Double problem with DVD sound and regions

[whitehound]

I have an Emprex dual layer DVD burner, bundled with Nero software, which I use just as a CD burner because when I try to burn DVDs on it, it destroys six out of every seven discs. However, I decided to attempt to at least play DVDs on it, even if I couldn't burn them.

I am trying to play a DVD home-made by a friend of mine. The picture (in a .vob file) plays perfectly but there's no sound - which is a bummer because it's a DVD of the said friend singing. This is true in both RealPlayer and Showtime.

I tried downloading a codecs pack - called K-line I think - but I couldn't work out what I was meant to do with the thing, as the instructions are just unintelligible burble about graphs having roots and leaves.

I contacted Nero. I told them I was using Win98SE. They said I had to run a diagnostic tool which they would send me. I tried it, and then emailed them to tell them that the tool they had sent me doesn't work with Win98SE. That was about a week ago and they haven't got back to me.

I decided to try playing a professionally-made DVD, to see if my system would play the soundtrack on that - in case it was the home-made DVD which was at fault, rather than the player. However, even though I live in Scotland the DVD player refused to even countenance the pro. DVD, because it is set for Region 1 (American DVDs). So I went into Device Manager to change the region, and the thing has no Regions tab and hence no apparent way of altering the region setting.

I tried installing VLC as advised on this site and playing the home-made DVD with it and that at least wasn't silent. It made a loud buzzing noise and then hung the PC.

Can anyone suggest a *free* Win98-compatible programme or patch which would enable me to configure the DVD player to play DVDs made on the same side of the globe that I actually live on? Can anyone suggest a way of getting RealPlayer or Showtime to play the soundtrack on the home-made DVD, or tell me what I'm actually supposed to do with the codecs pack?

[filmboss80]

So many, many thing wrong here...
1. Nero stinks. Burn with ImgBurn.
2. K-Lite and all other codec packs just mess up your system worse. Download the free software GSpot to analyze your friend's DVD. It is in the Tools section of this site. GSpot will tell you if you have the needed codecs loaded. You should only load codecs as needed -- no codec packs!
3. Crappy disc media makes bad burns -- "coasters." Use Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden blank DVDs. For dual layer discs, Verbatim +R DLs only.
4. Your friend's DVD is likely not DVD compliant. Something is definitely wrong if VLC cannot play it.
5. Win98 sucks. If you really want to play DVDs on your PC, update your OS.
6. I don't know anything about Emprex burners. Off-brands are usually unreliable.

I'm tired of writing...

[ntscuser]

Cut your losses. Scrap the Emprex and replace it with one of the DVD writers with good feedback listed here:

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdwriters

Better media and software may cure the problem for a short while but will eventually refuse to burn properly. Been there, done that, bought the teeshirt!

It's sickening to have a to have to write off a new burner at first but in the long run you'll be glad you did.

[whitehound]

Thanks. I know Nero stinks but I've no money, so I've got to go with what I've got - and the same goes for the Emprex burner and Win98 itself. Some time next month I'm getting some pension money and then I should be able to upgrade to XP but for now I'm stuck with what I've got.

I tried the GSpot thing - thanks for the tip - but it didn't work. I downloaded a version that's mean to be 9X compatible, but it doesn't install properly. It says I have 213 codecs loaded, which is fine, but it won't look at the DVD in question because the File menu option, the browse button and the box for typing the file-path into are all non-working.

[filmboss80]

I mentioned ImgBurn earlier. It is far superior at burning DVDs than Nero. Don't worry about not having money -- ImgBurn is free (also in the Tools section where you found GSpot).

Regardless, you've still got a mess on your hands with a cheap burner, Win98, and K-Lite. Until you can upgrade, you may be limited on DVD capabilities.

[whitehound]

I had a look at ImgBurn but I couldn't find anywhere in the description to say whether it worked with Win98SE or not, so the odds are good that it doesn't. I'll bear it in mind for when I upgrade, certainly - but at the moment I want to get the thing playing rather than burning.

I've just had a reply from Nero asking for my serial number - so maybe they will be able to suggest something. Although from previous experience I don't hold out much hope.

[jman98]

ImgBurn works with ALL versions of Windows according to the website. Win98 was specifically listed.

If you buy good quality media your burner might be OK to keep using. "Good quality media" means Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden (you'll have to buy them online). In Europe in the past Sony discs and TDK discs were made by the best manufacturers, but since I don't live in Europe I don't know if that's still true or not. I wouldn't risk it.

Your playback problem may be a codec issue. Try installing the free VLC player. It contains all the playback codecs it needs and it should be able to play your friend's DVD.

[whitehound]

I'll give ImgBurn a whirl when I next need to burn a DVD, but I *tried* VLC - and the GSpot thing - and neither of them work on my system, even though I installed older versions that were meant to be Win9X-compatible.

When I tried to play the master vob file for the DVD in question on VLC, the one that shows you all the tracks that are on there and lets you pick one, it flashed on and then off again so fast I could barely see it. When I tried to play one of the individual vob files on VLC it made a loud angry buzzing noise and blue-screened me, and I had to re-boot without closing.

I know the problem is with VLC and not with the DVD. The master vob file with the contents list plays perfectly well in RealPlayer (the whole DVD plays perfectly well in RealPlayer, except it has no sound). I tried playing a commercially-made CD on VLC to test it, and it wouldn't play at all. I tried playing an Mpeg that I had on my hard disc - one that plays perfectly in Nero MediaPlayer - using VLC, and it did the same thing it did with the DVD - made a loud buzzing noise and fatally blue-screened me.

Evidently something in my system isn't comaptible with VLC and GSpot - or they don't work with Win98SE even though they say they do.

[filmboss80]

GSpot told you that there are 213 codecs on your system. That's a lot. Some redundant and/or conflicting codecs might be trying to load when you open a media file. (That doesn't explain everything -- VLC's codecs are contained, AFAIK.) Many Win98 drivers might be outdated as well. (Win98 is a 1998 consumer OS. You DO know that it is now 2009, don't you?)

To me, it seems like your computer is extremely junked up. With the combination of an old OS and a codec pack, it's a wonder you have any successes at all. It is very difficult for us to help you any further, as long as you are unwilling to update, upgrade, and clean up your system. I honestly don't believe you have any other alternative.

[whitehound]

As I said, I don't have the money to upgrade at present, since I am living on Carer's Benefit. I have about £15 a week of available spending money: this week it's going on a new case-fan.

I also dislike almost everything I have seen and heard about subsequent versions of Windows, although XP sounds tolerable now that they have fixed some of the bugs - especially the one which tried to load every font on the system every time you booted up, since ai do a lot of graphic design and have hundreds of fonts as a result.

The codecs pack isn't the cause of the problem - I downloaded it *because* I already had the problem. It was recommended on another forum as being the first thing to try in the case of a DVD player which plays the picture but not the sound-track.

Win96SE *shouldn't* be the problem, since I have downloaded only packages which claim to work with Win98SE. If they don't, they are at fault, not Win98.

On the whole I think that Nero is the problem, but I can't afford to buy anything else at present, so I was hoping somebody here would know how to get Nero to do its job - or could suggest a free alternative that worked. Unfortunately VLC is a free alternative that *doesn't* work and that screws up my system. If you can't suggest anything, that's fine, but there's no need to be insulting just because VLC turned out not to be a miracle cure!

[jman98]

I'm not kidding when I say that for years many of us have recommended VLC and I've never seen anyone post anything like you have about it. But it's my fault because I forgot that you are using Win98. Not to imply that you are stupid, but VLC has a special version for pre-Windows 2000 boxes. You did use that, right? Because if not, that might be your problem. Then again Win98 is pretty old and maybe VLC for Win98 isn't error free and almost nobody has tested it.

If you have 213 codecs on your PC, that is DEFINITELY a problem.

As far as Windows goes, Win98 is crap. Pure crap. I work in IT for a living as a Unix system admin. I have no love for Microsoft at all. Windows 2000 was the first version of Windows that I thought wasn't absolute garbage and was actually OK. XP is actually pretty good. In fact it's always been pretty good, although Microsoft did botch some of the service packs early on. I don't use Vista.

I suggested ImgBurn which is free and other than saying you would try it, you don't seem to have actually done that.

[whitehound]

Of course I used the Win98 version of VLC - I'm a programmer! (used to be, anyway).

Having 213 codecs might be a problem in itself but it can't *be* the problem, because I only downloaded the codecs pack in an attempt to fix the problem, which already existed. Unless you think they could be what's causing VLC not to work?

I've always had some problems with sound on this PC. I have Windows MediaPlayer, Nero, RealPlayer and now VLC (except that VLC doesn't work). The reason I got RealPlayer was because I found that when I bought music tracks on the net, I couldn't get any sound out of the little on-line samples that tell you whether you're going to like the track or not. I got fed up with buying tracks sound-unheard, and after weeks of fiddling around I downloaded RealPlayer and managed to get that to work.

I actually quite like Win98 - it hasn't really given me any problems, other than this one with the DVDs. And at least you don't have to worry about viruses etc because nobody writes them for Win98 anymore.

The problem I have with upgrading, apart from not being able to afford it at present, is that there are three PCs in this house and two of them probably *can't* be upgraded beyond Win98, because they aren't high-spec enough. For example, for travelling purposes or when I want a PC upstairs I use a Toshiba Libretto, which in many ways is a lovesome thing - a full Windows computer the size of a standard hardback book - but it only has a 233MHz processor and iirc 64K of RAM, and that's all it *can* have. Even the 233 processor is overclocked from 166! My mother's PC, which I maintain for her, isn't much faster. So I'm concerned about possible compatibility problems when I upgrade, and having to have two versions of everything.

[ntscuser]

Personally, I'd forget about DVD recording or playback until I could afford to upgrade to a more modern PC. A cheap standalone player is a better option.

[whitehound]

Yeah, I've got the option to get a second-hand DVD player for £4, but unfortunately it will cost £8.50 in fares to fetch it, and I probably won't be able to afford that till the week after next.

[whitehound]

I read through the change-list for GSpot again and realised that although v. 2.60b05 was the most recent version which specifically says it's Win98-compatible, the more recent versions don't say they *aren't*, so I took a chance on downlaoding the most recent version.

That works OK (so hey, it *is* Win98-compatible). According to GSpot, then, the Video track is fine, the codecs are fine, but for the Audio track I get the following errors:

(Src)->>-(A)->[MGI MPEG-2 Demuxer ]>-(B)->[Nero Digital Audio Decoder ]>-(C)->[Default DirectSound Device ]
Failed to connect Output pin 0x008472ac ("Digital Audio Out") on Nero Digital Audio Decoder to input pin 0x00841b0c ("Audio Input pin (rendered)") on filter 0x02aec2a3 ("Default DirectSound Device").ConnectDirect() failed. Error: 0x80040256: [unknown]
(Src)->>-(A)->[MPEG-2 Demultiplexer ]>-(B)->[Nero Digital Audio Decoder ]>-(C)->[Default DirectSound Device ]
Failed to connect Output pin 0x008469bc ("Digital Audio Out") on Nero Digital Audio Decoder to input pin 0x0084629c ("Audio Input pin (rendered)") on filter 0x02aec2a3 ("Default DirectSound Device").ConnectDirect() failed. Error: 0x80040256: [unknown]
(Src)->>-(A)->[MPEG-2 Splitter ]>-(B)->[Nero Digital Audio Decoder ]>-(C)->[Default DirectSound Device ]
Failed to connect Output pin 0x0084267c ("Digital Audio Out") on Nero Digital Audio Decoder to input pin 0x00847e2c ("Audio Input pin (rendered)") on filter 0x02aec2a3 ("Default DirectSound Device").ConnectDirect() failed. Error: 0x80040256: [unknown]

This is bearing in mind that the same drive does (usually) play audio CDs without any trouble, so it's not that the drive isn't physically connected to the sound card, or anything like that.

Rebooted, ran it again and got the same error except that this time the failed input pins had different numbers.

Does this suggest anything useful to anybody, other than that Nero is crap?

I'm assuming btw that ImgBurn is, well, for burning, and therefore not relevant to these problems. Or does it control the player side of the equipment as well?

[ntscuser]

This is bearing in mind that the same drive does (usually) play audio CDs without any trouble, so it's not that the drive isn't physically connected to the sound card, or anything like that.

The audio on a DVD isn't recorded anything like the audio on a CD. The problem could be with the original disc, the DVD player or the decoding software.

[whitehound]

Sure - but it's not a physical disconnect from the sound card, whatever it is.

And unfortunately I can't test it with any other DVDs because the damned thing is locked onto American DVDs and there's no option to change it. Does anybody know a free or very very cheap Win98-compatible unlocker? Then at least I could test it on other DVDs.

[ntscuser]

If you posted the model number of your Emprex it might help?

[whitehound]

There's no model number on the front. It says

EMPREX DVD DUAL [DOUBLELAYER] 16X

but no number. If there is any number on it it must be inside the case somewhere. I'm reluctant to open the PC case if I can avoid doing so because space is at such a premium here - the PC is slotted into a narrow space between two cupboards and in order to open it I have to pull it out of its slot, and then it's in the way and you can't open the living-room door any more.

I'm going to have to open the thing next week in order to change out the flagging case-fan, so I'll see if I can find a number on the DVD drive then. Meanwhile I *think* it's probably a 1016IM - I found a photograph of the 1016IM on the net and the front panel looks identical, and that seems to be the earliest of these Emprex double-layer burners.

[whitehound]

Further to this - just found what *appears* to be the same drive on Amazon at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Emprex-Double-Layer-Internal-DVD%C2%B1R/dp/B00067T0HG

(it was given to me as a Christmas present about three years ago - I didn't buy it myself, so I don't know where it was bought).

According to Amazon its model number is EMP48005

[ntscuser]

If it's dual-layer I suspect it begins with a "2" like this one here:

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdwriters/emprex-dvdrw-2016im/1546

If so, it looks as if you're completely screwed. Sorry.

[whitehound]

Hmm. Well, the 1016IM is dual layer too. I'll have to have a look and see if I can find a photo' of the front of the 2016IM. It would certainly explain a lot!

Mind you, I wouldn't say it doesn't burn DVDs at all - just not often.

[whitehound]

Well, it's very hard to find images of the 2016IM because it has - understandably - been taken off the market, but I found one photo' which purported to be it, and if it's accurate then I'm delighted to say it's *not* the one I have. It does appear to be a 1016IM, which seems to get reasonably good reviews, as bog-standard drives go.

I suppose I should send the reading from GSpot to Nero and see if they can make anything of it. All I've had from them so far is an analytical tool which wasn't Win98-comaptible, and then a message asking me to provide my serial number - presumably so they can prove I'm a legal customer (I am) before they waste any time trying to solve my problem.

[ntscuser]

I'm afraid I've read reports on some examples of 1016IM that are every bit as bad as the report on the 2016IM. I think the reason you have not been offered a choice of region playback is that the DVD drive is sending error messages which cause your playback software to regard it as a CD drive?

[whitehound]

Might well be - it doesn't have a Regions tab available, and it should have, so it looks as if Device Manager thinks it's a CD drive. OTOH it registers as enough of a DVD player to RealPlayer that it gives a message that it only plays Region 1 DVDs.

[whitehound]

Further to this: I got hold of a manual for the DVD drive which said that the Region had to be reset using appropriate software such as PowerDVD, (not through Device Manager, that is), but it came bundled with Nero which says to change it through Device Manager. Got hold of a trial copy of PowerDVD but it won't load due to an obscure, unobtainable .dll being missing.

Managed to get hold af a cheap second-hand DVD player - the sort that connects to the telly - and that played the DVD in question perfectly. However, it would still be nice to get my PC to play DVDs. Sent an electronic copy of the DVD to a friend in the states and it played perfectly on her PC - so it's not the DVD or file which is at fault.

Discovered that my microphone wasn't working. Obtained new drivers for the sound card. MIcrophone now OK but DVD audio track still not playing.

Uninstalled and reinstalled VLC. The first time I tried to play an audio file with it after reinstalling, it played it in half-second bursts, interspersed with half-second intervals of silence - but at least it was no longer buzzing ferociously and blue-screening my PC.

Re-booted. Tried VLC on another audio file and this time it played perfectly - that's something at least.

Tried to play the DVD with the new installation of VLC. Still won't play the initial .vob file, the one with the playlist - it winks open and then shuts again (Nero Showtime does the same, but RealPlayer is fine with it).

Tried to play the second .vob - the one of my friend singing - on the new installation of VLC. It plays and - hey,. there's sound! However, it got about a minute into it and then the sound and the picture both froze - at a point at which I know there's an edit on the track - although the little arrow that says how far through the track you are still kept moving.

Tried it again and this time it worked and played it through, albeit a bit jerkily - but that's probably just a memory issue. It seems to be a slight bug in the version of VLC (0.8.6i, the most recent version that plays with Win98) - if you find the track by going to the DVD tab and opening it from there it will play it fine, but if you find it by using File - Browse - Open it *won't* play it properly.

[ntscuser]

Further to this: I got hold of a manual for the DVD drive which said that the Region had to be reset using appropriate software such as PowerDVD, (not through Device Manager, that is), but it came bundled with Nero which says to change it through Device Manager.

Are you sure you looked in the right part of device manager for the region tab?

[whitehound]

There's nowhere *to* look. It only gives three tabs for the DVD drive - General, Settings and Driver. The Settings tab has noting on it to do with Regions and there's no option for Advanced Settings or anything like that. I've tried getting at it through Control Panel with the same result. DVD drives are meant to have an actual Regions tab but this one doesn't - and its manual says it has to be changed using a software package.

I'm coming to think it's not faulty as such, it's just designed to work with something other than the software it was bundled with. When I can afford it I'll buy a Win98-compatible unlocker for it and just set it for all regions, I think.

Thanks for your help, anyway. At least VLC seems to be working on the second installation.

[lordsmurf]

Emprex = BTC == the brand/burner is fine. It does have a known issue with Taiyo Yuden DVD-R, so stick to Verbatim or Sony DVD-R or DVD+R. The DVD+R tend to work better in the drive.

[whitehound]

Thanks. When I did the initial burning I was using some bog-standard discs I got from Maplin's and it destroyed nearly all of them. I did buy some Verbatim DVDs for it but it took me a long time to find them - I had to get them off Amazon in the end because nobody round here was selling them - and in the interim I had bought a second hard drive to use for backups instead, so I never got round to trying it with the Verbatims. Must do so.

It's certainly a terrific CD burner! I use it to run off discs for a friend who's a singer/songwriter, and it's very fast and crisp. I suspect its problems are mainly Nero's problems.