Uh, I guess I could call a SONY rep, but thought I'd ask someone who really knows...heh heh...

How many of the newer SONY 400 disc changers can be linked together without having to be Bill Gates to operate? I KNOW they say 2... but I have this guy who is looking to do 4 to 6... I suggested it was kinda old-school, and to just get a hard drive... But NOOOOOOO... he insists on multiple Changers. I think he is going for the "pimp" factor... A big stack in the rack... Wants it to look impressive...

You could use up to 4 with Videorequest and using a control system with RS-232 and a Video Switcher.

3 without the videoquest unit. Dip switch on back of changer and inside the remote allows you to switch to 1, 2, 3 for independent control of 3 within the rack.

With two Escient E2s you could have up to six changers acting as two sources. With that many CDs I dont see how he can find a CD otherwise.

None of the Sony 400 disc DVD changers can be linked together. They do have 3 sets of IR codes available (Command Modes 1-3) via the hard switch on the back of the units. There is also a corresponding dip switch on the inside the remote controls battery compartment, not that the original remotes will be used I'm sure. This only covers you for 3 changers however. Adding more changers means using those codesets over again. You will need to isolate the transmission of those duplicated codesets, so that they don't also operate the first 3 changers. Not a big deal though.


As these units can not be linked together an external DVD management solution is needed. The Disc Explorer feature built into these DVD changers has much to be desired. For large collections it will be a nightmare to use. If there is more than one changer involved here you would not even want to use it anyway. That being said, the only Sony changer with RS-232 control is the Sony DVP-CX777ES. If you want to go with any of the external DVD management solutions out there as has already been suggested the RS-232 control is a must. There are limits on how many changers some of these DVD management solutions will support however. Something to keep in mind.

I own 4 of the Sony DVP-CX985V 400 disc DVD changers myself and enjoy flawless control and complete DVD management of my 1278 disc DVD collection via my TSU7000, two HDS4 HDTV A/V switches, and two RF Extenders. I could easily add a 5th and 6th changer to the mix and not break a sweat. They would not even have to be Sony changers. Via my TSU7000 configuration file I have the ability to browse my DVD collection A-Z by 24 genres/categories. I even include detailed submenu pages for titles which include more than one disc. This is not something offered with the commercial DVD management solutions out there. On the downside, my solution requires a lot of manual entry initially, and small amounts afterward each time you add new DVD titles to your collection and remote. I've walked many novice computer users through the process from start to finish, and they could not be any happier. If they are willing to learn the process and do the work it is very rewarding. Better yet, it is an extemely cost effecient solution which works well.

In any event, if you are interested in checking out my DVD management solution for use with the ProntoNG line hit up this link. Two posts down from there you can download my configuration file. It contains the full set of IR codes for all three command modes, including discrete power on and power off codes for each command mode. These will work with the DVP-CX777ES that has the RS-232 port so you know.

Lowpro

Thank you!
I'll get with the consumer see what dierction he wants to go! Really appreciate your time effort & sharing of knowledge.


Mr. S

You're welcome and good luck! :-)

Lowpro seems to have a good solution for himself as an END USER. Do you have the time or will oyur customer pay for the time it will take to set this up? Also, supporting this from a dealr perspective will be a nightmare, not to mention that this is a Pronto.

Use a videorequest or escient or the Elan DVDj with the SOny 777Es changers. Elan can control up to four changers, not sure about the others. The Elan can also control multiple streams. Need to use VIAs or some other touchpanels to really make this workable as a SALEABLE system.

If yourt guy is really after the "pimp' factor, DVD servers are WAYYYYYYYYYYYY cooler than using changers.

this is exactly how I feel. Give him the bling another way. And do a demo showing how long it takes to switch from disc to disc in a changer system compared to a hard drive system. That'll change his attitute right there.

I wholeheartedly agree with you on this. My solution is an end user solution, and not one you would want to even consider supporting from a dealer perspective. For the more advanced users out there that don't want or need dealer support it's certainly an option. It's not rocket science to import a pic (sized at 72x100) and link it to a slot number. Everything else is already in place with my configuration file. It can be retrofited to your own particular setup in minutes (so far as the changer control goes), and is easy to keep updated.


I'd also agree that the "pimp" factor is certainly there going the DVD server route. I must say though, my 4 DVD changers "pimp" out my equipment closet quite nicely. They also double as permanent storage for all those dang DVD discs. :-)

Yep, I agree... Those CD changers will look pretty antiquated in a year or two... I've mentioned it to the client a couple of times... Gee. mayber I could add some
of those "Light-boxes" to the rack, like Radio Shack used to sell... The ones that had light different colored christmas tree lights inside that flashed different colored bulbs at diffrent times to the music!
Now that I think about it I should throw in a mirror ball to seal the deal!

Escient just came out with a new DVD manager/hard drive music server that stores 500gb of music and can control up to 5 Sony DVD changers. It can also be set up to do multiple DVD zones, provided the DVD's that you want to watch in each zone are in different changers.

Look at Xperinet for a server solution that does DVD and music from one box. The Escient plus four or five changers is going to list at something like 7500. The xperinet entry model is around 9K.

I'm one of those "novice computer users" that Lowpro helped bring my configuration to fruition. My Home Theater is the end result :-).

I feel that Lowpro's setup is a time saving effort and is far less expensive compared to the other programs that are available.

I recommend others to give it a look-see. Even my wife can operate it (Shh!) :-p.

-wjjz106