Thanks for the tip. I tried this with my Elan VIA!dvdj and it doesn't quite like this work around! If I put in a disk that's readable, catalog it then put in one of the newer disks that won't catalog, it keeps a link between the two disks and I can't separate the names. This might sound confusing but it goes like this:

Put Flushed Away into a blank slot (it was already recognized a few weeks ago)
Catalog it and the system sees a disk
Take Flushed Away out and put it back into it's original slot
Put Stranger Than Fiction in the slot I started with
Go to the software interface and see that I now have 2 Flushed Away's
Edit the Title and upload the correct cover art and they BOTH change

Really annoying - if I pick the correct Flushed Away in the list, it will PLAY Stranger Than Fiction but I can't change and make the names unique.

Sigh......

If you dont load ALL discs from your movies, such as the bonus discs or the extras, try using those. So for Casino Royale, use Disc 2 as your readable disc. Then remove it and replace it with Disc 1 and leave Disc 2 out of the changer all together.

-3B

Interesting post about the firmware update on the Sony. I saw something about this a couple of years ago, it involved burning a DVD with the new firmware on it, and then initiating several different keypad combinations on the remote to get it to upload the new firmware...I never tried this...made me nervous.

snipped for brevity

I think escient tech support owes me one :)

This problem is caused by the Sony RootKit protection. Rip the dvd using AnyDvd then burn a new copy with the rootkit/copy protection removed.

Using a combination of AnyDvd and DvdShrink, it's simple to backup the DVD and burn a playable/readable copy.

I understand that this solution will raise objections from the standpoint of piracy etc, but I'm not trying to pirate anything - simply just trying to play it.

You could call Sony. Tell them your problem and they will offer to fix your DVD player for you for free. All you have to do is send it to them at your expense and wait a month or two to get it back.

Here's the official answer/workaround from the Escient website:

[Link: escient.com]

That's not much of a workaround, especially if it's expected that ALL new Sony movies will be using this.

Please don't get me wrong as I am not advocating this and I do not own or would ever use this. I'm only posting it as another workaround to the dispicable problems that Sony's new attempt to eliminate copying has caused. Not to mention the rather ridiculous Escient fix.

A company called Slysoft has produced a program called AnyDVD, that effectively hides, cloaks or removes (I'm not sure how it works) Sony's ARCCOS, layer breaks, bad .ifo sectors and any thing else that Sony has managed to come up with, to date!

It is my understanding that once installed, you can either have the program run at startup with an icon displayed in your system tray or you can start it manually. Once AnyDVD is running, you just insert your movie and it removes the problems.

Good luck,
Erock

Even the freeware DVD backup software (DVDFab Decrypter) will remove ARCCOS.

I don't advocate the copying of DVD's, but there's a difference between a personal backup and Netflix copy.

If you rip the DVD with DVDFab then use DVD Shrink to remove the menus, previews, etc, it's a lot nicer of a disc to use in a changer. You push the button and the movie starts...no menus, previews, etc.

OTAHD
the only difference (other than a free prog) is that with DVDFab you're first copying the movie to your hard drive, like you said "rip the DVD". Also, I'm fairly certain that DVDFab will allow you to remove menus, foreign language, commentary, etc. I know it allowed this in v. 0.17.0 back in '03. It just doesn't transcode (compress). With AnyDVD, your not putting anything on your hard drive. AnyDVD does it's thing without you even playing the movie. You just srat the prog or let it run on startup, put the movie in the rom and it's done. You can then use Shrink, CloneDVD or anyother burning prog to compress and copy.

DVDFab's free version won't do any of that. All it will do is rip to the hard drive, although then again it might let you rip main movie only. But you can't choose the parts you want to keep/get rid of like you can in DVD Shrink.

So what you can do is rip the full disc with DVDFab and then use Shrink to strip it from all of its extra content.

Maybe this is the answer we have been waiting for in regards to Sony Pictures DVD Issue?

I read from another thread from a different site that Sony claims (should we trust them) that it is NOT a copy-right change rather a couple of their presses. Some of those affected titles might actually work for some people. Sony advised him to stay away from Sony releases until it has been resolved.

Didn't say when though. :-)

Edit: Should we trust Sony after the "rootkit-gate"?

I now have two copies of the Casino Royal DVD and neither will play in my brand new Sony 400 disc changer. The product divisions at Sony have their heads so far up their own A...s that their products are not even compatible with each other. This issue is not isolated to the one movie.

The recommendation is, if it says Sony on the disk don't buy it. It isn't worth the hassle since most places won't return a DVD or at best will only replace it with the same defective copy.

I will try the workaround, thank you for that.