DVD player...software or hardware problem

[annabel.lee]

Hey, I have been sitting at my computer most of the night trying to get my new DVDs to work. I just got back from Thailand with some great new titles and have been trying to get them to play ... but sadly no.

My computer is just over two years old and has a DVD player. I have never used it - well, I did try with some illegal DVDs from Vietnam and recently some Taiwan DVDs from Blockbuster (I am currently living in Taiwan). None of those worked but I never did anything about it. VCDs do work though.

Anyway, I started tonight to try and work out the problem. First I was told by Windows Media Player 8 that there was no DVD decoder on my computer. I downloaded something called Microsoft Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility and sure enough I did not have the MPEG-2 software to play the DVDs. So I tried to download one. I then discovered I could not because my Media Player was too old so I just upgraded to MP10.

I am a bit apprehensive about this because when I got MSN messenger Beta it recommended I upgrade Media Player so I could use the "What I'm Listening To" feature. That night, after installing it, while I slept, my computer crashed and I awoke the morning to a black screen... Anyway, I digress...

So I upgraded to MP10 and downloaded a recommended plug-in from microsoft.com called NVIDIA DVD decoder. I then tried my DVDs again (I have tried four different ones in case it was the individual DVDs) but this time it came up with a different message, telling me to go to preferences and change my screen resolution and colour. I did that and tried again. Same message on MP10. It suggests trouble shooting and sends me back to the Help and Support centre which really is just not...helping and supporting anymore.

I double checked with the "DVD decoder checkup utility". It says that I DO have a decoder, that is it is compatible with Windows Media 10 and "no further action is necessary". But none of my DVDs will still play!!!

I have tried using Winamp, but when opening the DVD drive it will only read it as two folders: audio and video.

MP10 will read how many chapters are on the DVD though. It calls it an "unknown DVD" but when I go into My Computer my DVD drive reads DVD's name.

One more thing, my DVD region is set to Thailand. I double checked that just in case.

I hope this is thorough enough...or maybe too thorough. I would really love it if someone could help me. Is it something wrong with my computer? Is it a software problem? Or a hardware problem?

Thanks!

[bigbazza]

Welcome to MG. This may not help, as it appears as though you already have your PC set up to play different zone coded DVD's. But it maybe worth a try.
DVD Region Code Killer.
DVD Region Killer Tray. www.softpedia.com/public/cat/3/7/3-7-18.shtml

Works for me, and my friends. Free as well. Bazza
[QUOTE]
Read the info on this site link under Product Description before installing this.
RegionKiller 2 takes care of the proper functioning of your (Region Code free) DVD Drive.

From now on you`ll be able to watch foreign DVDs on your home theater PC without being hassled by possibly non-working DVDs.

Windows 2000/XP: Do not use player software that uses an ASPI driver - RegionKiller 2 will not work. We recommend the latest versions of Cinemaster, ELSA, ATI or Power DVD.

Windows 95/98/ME: Before you install RegionKiller 2, please check if you`ve already installed a previous version of RegionKiller - if you have, please uninstall it before you do anything else. After the you`ve uninstalled, verify that the file REGKILL.VXD was removed from C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS.

[QUOTE]

[Just Playin]

Try the VLC media player: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ If VLC plays the discs, then your problem is most likely WMP10 or the codec you downloaded, as VLC works without codecs. If it doesn't, region protection may be your problem. Anyways, if you are going to be using different region DVDs, I recommend Slysofts AnyDVD: http://www.slysoft.com/en/ It bypasses the region code protetion on both RPC2 drives and the DVD player software. You are only allowed 5 region changes. The last is permanent unless you send the drive back to the manufacturer for a reset.

[annabel.lee]

Thanks a lot for the advice which I tried! and failed... the VLC media player reads the DVD the same way as WinAmp and Quick Time: as two separate files (audio and video) which will not play.

I also tried the region killer. It was a long shot but I was hopeful, but it didn't help. Actually the Thai DVDs are cunningly already cracked and should work in any DVD player in the world.

I am now, to sound cheesy, at my wit's end!

Any other ideas...?

[annabel.lee]

oh and...just tried opening the video files within the DVD using VLC media player and can get pictures. The short clips play without sound on there, but WMP10 can't even read that much.

How very frustrating.

[Just Playin]

Do any of these DVDs play in a standalone DVD player, the kind that one plugs into a TV. The problem may be the DVDs as they may be in a nonstandard format. Also with VLC, did you open the disc or the files on the disc? It's best to select open disc to play DVDs. (see screenshot) It may make a difference if you have done otherwise.

[annabel.lee]

THANK YOU!

it's funny. i read your thread and thought, "yeah that IS what i did, but what the hell i will reinstall it and give it another go." this time when i put the dvd in the windows option window actually opened which it was not doing yesterday (i have uninstalled some stuff since then which might be why i am back to being asking how i want to open the disk) and it gave me VLC as one option or media player 10. i chose VLC, to be honest not very hopefully, and suddenly it started playing.

playing!

well, so far so good. thanks soooo much!

[bigbazza]

DVD Region Code Killer (see previous post), bypasses all that "only 5 region changes allowed" crap, at least on my laptop. I have used it for years, but not lately, I must admit. Bazza

===

Originally Posted by Just Playin

Try the VLC media player: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ If VLC plays the discs, then your problem is most likely WMP10 or the codec you downloaded, as VLC works without codecs. If it doesn't, region protection may be your problem. Anyways, if you are going to be using different region DVDs, I recommend Slysofts AnyDVD: http://www.slysoft.com/en/ It bypasses the region code protetion on both RPC2 drives and the DVD player software. You are only allowed 5 region changes. The last is permanent unless you send the drive back to the manufacturer for a reset.