Very strange DVD problems

[hzwaal]

I've recently installed a DVD player, but can't get it to work properly with all DVDs. The strange thing is that I get different results for different DVDs.

For instance, when I play the Cuba! DVD from Simply Red, I get no video and the menu's don't work properly. I do get to see the menu, but without any highlights. I can however navigate the menus, but without any visual feedback. Sporadically, I get a single frame; typically at the end of an audio track.

With the Live in Verona DVD from Jamiroquai I have an entirely different problem. My TV out just quits after the Copyright warning notice and doesn't come back until I change the video card mode.

With yet another DVD I don't seem to have any menu interaction at all and can never get it to play.

Some other DVDs play perfectly fine and also menu navigations works.

Audio is perfect in all cases (S/PDIF passthrough).

I'm using the standard DVD navigator (NVIDIA Navigator does not work at all), the NVIDIA PureVideo decoder for video and AC3Filter for audio. I've tried various decoder settings, without any changes.

The video card is an embedded GeForce6 (6150) with the latest drivers, connected to the TV using component output (576i).

I'm totally flabbergasted, so any help or suggestions are most appreciated.

[sub]

I've not used the nvidia decoders, so cant give you too much advice on them specifically, but just to let you know that the standard DVD navigator with the Cyberlink PowerDVD7 audio and video decoders seem to work pretty well.

If you're finding its only some DVDs having problems, then it may be that the DVD navigator doesnt like something about the way these particular DVDs are authored. Do the same DVDs play fine in Windows Media Player?

[hzwaal]

I've not used the nvidia decoders, so cant give you too much advice on them specifically, but just to let you know that the standard DVD navigator with the Cyberlink PowerDVD7 audio and video decoders seem to work pretty well.

I'll see if I can get a hold of those and try them.

If you're finding its only some DVDs having problems, then it may be that the DVD navigator doesnt like something about the way these particular DVDs are authored. Do the same DVDs play fine in Windows Media Player?

It's quite a number of DVD's actually. I haven't tried playing them with WMP, since I'm on a W2K machine and can thus only use WMP9. As far as I know, that one doesn't play DVDs. I have tried VLC though, and all of the DVD's play without a problem.

[sub]

It's quite a number of DVD's actually. I haven't tried playing them with WMP, since I'm on a W2K machine and can thus only use WMP9. As far as I know, that one doesn't play DVDs. I have tried VLC though, and all of the DVD's play without a problem.

I suspect you'll find any other directshow based player probably gives the same results. VLC is not directshow based though, so not a good comparision.

[hzwaal]

I suspect you'll find any other directshow based player probably gives the same results. VLC is not directshow based though, so not a good comparision.

What players could I try?

[hzwaal]

I've not used the nvidia decoders, so cant give you too much advice on them specifically, but just to let you know that the standard DVD navigator with the Cyberlink PowerDVD7 audio and video decoders seem to work pretty well.

I just downloaded and installed Cyberlink PowerDVD7 and played the Simply Red DVD (it's way past bed time, so I'll try the rest tomorrow ). The menu and video problems are solved. I'm not too happy with the video quality though; there is a slight stutter (don't know how else to explain it in English) every few seconds. But at least I know now the PureVideo decoder is at the root of the menu problem. I just can't believe how much trouble I'm having with the nVidia software.

PS: Sub, I think you are doing an incredible job with a very fine piece of software with even better support... Kudos!

[Zato]

I just downloaded and installed Cyberlink PowerDVD7 and played the Simply Red DVD (it's way past bed time, so I'll try the rest tomorrow ). The menu and video problems are solved. I'm not too happy with the video quality though; there is a slight stutter (don't know how else to explain it in English) every few seconds. But at least I know now the PureVideo decoder is at the root of the menu problem. I just can't believe how much trouble I'm having with the nVidia software.

PS: Sub, I think you are doing an incredible job with a very fine piece of software with even better support... Kudos!

Is the studder your only concern on the quality?

Here's a few things I'd try:
Make sure the DVD player is using DMA (look under properties for the IDE Channel it is running on)
Possible quartz.dll issue?
Are you running any MVP Servers? If so, you might need to bump the priority on your DVD playing app.
Might possibly look into latest firmware for your DVD player

[hzwaal]

Is the studder your only concern on the quality?

Yep, for the rest the image seems fine.

Here's a few things I'd try:
Make sure the DVD player is using DMA (look under properties for the IDE Channel it is running on)

It is.

Possible quartz.dll issue?

I haven't tried that yet, but I surely will. Thanks for the tip. I'd forgotten about that one.

Are you running any MVP Servers? If so, you might need to bump the priority on your DVD playing app.

Nope. No MVP.

Might possibly look into latest firmware for your DVD player

Good suggestion, although I don't seem to have any problems with the player in other apps. VLC, for instance, runs silky smooth.

[hzwaal]

I've not used the nvidia decoders, so cant give you too much advice on them specifically, but just to let you know that the standard DVD navigator with the Cyberlink PowerDVD7 audio and video decoders seem to work pretty well.

Just for comparison I installed MediaPortal (no offsense meant, sub) to test whether it would play the DVDs in question. I assume MediaPortal is also DirectShow based... can anyone please confirm?

All DVDs play fine on it. I have tried different decoders and all work smoothly, except the PureVideo one from nVidia (which I now officially consider to be a piece of rubbish).

Still I prefer GBPVR/PVRX2 over MediaPortal in many aspects; certainly when it comes to support, quality and stability (all issues I'm having are mostly nVidia-related or to be blamed on myself ). I even tried to use the native MediaPortal video renderer (MPV Decoder) in GBPVR and got excellent results for TV playback. I could not choose it for DVD playback, however, which I found strange.

Looking into the config.xml I found that it is not included in the SupportedDVDDecoders section, but is in the SupportedDecoders section. Is this intentional (because it doesn't work for some reason) or can I just add it myself? After my recent configuration problems I'm a bit hesitant to try it.

[sub]

I'm fairly sure the MPV video decoder doesnt support CSS encrypted video, so it would only be able to play ripped DVDs, not regular commercial disks.