Video playback disappears, audio ok

[photoman99]

Hello

I can really use some help here...I have used my computer (Dell Dimension, 2.8 ghz,(dual core), 4 gigs memory,Windows XP Media Center, ATI Radeon video card (X300/X550/X1050 series) for several years to play and back up DVDs.
I can still back them up (Any DVD) but can no longer see them! The audio however, plays back ok.

Inserting a DVD, and attempting to play it in Power DVD 6 provides a black screen with only the audio playing. The same for several other players I own.

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

Jeff

[jagabo]

Start playing another video in another player first. Then start playing a DVD with PowerDVD. Can you see the DVD video now?

[photoman99]

Thanks for your reply.

Before trying your suggestion, I reduced hardware acceleration by 50%, and the video came back!


Jeff

[jagabo]

That's not a fix. All you did was disable features of your graphics card that improve video playback. Try adjusting the video proc amp settings in the graphics card's setup applet. If that doesn't work update the the latest graphics card drivers.

[photoman99]

Hi--

I do have the latest driver - July 2009.

A friend had this comment on your comment:

I am not infallible, however ….



If the video proc amp were the issue in your situation, I would think that it would not be affected by the graphics acceleration mode used: ie, whether the video card graphics acceleration is on or off, video has to pass through the proc amp to be seen on the monitor, hence if you can see video in one acceleration mode (the 50% setting), and not in the other (100% acceleration setting), then the I would very strongly suggest the issue is almost certainly _NOT_ proc amp related, more likely in the hardware accelerated bitblit driver support under DirectX as used by the video applications involved.



Basically the fix I gave you is what I have been doing professionally for a rather long time, and is exactly the fix that has been specified by Adobe for either Premier or Encore, Apple for Quicktime for Windows, and numerous other video applications since about the days of DirectX 5 or QuickTime for Windows 2.1 at least to my direct knowledge.



*** (edited)

Here is another: http://www.tomsnyder.com/contactus/FAQs/tech_faqs_gre.asp#q4 :

Q: What can I do about freeze-ups, crashes, or problems in the video sections? (Windows version only)

A: A wide variety of problems can be addressed by adjusting your Graphics Hardware Acceleration , adjusting your Sound Hardware Acceleration or by changing your QuickTime Draw Method . In some cases, a combination of approaches is required.

To adjust your Graphics Hardware Acceleration level on a PC running Windows :

1. Right-click on your desktop and choose ‘ properties ' to bring up your Display control panel.

2. Click the ‘Settings' tab.

3. Click the ‘Advanced' button to bring up your display adapter's ‘Properties' dialog.

4. Click the “Troubleshooting” tab.

5. Take a note of the current position of the Hardware Acceleration slider bar for future reference.

6. Click and drag the slider's position down by one notch.

7. Click OK to the two open dialogs and check for any improvements in the program.

Ask your respondent for his qualifications and background.



I’ve been the staging producer and Technical Director for SIGGRAPH. I work for the Fortune 50 doing their most important “Failure is not an option” events and productions, and you know my relationship to the little video post house we had here on Webster.

(End quote)

So, what adjustments would you suggest I make in the video proc ? I'm a little wary of adjusting things I don't understand...but I'm willing to learn!

Jeff

[jagabo]

Of course Adobe and Apple tell people to turn video acceleration down. It's easy and painless for them. It's much simpler than really fixing the problem. They're not interested in getting your system running optimally. They want to get you off the phone as quickly as possible. But it's like taking your car to a mechanic and telling him the car can't turn right -- and the mechanic telling you it's not a problem, just turn left until you're going the right direction.

Yes, there are cases where the driver bugs are so severe you simply have to turn down/off video acceleration. But if that's not the case you're much better off fixing the problem rather than working around it.

This problem turns up here all the time. It is often fixed simply by adjusting the proc amp settings. This works because the driver install forgot to set one of the values. (Note the proc amp is just a bunch of sliders that control brightness, contrast, color, etc. The troubleshooting video acceleration settings also disable the proc amp at some point). Other times you have to turn video acceleration down, reboot, turn video acceleration back up, and reboot again. Presumably this works because the driver installation procedure forgot to enable something. Turning acceleration off and then back on enables whatever was missing.

If none of that works, and you have the latest Microsoft certified drivers...

I don't use Power DVD but if it has video renderer options try changing them. You'll see settings like System Default, Overlay Mixer, VMR7, VMR9, etc. You may have to exit the program and restart it for the changes to take effect.

If Power DVD doesn't have these options try downloading MPCHC which does have the options via View -> Options -> Playback -> Output -> DirectShow Video...

[photoman99]

I'll give that a try. The ATI driver/control application does have literally dozens of possible settings. I'll avoid the color controls because I calibrate the monitor for Photoshop work (i'm a photographer.)

Thanks again

Jeff

[jagabo]

I'll give that a try. The ATI driver/control application does have literally dozens of possible settings. I'll avoid the color controls because I calibrate the monitor for Photoshop work (i'm a photographer.)

The video proc amp controls will not effect the desktop colors.