playback on pc not so good

[zeratul_78]

i'm trying to watch some anime dvds on my pc and compared to my tv it looks pretty bad
im using windvd platinum ive tried power dvd and i get the same result
got a geforce4 and cpu is athlon xp 1700, dvd drive is pioneer 117
my actual movies aren't as good as on tv either, should i be getting perfect playback quality on my pc or does quality drop when playing a dvd on pc?

[Comberman]

I've used PowerDVD in the past and got perfect picture every time. The kit you have specified is more than adequate to give you good DVD output. If you are getting a good picture when viewing these anime DVDs on TV through a stand alone DVD player, then you could check your monitor settings. If you've had your PC dvd drive a long time, you could try a cleaner. On the otherhand, if you are not getting a good TV picture, I would suspect the DVDs themselves.

[zeratul_78]

i've tried powerdvd and its no good also
just a note this blurriness does not occur if it is not full screen. if it is just in a small window the quality seems ok but increase it to full screen and the quality gets worse

[setarip]

Forgive me for asking what may sound like a silly question but, are you sure you're watching DVDs and not VCDs?

[zeratul_78]

yep im 100% sure whats vcd anyway?

[setarip]

"whats vcd anyway?"

Video CD - MUCH lower resolution than DVD (352x240 versus 720x480 NTSC and 352x288 versus 720x576 PAL) videos on CDs for playback on standalone DVD players (or your computer)...

I asked because VCDs look AWFUL at fullscreen on a computer (but just fine on a television, because a television has a much lower resolution than does your PC's monitor)

[zeratul_78]

i've tried everything - every software player, tried cleaning the drive, new drivers nothing works. could it be my 17" monitor cause that's the only explanation i've got left

[Comberman]

I think there may be something amiss; if not with the DVD, then perhaps with your display set up. I've just watched my Region 1 copy of "The Others" on this 'ere PC using PowerDVD 2.55 and got a perfect 16:9 picture.
You say the movie is anime which are basically rastorised line drawings. If your screen resolution isn't right, then you can get poor results, especially if you are watching it on full screen and sitting less than two feet away from the screen. Try playing it in a double-size window, or if on full screen watch it from at least four feet away.
If you are on WinXP and are using PowerDVD Version 3 or above, Cyberlink have a patch:

http://www.cyberlink.com/

If this doesn't help, try making adjustments to your display. If your monitor is an old one, it could be on its way out. You can check this on a grey screen. If you can see what appear as contour lines on the screen, then it may be time to dig deep into your pockets.

Cheers!