Does you equipment have hidden or undocumented options?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by tomhayes, Oct 14, 2019.

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  1. tomhayes

    tomhayes Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca
    Why do they hide options on equipment?
    My Pioneer SC-LX801 receiver has not being recognized by the PC. I spent the weekend trying to get it to work, to no avail.

    I call Pioneer on Monday at they tell me about secret options that get it to work. Why was this not documented somewhere I could get to??

    So does your equipment have any hidden or secret options that you found?
     
  2. tomhayes

    tomhayes Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca
    Oh, so my SC-LX801 has different "HDMI Modes" that can be set via a secret undocumented menu.

    Step 1:
    Turn on your receiver.

    Step 2:
    Press the Dimmer and the Return button at the same time.

    Step 3:
    The Display will show an HDMI input and the HDMI mode is is it. Example: BD/DVD:Mode1

    HDMI has 3 Modes
    Mode1 <-Default
    Mode2
    Mode 3

    Step 4:
    Use the Up/Down arrows (labeled tune) on the receiver to select the input you are having issues with.

    Step 5:
    Once you have the right input use the left/right (preset buttons) arrows to choose a different HDMI mode. You can choose 1,2, or 3.

    Step 6:
    Press return to exit the HDMI mode selection menu.

    So I did this and choose HDMI Mode2 for the input my PC uses and now my PC sees the receiver correctly-- as a multi-channel sound output device and with the correct 4k resolutions listed.

    I made a YouTube video of it:
     
    JimmyCool and Bubbamike like this.
  3. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    To me it feels like Pioneer determined documenting various HDMI modes was going to lead to more confusion and support calls then omitting an edge case would.

    At the same time, I'm not sure that connecting a PC to an A/V receiver via HDMI is that big of an edge case.
     
  4. Kyhl

    Kyhl On break

    Location:
    Savage
    Tone controls. :D
     
  5. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Yup. My Pioneer DV-610AV plays SACD-R discs. It's why I bought the stupid thing. I did have to do an unsanctioned firmware update, but, it plays them. I keep copies in one of the CD wallets in my office so I don't have to go and get the originals.
     
  6. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Just about everything semi-computerized, from an old CRT TV to an AV receiver, to a computer monitor, printer, espresso machine, and even a Roomba, has some kind of service mode or service menu, where the really useful stuff hides.
     
    nosliw likes this.
  7. Martin Takamine

    Martin Takamine Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast
    Agreed.
    I've made previous DVD players region free using a combination/sequence of button(s) on the remote. I even used to work on a radar test station from the 80's that had a hidden game of "asteroids" in the programming.
     
    Sevoflurane likes this.
  8. Johnny Action

    Johnny Action Forum President

    Location:
    Kailua, Hawai’i
    If you’ve got a secret button sequence to de-regionalize an Oppo BDP-83 I’d be most grateful. My son needs to watch a specific documentary on Napoleon (for AP history class) and the only release we could find is a region B blue ray DVD (we’re in region A).
    Thanks.
     
  9. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    I have an Oppo 103D, which has that obvious, "undocumented" feature (and no, not that it will play almost anything but a grilled cheese sandwich). :D

    It's the same "undocumented" feature I scoured eBay looking for just the "right" Playstation 3 (sadly, I did try playing a grilled cheese sandwich in that one...which sent me scurrying for the Oppo). :sigh:
     
    caupina and Bubbamike like this.
  10. motorstereo

    motorstereo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct.
    This $4G totl Ortofon mc phono pre with silver mu wire is stuffed inside my Mcintosh C100. Mcintosh for some reason makes little mention of it.
    [​IMG]
     
    yodog likes this.
  11. Martin Takamine

    Martin Takamine Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast
    For that player it was a firmware or hardware mod but no simple use of the remote.
     
  12. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    Arcam had a thing for this with their AV receivers a decade or so back. Could handle DSD but wasn't documented in the manual!
     
  13. elvisizer

    elvisizer Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Jose
    Why are you beating around the bush? Say it loud, say it proud: the 103d can rip sacd’s! :D
     
    Rolltide likes this.
  14. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
  15. Kyhl

    Kyhl On break

    Location:
    Savage
    I think the 105 can as well. It's not like it is a secret.
    It's the reason I bought a used 103 when the 20X came out. Haven't spun anything in it over the last two years. I doubt mine even has output cables connected to it, just the network cable and power.
     
    Rolltide likes this.
  16. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident

    My last two phono preamps had undocumented settings that allowed for gain adjustments for medium output MC cartridges. The Acoustech Ph-1 has a 58 DB setting using a combination of jumpers not in the original user manual and my Modwright LS-100 phono stage has the ability to use different tubes for a middle gain setting only documented in one of the product forums.
     
  17. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident

    I was so happy the day I could retire my PlayStation....thought about selling my 105 and finding a 103D but just wasn't ever that important to me. I still use my 105 as a media station for my TV with the Roku stick.
     
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