DVD newbie... Need some help...

Pakman

Senior member
Nov 30, 2000
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Hey all, I recently built my new AMD 1ghz computer and I'm having some trouble with the DVD rom... For some reason, it always crashes when playing movies... sometimes it will go for an hour or more without crashing... other times, it'll only last a few minutes before it crashes. It's a hard crash too where I have to hit the reset switch. Sometimes I will get a blue screen with a vxd error, while other times, I will get a frozen screen with the last second of the movies sound repeating like a broken record. I'm using WinDVD 2000 version 2.3 with a Pioneer 16x DVD model 115 (OEM from Gateway). Is there something wrong with my hardware or is it the software? I have a copy of PowerDVD 3.0, but it's only the trial version so I can't really test it... If anyone of you l33t hax0rs out there have a patch for it so I can test it throughly... can u please PM me with the link? Of course, this is just so I can make sure it isn't a problem with my hardware and I will uninstall it as soon as I am finished testing. :) Well, the link to my system config is at the bottom and FYI... I'm using both IDE channels... My primary is my HD as master with the DVDrom as slave and Secondary is CDRW as master with Zip Drive Slave. I dunno if that would matter or not, but if anyone has had problems like this before and you fixed it... please tell me how.

Thanx!
 

thorin

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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1) Look for Firmware upgrade(s) for the DVDROM drive.
2) Try different software.
3) Make sure DMA is enabled on your DVD Drive.
4) What is the vsd that gives you the error (when you see it)?
5) Do you have any problems playing Audio CDs? (Do you have a VCD you can try?)

Thorin
 

Pakman

Senior member
Nov 30, 2000
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Well, i believe my firmware is 1.22.. I'll have to double check when i get home tonight. DMA is enabled... I'm gonna also try PowerDVD when I get home. In your opinion guys, what is the best Software DVD player out there? I'm running a CL Geforce2 GTS btw. I also heard Cinemaster was pretty good.
 

thorin

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I have a Asus v6600 Deluxe (SGRAM GF256) that I use with my AOpen (remarked pioneer) 10x/40x DVD ROM and it's really sweet (1280x1024x32@85). I prefer PowerDVD (2.55 is what I have now....looking in to getting 3.0), over WinDVD. But those are the only two I've tried.

Thorin
 

Facin

Member
Aug 3, 2000
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I would try using PowerDVD. I used WinDVD 2.1 for a while. I was very happy with the quality of the picture and sound, but every once in a while the scene would stutter and I had some random crashes. I finally got my hands on a copy of PowerDVD and all my stuttering/crashing problems have gone away. The picture quality of PowerDVD might not be as good as WinDVD, but you have to have your eyes right next to the monitor to tell...not a porblem when you are a few feet away. I am looking for a copy of PowerDVD 3.0, but I can wait as 2.55 is doing me just find right now.
 

nortexoid

Diamond Member
May 1, 2000
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I use powerDVD and absolutely no problems, although it did lock up before, when i had hardware acceleration enabled in the video section (i have an asus v6600)...however, i re-enabled it again, and don't get lock-ups, so i'm thinking that it either wasn't solely from that but a combination of that and probably my previous use of the garbage diamond sound drivers for the mx300..

moral: take off hardware acceleration if it exists (in WinDVD)
 

Pakman

Senior member
Nov 30, 2000
807
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Hmmm... I just tried the full version of PowerDVD yesterday and it's still giving me crashes... I'm gonna try diabling HW acceleration when I get home tonight... Darn this "work" thing I gotta do... I have so much to do at home ;)