Peek At A Canadian AD-600A
(Also known as an AD-600E)

UPDATE: January 10 2002. The AD-600A is also being sold in Canada as refurbished units with the really old "A4" firmware and an ADV7175 video chip. If you have one of these read the BLUE text directly below for your upgrade options (it is the same for A4 firmware as it is for 600-F).

UPDATE: December 1. BEWARE!!! I have had someone email me from Canada who has just purchased an AD-600A that has the ES4308 processor, an ADV7175 video chip and karaoke chip in their player. The firmware is called 600-F.

This is a departure from the first release of the Canadian AD-600A (described below) that has the ES4308 processor, an ADV7170 video chip and karaoke chip in their player and firmware called 600-E. The video chip is shown in this picture for anyone who does not know what it is or where to look:

What this means is that your firmware upgrade options to get Regionless and Macrovision disabled is different than that for an ADV7170. Your options are to use ANY of the firmware as listed on THIS PAGE. Note, however, that ADV7175 Canadian AD-600A models at this time are NOT CDR UPGRADABLE because the firmware filename is not known.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE ANY UPGRADE PROCEDURES DESCRIBED BELOW OR ANY OTHER FIRMWARE DESIGNED FOR THE ADV7170 VIDEO PROCESSOR!!!!!

So if anyone in Canada is looking at the AD-600A as an option take this as fore-warning that it might not just be a simple CDR upgrade for you... For those of you lucky enough to have the ADV7170 video chip and 600-E firmware then the upgrade instructions are described below.

The AD-600A (also known as the AD-600E) has been selling in Canada and is a bit of a "mix" of old and new! It is essentially the same as an Apex AD-600A player which is found in America however it contains the older ES4308 processor and a karaoke chip (like the older models) but for the firmware it uses a Flashrom and the firmware is CDR upgradable. More on CDR upgrading later, but first a peek at the Canadian AD-600A. These pictures and technical information of what's inside the player was kindly supplied by Brian T. Thanks :)

Front View

View showing the ES4308 processor and the AMIC A29040 flashrom

View showing Processor, Flashrom and Karaoke chip (bottom of picture)

The Canadian AD-600A comes from the factory set to Canada's Region and with Macrovision on. The good news is that the N6 Regionless (RCE immune) and Macrovision disabled firmware can be used in this model and you can upgrade the firmware in the Canadian AD-600A via CDR.

Click HERE for the N6 firmware as a CDR upgrade.

For anyone who wants it, here is the original 600E firmware.
Click HERE for the original 600E firmware as a .bin file.

Wanted: Candaian 600F firmware please!!!

You may also wish to try the Sampo firmware for your Canadian AD-600E. Please visit THIS PAGE for more details.