DVD Problems

[awms]

I've just upgraded my home PC, by adding a new motherboard (ABIT VH6-II), a Nvidia Geforce 2 MX video card, a new harddrive, 700mhz processor, and brought the total RAM to 384 mb.

I also added a Creative DVD drive, and installed windows 2000.

When i insert a DVD, it plays the discs, but is very jerky, sound and video, as if the disc needs cleaned. This is not the case, and the DVD drive is OK, cause i had it in another machine, working fine!!!

Help! what can i do?

Andrew Shepherd

PS I'm using PowerDVD 2.5.5, and it can't tell that there is a hardware decoder (on the Geforce board) and it should. Can anyone help?

I've got the latest drivers for everything....

 

[butchrecon]

Are you using a Creative DVD decoder or are you using the Geforce to decode DVD? James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[Karl Blessing]

The Geforce chip is not a hardware decoder, it has motion Compensation, but that is not the same thing, PowerDVD is going to software decode regardless, have you tried getting PowerDVD 3 yet? if you own 2.5.5 you should be able to upgrade for free. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}

 

[Karl Blessing]

Also if you want a True hardware decoder for about the same price as you would had to pay for PowerDVD (100% software decoder) , Check out RealMagic Hollywood Plus, or Creative Labs Dxr3 DVD decoder (they're both the exact same card, just different software, different company, but the drivers can be interchanged with a bit of work) , I would go with the Real Magic, as their drivers seemed to have matured faster than Creatives, though creative does have beta drivers for Win2k for their Dxr3. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}

 

[awms]

I was under the impression (from the side of the box) that hardware DVD decoding was provided by the Geforce chip.

However, i have been using PowerDVD 2.55 as the software decoder.

I can't seem to find anything about the RealMagic Hollywood Plus decoder, and the Dxr3 board is a bit expensive in the UK as you can only get it bundled with a drive...

Am i going to be able to get this working, or should i just give up? It's so jerky it's unwatchable, so i'm really annoyed...

The PowerDVD 2.55 to 3.0 upgrade is $20, so i tried to download the 3.0 trial to see if that worked, but it installed and proved to be a 2.55 trial!

AARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Isn't there a setting i can just change to make it work?

If not why!!!!

This really is plug & pray...

 

[Karl Blessing]

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the Geforce lines of chips are not DVD decoders, they can help with motion compensation in certain Software decoders. also the RealMagic can be found at.

http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/hollywood_plus.htm

The lowest price I Seen for it on pricewatch.com is 42$ which is pretty good if you compare it to 40-50$ that is charged for PowerDVD(full)

Because with the hardware decoder, that not only comes with a player , but it gives you the Ability to do TV out as well, as well AC-3 Output (DVD digital out to a AV Receiver that can Decode 5.1 Surround)

has 30fps upto 1600x1200 resolution. and it's always been smooth for me, I have a Dxr3 I am trying to get rid of at home, but I dont want to advertize on Tek-tips.

Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}

 

[awms]

Thanks for that.

But i took the PC back home last night, got it working, and installed Theme Park World (CD), and guess what? The same thing happens on the animations on that, so i am thinking that there's something else wrong with the system...

Could it be a duff cable between the motherboard & DVD drive causing the problems?

 

[compnut24]

sounds like you need to enable DMA. To do this (from my memory) If you are in windows 2000. Open my computer, right click on your DVD drive and look around and you will see a setting for DMA with a check box next to it, click it. In windows 2000, Right clikc on my computer, click advanced, click hardware manager, find your IDE/ATAPI device, select you DVD-ROM, right click properties, then select DMA. Hope this helps. I tried posting this yesterday, but Tek-Tips was extreeeeemly slo

http://www...

 

[awms]

ok thanks,

i was trying to do this (the power dvd readme said so), and couldn't find the dma setting anywhere (gone completely from device manager, where i think it should have been left).

Anyway, i'll try that when i get home tonight. Cheers


Andrew Shepherd

 

[mcvpjd3]

DMA settings on Win 2K are now with the Drive Controller and no longer with the drives themselves.

As for DVD playback, I use a Hollywood plus card and I have to admit it's one of the best investments in my PC. (I've also purchased the Remote Control unit that you can get with their card and can now launch the DVD software from the comfort of my sitting room and watch the DVD from there with FULL control with the RC unit).

Patrick