Can't play DVD movies on PC, it's not obvious to me

[satwar]

I run Win98SE on a P4 2Ghz Intel machine and cannot get the thing to play DVD movies. As far as I can tell the machine performs every other function properly, there are no glitches in the install that I am aware of (I'll clarify at this point that I am not that knowledgable in computers and had my computer built by a dealer, who unfortunately can't resolve the problem). Not a great catastrophy for me, but I am very curious as to why such a seemingly simple task has proven so difficult. I smiled when I read the FAQ about playing DVDs because it seems that it should be such a straight forward procedure. This group seems to be outstanding, I'm glad I found you. I hope there's someone in this forum who knows computers well enough to be willing to offer some help, even though I'm running a Win 98SE OS.

In short I have installed WinDVD, PowerDVD and currently have Nero ShowTime, but none of them can play DVD's in my DVD-ROM drive. The DVD-ROM functions perfectly for transfering data from a Data Cd to my harddrive (ie I have no problem installing programs). I can also play Audio CDs with no problem. But DVDs, that play perfectly on my standalone DVD player attached to my TV just won't play on my PC. I have Intel Application Accelerator installed and according to the documentation in the manual all configuration screens look right. All devices (both hard drives & DVD-ROM) are configured to operate at their highest transfer mode, which is UDMA-2, except my older CD-RW which operates at DMA MW-2. I had DirectX 9b installed and upgraded to 9c last night.

I even tried to bypass the DVD-ROM drive by mounting an Iso image of a movie on a virtual drive created by Alcohol (which works perfectly for Data CDs), but Nero ShowTime complains that it can't play the file from this location (a new problem to solve or the same one, I don't know).

So I'm stuck on how to troubleshoot this problem.

Anyone got any ideas on where to be looking for problems? Any help gratefully accepted (except don't ask me to upgrade to Windows XP, I'd like to get the machine operating properly on Win 98SE).

[HAMP]

few questions

1. Are there any error messages
2. Does anything pop-up when you place the DVD in drive?
3. Do you have auto play set-up?
4. What happens if you start the DVD program and select Source as the drive the DVD is located?

BTW, I wouldn't have suggested WinXP but maybe Win2000 :P

[yoda313]

Hello,

I'm glad you found this site. It's VERY useful

Ok, first things first, could you please post all the specs of your computer that you know? Knowing things like ram, video card, dvd-rom model etc.. would help us out a little more.

My first idea is that you don't have a 3d card that has a mpeg2 decoder on it (that is what plays back dvd- it is a mpeg2 video format). If you could let us know what type of video card you have that would be the first place I would start.

Now a little deduction. The reason I suspect the 3d card is the drive apparently is connected properly. You said it works with data discs and music cds. So it's attached and the computer recognizes it. That's a good thing. (by the way, I used to have Win 98 installed on my pc and it played my dvds just fine before I upgraded to win2000).

You have dvd software installed so you have the proper codec (compression decompression- the stuff the computer needs to play back media files). That isn't apparently a problem.

In short, let us know what your 3d card is and maybe we can help out more. Thanks for writing, that's what the whole site is for- helping others

Kevin

[offline]

My first idea is that you don't have a 3d card that has a mpeg2 decoder on it (that is what plays back dvd- it is a mpeg2 video format). If you could let us know what type of video card you have that would be the first place I would start.

It is more likely to be the other way around - that he does have
a hardware mpeg-2 capable video card. Why? Because PowerDVD
and WinDVD both come with a software decoder that will do as
good a job as a hardware one in any machine over 500Mhz.
In addition, there are problems with the video overlay drivers
on many mpeg2 accelerator based video cards - ATI is a good
example. Also - 3D graphics has zilch to do with mpeg.

satwar, ask your dealer for a parts list of what he put into
your computer. We need brand names and models. Also
include software.

[satwar]

Hardware Profile: (you guys are making me work hard already)

MotherBoard: Intel D850EMV2
Processor: Intel P4 2 GHz
Memory: 256 MB RDRAM
Primary Harddrive: 40 GB Seagate Barracuda ST340016A
DVD-ROM: Sony DDU1621
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 9200 128 MB (Driver V4.14.0001.9138)

As for multimedia software installed I currently have WMP, Real Audio, QuickTime, Nero Media Player & ShowTime (both came with Nero). I have PowerDVD & WinDVD available but not currently installed.

As for error messages I recall seeing something about "can't read disc" when computer locked up with PowerDVD & WinDVD.

Currently the only DVD player I have installed is Nero ShowTime. Right now when I start the program and then try to play a DVD I get an error saying "Internal error. Cannot build graph. The application may be installed incorrectly". If I simply insert a DVD without ShowTime running I get a Windows error, "Windows can't find program.exe. This program is needed for opening files of type "Intervideo WinDVD 6".

[yoda313]

Hello,

offline-Also - 3D graphics has zilch to do with mpeg.

Sorry, I should have been more careful. My experience is that most 3d cards today have mpeg2 playback. I know they're independent of each other.

offline-In addition, there are problems with the video overlay drivers
on many mpeg2 accelerator based video cards - ATI is a good
example.

I have to admit I don't have experience with multiple cards. Mine is a cheap 128mb 3d sis card. It works but it isn't top of the line.

Also there weren't any error messages and the initial post was vauge so I thought I'd just poke at it. I forgot you can do software playback.

satwar-play a DVD I get an error saying "Internal error. Cannot build graph. The application may be installed incorrectly". If I simply insert a DVD without ShowTime running I get a Windows error, "Windows can't find program.exe. This program is needed for opening files of type "Intervideo WinDVD 6".

I guess this has to do with problems finding all of the codecs and hardware. Right now all I can suggest is checking your cards tech support website for dvd playback errors.

Kevin

[razadazza]

did you try the ati dvd player?

[satwar]

Some progress finally, Nero Showtime finally is playing a DVD but.........

I did two things:

(1) Went to ATI site and noticed that they just updated (July 27) some of their software, although I have no clue what all this stuff is supposed to do (Driver seems to be the same version number though, but more recent date)

(2) Removed & re-installed Nero Express 2 (which contains Nero Showtime). I keep getting a message about not having DVD video plugin, even though I have Ultra edition. Does anyone know the name of the specific plugin file ShowTime is looking for and what specific directory it's supposed to be in (I hate these plugins, half the time they don't tell you where they're supposed to go).

BUT

(1) When I put in a DVD without starting ShowTime first, I still get the error "Windows can't find program.exe. This program is needed for opening files of type Intervideo WinDVD 6". Maybe I can solve this by associating the DVD movie file type with Showtime. I didn't select any file associations when installing ShowTime, and don't know how to do it after installation, although I'm not sure I want to, just don't like the above mentioned error message when I don't have WinDVD installed anymore. Anyone know why I'm getting this error message and how to solve it.

(2) When I put in a DVD disc from Lord of The Rings (so-called PC friendly DVD) I get a prompt to install InterActual Player, which I decline and then get no further.


Can anyone suggest the next course of action, your comments seem to be helping me move in the right direction?

Thank you in advance.

[yoda313]

Hello,
I just want to warn you that a friend of mine had trouble with LOTR extended edition. I believe it was an hp computer. It wouldn't play at all and it had no recognition in the my computer (ie it didn't show up as a disc at all). I just thought I'd mention that.
Kevin
P.S. I can play it in my hp but I've reformatted it several times. It also now has win2000 and a dvd burner.

[satwar]

Interesting that others are haviing similar problems with LOR Extended version. Hopefully there's someone knowledgable enough in this forum to tell us why and fix the problem.

I find something amusing about having a $200 standalone DVD player that can outperform a $1000 PC when it comes to playing DVDs. (this a joke, and definitely not technically informed, but it will be a long time before I'll be putting a PC in my entertainment room)

[jimmalenko]

You just bought a computer and they put win98 on it ?



Anyway...

Put the DVD into your DVD-ROM...

Go into My Computer or Windows Explorer. Does the disc show up in your DVD-ROM drive ?

What happens if you double-click it ?

Can you right-click on it and go to Explore ?

If you can get into the viewing of the files on the DVD (IFO, BUP and VOB files) then your ROM is reading the DVD properly and we can rule it out completely.

[satwar]

You just bought a computer and they put win98 on it ?

I bought the computer 1 1/2 years ago after my last computer died in the middle of a very important project. I didn't want to retool in the middle of the project, besides Win 98SE works fine for me.

[satwar]

Put the DVD into your DVD-ROM...

Go into My Computer or Windows Explorer. Does the disc show up in your DVD-ROM drive ?

What happens if you double-click it ?

Can you right-click on it and go to Explore ?

If you can get into the viewing of the files on the DVD (IFO, BUP and VOB files) then your ROM is reading the DVD properly and we can rule it out completely.

That took a while, for some reason I couldn't play DVDs with Showtime again, and the usual symptom of the computer freezing up after inserting LOR Extended Version. After re-installing Nero Express and rebooting many times I finally got ShowTime working again and the computer doesn't freeze with LOR. Anyway.....(Is this a symptom of part of my problem?).......

When I double click(actually single click because I have "act like web" enabled) on a DVD I get either "Windows can't find program.exe. This program is needed for opening files of type Intervideo WinDVD 6" or in the case of LOR get a prompt to install InterActual player.

When I use Windows Explorer I can see all the files.

[jimmalenko]

For starters I would not be using Nero Showtime to play my DVDs. The error you are getting means that the DVD is trying to autoplay using WinDVD, which for some reason you must have uninstalled at some point ?

Any DVD at all should be able to be manually loaded into either PowerDVD or WinDVD. So, that leaves us with your system at fault, or user error. with LOTR, once you cancel the interactual player install, you can still open it manually using your favorite software player.

My guess is that your system is all fooked up because of the install/reinstall process being repeated so many times. I would put good money on a reformat and one install of PowerDVD to get you working again.

[satwar]

I just had Windows 98SE installed brand new, although not on a reformatted hard drive. I installed WinDVD and tried to play LOR DVD movie and it started to play and then froze up, with the hard drive light & DVD light on steady. After several attempts I uninstalled and installed PowerDVD. With PowerDVD I just got a blank screen and the hard drive light & DVD light were on steady again.

I believe in both cases I had to open Task manager to end the DVD player tasks, because the computer was frozen (ie wouldn't respond to mouse actions). Once the task ended I got some system message about "can't read disc".

[jimmalenko]

I just had Windows 98SE installed brand new, although not on a reformatted hard drive.

Who did that for you ???

You oughta slap them silly.

Installations over the top are fraught with problems.

Reformat the HD then do a clean install I say.

[satwar]

My guess is that your system is all fooked up because of the install/reinstall process being repeated so many times.

Well I guess that's why I'm here, to try and fix things without reformatting the hard drive. I guess I'm trying to avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Anyway........

I reinstalled PowerDVD and had a "made for TV documentary retail DVD movie running fine". Also seemed to solve the problem of file associations, because when I put in the DVD without starting PowerDVD first, PowerDVD started up nicely without being asked. I'm going to rent a couple of standard DVD movies tonight and see how they play before I take on LOR Extended Version again. Maybe, as another member said, LOR Extended Version is not easy to play on some PCs, although I was hoping to learn why from this forum, not just to conclude that my system is "all fooked up" (yes, I'm not too impressed with that insightful comment)

[jimmalenko]

My guess is that your system is all fooked up because of the install/reinstall process being repeated so many times.

Maybe, as another member said, LOR Extended Version is not easy to play on some PCs, although I was hoping to learn why from this forum, not just to conclude that my system is "all fooked up" (yes, I'm not too impressed with that insightful comment)

I have seen it happen before.

Take it or leave it.

That's what the forum is about - experience.

It is a well known fact that a reinstall of windows over an existing install is a no-no and you will be much better off in the long run by doing a clean install - but if you wish to keep your head in the sand then so be it.

[cd090580]

Try the following:

* Install Latest Drivers for you video and sound card
* Install latest DirectX
* Make sure you have DMA enabled for you hard drives and for your dvd drive
* Install PowerDVD or WinDVD
* Try a "system diagnostic" with PowerDVD.

[Poppa_Meth]

try playing them in Media Player Classic, which I believe has it's own MPEG2 codec built in.

[satwar]

It is a well known fact that a reinstall of windows over an existing install is a no-no and you will be much better off in the long run by doing a clean install - but if you wish to keep your head in the sand then so be it.

Okay, I'll try to explain, I didn't say my dealer installed over an existing install he just didn't reformat the hard drive. He deleted or renamed all the appropriate directories (so as to preserve my data in case I hadn't backed everything up recently and to leave me a template for rebuilding my computer). I agree not as clean an install as reformating the hard drive, but I think not as bad as you may have been thinking. Besides the computer runs a 100% except for this DVD issue.



P.S. Nice guide site, looks like a lot of interesting things to learn about there.

[satwar]

Try the following:

* Install Latest Drivers for you video and sound card
* Install latest DirectX
* Make sure you have DMA enabled for you hard drives and for your dvd drive
* Install PowerDVD or WinDVD
* Try a "system diagnostic" with PowerDVD.

(1) Updated my Radeon 9200 video card with the ATI release of july 27'04
(2) Updated to DirectX version 9c
(3) Drives are all running at UDMA or DMA MW2 transfer mode
(4) Have installed PowerDVD
(5) PowerDVD diagnostic comes up saying (before running diagnostic) that drive transfer mode selects DMA by default and that I should enable directly. I did this but message still appears, not sure what it wants me to do, but perhaps it has trouble seeing what Intel Application Accelerator is doing.
(6) I believe the diagnostic test wants a CSS protected DVD but I'm not sure how you tell if a DVD has this protection enabled. I only have a few DVDs and don't see anything on the jacket covers about CSS. Put in LOR Extended Version anyway and it passed all the video card tests.

[satwar]

All right!

Finally getting somewhere with troubleshooting this issue. I mounted an Iso image of a DVD movie on a virtual drive I had created on my hard drive and it plays like a dream with PowerDVD. Outstanding, got the right software player and the PC machine works.

Now when I put in any regular movie DVD in my DVD-ROM drive it starts for a few seconds stutters once or twice and then the movie freezes with the DVD-ROM drive light and hard drive light on solid.

Looks to be that there's some issue with the DVD-ROM player, probably to do with data transfer, although I have no trouble with Data CD transfer when loading programs from this drive or when playing Audio CDs. Any ideas on the next step in troubleshooting?

Could it be Intel Application Accelerator is causing the problem, or the DMA mode setting of my drives? Currently both primary hard drive and DVD-ROM drive set at UDMA and CR-RW drive set at DMA MW-2. Should I try setting all drives to DMA MW-2? Or is there something missing with the physical installation of the DVD-ROM, or is my DVD_ROM 16X fast enough to play movies?

Expert help needed.

[jimmalenko]

It is a well known fact that a reinstall of windows over an existing install is a no-no and you will be much better off in the long run by doing a clean install - but if you wish to keep your head in the sand then so be it.

Okay, I'll try to explain, I didn't say my dealer installed over an existing install he just didn't reformat the hard drive. He deleted or renamed all the appropriate directories (so as to preserve my data in case I hadn't backed everything up recently and to leave me a template for rebuilding my computer). I agree not as clean an install as reformating the hard drive, but I think not as bad as you may have been thinking. Besides the computer runs a 100% except for this DVD issue.

Exactly as bad as I was thinking as a matter of fact.

The point I was trying to make is that with so many installs/uninstalls of all your software, your registry must be more crowded than a brothel on half price tuesdays. There are quite probably files left on the HD each time which may or may not be shared which may or may not cause all sorts of issues as well.

But anyway, it is good to see you are getting gradual success. If possible, see if you can get a different DVD-ROM put in your computer and see if that makes a difference.

If not, reformat !

Nice guide site, looks like a lot of interesting things to learn about there.

Thanks, muchly appreciated.

[smearbrick1]

I realize you stated you have your drive's data transfer method set to DMA, but is it actually using DMA? The reason I ask this is; you simply select "DMA if available". Sometimes, the drive setting will still show PIO mode even if "DMA if available" is selected. I don't use application accelerator so I'm not real familiar with how it works. Check in the Windows device manager under IDE ATAPI/ATA Controllers and verify that the "CURRENT TRANSFER METHOD" is not PIO. Although you may have set it to DMA in the beginning, it may have reset to PIO due to read errors on your discs. If the current transfer method is showing PIO and the requested method is showing DMA, uninstall the IDE channel through device manager and reboot. Upon restart, it will reinstall you IDE channel and reset your drives to DMA.

[Safesurfer]

Could it be Intel Application Accelerator is causing the problem, or the DMA mode setting of my drives? Currently both primary hard drive and DVD-ROM drive set at UDMA and CR-RW drive set at DMA MW-2. Should I try setting all drives to DMA MW-2? Or is there something missing with the physical installation of the DVD-ROM, or is my DVD_ROM 16X fast enough to play movies?

Expert help needed.

I think you may be on to something with the Intel Application Accelerator, I've seen other reports of people having problems with video playback when this is installed. Try uninstalling IAA, then go to Device Manager and enable DMA on all your IDE drives. I have a feeling that this will solve your problems.

[satwar]

The final Chapter in the saga, in appreciation for all the help offered from this group.

I finally decided to take the easy way out and have my dealer try out a different DVD-ROM drive. Worked like a charm with no problem. What was causing the Sony DDU1621 to act up is still a mystery to me. The only trend I could see is that it didn't seem to like wide-screen movie DVDs, but why is beyond me.

Thanks again people for all your thoughts and ideas, your support made me feel like I wasn't alone with this problem.