My Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD Blu-ray Player Repair
Comments
-
Gatecrasher wrote: »That's some good info there DarqueKnight.
One of the things I am wondering about though is if the Chinese replacement drives also have the same issues with the laser assembly that the OEM units do?
My OEM drive was made in China, as were the other two replacement drives:
OEM drive.
Replacement drive installed and tested by me and others.
Recently found replacement drive under consideration.
I'm guessing that the numerical code "E99677" is the factory code for where the drives were manufactured.
As far as I have been able to determine, the bad drives were confined to some of the earliest ones manufactured in 2008. I don't know of a case of subsequent drive failure among any of the people who had their OEM BDR-L04H-XA drives replaced with a later run of that drive that was manufactured in 2009 or after. I don't know of a case of subsequent drive failure among any of the people who replaced their OEM BDR-L04H-XA with a BDR-L04SH drive. I don't know of any one who has replaced their OEM BDR-L04H-XA drive with a BDR-L04XA. There appears to be a batch of new L04XA drives. The service center I contacted said they couldn't guarantee that a replacement OEM L04H-XA drive from Pioneer would be new, rather than refurbished.
The back of my BDP-09FD says "Made In Japan", but it's probably more accurate to say it was assembled in Japan from components made in China and elsewhere. The power supply transformer was made in Malaysia.
Post edited by DarqueKnight onProud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
DarqueKnight wrote: »
I sent an email to Pioneer customer service asking them if there is another drive equivalent to, and interchangeable with, the original BDR-L04H-XA drive and the replacement BDR-L04SH.
I hope they don't get mad at me again.
They didn't get mad, but they weren't particularly helpful either:
Figure 22. The last word from Pioneer/Onkyo customer service.
Information gathered from Chinese electronics vendors indicated that the BDR-L04XA was interchangeable with the BDP-09FD's original BDR-L04H-XA drive, and the replacement BDR-L04SH drive.
Figure 23. A new BDR-L04XA cost $196.50 delivered.
Figure 24. Uh oh...trouble in paradise. The BDR-L04XA uses a different controller board than the BDR-L04H-XA and the BDR-L04SH
A blu-ray/DVD player's drive is "locked" to a particular player by writing matching ID codes in the drive's and player's firmware. The DVD region code also has to be set in order for the drive to play region coded DVDs.
A Pioneer service remote (Pioneer part number GGF1067 is required to set the drive's DVD region code and player ID number. I found used and new GGF1067 remotes in the range of $127 to $167. I also found a new equivalent replacement service remote, an Anderic RMC-12010, for $32 delivered. I bought the Anderic service remote and set the BDR-L04XA's DVD region code per the instructions in the service manual. A CD called an "ID disc" (Pioneer part number GGV1334, ID Disc Type 2 Ver 1.1) is used to write ID codes to/from a new drive and to set the player's MAC address. Pioneer no longer sells the GGV1334 ID disc and I was not able to locate one at any parts vendor. However, this wasn't a show stopper since I did not need the disk to set the drive's DVD region. The MAC address was set when the player was manufactured, therefore I didn't need to redo that.
Figure 25. Pioneer service remote GGF1067.
Figure 26. Replacement service remote for GGF1067, the Anderic RMC-12010.
Figure 27. In the service menu: The region codes are "Virgin ROMA" since it was a new drive whose DVD region had not been set. The "A" at the end means the blu-ray region was already set to region A in the player's firmware.
The drive's name is shown as "BDV-201X", rather than "BDR-L04XA" because these drives begin life as computer drives, and are adapted for use in BR/DVD/CD players.
Figure 28. Main service information screen after DVD region 1 had been set.
Notice the "NG" codes after the "drive" and "drive version" entries. This means that the ID information read from the drive was "no good", it did not match the codes already in the player's firmware. Otherwise there would be an "OK" instead of "NG".
Figure 29. There are two screens that list all the model variations of the player.
Figure 30. Second model list screen.
There are sixteen versions of the BDP-09FD: two versions for 110V-120V countries with model numbers BDP-09FD/XX (North America) and BDP-09FDA/XX (all other 110V-120V) and 14 versions with model numbers BDP-LX91/XX/**** or BDP-LX91A/XX/**** for 220V-240V countries. Setting the model number sets language and other performance features unique to a particular country.
Conclusion
I'm pleased that I was able to find some repair alternatives for my BDP-09FD blu-ray player. It's old, but, to my knowledge, there isn't anything on the market with its build quality and sound quality. This should hold me until I transition to server-based video entertainment.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
So it sounds like you can't just swap the controller board and be good to go? Do you actually need to set it all up with these service remotes or was this only when using the controller board that came with the drive?
-
For the BDR-L04SH, all you need to do is take the controller board out of the original BDR-L04H-XA drive and put it in the BDR-L04SH. Both drives are electrically and mechanically identical, both drives use the same type controller board.
For the BDR-L04XA, you need to set it up with the service remote since it is a completely different drive mechanically and electrically. The L04XA uses a completely different controller board.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
The BDP-09FD's successor, the BDP-88FD (2014), allows access to service mode and changing of region codes via the regular remote. Changing the drive is much simpler due to the 88FD's significantly less complex internal configuration. I was interested in tracking down an 88FD until I read its service manual and realized the 88FD is essentially a cost reduced version of the 09FD, with 4K upscaling and balanced outputs added.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
-
On second thought, if and when I experience problems with my bdp-09, I'll just pony up the plastic and have a pro handle the repair. .
If I didn't have any technical knowledge and skill, I would have sent my 09FD in for repair. However, the "pros" have not always provided the best repair experience. I have read several reports of the second drive failing after it was replaced at a service center...like what happened to this fellow:
This 09FD owner did without the player's BR capability for two years until he found out about the alternate replacement drive solution:
A service center could not guarantee that I would get a new replacement part:
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
You sir @DarqueKnight are very capable when it comes to diagnosing and repairing these electronic gizmos that bring joy and entertainment to our lives. I, on the other hand am not. Regrettably for this reason my choices would be rather limited.
It's a shame that more support is not offered for these top shelf, although ageing, players. I guess that Pioneer would be content selling a newer model just the same.
Agreed, I have an Oppo BDP 83 I bought then sent it to them for the SE upgrade. It started giving the unknown disc error. I called and the offered a return number and would repair and ship back for $99.00.
Thought that was great, although I haven't sent it in yet. I still may.Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
^^^^But I think you underestimate yourself on the repair
1st- we have some very competent gentlemen/women here to help
2nd-there are other sources with as like people
Rich, Raife, Fred, Jesse, Brock, Tony, Larry, Hardy etc, the list goes on and many others have always been very supportive
That list excludes many of the IT type guys who are also very useful/supportive
Just a thread or PM away....
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, legal, realty, shipping, wood, network....etc
Gotta love forum support2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
txcoastal1 wrote: »^^^^But I think you underestimate yourself on the repair
1st- we have some very competent gentlemen/women here to help
2nd-there are other sources with as like people
Rich, Raife, Fred, Jesse, Brock, Tony, Larry etc, the list goes on and many others have always been very supportive
That list excludes many of the IT type guys who are also very useful/supportive
Just a thread or PM away....
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, legal, realty, shipping, wood, network....etc
Gotta love forum support
I got a bucket of leftover screws, bolts etc that I can't account for. Let me know if I can help... -
txcoastal1 wrote: »^^^^But I think you underestimate yourself on the repair
1st- we have some very competent gentlemen/women here to help
2nd-there are other sources with as like people
Rich, Raife, Fred, Jesse, Brock, Tony, Larry, Hardy etc, the list goes on and many others have always been very supportive
That list excludes many of the IT type guys who are also very useful/supportive
Just a thread or PM away....
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, legal, realty, shipping, wood, network....etc
Gotta love forum support
What, no divorce legal eagles?
Start a thread...also been plenty here that have been there done that, would take those to PM
2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
ken brydson wrote: »txcoastal1 wrote: »^^^^But I think you underestimate yourself on the repair
1st- we have some very competent gentlemen/women here to help
2nd-there are other sources with as like people
Rich, Raife, Fred, Jesse, Brock, Tony, Larry etc, the list goes on and many others have always been very supportive
That list excludes many of the IT type guys who are also very useful/supportive
Just a thread or PM away....
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, legal, realty, shipping, wood, network....etc
Gotta love forum support
I got a bucket of leftover screws, bolts etc that I can't account for. Let me know if I can help...
They go to that block on your shoulders.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
txcoastal1 wrote: »^^^^But I think you underestimate yourself on the repair
1st- we have some very competent gentlemen/women here to help
2nd-there are other sources with as like people
Rich, Raife, Fred, Jesse, Brock, Tony, Larry, Hardy etc, the list goes on and many others have always been very supportive
That list excludes many of the IT type guys who are also very useful/supportive
Just a thread or PM away....
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, legal, realty, shipping, wood, network....etc
Gotta love forum support
Hey, let's not leave out auto repair...my forte!
You also do 'puters...glory boy 2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
Where were you when my Expedition broke a spark plug?
EWWW...my F-150 did that, never did anything crazy in that truck, pulled out of a parking lot, poof...spark plug, block threads and all popped out of the block
2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
txcoastal1 wrote: »
On some that was know issue because some mechanics were afraid to tighten down because of aluminum heads. They would work loose and boom. Others had two piece plugs that woukd shear off and break when changing plugs.
-
Sounds like you know your stuff. I'll keep you in mind the next time I encounter a wtf moment.
Moral to the story, don't buy a ford... 2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
Hello to all as I am new here.
Not sure if anyone is following this thread anymore, but as of July 2018 my BDP-09FD stopped playing Blu-rays due to (what I discovered online generally, and in detail specifically in this thread) the bad drive. I was wondering if the BDR-L04SH drive is still available? I prefer this drive since it has the same control board as the original. I did a basic RFQ on Alibaba.com but have not received any quotes back. I was wondering if anyone who purchased this in the past could provide direction on what vendors you got it from. I would appreciate any help. -
The only place I know of to find a BDR-L04SH is through Alibaba.com. Only one vendor responded: Top Source Technology Co.,Ltd. Whoever you buy from, make sure you ask if the drive is new or used (reclaimed), the manufacturing date, and their warranty policy.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
I am having the same issue. Based on DK excellent posts, I am awaiting both the drive and service remote. I have the service manual. I have already removed it once and tried cleaning the optics but that did not fix the problem. I messaged DK with some questions about bypassing the need for the ID Data disc. I am looking forward to his response. Has ANYONE been able to locate or clone the GGV 1334 data disc? And what do you know about this disc being superseded by a GGV 1343?
-
MichaelJay wrote: »I messaged DK with some questions about bypassing the need for the ID Data disc. I am looking forward to his response. Has ANYONE been able to locate or clone the GGV 1334 data disc? And what do you know about this disc being superseded by a GGV 1343?
The ID Data, MAC address, AACS, CPRM, BD+, Windows Media DRM were programmed into my player's firmware. Simply changing the drive did not cause those to change. I did need to use the service remote to change the BDR-L04XA's region code in order to play region 1 DVD's.
When a service center does a drive replacement, they completely reprogram the player's firmware in order to assure that there are no incompatibilities with the new drive and the player. This gives them the flexibility of using a wider range of drives. For the two drives I used, reprogramming the player's firmware was not required. If you get a new BDR-L04XA drive, your replacement should go like mine and others who have used this drive. If you get a used BDR-L04XA that has had its firmware messed with, you might have some compatibility issues.
I don't recall, or have anything in my notes, about a GGV 1343 remote.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Thanks DK! I did order what I believe to be a new XA drive so I should be OK. In addition to defining the region code, did you not also have to set the drives ID? Not having ever run the service mode (service remote on its way), it appears that the prompt to insert the GGV 1334 ID Data disc is a step in the process to set the drives ID. Did you need to do anything special to bypass this step so as not to disturb the players firmware?
-
My BDP-09FD is still working fine, knock on wood with fingers crossed.
-
MichaelJay wrote: »Thanks DK! I did order what I believe to be a new XA drive so I should be OK. In addition to defining the region code, did you not also have to set the drives ID? Not having ever run the service mode (service remote on its way), it appears that the prompt to insert the GGV 1334 ID Data disc is a step in the process to set the drives ID. Did you need to do anything special to bypass this step so as not to disturb the players firmware?
I did not set the drive's ID, was not prompted for the GGV 1334 data disc, and did not do anything special to bypass that step.
I also want to restate that I obtained and installed a BDR-L04XA drive out of curiosity because they can be obtained new. The first replacement drive installed, a BDR-L04SH, can only be found in used condition. However, the BDR-L04SH is a complete drop-in replacement because the controller board of the original drive can be installed on a BDR-L04SH, and, as far as the player is concerned, it does not even know the drive has been changed.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
OK DK, I understand. You only needed to set the region code. I was under the impression that the ID in the drive had to match the ID in the system, and with a new drive, I thought the system ID had to be programmed into the virgin drive so they would match. I think this was part of the copy protection? I guess this will all make more sense as I proceed with the replacement and see the data in the service screens?
Completely understand your point about the SH drive. A new one would be perfect requiring only the controller swap, but as you pointed out, there is a chance the drive will not be new but refurbished and may still have an aged laser assembly raising the possibility of another failure in the near future.
Thank you again for your insight into this issue. I am anxious to try the replacement but shipping from Hong Kong is going to take some time! I'm going to try and do minimal re-assembly to power up the unit for a test. There are a heck of a lot of screws to have to remove the drive again and again -
@la2vegas, yes, keep your fingers crossed! This happened over a span of about two weeks beginning with one BD not being recognized. Then two, then none! We thought the disc was bad, but when none of the would play anymore, we knew something was seriously wrong. I updated from 2.73 to 2.74, cleaned the laser optics, but nothing changed.
Has anyone noticed the unit tends to run quite warm? I remember after purchase getting concerned about this and calling Pioneer. They assured me that if the unit needed cooling, the fan would run but I have never seen it turn on! It is able to spin freely and it is connected but I cannot verify it has ever turned on! the heat cannot be doing the drive any good and maybe this contributed to its demise? Does anyone know where the temperature sensor is? Perhaps I can hit it gently with a hair dryer to confirm the fan runs on higher than normal temperature? -
MichaelJay wrote: »There are a heck of a lot of screws to have to remove the drive again and again
Yes. I had to devise a system to keep track of the screws:DarqueKnight wrote: »When I am taking things apart, I draw an outline of the parts on sheets of paper with the locations of specific screws and the name of the part the screws attach to, then I lay the screws on the outline. This assures that every screw is accounted for and every screw goes back where it came from. I keep track of small parts the same way.
For this repair, I removed 87 screws, so there was no way I was going to commit that to memory.
I now put the screws in labeled plastic 35mm film canisters.MichaelJay wrote: »Has anyone noticed the unit tends to run quite warm? I remember after purchase getting concerned about this and calling Pioneer. They assured me that if the unit needed cooling, the fan would run but I have never seen it turn on! It is able to spin freely and it is connected but I cannot verify it has ever turned on! the heat cannot be doing the drive any good and maybe this contributed to its demise? Does anyone know where the temperature sensor is? Perhaps I can hit it gently with a hair dryer to confirm the fan runs on higher than normal temperature?
The fan on my unit would turn on after it had been playing for an hour or more. The fan would not engage when the unit was idling. The quote below is from earlier in this thread:DarqueKnight wrote: »The top cover of the BDP-09FD was 95 degrees F at idle and 99 degrees F after an hour of operation, before and after Dynamat application.
I don't know where the temperature sensor is located. You might be able to locate it using the service manual.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
I have received my drive and will install today. However, I have read over the service manual several times and cannot find any instructions on how to change the virgin drives Region Code. DK indicated that he changed the drive region code with the service remote which I have. I can see how to display the code, but not how to change it! I will proceed with the physical swap and hope DK has time to respond by the time I need to update the region code. DK, I hope you see this post! Thanks in advance!
If anyone else knows how to do this, please chime in! -
EUREKA! I think I found it! Is this correct? I found this on video help:
You need the Pioneer part number GGF1067 or GGF1381 SERVICE remote control (search more
information on Google for this).
Without a disc in the machine, press the ESC key and then the X3 forward key.
(A "Region Selection" menu will open).
Choose the region of your country (in Brazil is region 4), the number chosen will be flashing.
To confirm press the PLAY button on the remote control and it will be registered in the device
memory.
To exit this mode, simply press the ESC key or switch off the device. DONE!
-
Well, that was for a DVL-700. Not sure it is the same for the BDP-09FD but I will test later today.
-
This is what I have in my notes:
Set region:
1. Use service remote - refer to page 38 of service manual.
2. Press [ESC], then [Amon], then [Test].
3. Input model setting 0134 - refer to page 59 of service manual.
4. Restart the player.
5. Go through the setup procedure.
6. Turn off the player.
7. Unplug the player.
8. Restart the player.
9. Go into the setup menu.
10. Press [ESC], then [Disp] to verify the DVD region.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
OK!!!! SUCCESS!!!! My BDP-09FD has a new lease on life!!!! I could not have done it without you DK! My sincerest thanks.
The key sequence I found on Video Help to call up a region menu on another model unit does not work on the BDP-09FD. But DK's notes from his drive swap DID WORK PERFECTLY! I suppose the region is automatically written to the drive according to the Model setting.
I hope everyone suffering from the "can't read blue ray discs anymore" syndrome for the BDP-09FD will find this thread and are able to make the necessary repairs. I am so happy I do not have to scrap such a beautiful piece of hardware!
Thanks to DK, original posters, and the Polk forum team for making this information available. What a Christmas gift!
Regards,
Mike
