[REDGUUZ]

Hi,

I bought a new Bryston BDP-1 in Dec. 2011 (in the Netherlands)  after a raving Review in the "HiFi News and Record Review Magazine".

This machine (Bryston BDP-1)  has given and still gives me excellent service.
I still use the original firmware S0.98 2011-04-01( "Canadian Beaver")
I operate the machine with the Bryston BR-4 remote.

(I shortly tried the S2 "Manic Moose" firmware, but I was not happy with it :  too slow and continuing IT Changes (outside Bryston's  control).
Therefore I use the BDP-1  as a SD card and/or USB SSD disc  player with NO connection to Internet, NAS or whatsover .
This suits me well because the system remains stable: It cannot catch any virus and is not dependant on Mr. Google whims.
Sound is fantastic, especially with  good HiRes File e.g. the 2025 HDTracks sampler.

I made a full   CF Card  IMAGE of the S0.98 firmware , using the "HDD Guru  Raw HDD Copy Tool).
The clone 8GB CF Card SanDisk  image of the original Bryston KINGSTON  4GB CF card works identical and fine if I swap those cards' : Hence a good working back up!

Question: 

I have now  bought another  2011 BDP-1 from a Romanian Guy (It is running later software (presumably Loony Loon or perhaps Magic Moose).
This was installed by a friend  under Email guidance from you Chaps in Canada (excellent service!).
I have not received the Romanian BDP-1, yet (it is in transist).

The BDP-1 runs fine according to the Romanian Guy  but it needs an internet connection and uses an Android App :
I do not want this but would like to revert to the "Luddite option" (stand alone, music on SD and/or SSD, and control by BR4), as my 2011 player.

Unfortunately, the friend did NOT make an CF Card image of the original S0.98 2011-04-01 ("Canadian Beaver" Firmware).

Can I now run the Romanian BDP-1 Player  (serial #000487) with the S0.98 2011-04001 firmware of the Dutch BDP-1 ( Serial #000410)?

I understand that Bryston had to pay a  US$ 50.- fee for each MDP Linux software player.
If the Dutch CF card does not work : Can I buy a "new CF Card" containing the S0.98 firmware?
An Image would be enough;  What would be the price and who should I contact (Mafico NL or Bryston , Canada).

Thank you!

NB

Echo BDP-1 Romanian Player, serial 000487:
BDP1 000487
R 02.0  2010-10-19

Echo BDP-1 Dutch Player, serial 000410
BDP1 000410
R 02.0  2010-10-19

[James Tanner]

Hi NB - Adam - [email protected]

james

[R. Daneel]

Hi!

Just so that this doesn't become a closed discussion, please report back on what Adam had to say. I'd be very much interested in that.

I have a BDP-2 and am very much using it in the same manner so this has occured to me before, especially now when "backup" is my primary concern and spare parts are no longer available.

Cheers - Antun

[REDGUUZ]

Hi Antun, James,

AA)

On the offer of James (Thank You James!) , I have contacted Adam Tanner by Email.

Basically I have 3 options:

1) The original firmware of my BDP-1 serial 000410, also works on the "new"  BDP-1 serial 000487.
     Previously, I made an "image" of the original CF card (firmware S0.98 2011-04-01) and recopied that to a new CF card.
     I checked at the time that the "copy CF card" did indeed work on my BDP-1 serial 000410.  I have used that CF card ever since.
     I kept the original  Bryston BDP-1   4 GB Kingston CF card as backup.
     I will now simply insert this card in the "new" BDP-1 serial 0000487 and check whether it the BDP-1 also works with this CF
     card.
     If so:  Problem solved!

if not:  Go to Option 2 or 3, below.

2) I have asked Alan Tanner for an  image (made by e.g WIN32DISK Imager) of the firmware S0.98 2011-04-01 which would also work on the BDP-1 serial 000487.
3) Alternatively,  I could perhaps buy a ready CF card from Bryston containing the firmware S0.98 2011-04-01,  which would work on the BDP-1 serial 000487.

Option 2 would be the quickest and easiest solution for me and Bryston.

Today I  received the "new" BDP-1 Player  serial 000487  ex Bucuristi, Romania.
Tomorrow (time permitting) I will try, if the "Romanian BDP-1" wants to run with the cloned image S0.98 2011-04-01 ("Canadian Beaver") of my original  "Dutch" BDP-1, serial 000410, which I bought in December 2011.


I will report back progress.

BB)
You seem to have a BDP-2 player, which is much more powerful compared to the BDP-1

In your case, I cannot judge what the best back up process would be, since the BDP-2 has a  very different motherboard.
But most likely, it also employs a CF card (instead of a HDD) and the back up procedure would be similar to the BDP-1.

In that case, I would advise you to make a clone CF copy (using a CF Card Reader and HDD cloning software like "HDD Raw Copy Tool" by HDD Guru
( https://hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/ ).


Regards,

Martin
     

[REDGUUZ]

Success!

I'm happy to report that the Old firmware from a BDP-1 Player , Serial 000410  (  S0.98 2011-04-01   "Canadian Beaver", Fina l) ,  could be  installed into another BDP-1 Player , Serial 000487. This player was working OK on Firmware S02.45 (2022-10-03), "Manic Moose".

I would like to thank Adam Tanner for his indispensable help with installing the Old S0 firmware  ("Canadian Beaver")  in a second ( "Romanian") BDP-1, which I bought secondhand on the Site:  https://www.marktplaats.nl/  (original location of the player: Bucharest, Romania).

Spoiler:

1)
When downgrading[/b] the BDP-1 firmware from S2 ("Manic Moose") to S0 "Canadian Beaver") , by using an image from another BDP-1 player,  the "new" BDP-1 player initially hangs with an Error Message 09 192).

 but after it is switched off (Keep mains plug connected) and again Rebooted it eventually accepts the old firmware.

The player then works again, as supplied from the Bryston Factory in 2011.
It runs in "Luddite Mode", stand-alone and controlled by function buttons on the front and/or the BR4 remote.

I Like this mode, because my ISP, Google or whoever cannot interfere with my music  and I do not need to grab a phone or tablet to control the BDP-1.
It was the very reason, why I bought this BDP-1  player in 2011.

Hats off to Bryston Ltd. and James and Adam Tanner (and presumably Chris Rice as well) for providing such an excellent service for  TWO (vintage) Bryston BDP-1 Players which by now are already 15 Years old!!

If you would wish to do the same and need help, you can contact me by PM on this site.
I could then provide the detailed procedure.

Transfer from firmware from the "old" (black) BDP-1 to the "new" (silver) BDP-1 (from Romania) :

[R. Daneel]

Hi Antun, James,

AA)

On the offer of James (Thank You James!) , I have contacted Adam Tanner by Email.

Basically I have 3 options:

1) The original firmware of my BDP-1 serial 000410, also works on the "new"  BDP-1 serial 000487.
     Previously, I made an "image" of the original CF card (firmware S0.98 2011-04-01) and recopied that to a new CF card.
     I checked at the time that the "copy CF card" did indeed work on my BDP-1 serial 000410.  I have used that CF card ever since.
     I kept the original  Bryston BDP-1   4 GB Kingston CF card as backup.
     I will now simply insert this card in the "new" BDP-1 serial 0000487 and check whether it the BDP-1 also works with this CF
     card.
     If so:  Problem solved!

if not:  Go to Option 2 or 3, below.

2) I have asked Alan Tanner for an  image (made by e.g WIN32DISK Imager) of the firmware S0.98 2011-04-01 which would also work on the BDP-1 serial 000487.
3) Alternatively,  I could perhaps buy a ready CF card from Bryston containing the firmware S0.98 2011-04-01,  which would work on the BDP-1 serial 000487.

Option 2 would be the quickest and easiest solution for me and Bryston.

Today I  received the "new" BDP-1 Player  serial 000487  ex Bucuristi, Romania.
Tomorrow (time permitting) I will try, if the "Romanian BDP-1" wants to run with the cloned image S0.98 2011-04-01 ("Canadian Beaver") of my original  "Dutch" BDP-1, serial 000410, which I bought in December 2011.


I will report back progress.

BB)
You seem to have a BDP-2 player, which is much more powerful compared to the BDP-1

In your case, I cannot judge what the best back up process would be, since the BDP-2 has a  very different motherboard.
But most likely, it also employs a CF card (instead of a HDD) and the back up procedure would be similar to the BDP-1.

In that case, I would advise you to make a clone CF copy (using a CF Card Reader and HDD cloning software like "HDD Raw Copy Tool" by HDD Guru
( https://hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/ ).


Regards,

Martin
     

Hi Martin!

Thanks for the report!

Yes, I think what you are suggesting is the best course of action. It's true that the BDP-2 uses a different motherboard from the BDP-1. I have had the BDP-1 before (one of the very last units produced) and its downfall wasn't actually the CPU, it was the RAM. It was a two-blade knife. On one hand, the earlier versions of its sofrware were buggy but demanded less RAM to run. On the other, the newer version were more stable but were more RAM-demanding. It is a shame that Bryston didn't spec-up the BDP-1 motherboard as the system actually supports 768 MB - three times more than was actually installed on the board. The BDP-1 would be more capable this way and it is quite possible that I would not have upgraded to the BDP-2. My upgrade was out of frustration and necessity but even after the upgrade, things weren't frustration-free. So, I can definitely appreciate the fact you are holding onto your BDP-1 and trying to keep it operational for as long as possible.

Please keep us informed on how this goes for you.

Cheers - Antun