Why can't I play DVD's?

**skidrash** · November 15, 2005

I'm sure someone else has already asked this, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating a thread, but the forum won't let me search for srings less than 4 characters (ie. DVD). So basically I can't seem to play DVD's. When I click "play DVD," all I get a black screen. It stays that way until I hit 'backspace', at which time it goes back to GameEx.

I'm using 5.16, and I've gone through the Configuration and set it too my Nvidia codec. (I've also tried some of the free and GPL'd dvd codec, with the same results).

I don't know if it matters, but my pertinent hardware consists of dual 866mhz P3's, and a ATI All-in-wonder Rage128 card(for TV out). Now I know this card doesn't have hardware DVD, but I just want to get software DVD decoding going, just so I can test drive GameEx's DVD capabilities.

Any suggestions?

**emphatic** · November 15, 2005

Can you play DVDs through Windows Media Player?

Emph

**skidrash** · November 15, 2005

Can you play DVDs through Windows Media Player?
Emph
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it plays in WMP just fine. Version 10.0 And it plays surprisingly well for software decoding.(I'm assuming software decoding, because I don't think the Rage128 chip had any hardware assist, but I could be wrong?)

**djrobx** · November 16, 2005

Rage 128 has hardware assist. ATI got into the MPEG-2 decoding thing very early on. Even the Rage Pro has it!

Either way you only need around 500mhz to do soft decoding of DVD.

-- Rob

**skidrash** · November 16, 2005

Rage 128 has hardware assist. ATI got into the MPEG-2 decoding thing very early on. Even the Rage Pro has it!
Either way you only need around 500mhz to do soft decoding of DVD.
-- Rob
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh awsome! Thats good to know. Maybe I can delay buying a new card a little bit longer than.

So now that I know that it does have hardware, does anyone know why I can't see anything? It acts a lot like emulators do when you set the "show desktop" option incorrectly. Although now that I think about it, the DVD rom drive didn't spin up or anything either.

**skidrash** · November 17, 2005

So after messing with some of the FDshow settings, I was able to get the DVD player to spin the disc up, and I could very faint hear the audio coming out of my left speaker, but thats it. No video, and obviously the sound was way too low.

Now it's stopped doing that much. Now when I hit enter on "play DVD" the screen goes black, waits a few seconds, I hear the gameex "chime" and it goes back to the multimedia screen.

Any ideas at all? I'm at a loss.

**TOKY** · December 5, 2005

Anyone solved this Problem ?!?

"Play DVD" -> brings only the Sound of the DVD....

I've tested + removed + installed + in all possible combination --> XP-Codecs-Nimo-fdd...-std.WMP10-WMP9 .....

Always the same Problem ..... sound is good - screen is black...

DVD with WMP or Cyberlink is working fine.

I think it's not a Codec-Problem.....should it be a DirectX Problem ??

**skidrash** · December 5, 2005

I still have not fixed it. I originally had a codec pack installed, so I uninstalled it and installed the stand-alone ffdshow and the nVidia DVD decoder. I also upgraded too the latest GameEx just too make sure. Still no luck. I can play videos from the videos menu, and I can play DVDs on WMP, but not in GameEx.

**TOKY** · December 8, 2005

OK - played around...with DISPLAY Settings --> Alpha Blend Videos + 16 bit color settings...

Setting the "use 16bit color" to yes - DVD play work fine, but the Startup Video plays with very ugly colors.

in combination with AlphaBlendVideo-setting (yes or no) i get totally confused - sometimes DVD-play work or not....

Any Idea ?

Codec: Cyberlink (from Nimo) + all "use fdd.." setting to NO

**skidrash** · December 9, 2005

Hey, that worked for me! I set:

Display-

Alpha Blend Videos: No

Use 16 Bit Colour: Yes

MultiMedia/HTPC-

Video Use FFDSHOW: No

DVR-MS Use FFDSHOW: No

DVD Use FFDSHOW: No

I haven't had any time at all the mess with it, but I saw your post and decided to give it a try. The DVD loaded and started playing perfectly. Unfortunately I didn't have time to check anything else (for example, you mentioned the videos looking poorly). When I have some time today or tomorrow I'll experiment a little more with these settings and let you know how I make out.

**skidrash** · December 9, 2005

Alright, so messing with that some more, I found two factors that were keeping my DVDs from playing. First off, it apparently does not want to run my DVDs in 32bit color. Which is really strange because WMP and Media Portal were able too, but for some reason it just wouldn't do it in GameEx. So instead of changing the option in GameEx, I just changed my desktop color depth too 16bit. The other thing was FFDShow. For whatever reason, if I have FFDShow enabled for my Videos or my DVD, they just won't play. The DVD would kick right back out, and the video would play the sound but no video. So I changed all the "use FFDShow" settings too 'No'. The other settings you mentioned I just put back too the defaults and it is working great now:

Display-

Alpha Blend Videos: Yes

Use 16 Bit Colour: No

MultiMedia/HTPC-

Video Use FFDSHOW: No

DVR-MS Use FFDSHOW: No

DVD Use FFDSHOW: No

And 16bit color desktop.

**Tom Speirs** · December 10, 2005

Alright, so messing with that some more, I found two factors that were keeping my DVDs from playing. First off, it apparently does not want to run my DVDs in 32bit color. Which is really strange because WMP and Media Portal were able too, but for some reason it just wouldn't do it in GameEx. So instead of changing the option in GameEx, I just changed my desktop color depth too 16bit. The other thing was FFDShow. For whatever reason, if I have FFDShow enabled for my Videos or my DVD, they just won't play. The DVD would kick right back out, and the video would play the sound but no video. So I changed all the "use FFDShow" settings too 'No'. The other settings you mentioned I just put back too the defaults and it is working great now:
Display-
Alpha Blend Videos: Yes
Use 16 Bit Colour: No
MultiMedia/HTPC-
Video Use FFDSHOW: No
DVR-MS Use FFDSHOW: No
DVD Use FFDSHOW: No
And 16bit color desktop.

Thanks for perservering guys. It seems to me that the DVD player only works properly with very high end graphics cards. Quality seems to be very good though if you have one. What cards are you using?

**TOKY** · December 13, 2005

I'm using GeForce2GTS 64MB

**skidrash** · December 21, 2005

Sorry about the late reply. I'm using a 16mb PCI, ATI Rage 128 All-in-Wonder card (not the pro version). It seems to be running great now. As I recall, some of the early cards that had hardware assisted DVD playback had a problem with running the DVD's in 32bit color. I don't know if that was a driver, software, or hardware problem, but I think thats what we ran into.

**headkaze** · December 23, 2005

Is Google using context sensitive ads or what? I come in here and there is an ad for WinDVD.. I go to the thread about a monitor being too bright and there is an ad for LCD Monitors. Am I getting an Acid flashback or what? O_o

**Tom Speirs** · December 23, 2005

Is Google using context sensitive ads or what? I come in here and there is an ad for WinDVD.. I go to the thread about a monitor being too bright and there is an ad for LCD Monitors. Am I getting an Acid flashback or what? O_o

lol, I am glad I wernt in Nam when I get one of those!

Yes, they are context sensitive, its google adsense, and its a good program, although it only generates me a little bit of revenue.

Cheers.

Why can't I play DVD's?

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