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Can I get smooth DVD playback on old PII Dell Latitude notebook?

J

jakobkraft

Golden Member
The specs (PII, 366MHz, 6GB HD, 64MB SDRAM) meet the minimum requirements for several older DVD softwares, but the playback is still jittery, with image tearing. I've been using PowerDVD 3 which is the best of the ones I've used, but still not too watchable.

The person who gave it to me had WindowsXP Home Edition put on it - would I maybe get better results if I installed Windows 98SE, since that was the current OS at the time this laptop first came out?

Under Windows XP, I only have 2 screen setting options - 800x600 @ 24-bit, or 1024x768 @ 16-bit. WOuld I have more screen setting options under Windows 98SE?
BTW, the display driver is a NeoMagicGraph ZX.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks...!!
 
You're already pushing your luck with WXP on a 366MHz CPU! Try W98SE. If that doesn't work, then start saving $ for a new PC.

64MB of RAM will put any PC to a grinding halt.
 
the jitteriness is caused by windows XP trying to commit suicide by running on 64MB of ram with probably 4 or 8MB of that shared for video.
 

According to what I've read, it was quite common to experience smooth dvd playback on a pc when Windows 98 first came out. Are you saying Windows 98 cannot provide smooth DVD playback or do you mean that the Dell latitude cannot play DVDs well?

I'd prefer the long answer, if possible...thanks.
 
The problem with just loading up 98 would be to begin with, the fact that it has long since stopped being supported for security updates, it's pretty much impossible for the average user to defend from the bugs.

Second possible problem would be if his DVD was designed to run on the software that is designed for 98.

Some cruel answers above!... cruel, but made me laugh so hard I coudn't see! 😉😱
 
Originally posted by: jakobkraft

According to what I've read, it was quite common to experience smooth dvd playback on a pc when Windows 98 first came out. Are you saying Windows 98 cannot provide smooth DVD playback or do you mean that the Dell latitude cannot play DVDs well?

I'd prefer the long answer, if possible...thanks.
Click to expand...
You mean using the old DVD kits that included a hardware MPEG decoder card?

98SE is running much less services/processes than XP besides your app, so installing it could help, but it's hard to say how much in advance.
 
With 98se, (remember you'll need to enable dma on the dvd drive), you should be able to get acceptable playback.

A better solution might be win2k and a memory upgrade. I've recently had to set up wa system with 98se and use it for the first time in a few years, and I'd forgotten how bad it is compared to newer OS's.
 
DVD playback should be smooth on a 300mhz processor. However WindowsXP might be taking up too many resources. As others have suggested, try installing Windows98 instead.
 
That's why I replied the way I did. The DVD playback on theses older Dell Lattitude notebooks wasn't that great to begin with even when they were new with 98 installed! Most of the older Lattitudes had 2meg video, some had 4meg. And just 64meg for any OS newer than 98(save Linux) is just asking for trouble. :roll:
 
Originally posted by: DOACleric
DVD playback should be smooth on a 300mhz processor. However WindowsXP might be taking up too many resources. As others have suggested, try installing Windows98 instead.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot, I'll just do it and hope for the best...🙂
 
Originally posted by: networkman
That's why I replied the way I did. The DVD playback on theses older Dell Lattitude notebooks wasn't that great to begin with even when they were new with 98 installed! Most of the older Lattitudes had 2meg video, some had 4meg. And just 64meg for any OS newer than 98(save Linux) is just asking for trouble. :roll:
Click to expand...

Speaking of Linux, the OP could try slapping on a Linux distro like Ubuntu and see if you get the DVDs to play smoothly with VLC. XP and PowerDVD are too bloated to run on that old hardware, but a slimmer more optimized piece of software like VLC might just work. I'm assuming that the OP wants to recycle the old lappy into portable DVD player, right?
 
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