHOD)
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HARDWARE NEEDED:
Existing router, wired or wireless depending on your intentions
Ethernet cable running from router to player (wired)
Wireless Ethernet Bridge/Game Adapter (wireless)
Ethernet Switch (wireless, optional)

HD DVD's have internet features, so it only makes sense that you'd want to give your Toshiba HD DVD player permanent internet access. Therefore, this method is not only great to get the latest firmware but also to allow you to unleash the full potential of your Toshiba HD DVD player.

So, hook up that Ethernet port to your router with an ethernet cable. Or, if you want to go wireless, buy one of the many "Wireless Ethernet Bridge" or "Wireless Ethernet Game Adapters" that allow you to use any ethernet-capable device wirelessly. The Linksys WET54G is a common example of one of these. If you have another device with ethernet you want to hook up (i.e. XBOX 360), simply buy a 5-port Ethernet Switch and that will allow you to hook multiple devices up to the bridge. You may need to unplug your modem/router after connecting everything to reset things so that devices recognize each other.

SO LET'S UPGRADE THIS BAD BOY!
Once your Toshiba HD DVD Player is hooked up to the router or bridge, go into the player's setup menu. Then go to the Ethernet submenu. Turn on DHCP. Turn on DNS. Now, simply hit confirm. Check the numbers that it spits out - if it looks like a proper IP address, you're set. If it looks wrong or null, try turning off auto-dns and setting the DNS server to the local IP address of your primary router (i.e. 192.168.1.1 or whatever) and hitting confirm again. By now, you should be set. Still doesn't work? If neither of the above options work, you can try this as a last-ditch effort (not as good as the first two solutions because external DNS IP can change over time). Try temporarily hooking up to the internet with an ethernet cable connected directly to your cable modem via METHOD 2 below, and using the auto DNS method, then hit CONFIRM; writer down the DNS numbers that show up in the boxes with the temporary connection. Then, reconnect your permanent setup and manually set the DNS to the numbers you wrote down with the temporary connection. You may need to restart the player in all of these cases. One of the above methods should get your Toshiba HD DVD Player online.

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THERE IS NO DISC IN THE DRIVE!!!!!! (If you leave a movie disc in the drive during internet firmware upgrade, it can cause major problems) Next step, is to go to the General/Maintenance section of the player and choose "Update". You will have to accept a EULA. The update process takes about 30 minutes. Do not unplug the player during this process. Once it has finished, the player will shutdown. Restart the player, go back to the setup menu, go to General/Maintenance, and select "Intialize". This will reset all settings and is a good idea just to tidy things up. You are done! Now go tweak your settings for optimal A/V quality!

METHOD 2: Temporary internet connection
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HARDWARE NEEDED:
Long ethernet cable (wired)

Assuming you dont want to buy a bridge or permanently hook up your player to the next, this is another option. Simply unplug your cable modem from your router (if you have one), then run a long ethernet cable directly from your cable modem to your player. After that, unplug the power of the cable modem and plug it back in (so that it forgets your router and starts fresh with the Toshiba HD DVD player). Then, turn on your player and go to the setup menu. Proceed to "SO LET'S UPGRADE THIS BAD BOY!" section in Method 1 to complete the upgrade. Detach long cable once firmware upgrade process is complete, keep it somewhere you'll remember for the next time! Hook the router (if you have one) back up, of course

METHOD 3: Burned CD-R ISO disc from computer
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HARDWARE NEEDED:
Computer with CD-R drive
Blank CD

So you totally want to avoid the internet, eh. Okay. Here is how to do it with a computer CD-R. First, read these directions:
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/tacpasse...d2firmware.asp

Next, download the file from here, and select the proper Toshiba HD DVD model you own from the dropdown (the most popular models are the HD-A2/HD-D2 and HD-A3, but be sure to check the front of your player for the exact model # so you get the right firmware):
http://tacp.toshiba.com/tacpassets-i...ngfirmware.asp
Unzip the ISO file to a place you will remember.

Then, download ISO RECORDER and run/install it:
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/d...orderV2RC1.msi

Now, put a blank CD-R in the drive. Browse to the unzipped Toshiba ISO file, right click it, and hit Copy Image to CD. Set speed to 2x. Hit next, and you are done.

Now simply insert the CD-R into your Toshiba HD DVD Player and let the upgrade process complete. Remove the disc when it is finished. For good luck, go to the General/Maintenance section and Initialize the player after firmware update to reset all settings. You're done! Go tweak the A/V settings for optimal picture now!

[The Mobius]

Originally Posted by Ruined

I would almost guarantee the problem is that the HD-A2 is having difficulty finding a DNS server.

I would attempt to try manually setting the DNS setting of your HD-A2 to the local IP address of your primary router.

^This advice from the closed thread worked - thanks!!!!!!!!

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by The Mobius

^This advice from the closed thread worked - thanks!!!!!!!!

Grats! Now you can get a network technician IT job to boot!

[plissken99]

Well the firmware for the A2 off the official Toshiba site is damaged or corrupted. Where else can it be dowloaded from? I'm downloading again, but it's going at 30kbps so that'll be another fucking hour.

[plissken99]

It's downloading over ethernet now. Out of frustration i restarted the player, tried again, and it works!

[Sehnzeleid]

Originally Posted by plissken99

It's downloading over ethernet now. Out of frustration i restarted the player, tried again, and it works!

The problems might be from the increased traffic from the sales today.

Glad to hear it's working.

[Ruined]

Yeh, tonight my friend told me he got a server overloaded error message. Wasn't a network configuration error, the FW server is simply swamped by requests.

[chlngr1970]

So, I tried DL the ISO from the Toshiba site, and the network update. The ISO returns the Not DVD format disc error, and of the 4 attempts I have made over the netowrk, I received the VUP error 121. The other times the machine shuts down after 5 minutes or so, with no update.

j

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by chlngr1970

So, I tried DL the ISO from the Toshiba site, and the network update. The ISO returns the Not DVD format disc error, and of the 4 attempts I have made over the netowrk, I received the VUP error 121. The other times the machine shuts down after 5 minutes or so, with no update.

j

Problem #1 sounds like you using an incompatible burning software. Try the one mentioned in this guide or if that does not work try Nero. 2x speed maximum, use Verbatim CD-R if possible.

Problem #2 means that you are likely not connecting to network. Try the network troubleshooting advice in the above guide.

[Sehnzeleid]

Just wanted to say I updated my A1 to 2.4 yesterday, no problems. Took about 40 minutes. I think this was my third update via Ethernet.

[chlngr1970]

well, with my setup, I am not surprised I'm having issues.

Guess I need to get off my ass and run a CAT5 line to my living room.

j

[Sehnzeleid]

Did you directly hook the modem to the player? I disconnect my PC's cable modem from my router and plug the modem into the player. Heck I set the modem on top of the player. Let the player set the DHCP and DNS automatically, enter the update and it's worked every time.

[ganthc]

Is there a cheap bridge/game adapter that I can buy? I keep seeing them for $99, and that's not worth it to me.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by ganthc

Is there a cheap bridge/game adapter that I can buy? I keep seeing them for $99, and that's not worth it to me.

http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DWL-G82...5559195&sr=8-9

[ganthc]

Originally Posted by Ruined

http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DWL-G82...5559195&sr=8-9

Thanks for the link! Even that on is about $60 bucks, and I'm not willing to spend that just to get firmware updates over the wireless network, or for internet features I will never use on hd-dvds I watch. I can wait till prices come down even further on those.

[Derb]

Still cheaper & a heck of a lot faster to just download the firmware off of Toshiba's website & burn the ISO on disc. The bridge would be nice, but 40+ minutes for firmware. nahh If you really really care for web enabled features than I'd recommend the bridge, if not, just burn.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by ganthc

Thanks for the link! Even that on is about $60 bucks, and I'm not willing to spend that just to get firmware updates over the wireless network, or for internet features I will never use on hd-dvds I watch. I can wait till prices come down even further on those.

Remember Web Extras don't necessarily mean things like trailers. For instance, on Shrek 3 a Trivia Track was added via a downloadable web-extra. Both Shrek 3 and Transformers still have numerous "offline" features that are not finished yet but will be downloadable via the web in the future.

Just an FYI in case all you thought you'd just be losing something like trailers or forums, you will lose regular extras too that don't make it by time of replication and are added via the web.

Also, it is doubtful these devices will go down in price anytime soon - they have been $99 for years and years and have stuck at that price point for some reason. Your best bet for cheaper than that is a clearance on an old model (as I linked above) or eBay.