Playing DVDs is choppy

[kambui]

Brand new computer with XP Home. I can play DVD (using Power DVD) OK if I start and leave it alone. But when I try skipping around or reversing, player freezes and video becomes choppy (in blocks). Audio CD starts playing and freezing also. Going on a year and I have yet to find anyone with solution. Can anyone tell me what is wrong here. Thanks.

My head should have stopped hurting by now.

 

[cdogg]

Playback isn't very CPU intensive these days, and on a newer PC, I doubt the problem has anything to do with your hardware.

However, I would upgrade your video card driver to the latest, and try uninstalling/reinstalling PowerDVD (don't just reinstall it on top of itself, and reboot in between the removal and reinstall).


If you've already tried this, then perhaps you can make a short list of what you've already done...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[kambui]

Oh! 4got 2 mention. I can't install robust software with the drive, such as MS Office.

My head should have stopped hurting by now.

 

[BadBigBen]

Two things come to mind...

1.) Hardware Acceleration of the GFX Card... try setting it lower...

2.) wrong or conflicting CODECs, run Sherlock to see if any Codecs are busted (not properly deinstalled/installed)

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Sherlock_The_Codec_Detective.htm

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[dglienna]

Amount of memory can affect DVD playback. Hope you have at least 256, but preferably 512m of RAM.

-David
2006 Microsoft Valued Professional (MVP)

 

[electronicsfreak]

First off check your video card, make sure its at least 16MB or bigger. Id reccomend at least 32 though. Also might be time to run chkdsk and defrag.

 

[cdogg]

On a newer PC, the amount of memory is likely going to be 256MB or more. I was playing DVD's fine on a system with as little as 96MB in the past, so I doubt that's the issue.

Also, newer PC's aren't going to have video cards with less than 64MB of memory. DVD playback doesn't stress the amount of memory on a video card regardless...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884