Originally posted by: rbV5
Not necissarily. Perhaps the design of the card itself contributes to the problem. GF3 cards are single head/ single DAC cards, enabling VGA output, disables TV output and vice versa. Maybe the output of the card is transparent to the software, since it can't find a supported TV chip it simply won't play. It doesn't know, nor care whether you are watching it via your monitor, or outputting to your TV...it simply won't play macrovision protected material.
Since there are drivers available from Nvidia that work, and the fact that Visiontek knew that macrovision protection was an issue long before GF3 boards were available, and that the proper components were also available for them...YOU can certainly say that, but it doesn't really make much sense. The fact is, if it were not for macrovision, we would likely not even have DVD drives in our computers.
Bottom line: Fairly recent drivers for a legacy product exist that work fine, coupled with the fact that other software works even with the newer drivers...and the fact that Visiontek was the manufacterer and apparently fitted the card with sub-standard components...... and the fact that the poster seems strangely reluctant to take his issue up with the proper party.....non-issue IMHO.
You are clearly more qualified then myself to understand this and I appreciate the help. This whole situation started because I tried to play a dvd and it didn't work. Through the process of trying to figure out why and to fix it I became aware of this situation.
My first goal was to fix it for myself which is done. Second to pass along what I have learned to others as I thought it might be useful which is done. Third was hoping that perhaps someone could get Nvidia to reconsider this change if they were indeed responsible for it and if it were not legal for them to do so which I have done what I know how to do by passing along the information so those more qualified can explore it or so if it matters to enough people that enough will express this desire to the appropriate party to fix it. I have posted a lot in this thread so don't want to clutter it up if this info is only of use to me so unless someone asks something direct to me I have said my peace.
The reason I concluded it were an issue with Nvidia and their drivers is just my lay person's conclusion. Macrovision states that if a tv encoder chipset is not Macrovision approved that tv out functionality must be disabled when playing copyrighted material. VisionTek is using a non-Macrovision approved tv encoder chipset which functions as sold as copyrighted material should not work when using the tv out by design. Nvidia's drivers disable both the tv out and all playback starting with the 41.09's but normal playback works fine with earlier drivers. Nvidia tells me that starting with the 41.09's they are disabling all dvd playback on those systems that have non-Macrovision tv encoder chipsets even if they are disbaled. That is why I reached the conclusion that the problem lies with Nvidia.
If what you say is correct that VisionTek's implementation is faulty then they are to blame. I don't have access to any other video cards and this is out of my element anyway so I have no way of exploring this. I have contacted VisionTek three times in just under two weeks without a reply so it isn't reluctance to to explore this with the proper party but rather I reached my conclusion based on the information I had and provided to me and believed I were contacting the proper party. Unless someone that has one of those two tv encoder chipsets on a video card other than the one I own I have no way of proving one way or the other if it is because Nvidia is disabling all playback or a faulty implementation of the non-Macrovison approved tv encoder chipset. Since Nvidia stated that they disabled all dvd playback when not using a non-Macrovision tv encoder chipset and not having the knowledge myself I took them at their word that they were the cause.
Unless someone with a different video card but with one of the affected tv encoder chipsets verifies that they are also affected I am still reluctant to believe that Nvidia is lying when they say they have disabled it in the drivers to comply with Macrovision. I don't believe Macrovision states to disable all playback only tv out playback so believed that it were Nvidia that were doing so and without grounds. I agree with the copy protection which Nvidia should be disabling playback when tv out is enabled so it is either the implementation or the drivers that are disabling all playback.
And none of the three dvd software programs I tried (PowerDVD, NVDVD, WinDVD) work with the 41.09 drivers and those two encoder chipsets when I tried them. I updated that info when I tried it for myself and believe Nvidia overlooked the fact of those two tv encoder chipsets when they told me NVDVD worked with the 41.09's. It does but not when you have a non-Macrovision approved tv encoder chipset.
Thanks everyone for the assistance in correcting my playback issue. If anyone else is affected the old drivers work as long as you never update them. If anyone that has a video card other than a VisionTek with a non-Macrovision approved tv encoder chipset can confirm one way or another whether you can playback dvds on the pc with the tv out disabled that will eliminate any question of whether it is a VisionTek or Nvidia issue. If it is strictly a VisionTek issue then of course correction should be explored through them solely. If anyone thinks it is an Nvidia driver issue and doesn't believe they legally can disable all dvd playback then they might only consider disabling all dvd playback when the tv out function is enabled if either enough people complain or someone with influence gets them to reconsider. No one is asking for Macrovision requirements to be ignored but rather properly implemented whether it be by VisionTek or Nvidia.